All Chapters of The Perfect Wife Walked Away: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

[Alice’s POV]I fetched a cup of coffee for Lily from the hospital canteen. I hoped it would help soothe her agitation.Lily was quietly sobbing when I came back to her room. She stopped crying and raised her head, her red and swollen eyes flashing with a light that was hard to decipher. She slowly extended her good left hand and pointed in the direction of the door.“Give me David back,” she croaked. “That’s what I want.”My heart skipped a beat. “He… he’s taken Camilla home, Lily. Well, I mean to the hotel suite he booked for us, and he’s gone to settle her in. It covers an entire floor, and it includes rooms for the butler and our housekeeper; they need somewhere to stay, too. And just for now, the housekeeper is good with Lily, but we’re considering appointing a nanny or governess.”“No! You know what I mean. He was originally mine. If it weren’t for that night’s mistake, we would have been married by now. You’ve enjoyed enough of him and his wealth these past years, you’ve posses

[David’s POV]When I arrived at the door to our apartment, I heard sharp human voices and the sound of porcelain shattering, coming from inside. I had received a call from our panicked housekeeper. Her incoherent words on the phone made my heart sink, and I immediately left Lily to sleep. She had just been given a sedative since she was fretting and couldn’t rest. I rushed to the apartment, even driving through red lights.Pushing open the door, the clutter in the hallway made me catch my breath. Luggage had been dropped in a random manner, as if hastily abandoned there on arrival. I pressed into the apartment and my gaze was instantly drawn to a pathetic figure crouching on the carpet in the middle of the living room.Alice was kneeling there with her back to me. She was wearing only a thin housedress, her body bent forward, protectively cradling Camilla in her arms. She was shakily wiping our daughter’s face — tears? Tea stains? Her other hand was clenched so hard that her knuckles

[Alice ‘sPOV]After we washed up in the bathroom, I sat on the sofa with Camilla in my arms. I was reading her a story. We had changed our clothes and were trying to regain the sense of security we had known before the stormy intrusion of my parents.When the doorbell rang again, I didn’t even look up. Perhaps whoever it was would go away. However, the butler went to the door to enquire who was there.My father pushed the door open again and surged back in, followed by Winnie. They strode into the living room, halted and looked at us. This time, they had reined in their previous arrogance, and they both hesitated before saying anything.“What are you doing back here?” David demanded.My father didn’t answer him. He was looking at me, looking contrite. Searching my face, perhaps for some kind of absolution?“Alice, er, just now... I think we were too impulsive.”He approached me on the sofa, his voice soft to the point of humility. He kept glancing over at David, who was on the other s

[Alice’s POV]It was a brilliant, sunny day and yet, I still felt cold all over. Since moving out of our ruined home, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep these past few days.The ever-present, dull pain deep in my abdomen warns me that my condition is worsening, while my baby was growing. For the sake of this new life in my belly, I must endure the pain and the risk, a few months longer.Since the fire, Camilla has been having bad dreams. She no longer smiles in her usual carefree way. Now, she is subdued and pensive, with her little face too often drawn into a frown.This once happy child who would follow me everywhere, now asks me each day, “Mommy, can we go see Aunt Lily, today? She’s lonely in the hospital, her hand is hurting, and she’ll cry.”Today, Camilla and I are visiting my sister. When we arrived, Lily was propped up on the bed with pillows. At the sight of Camilla, she gave a welcoming smile.“Camilla! Quickly, come over here for a hug, sweetie!” Lily held out her arms to

[Alice’s POV]The late afternoon sun cut sharp strips of light across the polished floor, through the hospital room blinds. The smell of disinfectant was barely tempered by the faint fragrance of the bouquet of white orange stems at Lily’s bedside. They were the flowers I had brought in for her, three days ago. The petals were already beginning to curl and turn brown at the edges.I stood in the doorway of the hospital room with some freshly made dumplings for Lily to enjoy. I watched as Lily clumsily tried to lift a lightweight rehabilitation ball with her left hand. Her right hand was still wrapped in thick gauze, pulled in at her chest where she was keeping it still.Camilla sat in a visitor’s chair next to her aunt’s bed. She has her elbow planted on the arm of the chair with her hand raised, and is propping her cheek in her hand as she watches Lily’s efforts intently.“Aunt Lily is amazing!” Camilla said in a baby voice. “She can play ball with one hand.”Lily gave Camilla a weak