Chapter 02

I pulled my wedding ring off without a word and laid it on top of the table. I was done fulfilling the vows I had made at the altar.

God knew how fiercely I had fought to hold on to Grey and save what we had. I had given him every ounce of my love and every chance I could. It hadn't been enough to keep us together, but at least I could walk away with peace in my heart, knowing I had never stopped fighting for him until there was nothing left to give.

I turned toward the door, then stopped.

“Just remember Grey, karma has a funny way of coming back around. Your father left your mother for a younger woman. Now you're leaving me for an old flame. I wonder...” I glanced over my shoulder, meeting his stormy gaze one last time. “Who will Natalia leave you for?”

His face darkened. For a second, I thought he might say something, but I didn't stay to hear it. I walked out, closing the door behind me with finality. The cool night air hit my face the moment I stepped outside. I drew in a shaky breath, hoping it would somehow ease the pressure in my chest. It didn't.

I marched toward the parking area where my car waited, opened the door, and slipped into the driver's seat. My hands were still trembling as I reached for the ignition. Before I could start the engine, the restaurant door flew open. I glanced at the rearview mirror.

Grey burst outside and headed straight toward my car. 

He wasn't chasing after me because he loved me or wanted to salvage our marriage. He was probably furious about my parting words regarding Natalia.

Still, a foolish part of me wanted to believe otherwise.

I jammed the key into the ignition with trembling hands and started the engine. The sound seemed to spur Grey to move faster.

“Lily!”

Shifting into reverse, I drove away. 

The restaurant diminished in my rearview mirror. Grey's figure became a dot, then vanished completely as I turned onto the main road.

Only then did I allow myself to breathe. The phone began ringing inside my purse. I didn't have to check the caller ID to know it was Grey. Probably calling to yell at me. Probably demanding that I come back. Or perhaps he wanted to take back the things I’d said.

The phone continued ringing until the sound became unbearable. I reached for my purse, pulled the phone out, and stared at his name glowing across the screen. I turned the phone face down on the passenger seat.

The ringing eventually stopped.

There was no destination in my mind. The home I shared with my husband was the last place I wanted to be. Walking through those doors would only tear open wounds. In the end, my mom's house was the only place that came to mind.

Even if I couldn't tell her what had happened, I needed to hear her voice. I needed to sit beside her and pretend, just for a little while, that I was still someone's daughter instead of a woman whose entire marriage had just fallen apart.

Streetlights streaked across my windshield, and passing cars became nothing more than flashes of light. I barely remembered making several turns. When I glanced at my phone at a red light, my stomach tightened. Sixteen missed calls. Every single one was from Grey. I locked the screen without calling him back.

Soon, the old tree in front of my childhood home came into view. It was the same tree I used to climb as a kid, scraping my knees and coming home with dirt on my clothes while Mom scolded me for making her worry.

Back then, my biggest problems had been scraped knees. Now, at twenty-three, I was broken in ways no Band-Aid could ever fix.

I jumped out of the car and hurried to the front door. After fumbling with my spare key, I finally unlocked it and rushed inside. Usually, Celine would be waiting in the living room whenever she was caring for Mom, but she wasn’t there tonight. Perhaps she had gone to Mom's room to check on her.

“Celine?”

The nurse appeared moments later, coming from the hallway. .

“How is Mom?”

Celine walked toward me and reached for my arm. “She had a rough morning, Lily.”

“What happened?”

“The new medication is taking a toll on her system. She's been sleeping most of the day.”

Celine tried to sound calm, but she couldn't contain the tears glittering in the corners of her eyes.

She had been my mother's private nurse for years. Over time, she had become far more than an employee. She and Mom were so close that Celine treated her like her own mother, and she had become like a sister to me.

The doctors had given Mom six months at best, but she refused to stop fighting. Even when her body grew weaker, she insisted on getting out of bed, eating properly, and taking every medication the doctors prescribed. She was stubborn like that. Maybe that was where I got it from.

“I'll go check on her. Thank you for looking after Mom, even though today is supposed to be your day off.”

“I told you, Lily, I'd still look after her even if you don’t pay me.”

“Thank you.” I managed a faint smile. “You're truly an angel. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“You don't have to thank me every time.”

She reached over and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before picking up her bag. “See you tomorrow, Lily.”

The door closed softly behind her. Silence settled over the house.

I stood alone in the living room, surrounded by memories. Family pictures covered the walls, frozen moments from years when everything had been different. Then my eyes landed on another photograph. My wedding day. Grey stood beside me, one arm around my waist, both of us smiling at the camera.

We looked happy.

I quickly looked away. I couldn't bear to look at it now. 

I walked to Mom's room and asked myself what if I opened the door only to find her dead? The thought of losing her felt like someone was crushing my heart in their fist.

Grey asking for a divorce hadn't broken me enough to cry. Somehow, I'd managed to hold myself together. But the thought of opening this door and finding Mom gone unraveled me completely. She was the only family I had left. Losing her would mean losing my entire world.

I pressed my palm against the door, took a shaky breath, and turned the doorknob. The bed was empty. The blankets were still on the bed, but there was no sign of my mom.

“What...?”

My heart began hammering against my ribs. What if she had fallen off the bed? I looked underneath but there was no one.

I scrambled to my feet. What if she'd gone into the bathroom and slipped? A terrible feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I checked the bathroom but it was empty.

“Mom? Where are you?”