Chapter 5

For the next few days, the house was like a chaotic battleground.

I didn't get any more calls from Orson. I felt that Mallory must've chewed him out pretty hard.

But Mallory's calls and texts just kept coming every day.

At first, he was barking orders, then he started interrogating me, and by the end, he was straight-up begging.

Mallory: [Lindsay, I'm seriously begging you, please come back.

[The house is a disaster zone. Orson and I can't cook at all, so we're eating nothing but takeout every day.

[Mom's not doing well. She had a fever yesterday, so I took her to the hospital. The doctor said she's at risk of infection because we're not taking care of her properly.

[Lindsay, I know I screwed up. Just give me a chance, Let's sit down and talk.]

I stared at those messages, completely unfazed, not a single ripple inside. Honestly, I almost found it funny.

I felt that it served him right to be in this predicament.

On the fifth day, Mallory finally cracked and showed up at the motel where I was staying.

He must've asked the front desk for my room number.

When he pushed open my door, he just froze, completely stunned.

He probably expected to find me sobbing and looking completely haggard, like I'd hit rock bottom.

But that wasn't the case.

I was wearing clean clothes. I looked healthier than I ever did at home.

The room might've been small, but I'd made sure it was perfectly organized.

There was even a bouquet of fresh daisies on the table.

"You..." Mallory stared at me, swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

All the bitterness and blame he'd been saving up just got jammed in his throat, leaving him speechless.

His eyes were ringed with dark circles, his beard was scruffy, and his shirt was so wrinkled it looked like he'd pulled it out of a laundry basket from last month.

It had only been a few days, but he looked like he'd aged ten years.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

My tone was so detached, it was like he was a complete stranger to me.

"Lindsay, please come home," Mallory said.

He walked in, humbled, his voice carrying a desperate plea.

"Home just isn't the same without you," he added.

"Is it really that the house can't function without me, or is it just that you and Orson can't live without a free maid?" I shot back.

I didn't bother sugarcoating it.

Mallory's face turned ashen with embarrassment. He just stood there, awkward and speechless.

"I know I've put you through a lot this time. But Orson..." Mallory said.

"Enough." My voice was cold and final as I cut him off.

"Don't ever mention his name to me again," I said.

I walked right up to him, locking eyes with him.

I said, "If you want me to come back, fine. But there are two conditions."

Mallory's eyes lit up instantly, like he'd just grabbed onto a lifeline.

"Just say it, Lindsay. Whatever it is, even if you have two hundred conditions, I'll do them all!" he blurted out, desperation written all over his face.

I said, "First, I want the house taken out of Orson's name and put Mom's name back on the deed.

"Second, Orson's got to move out of that house at once."

As soon as I finished speaking, the hope in Mallory's eyes died instantly.

He looked troubled, his lips moving wordlessly for a long moment.

Mallory said, "Lindsay, the house was only just put in Orson's name. Switching it back now would be a huge hassle.

"Orson just got back to the country. He hasn't even found a job yet. He's got nowhere else to go.

"Can't you just cut him some slack?"

He practically gritted his teeth as he forced out those last words.

"We're married, Lindsay. We've been together for twenty years!" Mallory cried out.

I let out a cold laugh.

He was always using this excuse to sabotage me.

I said, "Mallory, you go on and on about brotherly love when it comes to Orson, but with me, suddenly it's all about how much our marriage means to you.

"You sacrificed everything we could've had together just to feed your brother's never-ending demands, and now you turn around and ask me to be understanding.

"Do I even matter to you? Does this family mean anything to you at all?"

My voice stayed low, but every word hit him like a sledgehammer, right where it hurt the most.

Mallory's face went livid, turning a dark, mottled red, like he'd just swallowed something bitter and couldn't spit it out.