Chapter 5

I turned away. "Leave," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Please, Evelyn, just wait a little longer," Victor pleaded.

He reached out his hand toward me. "Please, it'll all be over soon. Once this is done, we can leave. We can get back to the way things used to be."

Back to the way things used to be?

I closed my eyes.

My throat tightened.

There was no going back.

There never would be.

He had Gwen now.

He had two kids.

He chose them over me again and again. It was never me.

I slowly turned my back to him, facing the wall.

I had nothing left to say.

Behind me, Victor stared at my back. Pain filled his eyes.

Finally, he gently ran his hand through my hair. "Get some rest. I'll be right here."

A knock at the door interrupted him.

The door to the infirmary swung open.

A nurse stepped inside, looking nervous.

She hesitated, "Mr. Callahan, Ms. Archer is very upset. She's been crying, and her belly hurts. She won't calm down unless she sees you."

Victor frowned and glanced at me.

For a split second, he hesitated.

Then he stood up. "Evelyn, I..."

"Go." I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"I'll be right back," he promised. "I'll go check on her and the kids, then come back to take care of you."

I didn't move or respond.

Victor was lying. I was sure he wouldn't come back this time.

The day I left the hospital, the rain came down in sheets.

Victor pulled up, his car stopping right in front of me.

I paused. With the rain pouring all around me, I reached for the door handle.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Gwen sitting in the passenger seat, holding her daughter in her arms.

The moment she saw me, she instinctively scooted closer to Victor.

"Victor, I haven't gotten over what happened last time," she said, her voice trembling.

She rested a protective hand over her belly. "If she wants to take it out on someone, let it be me. Please, don't let her hurt the baby. Can you please not make me sit in the same car with her? Please, Victor."

I stared at the seat that was once mine, and a chill settled deep into my bones.

Victor was silent for what felt like forever.

Finally, he opened the driver's side door and stepped out.

He pressed a big umbrella into my hands. "Evelyn, hang out here for a bit. I'll take Gwen home first, then I'll come back and pick you up."

Before I could say a word, he slammed the door shut.

The black car sped away into the rain.

I stood there, watching as it disappeared at the end of the street.

I watched the little family vanish into the downpour.

I closed my eyes, feeling like my chest had been hollowed out. No matter how hard I tried to fill that emptiness, the cold kept seeping in.

I waited and waited. The rain kept coming down harder. The sky was swallowed by darkness.

But Victor never came back.

I called his private number over and over, but every time, all I got was that cold, lifeless voicemail.

As night fell, the storm still raged on. In the end, I gave up.

With no other choice, I opened my umbrella and started walking home.

The wind was so fierce that it almost ripped my umbrella apart.

I stumbled through the storm, barely keeping my balance.

My foot slipped, and I went down hard into a muddy puddle.

My umbrella snapped with a loud crack.

In seconds, the rain soaked me to the bone.

By the time I finally made it home, it was already past midnight.

I stepped into the entryway, shivering all over, when I heard Gwen's voice coming from the living room.

She sounded like she was about to cry.

"Victor, I know your heart belongs to Evelyn," Gwen said, her voice barely holding together. "But this time, it's different."

She lowered her head. "I have a clogged milk duct. It hurts like hell. The baby won't stop crying, and nothing I do helps."

She couldn't hold back a sob. "The doctor said maybe the baby's dad could help. Just this once, please. And Evelyn will never find out."

I froze. It felt like every drop of blood in my body had turned to ice.

From where I stood, I couldn't see Victor's face, only the rigid outline of his figure.

The room was silent for what felt like forever.

Then, I saw Victor slowly raise his hand.

His fingers carefully moved aside the collar of Gwen's robe, lingering on her pale skin.

Victor leaned in and took her nipple between his lips.

I stood there, frozen in place.

For a moment, it was like lightning had crashed right through me.

I watched as Victor leaned in, his lips pressed to Gwen's breast, giving her exactly what she wanted.

I saw her fingers thread through his hair, a soft groan slipping from her lips. "Oh, Victor, come a little closer."

Victor frowned. "I thought only one side was plugged up."

Gwen didn't say anything. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Victor wavered only for a moment. Then he leaned in again.

I couldn't take it anymore. I turned and bolted out into the pouring rain, desperate to escape.

The storm instantly drenched me, but the cold didn't register. I was numb to everything.

My mind was flooded with memories of when we first got together.

He used to be so careful, so gentle, treating me like I was the most precious thing in the world.

After sex, he'd hold me close, whispering in my ear. "Evelyn, you're my first, and you'll be my last."

But now, he was with someone else.

I doubled over, my gut twisting itself into knots.

I wanted to throw up, but nothing came up.