Madeline was finally out of the house."You still think Jillian's gonna come back to you?" she said, tilting her head with that smug little smile. "Finn, you really are hopeless. You do realize you two are divorced, right?"Finn clenched his jaw. "That's none of your damn business."Then he slammed the door in her face.The car ride to the hospital was quiet. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The city blurred past, but he barely noticed.Henry was still lying in that damn bed, too pale, with dark circles under his eyes."We're gettin' your mom back tomorrow," Finn said gently, brushing Henry's hair off his forehead.Henry's eyes lit up a little. Not much. But enough to make Finn believe this might fix something.From my end, I already knew what he was planning. Dad told me everything after Finn left the hospital.So I called him."Dad told me what you said," I said, cold and steady. "But I already signed the papers, Finn. I divorced you."There was silence. Then I could he
Madeline never once took Henry to school.Not even on his first day back after the break. Not once. And Finn? He'd been gone for months. Europe, business, the usual. But while he was off playing diplomat with old men in custom suits, things at home were rotting.Henry was slipping. School had already sent two official warnings. He'd been skipping classes, getting into fights, sleeping through tests. The principal even said they'd consider dropping him if it kept up.Nobody helped. Nobody showed up.Madeline didn't care. She'd sleep 'til noon, sip champagne in the garden, then spend the rest of the day scrolling her phone like the world didn't exist. When one of the maids timidly asked her, "Ma'am, should we call the police? Henry hasn't come home all day...", Madeline barely looked up from her damn mirror."Relax," she said, waving her hand like they were talking about a missing sock. "He's probably wandering around, hiding to make a scene. That boy craves drama.""But it's almost
Ever since I hung up on Finn that night, things went quiet.I didn't hear from him again, not directly anyway. My father was the only one who occasionally called, and each time he did, it was the same damn thing."Jillian, you need to stop acting like a child. Finn's been flying all over the globe handling business."Yeah, right. Handling business. Probably with Madeline perched on his lap while signing off contracts. I didn't say that out loud, though. I just asked calmly, "And how's Madeline doing these days?"Dad sighed like I was the unreasonable one. "You're being ridiculous. She's not his wife. Stop acting jealous over a woman with no legal status in this family."That's when I knew. She was still living in my house. With my son. Like some damn stand-in mother.I didn't ask anything more. I just hung up and focused on what mattered: my flower shop, my peace, and little Cici, who had unknowingly become the highlight of my new life.One afternoon, we were arranging lavender bun
I'd been running my flower shop in Richmond for almost a month now. Peaceful mornings, quiet streets, the smell of fresh roses and lavender, this was the kind of life I'd always wanted but never had.Garrick and little Cici would drop by now and then. She'd run between the pots, giggling and brushing her tiny fingers over the petals like they were her friends. And Garrick, he always brought this calm, gentle energy with him.Unlike Finn, he didn't try to control the room the second he walked in. I thought I could stay invisible here. Just me, with my flowers, my peace.Then my phone rang. I saw the name and already felt my chest tighten, Dad.I answered with a small sigh. "Hey, Dad."His voice came in sharp and annoyed, like usual."What's going on with you and Finn? He told me he hasn't heard from you in weeks. Jillian, you're a mother. You can't just play these childish games and disappear."There it was. The lecture. Always for Finn's sake, never mine.I bit my tongue, then said
I didn't tell my parents where I went. Not because I didn't love them, I just couldn't bear to see the worry in their eyes again. After everything, I knew they'd drop everything to come find me. But I needed space. Space to breathe. Space to heal.So, I left.I packed a few bags, cashed out from the joint accounts under my maiden name.Thankfully, the Carter name still meant something, and I moved to Richmond.The same place where my parents used to take me every spring when I was a little girl. Back then, we'd stay at this tiny family-run inn near a cherry blossom park. We'd eat ice cream on the bench and count how many pink petals landed on our heads. My dad would lift me onto his shoulders when I got tired, and Mom would sing quietly under her breath.This city's different now. Bigger. Colder, maybe. But the air still smells the same in the early morning. A mix of grass, rain, and something sweet, like cinnamon rolls and jasmine. The moment I stepped off the bus, I felt it i
My last life didn't have a moment like this, as far as I could remember. But Finn always did the same choice, choosing Madeline over me. Except that last time I didn't survive.When I woke up, everything hurt. My head was pounding, my ribs felt like they were lit on fire, and the fluorescent lights above me made it clear I was in a hospital.No one was sitting beside me. Not a single familiar face, just a doctor with a clipboard and a bored expression.He looked up. "You're awake. That's good news."I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my side."Careful," he added quickly. "You've got a mild concussion and three cracked ribs. Nothing life-threatening. We'll keep you here for a few more days, just to be safe. Though if you're really itching to get out, I can clear you sooner.""Who paid for this?" I croaked out.He flipped a page on his chart. "Someone named Leo. Friend of yours? Husband?"I let out a bitter laugh. "No. Definitely not my husband."He didn't ask any more questions