Chapter 6
Five days after I left them, Sabrina made her
move.
This time, she didn’t bother with subtlety. She confessed to Michael again, her tone more forceful, almost desperate.
She clarified that she’d leave if he couldn’t give her a definitive answer about their
future. She wouldn’t stick around as a mere accessory in his life.
And she didn’t stop there. She said it all in front of Noah.
The moment the words left her mouth, Noah broke down, his small frame shaking with
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sobs. “Aunt Sabby, please don’t leave! I want
you to be my mom! Mom doesn’t even care about me. She’s always working and never takes care of us.”
His words hit hard.
Michael couldn’t calm him down, find the right words to explain or comfort his son.
The truth was painfully clear:
Noah had grown utterly dependent on Sabrina. He saw her as the mom he wanted
but never felt he had.
Michael had nothing left to say. He couldn’t deny that Sabrina was exceptional–someone who genuinely cared for Noah in obvious and subtle ways. She was the kind of person who would pour herself into making sure the boy
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was happy and thriving.
But instead of staying to deal with it, he left. He packed a bag and moved into his company’s apartment, distancing himself from the chaos at home.
He stayed away for three months.
During those months, the silence was deafening.
At first, he received a few messages from Sabrina, but even those stopped after a while.
Instead, she started sending updates about Noah’s life to his parents. They’d pass the information to him, ensuring he knew the boy was fine. Noah’s piano practice was on
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track, his schooling was going well, and he seemed happy.
Michael tried to throw himself into work, but even there, things started falling apart. He was distracted and unable to focus, and his performance at board meetings became
erratic.
It didn’t take long before his mother stepped in.
“When are you planning to return?” she demanded one evening, her frustration palpable. “You’re a wreck. You can’t keep running the company like this—your head isn’t in it.”
Michael frowned, his tone defensive. “If you don’t like me being here, I’ll move to a hotel.”
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“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, blocking his way as he started packing. “What’s going on with you and Eliza? And what about Sabrina? You’ve been gone for months–what do you think is happening back at the house with those two women?”
“There’s no chaos,” he said flatly. “Eliza hasn’t
been home this whole time.
The house’s smart security system sent notifications to his phone whenever someone entered or left. He had checked every day, waiting for her return, but the alerts never
came.
He had planned to sit down and talk to her properly to address everything that had gone unsaid between them.
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But she hadn’t come back.
“Three months?” His mother’s face darkened.
“She hasn’t come home even once?”
“No,” he said quietly.
“Are you two divorcing?”
“No.”
“Then what is this?” she pressed. “Why hasn’t she come home? And Sabrina–she’s good for
you,
for Noah. If you’re planning to divorce, do it quickly. Stop wasting Sabrina’s time.”
Michael’s frustration boiled over. “Wasting her time? I’ve never stopped her from seeing anyone. She’s Noah’s piano tutor. That’s all there is to it.”
His mother gave him a sharp look, her voice
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laced with disbelief. “A Paris Conservatory graduate. A pianist courted by theaters. And she’s working as a tutor? Do you really think she’s doing this without ulterior motives?”
What she didn’t know was the truth about
Sabrina’s circumstances.
After her father’s financial ruin, she’d lost her support in Paris. Her studies had fallen apart, and her mother’s depression had only added to the burden. Returning home wasn’t a choice; it was a necessity.
In reality, she hadn’t graduated from the Conservatory.
She wasn’t the celebrated artist his mother believed her to be. And the monthly salary of $100,000 she earned as Noah’s tutor wasn’t just
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generous.
It was her lifeline.
But Michael said none of this.
He didn’t want his mother to know the truth.
Her health was fragile, and the last thing she needed was more stress.
His mother sighed heavily, shaking her head. Michael’s mother reached into her bag and pulled out a credit card, pressing it into his
hand.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
