Chapter 2
Shawn’s voice on the phone sounded shocked. “What? Out of the blue? Nicky, did you have a fight with
Hayden?”
Nicole tightened her grip on the phone, her voice coming out sluggishly. “No… I’m just tired. I don’t think I can go on with him anymore.”
For the past seven years, she had grown accustomed to sharing only the good and hiding the bad. Perhaps it was her way of proving she was doing fine. No matter how cold Hayden was to her or how exhausting it was raising a rambunctious boy, she never once complained to Shawn. Therefore, it made
sense that he was shocked.
Maybe it was the unspoken chemistry between siblings, but after hearing her out, Shawn stayed quiet for a long time. He didn’t press further about what had gone wrong in her relationship. Instead, he simply asked, “Sure. When are you coming back? I’ll come get you and Matt myself.”
Nicole paused a beat before replying, “Matt’s staying with Hayden. I’m coming back alone.”
He sucked in a deep breath. “You’re just gonna leave him? Don’t worry, Nicky. If you’re really ready to get divorced, I’ll help you fight for custody.”
“It’s fine, Shawn. Let me take care of a few things on my end. I’ll call you after.”
She didn’t want him to keep pressing, so with trembling fingers, she quickly ended the call. As she leaned
against the couch, she felt completely drained.
Since having Matthew, Nicole had never once thought about leaving Hayden. What she hadn’t expected
was that the final straw would be her own son.
She said she needed to take care of a few things, but the truth was, there was nothing to wrap up. The marriage certificate was fake, which meant she wasn’t even legally affiliated with Hayden. All she had to do was pack her bags and walk away. Then, she would be done with the father and son.
Nicole took a deep breath, steadied herself, and went upstairs to pack up. Just then, the bedroom door opened.
Matthew walked in holding a toy. When he saw her folding clothes into a suitcase, his eyes went wide, almost with a flash of anticipation. “Mommy, why are you packing? Where are you going?”
She turned to look at him. He was her flesh and blood, yet at that moment, he felt like a stranger.
“Just going on a trip,” she answered flatly.
His face immediately lit up. “Really? When?”
Children rarely knew how to mask their true feelings, so the excitement in his voice was unmissable.
Nicole felt her heart sink. “In another two days. I’ll be away for quite some time.”
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Matthew’s grin widened. “Oh! Have a fun trip, Mommy!”
He bounced around, turning on his heels, ready to call Gloria and tell her about the good news.
Nicole couldn’t help but frown and remind him, “It’s way past 7:00 pm now. Are you starting your home-”
He snapped impatiently, “Oh, come on! You always do my homework with me at 8:00 pm. Why are you
rushing me already?”
She pursed her lips and let out a soft, self–deprecating smile. “Sorry. I won’t do it again.”
Matthew could tell something was off with her today. Normally, she would be nagging him about finishing his homework early so he could get to bed, especially since his teacher would be checking it the next day.
However, she said nothing this time.
He didn’t think much of it, though. On his way out, he slammed the door just to be petty, making it loud
enough to shake the walls.
Nicole walked over to the desk and pulled out the reference books she usually used to help Matthew
study. She stacked them neatly on the side.
Every single one had notes and highlights throughout; even the basic first–grade problems were carefully
marked.
Hayden had never helped with any of his studies. She handled everything and took full responsibility for raising and teaching their son, only to end up resented by the boy himself.
She had poured six years into raising Matthew right–top grades, piano and guitar on point, strong, healthy, never once falling seriously ill. In the end, none of that seemed to matter because a few toys and a couple of carefree days with Gloria were enough to win him over.
Tears spilled from her eyes before she could stop them. She wiped them away quickly, then turned to pack up all of Matthew’s things and label them in their respective categories.
At 8:00 pm, Nicole didn’t go next door to remind him to do his homework. Matthew was secretly thrilled; he figured she must’ve lost track of time, so he stayed in his room playing games. Eventually, he played himself tired and fell asleep right there on the bed.
Taylor assumed Nicole was keeping an eye on him as usual, so he didn’t go upstairs to check,either.
A little after 9:00 pm, Hayden came back from work. The moment Nicole heard the front door open, her hands trembled, and she accidentally hit “Send” on the message she had just typed to Jeremiah.
“Sorry to trouble you, but please cancel the craniotomy appointment. I’ve decided to go with conservative treatment and seek care at a facility abroad.”
Hayden entered and glanced over at the dining area. The table was empty, with no sign of the usual bowl of vegetable soup Nicole always prepared for him. He often worked late and had a sensitive stomach from all the irregular meals, so every night, she would make him a light, soothing bowl of soup.
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A puzzled look was on Hayden’s face as he came in, but it melted away the moment his eyes found
Nicole. “What about my soup tonight?”
Nicole turned to face him calmly. “I wasn’t feeling well, so I didn’t make it.”
He loosened his tie. At her explanation, his fingers paused for a moment as he added, “Have you been
burning the candle at both ends? You’ve been bleeding from your nose lately and look paler than usual.
“Tell you what–I’ll hire two more housekeepers. You’re doing everything yourself, and it’ll wear you down.”
He gently placed what he was holding on the table before her, then pressed a hand to her forehead. She
stayed perfectly still, letting him touch her.
Suddenly, she remembered how distant he had once been until that night, when he was under the
influence. He went from cold and detached to rough and wild with her, leaving her bruised from head to
toe.
The morning after, Hayden, typically so poised, was flustered, his ears flushed with red. He’d stopped her from leaving, his voice shaky as he promised to take care of her. After that night, everything changed.
He maintained a distance from everyone else. With her, however, he became intensely caring and
attentive.
“You’re not running a fever, but you look so pale.” Hayden peered down at her and softly asked, “Want
some mousse cake?”
Nicole blinked and then stared at the little pink treat he had set before her. It was her favorite, the
raspberry mousse cake. In Seabrook, raspberry plants could hardly grow, and this cake was only sold every, Wednesday by the famous patisserie, Maison Serene.
She had tried the cake by chance five years ago and never stopped thinking about it. Since then, every
Wednesday without fail, Hayden would get it for her–for five years straight, rain or shine.
She used to be deeply touched by that. He might not be the warmest person, but at least he cared. Now, it
all felt like a lie. Five years of cakes meant nothing when even their marriage was a hoax.
Nicole’s gaze dimmed. Noticing she wasn’t reaching for the box, Hayden asked, “Not hungry?”
She snapped out of her thoughts. “Yeah, not really.”
He was about to say something when he spotted her bag on the corner of the couch. It was unzipped,
with part of a medical report sticking out. His expression shifted slightly. “You went for a checkup?”
He moved to grab the paper, but she tugged lightly on his shirt to stop him. Forcing a smile, she said, “Oh, I’m fine. The doctor said I just need more rest.”
Hayden visibly relaxed, letting out a breath of relief before gently ruffling her hair. “That’s what I thought. I’ll tell them to prepare you some chamomile tea.”
Clenching her fists, Nicole called out to him. “Hayden… What would you do if I got diagnosed with
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something terminal one day?”
He froze mid–step, his heart skipping a beat. A frown graced his face as he replied, “Don’t say stuff like that. It’s bad luck. And don’t overthink things. If you’re not feeling well, I’ll take you to a doctor. You’re not
dying.”
She looked at him with an unreadable expression. “We’ve been married seven years… Is there anything you’ve been hiding from me? If there is, tell me now. I can handle it.”
Hayden stiffened, a shadow passing through his eyes. “I’m not hiding anything from you. What’s with you?”
Nicole’s gaze flickered, and she quickly looked away. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ve been overthinking.”
Taking a deep breath, she spoke again. “I hate lies, and if I find out you’ve lied to me, I’ll disappear for good. The three of us will never be a family again. Mark my words.”
He blinked, clearly thrown off. For some reason, something about her words brought upon a sense of foreboding, like something major was on the horizon.
He tried to play it off cool, curving his lips into a smile. “Come on, Nicky. The three of us aren’t going anywhere. It hurts me that you think that way. Anyway, I’m gonna go check on Matt.”
Hayden closed the door behind him as he entered Matthew’s room.
Nicole’s heart sank straight into an icy pit. There was no longer any reason to hold on, was there?
She took out the car key, the house keys, and a farewell letter she had prepared.
They weren’t legally married, so there was no need for a proper divorce–no papers needed, no agreements to sign, and no property battles to fight.
The house and the Rolls–Royce in the garage were gifts from Hayden. Once she returned them, there would be nothing left tying them together.
She placed the keys and the letter neatly on Hayden’s desk. Then, pulling her suitcase behind her, she stepped out of the front door and vanished into the night.
