Leaving His Shadow Behind

Nora's POV

Daniel James didn't arrive home until late into the night, supported by Chloe Mercer.

They walked in and found me sitting on the living room sofa.

"You're still up?" Daniel frowned. "I told you I had a work event tonight."

His voice was natural, tinged with annoyance, as if nothing had happened.

I stared at how closely their bodies were pressed together. Before I could speak, Chloe hurriedly took a step back.

"Nora, please don't misunderstand," Chloe said quickly. "Daniel drank too much, so I just wanted to drop him off safely."

Daniel?

I froze for a second. We had been roommates in college, and I was the one who recommended her to the company.

Back then, she timidly called him Mr. James.

I didn't know when she had changed the way she addressed him.

I ignored her and looked directly at Daniel. "Why didn't you approve my hospital deposit?"

He rubbed his temples, full of impatience.

"Is money all you think about? Chloe brought me home. Go get her a glass of water first."

I stayed seated and didn't move.

"You bought her a twenty-thousand-dollar gift. Doesn't that make the ride home well worth her time?"

Daniel's face darkened instantly. "Did you look through my phone?"

Even now, his first reaction was to blame me.

Silence settled over the room.

Chloe was the one who broke it, calmly walking over to grab my arm.

"Nora, please don't be mad. Daniel only gave me that birthday gift out of respect for you."

I looked down at the hand holding my wrist.

A year ago, that same hand was trembling in front of me, her eyes filled with desperation.

“Nora, please talk to Mr. James for me. Just get me into the company! I’ll make it up to you, I swear!”

Because of our college friendship, I personally brought her in.

I never expected her way of making it up to me would be stamping every single one of my requests with Blue.

I yanked my arm away and wiped my wrist.

She cast an aggrieved glance at Daniel.

Predictably, he stepped forward, shielding her behind his back while glaring down at me cold-eyed.

"Why are you taking your temper out on her? She's just following the rules.

"Chloe closed a major deal. The bracelet was a performance bonus from me. She earned it.

"Can you stop looking for trouble?"

I supported my sore lower back and slowly stood up. "She earned a bonus, fine. But I'm giving birth. What part of my hospital deposit isn't earned?"

"Have you given birth yet?"

"The doctor said there's a risk of premature labor and told me to prepare!"

He scoffed. "The keyword is risk. It's just an estimate."

I looked at him silently. "What if something actually happens to me?"

He kept Chloe firmly behind him. His tone was nonchalant, as if speaking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"Then bring the invoices, file a request, and let Chloe process it like normal."

Chloe peeked out from behind his back, her voice soft and sweet.

"Nora, don't worry. If it really is an emergency, I won't hold it up. I'll personally process it as Red-Priority right away!"

A heavy stone seemed to drop straight into my chest, crushing me inside.

I closed my eyes tight.

When I opened them again, my voice was unexpectedly calm. "No need to file any more requests.

"Daniel, I want a divorce."

After a brief, dead silence, Daniel let out a low chuckle.

"Nora, I make all the money in this house. Without me, you can't even afford your hospital bill.

"What are you going to do? Give birth on the side of the road?"

His words hit me like a slap across the face.

I bit the inside of my cheek hard, fighting to hold back the tears threatening to spill over.

Chloe called out to him softly. "Daniel, didn't you say you'd help me review tomorrow's proposal? Let's leave Nora alone so she can calm down."

Before heading into the study, Daniel came over and stroked my cheek.

"Nora, earning money isn't easy, and you tend to make impulse purchases. I can't just hand over cash whenever you stretch out your hand.

"Be good. Go to sleep early. It's better for the baby.”