Chapter 1
Emily’s POV
My husband didn’t love me. He never had, and he never would.
So we divorced.
The divorce decree trembling in my hands. Now I was here to give him the final papers and pick up my son.
Now I was here to give him the final papers and pick up my son.
As I entered the house, I followed the sound of hushed voices but stopped in my tracks when I neared the living room. I could hear them clearly now.
“Dad, why can’t you and Mommy stay together?” Zane’s innocent voice asked, tinged with confusion.
My hands trembled as I tightened my grip on the divorce papers. Hearing the sadness in his voice broke my heart. I would do anything for him, but this divorce was something I couldn’t avoid.
Our marriage had always been troubled. I held on, hoping things. would get better, but nothing ever changed. The love I longed for
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never came.
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“You know why, Zane,” Keith answered, his voice unusually soft. “Your mother and I aren’t together anymore.”
It was strange to hear him speak so gently, especially when he never used that tone with me. Our entire marriage had been cold, distant, and devoid of any real emotion.
“But why?” Zane persisted, not satisfied with the answer.
“You’ll understand when you’re older,” Keith mumbled, trying to avoid more questions.
I could picture his face, frowning as he tried to make Zane understand. But Zane was my son. Curiosity ran deep in him, and he wasn’t one to let things go easily.
“Don’t you love her?” Zane’s simple, heartfelt question hit me like a
wave.
My breath caught in my throat, and I leaned against the wall for support. My heart raced as I waited for Keith’s response, event though I already knew what he would say.
I had always known the truth. Keith didn’t love me. It was a truth everyone knew–everyone except Zane. But even knowing this, a part of me still wanted to hear his answer. Would he be honest
with our son, or would he lie?
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Keith cleared his throat, clearly stalling. “Zane…”
“Dad, please, do you love Mommy?” Zane asked again, his voice soft but more insistent this time.
I heard Keith sigh in defeat. “I love her for giving me you.”
It was an empty statement, not the answer I had hoped for.
I closed my eyes, trying to push back the pain that surged through me. After all this time, it still hurt. My heart broke all over again, even though I had expected nothing different. A small part of me had foolishly wished for a different response.
Keith had never expressed any affection towards me–not when we got married, not when I gave birth to Zane, and not in all the years that followed. Not even during the rare moments we were close.
I gave him everything, but in return, all I received was a hollow shell of a marriage, filled with nothing but loneliness and
disappointment.
He could have loved me if it had been just the two of us. But there were always three in our marriage–him, me, and the woman he truly loved, the one he couldn’t let go of for nine long years.
My eyes grew a little wet, but I quickly cleared them away. They
Chapter 1
weren’t worth shedding for someone who never truly cared.
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as I stepped forward, but the floor creaked under my weight, betraying my presence. Keith’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto mine.
“Isn’t it a little impolite to spy on other people’s conversations?” Keith’s voice dripped with disdain. His gaze was cold, and a mocking curl formed on his lips as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.
Before I could respond, Zane rushed over to me, his small arms wrapping around my waist. “Mommy! I missed you.” His words were the only comfort I had, and I forced myself to smile as I leaned down to kiss his forehead.
“I missed you too, sweetheart,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady. Everything in this house felt out of place now- except for Zane. He was the only thing that had kept me here, the only reason I endured the coldness, the distance, the pain.
Keith had built this house for her, the woman he truly loved. It was her dream house, not mine.
“Mommy, can we play outside?” Zane asked, his eyes bright with excitement.
“Of course, sweetheart,” I said, glancing at Keith, who watched us with a dark expression. “I’ll be right out, okay? Go ahead and get
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started.”
Zane nodded eagerly and ran off, leaving the room with the carefree joy only children have. As soon as he was gone, the atmosphere in the room shifted, growing heavier, more oppressive.
Keith’s eyes narrowed as he turned to me, his voice laced with bitterness. “You just couldn’t resist ruining our father–son time, could you? Haven’t you done enough to ruin my life already?”
I still loved him, and that love made it hurt even more. I had given him so many chances, hoped he might care for me, even just a little. But his heart was still cold.
“Keith, I didn’t come here to ruin anything,” I sighed quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. “I just came to give you this.” I stepped forward and placed the divorce decree on the table between us, the finality of it settling into the space like a heavy fog.
Keith stared at the paper for a moment, his jaw clenched tight. “You think this changes anything? You could have sent them to my office!” he spat out, his eyes flashing with anger. “You think you can just take my son away from me and walk out like nothing happened?”
“I’m not taking him away,” I said, my voice trembling.
Keith’s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening even further. “Don’t act like a victim here. You’re the one who ruined everything
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nine years ago. You’re the reason I couldn’t be with the woman I love. Aren’t you happy enough with that? Emily Wattson, I fucking hate you.”
His words hit me like a physical blow, but I held back the tears. What could I say when the man I still loved said he hated me?
Keith’s eyes bore into mine, filled with anger and something else I couldn’t quite place. For a moment, I wondered if there was any part of him that regretted how things had turned out.
“Get out,” he finally said, his voice low and venomous. “Take your pity and your pathetic excuses and get out of my room. I’ll bring. Zane home when my time with him is over.”
I turned and walked away, leaving the divorce decree on the table behind me. Just as I reached the door, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Glancing at the screen, I saw my mother’s name.
“Mom?” I answered, my voice shaky.
“Emily…” Her voice trembled, thick with tears. “You need to come. to St. Mercy Hospital. It’s your father… he’s been shot.”
The world lurched beneath me, and I couldn’t breathe. The shock. slammed into me, numbing my body and making my legs weak. My hand gripped the doorframe, the only thing keeping me upright.
Keith noticed my reaction. “What happened?” he asked, his tone
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slightly softer.
“It’s my father,” I managed to say. “He’s been shot.”
Chapter 2
