2 — He Chose His Mistress

Nora

I opened my mouth to answer him, my mind scrambling for an answer to his question. Caden would never let me leave if he knew my plans.

Just then, he got a call, and his face instantly brightened up. His focus moved from me entirely to his phone as he answered it.

“Rory,” he said, his voice softer as he spoke into the phone. I had to hold back a scoff and pretend like I didn’t notice it.

Now, seeing it in hindsight, he never bothered to try to hide his affair. I was just too blind and delusionally in love with him to notice. I kept making excuses for him, lying to myself for him, and I took whatever he told me and put it there as the cherry on top.

“I’ll be right down.” He finished and turned to me, his expression turning sour. “Aren’t you going to help me with my bag?”

In the past, I had always rushed to him, eager to help with whatever he was doing, I’d pack his bag with his racing kit, snacks and other essentials he’d need while racing, but he never appreciated it.

He always shunned me or stood still with an irritated expression plastered on his face as I helped him.

“Ask your mistress to do it.” I muttered, but it came out a little too loud.

“What did you say?” His brows furrowed as he bent his head slightly to intimidate me. I scooted off the bed and shrugged.

“Have you started hearing things now? When did I say anything?” I grabbed his bag and left the room, eager to be away from him.

As I got to the entrance of the house, my eyes widened and the bag slipped from my hand as I rushed to the scene in front of me.

My daughter was on the floor, her cheeks red and wet with tears, her uniform dirty, and she was trying to get her bag from Rory before she threw it. Fury shot through my veins.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I yelled, my brows furrowed in anger and just then she dropped to the floor and held her cheek.

“I was just trying to help Zara with her bag, but she threw it away and said she doesn’t want to go to school. Why would you slap me?” She looked really pitiful as she whined.

“Oh-” I started but I was cut short by how roughly my arm was grabbed by my foolish husband, Caden. He yanked me away from her and rushed to help her up.

“Have you lost your mind? Rory is a top racer in this country. Unlike you, who gave up racing and is just a house wife. Do you think you will be spared if anything happens to her?”

His words pierced through me like multiple shards of glass, cutting through every part of me that loved him. I silently picked Zara up and dusted her hands.

In the past, I had apologized to Rory immediately he said that, shame burning through me. I even made Zara apologize to her, but not this time. If Caden hadn’t succeeded in locking me down with a pregnancy, I’d have been a better racer than the both of them combined.

"Are you deaf!?" My silence and disregard for him seemed to irk him even more. He stepped closer to me, his jaw tight. "Have you been teaching Zara your arrogant attitude? Is that what you do when I'm not home?

I didn't answer him. I just kept my eyes on Zara, checking her over, making sure she wasn't hurt anywhere else.

"Mummy," Zara sobbed, her small fingers gripping the front of my blouse. "She slapped me and pushed me down a-and she’s the one who threw my bag."

I turned to look at Rory. But she already turned to Caden, her eyes glistening as she looked up at him.

"Are you really going to believe that?" Her voice was quiet and trembling at the edges. "Caden, do you honestly think I would hit your child? I literally see her like my own daughter."

Caden's expression didn't even flicker with doubt. Not even for a second.

"Zara." His voice came out sharp and cold as his eyes dropped to our daughter. "Lying is a bad habit. I will not have you standing here and making up stories. Don't be bad like your mother."

Zara's bottom lip wobbled.

"Kneel down and apologize to Rory for being naughty."

"Caden-" I started.

"Zara." He cut me off, ignoring me completely. "I'm not going to say it again. Kneel down. If you don’t apologize to Rory right now, I’m not going to come for your birthday."

I could sense her hesitation as she stared at her father, sadness clouding her features. She had been starving for his attention for two years now. Two whole years of waiting at the door for him, of asking me why daddy never came to her school events, of crying herself to sleep on nights I thought she was already out.

She would do anything to keep him from walking away again. The same way I was in the past.

Her knees started to bend.

"Sweetie." My hand shot out and caught her by the shoulder, pulling her gently back to her feet. Then I turned to face Caden fully.

"Are you blind?" My voice was steady, even though my chest was burning. "Look at her cheeks. They're red. She was already crying when I got here and her uniform is dirty from being pushed to the ground. I saw Rory throw her bag away."

His jaw clenched as he glared at me, reeling in the heavy disrespect laced in my words. I had not spoken to him like that ever. I continued anyway.

"I don't care what is going on between you and her, but don’t drag Zara into it.”

"You-" Caden's voice rose, his hand lifting to point his index finger at me.

Rory's fingers closed around his arm.

It was a gentle touch that stopped him and eased the tension in his shoulders almost immediately, like she had reached in and smoothed something out in him that I never once had the ability to touch.

He exhaled slowly through his nose.

Rory turned her head and looked at me over his shoulder. The tears were gone. In their place was a smug smile.

The front door opened behind me and Zara’s nanny, Mrs. Colt appeared and immediately rushed to Zara.

"Oh my God.” Her eyes swept over her. “What happened? Zara, sweetheart. I'm so sorry madam, I stepped away for just a moment-"

"It's fine." I crouched down to Zara's level and tucked a loose braid behind her ear. "Go with Mrs. Colt and change your clothes. She'll take you to school."

I pressed a kiss to her forehead and gave her a small nod. "Go."

Mrs. Colt took her hand and led her away, murmuring soft things to her as they disappeared down the hall.

I straightened up just as Rory let go of Caden's arm and took a small step away from him. She smoothed the front of her top with both hands, glancing between us with a fake ass guilty expression.

"Caden, I hate being a burden," she said lightly, " and since Nora has a problem with me being around, I'll just stay away from you.” She lowered her head and I almost clapped because of how good her acting was. “I’d hate to cause you any more trouble."

As she spoke, Caden’s face hardened. Her words hurt him. And he didn’t even try to hide it. Past me was such a fool.

of pouring every piece of myself into a man who was emptying himself out for someone else the whole time. And he had never once looked at me the way he was looking at her right now.

I scoffed before I could stop myself.

The sound came before I registered it. A sharp crack against my cheek that snapped my head to the side.

I stood very still. And as the sting spread slowly, radiating out from where his palm had landed, I turned to look at him.

He wasn't even looking at me anymore.

"Did you just hit me?" My voice came out quieter than I meant it to. Like I was trying to understand what he had just done.

He ignored my question and then picked up his bag, and then with his back to me, he did me the due diligence of informing me about his future absence. Note the sarcasm.

"I'm not coming home for three days. Use the time to think about what you've done."