Chapter 7

Nyla turned to face Clark, her eyes completely devoid of their usual warmth. "It doesn't taste the same anymore."

Her voice was eerily calm, but it sent a chill through Clark's entire body.

He rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms.

"Baby, maybe this bakery changed their recipe," he said. "I'll call them tomorrow and find out. No matter how much it costs, I'll make sure they get the taste exactly right again."

Nyla's body remained rigid in his embrace. "Things change, Clark. Once they change, you can't go back."

Her voice was still calm, but each word felt like an icicle piercing Clark's heart. He sensed she wasn't just talking about the cake anymore. She was talking about them.

Clark felt panic rising in his chest. That was when his phone rang.

The ringtone cut through the tension. Clark glanced at the caller ID and his face went pale.

Nyla caught the shift in his expression, and her disappointment deepened.

"I... I need to take this call," Clark stammered. "There's an emergency at work."

Nyla turned away from him completely. "Go ahead. Work is important."

Clark stood frozen for several seconds, torn between answering the phone and staying with his wife. Finally, he made his choice and headed for the door.

As he stepped into the hallway, Nyla could hear his voice through the thin walls: "Jordyn, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick? I'll be right there..."

His voice faded as he moved further away, leaving Nyla alone in their living room.

The silence felt suffocating. Nyla stared at the white walls, feeling like they were closing in on her.

Twenty minutes after Clark left, Nyla's phone buzzed with an incoming call. She didn't recognize the number, but she answered anyway.

"Mrs. Summer, I hope I'm not interrupting," came Jordyn's sweet voice. "I'm not feeling well, so I borrowed Clark from you tonight. He came without hesitation when I called. He said nothing was more important than making sure I was okay."

Nyla's grip tightened on the phone, but she said nothing.

Jordyn continued with obvious satisfaction. "You know what Clark told me today? He said I'm younger and prettier than you. He said I can give him something you never could - a child. He mentioned that you haven't been able to conceive in three years. He's worried there might be something wrong with your body."

"Oh, and that strawberry mousse cake you threw away today?" Jordyn's voice turned mocking. "Clark buys me that same cake all the time. He says sweet treats are perfect for sweet girls. Don't you think it tastes sweet, Mrs. Summer?"

The call ended with Jordyn's cruel laughter.

Nyla sat in the darkness, feeling something fundamental shift inside her. The pain was so intense it took her breath away. Then slowly, mercifully, numbness began to set in.

From that day forward, Nyla began quietly packing her belongings. She folded her clothes carefully and placed them in suitcases.

She packed her books, her makeup, her jewelry. Each item felt heavy with memories she no longer wanted to keep.

Clark became even busier during this time. He came home later and later, sometimes not at all. When he did return, he was distant and distracted.

Meanwhile, Jordyn's messages never stopped. Photos of her growing belly, pictures of expensive gifts, taunting words designed to twist the knife deeper.

Nyla's best friend Valarie came over to help with the divorce paperwork.

"Given that Clark committed adultery and got another woman pregnant, you could definitely ask for substantial compensation," Valarie said seriously. "Plus, you gave up your career for this marriage. That's worth a lot in court."

Valarie spread the legal documents across the coffee table. "You sacrificed your research position at the university. You could have been earning six figures by now."

But before proceeding with anything official, Nyla felt she should tell her father. She drove to the hospital where he was still recovering from his recent surgery.

Her father looked better than he had in weeks. His color was returning, and he was sitting up reading the newspaper.

"Dad," Nyla began carefully, "if... hypothetically... if I wanted to get divorced, what would you think?"

Her father set down his newspaper and studied his daughter's face intently. "Nyla, is something wrong between you and Clark?"

Nyla forced herself to maintain eye contact. "I'm just curious. If that day ever came..."

"Absolutely not!" Her father's voice rose sharply. "Nyla, do you understand what the Summer family has done for us? When my factory had that terrible accident, they provided the money that saved us from bankruptcy. They've been paying my medical bills for three years. Without them, we would have lost everything."

Her father's face was flushed with emotion. "Clark has been nothing but good to you. How could you even think such thoughts? Has someone been filling your head with ideas?"

Nyla realized she couldn't continue this conversation. Her father had no idea about Clark's betrayal. She couldn't bear to put her sick father through that kind of shock and disappointment.

She was about to change the subject when her father's phone chimed with a text message. He glanced at the screen and his face went completely white.

The message was from Jordyn. It contained a photo of her and Clark kissing passionately in what looked like a hotel room.

Below the image was a message that read: "Thought you should know - I'm pregnant with your son-in-law Clark's baby."