Chapter 2

I pulled my wedding ring off without a word and laid it on top of the table. The gesture spoke volumes. I was done fulfilling the vows I made in front of the altar.

I'm setting him free. This time, I have no remorse or regret because I fought for him. God knows how hard I fought.

"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?"

Without waiting for his response, I walked out, closing the door behind me with quiet finality.

I marched to the parking area where my car waited, opened the door, and slipped into the driver's seat.

Through the rearview mirror, I saw Grey burst from the restaurant's entrance. His tall figure moved swiftly, almost running toward my car. For a moment, my heart leaped traitorously in my chest.

But I knew better now. He wasn't chasing after me because he loved me or wanted to salvage our marriage. He was likely fuming about my parting words regarding Natalia.

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

"Lily!" His voice carried across the parking lot. "Lily, wait!"

I shifted into reverse, then drove. As I pulled away, I caught a glimpse of his face in my side mirror. His expression was a mixture of anger and something else—perhaps regret? But it didn't matter anymore. Four years of marriage, countless memories, and one dead child later, he had made his choice.

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

My vision blurred again, and I quickly blinked. The last thing I needed was to get into an accident. One car crash had already destroyed my family—I wouldn't let another one take my life too.

My phone started ringing in my purse. I didn't need to look to know it was Grey, probably calling to yell at me.

I pressed the gas pedal. I had no idea where I was going—I couldn't go home, not to the house I shared with my husband, since it was filled with memories of him and my dead child.

In the end, I decided to go to my mom's home.

My phone had finally stopped its endless ringing, though the silence felt just as suffocating. Sixteen missed calls. All from Grey.

The old tree in front of Mom's house came into view. The same tree I used to climb as a kid, scraping my knees and making Mom worry. Now here I was, twenty-three years old, broken in ways that no Band-Aid could fix.

I pulled into the driveway, clambered out of the car, and hurried to the door, unlocking it with my duplicate key.

Celine, the nurse who was watching over my mom, was already waiting in the living room. The moment she saw me enter through the door, she got up from the long Victorian sofa.

“How… How's Mom?” I struggled to let the words out, dread piling up inside me. My mom had been battling an illness for a long time, and each day seemed to bring her closer to the inevitable end. The doctors had given her six months at best, but she was fighting.

"She had a rough morning, Lily. The new medication is taking a toll on her system. She's been sleeping most of the day." Celine couldn’t contain the tears that glittered at the corners of her eyes. She had been my mother’s private nurse for years now. They were so close that she treated Mom like her own mother, and we were like sisters to each other.

I nodded painfully, my throat tight. Of course—today of all days, when I needed her most, she might not even be conscious enough to talk to me. Life had a cruel sense of timing.

"She's been asking for you, though," Celine added softly. "Even in her sleep, she calls your name."

"I'll go upstairs to check on her, Celine. Thank you for looking after her, even if today's supposed to be your day off."

"I told you, Lily, I will still look after her even if you don't pay me." She replied with a gentle and understanding smile.

"Thank you, Celine. You're really an angel sent to me. Have a safe trip on your way home. Don't forget to put your seatbelt on before you drive."

"See you tomorrow," Celine said as she walked to the door and gently closed it behind her.

I stood in the empty living room for a moment, looking at all the family pictures on the walls. There was one of me and Mom. Another from my wedding day—I quickly looked away from that one.

Taking a deep breath, I climbed the stairs slowly. It felt like forever before I reached the familiar door to my mom's room.

I paused for a moment, placing my hand on the doorknob but making no move to open it. I was scared to see her frail body curled on the bed and discover that she was no longer breathing. She's the only one I have now, and thinking she will leave me too breaks my heart into a million pieces.

A tear slid down my cheek. When Grey asked for a divorce, I did not cry, but when Mom was involved, I just lost it. Losing her would mean losing my world as well.

Finally, I summon my courage and turned the knob. I pushed the door open and what came into view was the empty bed.

Shock hit through me like a sharp bolt of lightning, and instantly, I ran inside the room to check on her.

The thud in my chest was so loud that I could hear it all the way to my ears.

What if she fell on the bed and broke her frail body? At the thought, my heart raced like crazy. Tears streamed down my cheeks. There was nobody under the bed, but still, my worry continued to pile up.

“Mom?” I called, but it was silence that answered back.

What if she went into the bathroom and slipped?

I swallowed hard and ran to the bathroom, but even the bathroom was empty when I got there. My hands turned to ice, and my knees trembled as I looked for her.

“Where are you, Mom?” Panic coiled inside me.