Chapter 2

Neria.

"Dominic. " I called out softly, as if that could fix everything.

" Lila..she doesn't have much long left to live." At the words, those cruel words, a sad, lone tear slid down my face.

" She needs you, now.." My dignity, my pride, they were all forgotten as I begged.

" Is this your new trick, Neria?" Cold and cruel, those words cut from the other end of the line, and my grip tightened around the phone with my knuckles going white from the impact.

" How far will you go for my attention, Neria Hale? You have already trapped me into this marriage!" From the other end, he snickered, mocked.

" Cursing your daughter with a chronic illness to buy my attention? You are despicable!" He spat, and I almost flinched.

Heavens! How I wished it was a trick.. Then my heart wouldn't be breaking as much as it did! I placed my hand over my mouth, muffling a sob.

" It's not a trick, Dominic... She...Lila is chronically ill.." I managed, weakly, banking on the grief in my voice to convince him.

It didn't. How sad!

" Well, if she is ill, that's on you..." A chuckle, chilling to the very bones tore through, and I staggered, weakly, leaning on the wall.

His daughter was sick, and he was laughing...

" Maybe that's your karma for being so evil and scheming." This time, he didn't shout, spat. He whispered, and yet, the insult, cut deeper than any loud words, would've.

Evil, Scheming.. I wiped another tears as I processed those words. They never failed to sting.

" Maybe, if she dies, you will finally let go.." He said. " If it's not about divorce, then don't call me.'

Divorce! A bitter laughter tore past my lips as I repeated. That's all he had ever asked for, but I had refused to sign the papers, stubbornly, for my daughter, hoping that she could have a complete family.

But now? She only had one month left. She didn't need a complete family. She just needed to smile, to be happy, for a month.

I was going to give her that.

" I will sign the divorce papers, Dominic. " I whispered, my voice steely, my mind already made up.

" What? Are you serious?" He, for the first time in years, sounded elated, thrilled, as he talked to me, and that broke me more, even. He couldn't wait to get rid of Lila and I.

" Yes. I am serious, " I paused, and for a short suffocating second, silence sat in the line.

" But I have a condition. " I added, and I was rewarded with that signature chuckle, like he'd known I would trick him, somehow, again.

" I am asking for a month." I said. " Be a present father to Lila in that period.' A sad smile stretched at the corners of my lips as I forced out.

" No excuses, just presence, attention and warmth...In one month, I will set you free, Dominic. " There was unmasked fatigue in my voice as I stated. He thought he was the only one exhausted by all this, but he was wrong.

I was, too. For five years, trying to stitch together something that couldn't hold, trying to make him love me, my daughter.. it was grilling.

" Fine. Be in my office, tomorrow, by noon." Uncensored relief laced his words, " Sign the divorce papers, and I will play father." And with that, he discontinued the call.

Play father? I laughed and cried at the same time, as I slowly slid against the wall, burying my face into my knees as I sobbed even harder.

He was the father, and instead of acting like one, he chose to. .play father. To him, it was a deal, no emotions, no warmth.

How did we end up like this? Dominic and I used to be friends, you know? He was my boss, the CEO, while I was the secretary.

After months of working together, long and grilling board meetings, late night coffees as we finalised deals, we became friends. It was beautiful, pure, until fate decided to flip things around.

One night, and everything changed. Dominic had just lost his father, and he ended up having too much to drink. As his secretary, I was called to pick him up. It was supposed to be simple, pick, drop, and yay, paycheck secured.

But no..Maybe it was the excess alcohol, or the grief, or maybe both, but Dominic ended up pinning me on the wall, and ruthlessly ravaging me.

And that night, I lost my first and my best friend. And in reward, I gained a beautiful daughter and an enemy.

Dominic was the enemy. The story was flipped. I took advantage of him, in his grief and drunken stupor. How horrible? And yet, I had no way of proving my innocence.

Later, board pressure forced him to marry me, and his hatred doubled. When he found out about the pregnancy, he was fuming, it was another trap, he had accused.

Then the divorce papers started coming, one after another, and I kept on tearing them, hoping to fix things, to make him love me, to make him understand that I was the real victim.

But in five years, nothing was fixed. Worse, it became more broken, and recently, his first love, Camille, and her daughter, Chloe returned to the country, and he couldn't wait to divorce me, and join the family of two.

All the love, attention we ever begged for, was freely given to Camille and her daughter, freely. How benevolent!

At some point, I ended up falling asleep in the hallway, and it was not until four when I woke up, tired, numb, and I forced my way to Lila’s room..She was still asleep, peacefully, unaware of the chaos around.

After the heavy medications, she slept longer, and I stayed next to her bed, watching her, tightly holding her hands, as if afraid she would disappear if I didn't.

"I will be back soon..Watch over her..Give me a call in case of anything. " It was around eleven in the morning when her nanny arrived, and I instructed her before I strutted out, heading to the company.

" Now that Camille is back, what are your exact thoughts, Dominic?" I was in the company, outside Dominic's office, about to knock on the door when a voice asked, and I stilled, holding my breath, curious. Pathetic? I couldn't help it.

" Camille is the one I have always loved, " He paused, and somehow, that still broke my heart. I thought we were past that. Wrong!

" Now, I just want to stay with her and her daughter."Softly, those words cut through my heart, and tears traced uneven paths on my face.

" But Neria, she has your daughter, she..." .

" Don't mention her...She disgusts me!" He cut in, and those words finally shattered something in me, and instead of a sense of loss, I breathed, freely.

I didn't bother knocking. I wiped my face clean, twisted the knob and walked in. I was done fixing, begging.

One month..

Shock painted his friend's face when they saw me. As for him? No guilt, no hesitation.

Just cold and indifference.

" The divorce papers are here, sign them." He 'greeted ' doubt painting his face as he pointed.

He was waiting for me to twist the narrative, to refuse to sign.

Well, I didn't.

My fingers trembled slightly as I held the pen.

" As long as you can keep your word, I will sign.."