Chapter 5

Estelle had grown tired of watching this messy drama between the two, so she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

Just as she was about to leave, Celeste called out to her again. When Estelle turned around, she caught a flash of hatred in Celeste's eyes.

Celeste said, "It's my birthday. You can't just leave like that, can you?

"Come on, have a few drinks with us."

Without giving Estelle a chance to refuse, Celeste pulled her back into the crowd. Everyone there was on Celeste's side, so no one would risk offending her.

Before Estelle knew it, a bunch of people were crowding around her, trying to get her drunk. At that moment, she couldn't afford to make a scene with Celeste.

She didn't want anything to mess up her plans before she got the divorce papers.

Estelle kept knocking back drinks, her head getting fuzzier with each one. Celeste wasn't about to let her off the hook. Just as Estelle reached for another glass, an irritated male voice suddenly cut through the noise.

"That's enough." Wallace's voice was cold.

Wallace got up and pulled Estelle straight into his arms.

He shot Celeste a look. "Are you done yet?"

Estelle, tipsy and catching the weird tension between them, decided to just shut her eyes and fake being asleep. She didn't want to open her eyes and make a fool of herself at that moment.

Just because her eyes were shut didn't mean she couldn't hear what was going on.

She could hear Celeste's mock-annoyed sigh, and a helpless, angry huff from Wallace.

"I'll drink for her," Wallace said, knocking back the last glass in one go. Then he picked Estelle up bridal style.

"Come on, Estelle, let's go home," he said softly.

Estelle gave a muffled response, snuggled deeper into Wallace's chest, trying to hide her face, but the tears just wouldn't stop.

She hadn't had a home for as long as she could remember.

Back then, she was just an orphan, raised by whoever would take her in, never truly belonging anywhere.

Then she met Wallace. They were always moving because they couldn't pay the rent. She had a lover, but she was still drifting through life like a leaf in the wind, never really having a place to call home.

Now that she was married to Wallace, she thought she finally had a home.

But once more, reality hit her hard, shattering her hopes all over again.

Estelle was jolted awake by the shrill ring of her phone.

She groaned, her head pounding from last night's drinking, and fumbled to answer. "Mrs. Hopper, the kitten you reserved with us is ready to go home. You can come pick it up now," the voice on the other end said.

Estelle blinked, a bit dazed, before it finally clicked.

"Sorry, I can't keep it anymore. I'm leaving soon," she said.

In just two weeks, she'd be leaving Wallace and this city behind for good.

The person on the other end gave a light, almost mocking laugh. "I've dealt with plenty of customers like you. Whether you want the kitten or not, you still have to pay up.

"If you don't take it, we'll just toss it out and let it fend for itself as a stray."

Before Estelle could say anything, the call ended, snapping her fully awake.

Even if she knew it was just a threat, Estelle couldn't bring herself to gamble with a kitten's life.

Estelle had just sat up when the door swung open. Wallace came in, carrying a bowl of soup for her hangover. He had a worried look on his face. "Where are you headed?"

Estelle's heart gave a little jolt, but she kept her expression calm. "Just stepping out for a bit. I need to pick up the kitten I reserved."

Wallace seemed to get it, passing her the bowl. "Here, drink this while it's still warm. Do you want me to drive you? Is your head still hurting?"

Estelle lifted the bowl, but suddenly froze, her hand suspended in the air.

She gave Wallace a long, meaningful look.

Wallace was never much of a talker. Even when they were crazy about each other, he'd only show his concern in short, clipped sentences. He would always wait for her reply before saying anything else.

But now, he was firing off questions one after another. She'd never seen him like this before.

Estelle suddenly thought of that ring.

"When you went to Elarion a while back, did you do anything besides business?" Estelle asked, acting nonchalant as she took a big gulp of the soup.

Wallace looked totally unfazed, not a trace of a lie anywhere on his face.

"I just went to some meetings before I came straight back," Wallace said.

Estelle simply nodded.

The conversation died right there. She didn't ask anything else. The soup warmed her up, but inside, she was frozen solid.

Just as Estelle was about to get into the passenger seat in the front of the car, Celeste arrived. "Estelle, where are you guys headed? Take me with you. I'm so bored being alone.

"Let me sit up front, okay? I get carsick. Please, Estelle."

Celeste pouted, reaching for Estelle's hand. Estelle sidestepped her without missing a beat and slipped into the back seat, keeping her cool.

She watched as Celeste settled into the passenger seat like she'd done it a hundred times, flipping down the mirror to fix her makeup.

Wallace, who was usually all about keeping his distance from people, didn't even flinch. Their hands brushed as they buckled up, but he acted like nothing happened.