Chapter 3
Mabel stared at the photos on her phone, her lips trembling with rage. "Are you cutting me off?"
"Isn't that obvious?" I took my phone back, with a flat look. "Should I keep giving you money so you can keep cozying up to Timothy and his whole family?"
My words struck a nerve with her.
Timothy had been spoiling her rotten these past five years since our divorce.
He gave her a fancy beauty salon and a bunch of unlimited credit cards, letting her finally live the rich lady life she always wanted. And every bit of it was bought with my pain.
"Cora, I'm your mother," she shrieked.
"Would a real mother stand by and watch her daughter get abandoned by her husband, then defend someone else?" I shot back, my voice icy.
I shot a glance at Timothy, his face dark with anger, then looked over at Esther, who was barely holding herself together.
It was time to put an end to this farce. I turned around, ready to walk away from this disgusting place.
"Stop," Timothy's hoarse voice called out from behind me.
I stopped, but didn't turn around.
"Cora, let's talk," he said. There was a hint of exhaustion and pleading in his voice.
Was this really the high and mighty CEO?
I sneered, "There's nothing left for us to talk about."
"There is." He quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "About our child, about us..."
"We ended the day you brought her back," I interrupted him.
My eyes fell on Esther, standing behind him. She was watching us nervously, her eyes brimming with unease.
That look on her face brought back a memory from long ago.
It was right after Timothy and I got married. My dad's company hit a financial wall. The cash flow collapsed overnight.
My mom was in tears, pleading with me to ask Timothy for help.
That day, Timothy was in the middle of a crucial meeting, but without a second thought, I barged right in.
He gently pulled me aside in front of everyone and whispered, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
After that, he pulled every string he could to help my dad weather the storm.
From that day on, my mom acted like Timothy was the answer to all our problems.
She kept saying, "Timothy is your world. You can't ever leave him."
She told me, "Men messing around is how it is. As long as his heart stays at home, you should pretend not to see it."
I used to be so naive, thinking that if I were patient enough and endured everything, I could keep my marriage together. But I forgot that people changed.
When I saw him standing in front of Esther, protecting her and telling me, "Let's get a temporary divorce," I knew I'd lost. I was utterly defeated.
Right now, seeing the regret and inner turmoil in his eyes, I didn't feel a shred of satisfaction. All I felt was an overwhelming sense of fatigue.
"Timothy, let me go," I said softly. "You have a new family now, and an adorable kid. Please, stop bothering me."
"No." He shook his head stubbornly, refusing to let go of my wrist. "Cora, you're the one I've always loved. Being with her was nothing but a mistake."
"A mistake?" A crisp female voice rang out.
Esther had walked over at some point, fixing Timothy with a cold, mocking gaze. "Timothy, you say you love her? Then what about our son and daughter? Are they mistakes, too?"
Esther's question landed like a stinging slap right across Timothy's face.
All the color drained from his face. He tried to speak, but not a single word escaped his lips.
The guests were left stunned. No one expected a baby's first birthday party to explode into a high-society scandal right before their eyes.
I took advantage of the chaos to slip out of Timothy's grasp, stepping back to put some space between us. "This is your family drama. It has nothing to do with me."
I turned on my heel and walked away, not wanting to spend another second there.
Mabel tried to reach for me, but one icy glare from me made her instantly retreat.
I hurried out of the ballroom, slid into my car, started the engine, and slammed the gas pedal to the floor.
As I drove out of the hotel parking lot, I spotted Timothy in the rearview mirror, running after me.
He stood at the entrance, lost and lonely, like a big dog left behind by its owner.
I looked away, rolled up the window, and left everything from my past behind.
*****
When I got home, the nanny was in the living room, playing with Marco and Iris.
As soon as they saw me, those two little cuties reached out their chubby hands, babbling for cuddles.
I scooped Marco up and kissed his soft cheek, then picked up Iris and pressed a gentle kiss to her tiny forehead. Their sweet, milky scent washed away all my worries in an instant.
This was everything to me. For them, nothing in this world could break me.
I figured after tonight's circus, Timothy would finally back off for a while. But I underestimated how relentless he could be.
*****
Early the next morning, my doorbell rang. Peeking at the video doorbell, I spotted Timothy outside, his arms loaded with bags and boxes of baby supplies.
He looked haggard, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept a single minute all night.
I didn't open the door. He stood outside, saying nothing.
After a while, my phone rang. Timothy was calling. I hung up and blocked his number.
He wouldn't quit. He started texting me.
[Cora, open the door. Let's talk.]
[I know I messed up. Give me a chance to make it right, okay?]
[If you don't want to see me, that's fine. These are for the kids. Open the door, grab them, and I'll be gone.]
I watched his messages pop up one after another on my screen, and honestly, it was ridiculous.
It was five years of humiliation and mockery. How could he ever make up for that?
I didn't bother replying. I switched my phone to silent.
Timothy, still outside, noticed I wasn't answering and started pressing the doorbell.
He kept at it, one ring after another, persistent and seriously getting on my nerves.
His constant ringing was driving me crazy. I was about to call the cops. Suddenly, the door next to mine opened.
A tall figure stood in the doorway, shooting Timothy a frown. "Sir, you're disturbing the neighbors."
He was a soft-spoken man with gold-rimmed glasses and an unmistakable air of academia about him. It was my neighbor, Finn Murphy, a college professor.
A hint of wariness and hostility flashed in Timothy's eyes as he spotted the man. "Who are you?"
"I'm her neighbor," Finn said calmly, adjusting his glasses. "If you keep bothering her, I'll call the cops."