Chapter 9: The New House

Shirley’s POV:

Before the detective had even finished pulling together the full details I had requested, he sent me the address of Steven's new house. When I saw the message on my phone, something twisted deep inside me. The address wasn't just an address. It was a place I recognized—too well. We had honeymooned nearby. The same hills. The same beautiful, wide-open spaces. It was where we had once talked about bringing our children someday, where we had dreamed of a future together. I had always imagined that one day, I would come back here, with Steven, with Abby, to share the beauty that had once felt so perfect.

But I had never expected to come here like this.

I wasn't here to confront Steven. I wasn't even sure I wanted to see him. I had no idea if I was ready to face him, to look him in the eye and ask the questions that had been gnawing at me for months. No. I didn't come for him. I was here to confirm something.

Something that had been brewing in my mind for too long.

Abby sat beside me in the car, her toy clutched tightly in her hands, her face pressed against the window as she gazed out at the passing landscape. She had no idea where we were going, or why I was feeling so restless. She was just excited to be out and about, and I wasn't about to ruin her happiness with the storm that raged inside me.

"Mommy, where are we going?" she asked, her voice high and curious.

"We're going to visit a friend's house, sweetie," I said, forcing a calmness I didn't feel. "Just to say hi. It'll be fun. We can play with their toys."

Her eyes lit up at the idea. "Play toys? Yay! I like that!"

I smiled at her, trying to hide the weight pressing on my chest. It wasn't just a visit. It wasn't just about toys. It was about something much bigger, something that I wasn't sure I was ready to face.

When we reached the house, I parked in front of the gate, my hands gripping the wheel as I stared at the imposing, cold exterior of the house. This wasn't the warm, welcoming place I had once imagined for us. It felt distant. Detached. Too perfect in its newness.

Abby, always the optimist, had already unbuckled her seatbelt and was eagerly bouncing in her seat, ready to go. "Mommy, is this it?"

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, sweetie. This is where our friend lives."

I had no idea why I couldn't bring myself to call this place what it truly was—the place Steven had built for himself, for someone else, perhaps. This wasn't just a house. It was a symbol of everything that had changed.

Abby skipped ahead, blissfully unaware of the swirling mess inside me. I hesitated before stepping out of the car, looking at the house again. My thoughts were tangled, and the idea of actually going inside made me nervous. What if Steven was there? What would I even say to him? What would I feel? The thought of facing him made my stomach twist.

I rang the doorbell, trying to steady my breath, my heart racing. A few moments passed, but there was no movement. I pressed the doorbell again, this time with more urgency, but still, nothing.

Abby tugged at my sleeve. "Mommy, when will they open the door?"

I gave her a tight smile. "Soon, sweetie. I'm sure they'll be here in a minute."

But they weren't. They didn't come. And I started to wonder if this had been a mistake. Maybe Steven wasn't even here. Maybe I had come all this way for nothing. Maybe, somewhere deep down, I had hoped to find some answers. But it felt like I was just searching for shadows.

Abby tugged at my hand again, pulling me away from the door. "Mommy, can we go inside and play?"

I glanced down at her, her innocence still shining through. She had no idea that all of this—this house, this visit, this feeling of something being terribly wrong—was the beginning of something that could change everything. But I wasn't about to let her see any of it. Not yet.

"Not today, sweetie," I said softly. "Let's go back to the car, alright? We'll try again another time."

Abby pouted for a moment, but then, as always, her mood shifted, and she skipped back to the car, excited about the new adventure she thought we were on.

I glanced back at the house, my mind spinning. I hadn't come here for Steven. I hadn't come to find answers—at least not directly. I had just come to confirm something in my heart, something that had been gnawing at me for a while now. But I wasn't sure I was ready for whatever I might find.

And as I drove us away from that house, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had made a huge mistake.

The silence in the car was thick. Abby hummed happily to herself in the backseat, lost in her world, her toy clutched tightly in her hands. I wanted to reach back and hug her, tell her everything would be okay, but I couldn't. Because deep down, I didn't know if it would be.

And as we drove away from that house—his house—I realized how far apart we had really become. How much of my life had slipped away without me even noticing. I wasn't ready to face him. I wasn't sure I ever would be.

But one thing was clear: whatever was happening, whatever was changing between us, it was too big to ignore any longer.