Chapter 3
Back then, I thought Hugo was too stubborn to ever admit he was wrong.
But right now, the figure standing at the door turned back.
Hugo turned around, came back, grabbed a tissue from the table, and tossed it to Paige.
"Don't cry," he said. "You don't need to clean up the broken bowl. The caregiver will handle it.
"And I'll have someone bring you something fresh to eat."
Paige took the tissue and wiped away her tears.
"I've been craving your homemade seafood chowder. All these years apart, I've never stopped missing it. Hugo, could you make it for me?" she asked.
Hugo murmured, "Sure."
It was very soft, but it hit me like a ton of bricks.
The door closed behind him.
I stared blankly at the floor.
The shards of porcelain were scattered everywhere, shattered into pieces.
My heart felt just as broken.
It seemed, even Hugo, the famous lawyer known for being cool-headed and never bowing his head, could set aside all his pride and boundaries.
He could clumsily try to patch things up with Paige.
He could even cook a bowl of seafood chowder for Paige.
And me? I was the one who'd spent five years by his side, married him, carried his child, and stood with him through thick and thin, back when he had nothing to the big-shot he was today.
And yet, I never knew he could cook.
Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes.
I cried myself to sleep in the end.
In my dream, I found myself back at that beach from years ago. Hugo was holding me close, speaking to me with such gentle warmth.
"Nancy, hang in there. I'll always be there to protect you," he whispered.
But in the next moment, the dream shattered and Paige appeared out of nowhere.
She was wrapped in Hugo's arms, his hands caressing her as he kissed her tenderly.
And me, along with my unborn child, was left behind forever in the cold, unforgiving sea.
Breathing hurt, and my stomach cramped up sharply.
When the pain woke me, my pillow was soaked.
I couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears.
The curtain was pulled back.
By the bed next to me stood a well-dressed man.
Paige saw me and called out warmly.
She said, "Ms. McGraw, you're awake. Hi, I'm Paige Winston. I'm really sorry about yesterday. It was all my fault. I was careless, drove drunk, and ended up hitting you.
"I feel terrible that you got hurt so badly, and even your baby was affected. Please don't hold it against me, okay?"
She handed me a bowl of seafood chowder. "My boyfriend made this himself.
"I haven't seen your husband since yesterday. You're pregnant, so you need to keep your strength up for the baby."
I didn't take the bowl. I simply asked, "Your boyfriend?"
Paige didn't deny it; she blushed and looked bashful. "Well, I guess you could say he's my ex. We were in love for eight years.
"After the accident yesterday, I was so scared I called him. I never thought he'd rush back from abroad overnight."
I took the bowl to be polite, but I didn't drink any of it.
I was allergic to seafood.
And being pregnant, even the smell of seafood tended to make me nauseous.
So I really didn't feel like eating.
Paige nervously bit her lip, glancing at me.
"Ms. McGraw, are you refusing to eat the seafood chowder because you can't forgive me?" she asked. "Are you still mad at me? Honestly, I really didn't do it on purpose."
She was the one who'd crashed into me, causing my pregnancy to be unstable till now.
But now, standing here, she didn't look guilty at all. If anything, she was acting like she was the victim.
When I stayed quiet, her friendliness vanished.
"Ms. McGraw, my ex is a lawyer, and he insisted on helping me. I really didn't want things to get this messy, but now I have no choice but to let him handle it," Paige said.
Just then, the lawyer's assistant stepped forward and handed me a settlement agreement.
"Hello, I'm Mr. Blount's assistant from Arches Law Firm," he said. "This is the settlement agreement. If you're willing to sign, we can work something out regarding compensation."
I lifted my hand, didn't look at it.
I simply pushed it aside.
"I'm not signing," I said.
Paige frowned, thinking I was being difficult.
The lawyer looked a bit awkward for a moment.
After hesitating, he reluctantly took out his phone and made a call.
The phone rang for what felt like forever.
Paige glanced at me, a hint of triumph flickering in her eyes.
The call went through.
It was Hugo's voice on the other end.
"Speak," Hugo said simply.
"Mr. Blount, she won't sign. What should we do?" the assistant asked.
Static crackled on the line.
Hugo's voice cut in again. "Tell her that if she won't sign, she'll have to face the consequences."
His tone was cold and detached, laced with warning and impatience.
Face the consequences.
Those words, so light yet so heavy, slammed into my ears.
My mind went completely blank.
My dad's company got set up by his competitors, accused of tax evasion and fraud.
He got taken away for questioning, and could be thrown in jail any minute.
Back then, I was so desperate I couldn't sleep for nights on end. For the first time, I finally broke down and begged Hugo to help my dad, to save my family.
But all he said was, "Nancy, I know you're hurting right now.
"But as a lawyer, my professional standards mean I can't let emotions cloud my judgment."
Back then, I chose to understand him.
But now, for Paige, he was willing to abandon the boundaries he'd always stood by.
Paige grabbed the phone, glanced at me, and spoke loudly, "Oh Hugo, I'm sure she wouldn't do anything to hurt me.
"Wait, you really got me upgraded to a VIP room?"