Chapter 5

Jessica flung the door open and rushed outside, but the area was completely silent. There was no one in sight.

York came over, looking puzzled. "What's wrong, Jessica?"

Jessica shook her head. "I just heard the wind chime by the door ring. I thought someone might be outside eavesdropping."

York glanced around too, then chuckled. "You're just being paranoid. The wind chime rings whenever the wind blows. What's there to get so worked up about?"

Jessica furrowed her brows. "Maybe you're right."

Arthur chimed in as well. "Don't worry, Ms. Sullivan. I personally watched Mr. Scott go through the boarding gate. He should be on the plane by now."

Jessica still wasn't entirely reassured, so she called Nathaniel.

A recorded female voice came on the line. "The phone you are trying to reach is turned off."

Only after hearing that message did she finally relax.

"I guess I really was just overthinking it."

She wrapped an arm around York and settled back onto the couch with him. The front door closed on its own.

Hidden in the corner behind the front door, Nathaniel's hand trembled slightly as he clutched his phone.

Covering his mouth and nose, he slowly backed out of the house.

He hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of a hotel.

The driver asked, "Sir, why are you crying? Did you have a fight with your wife?"

Nathaniel wiped the tears from his face and shook his head. "No, we didn't fight."

There was no point in fighting anymore.

Jessica was pregnant. She'd even started calling York's parents Mom and Dad, and even Clara addressed York as "Mr. Lawrence." They were the family now.

He was nothing more than a fool in everyone's eyes.

When he reached the hotel, he slept for a while.

He waited until the plane was about to land before turning his phone back on.

Sure enough, Jessica called within minutes. "Honey, did you land safely?"

"Yeah, I'm at the hotel already."

"Okay, then enjoy yourself. I'll pick you up at the airport when you get back."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Nathaniel went to the bank.

He withdrew the entire balance from all his accounts in cash, then headed to a department store to buy a suitcase and some clothes.

Then he took the suitcase back to the hotel so he could pick it up when it was time to leave.

After packing everything he'd need to take with him when he left, Nathaniel thought of the cat he'd left at the veterinary clinic to be treated for ringworm.

When he and Jessica first met, they'd found a stray kitten barely clinging to life.

They took the kitten to a veterinary clinic for treatment, and it took three months for it to recover.

When they went to pick it up, Jessica said, "Nathaniel, we're going to be its mommy and daddy from now on. Why don't you give it a name?"

Nathaniel had been only eighteen when he suddenly found himself a father.

Jessica had practically made him the father of her kitten too.

He only found out later that Jessica had liked him for a long time. She'd deliberately left the little stray along his usual route to school, waiting for him to find it.

After he figured out her scheme, Jessica complained helplessly, "I kept looking for chances to 'bump into' you every day, but you acted like I was invisible. I had no choice but to resort to this. What can I say? I loved you so much that you were the only one for me."

Was I really the only one for you?

No.

You had York, too.

You loved me, but you loved him, too.

In your heart, you gave me your love and acknowledged me as your husband, but you gave him the child.

On the surface, it all seemed perfectly fair.

But Jessica, I wasn't a pushover.

If the love you gave me was no longer pure, I'd rather not have it at all.

You wouldn't have to be constantly on edge trying to keep the truth from me anymore, and I could finally have some peace of my own.

Nathaniel went to the veterinary clinic to see the kitten.

The vet smiled and asked, "How come the kitten's mom didn't come with you today? You two usually come together."

"She's busy," he replied flatly.

"Oh, I see." The vet continued, "The kitten's ringworm has completely cleared up, so you can take it home today."

He replied, "I'm not taking it home. Could you please find the kitten a good, reliable adopter instead?"