All Chapters of Where His Vows Died: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

It was the first time my son, Caleb, had ever looked at me that way.A chill climbed slowly up my spine, and I faked being angry to cover it."Go do your homework. Keep talking nonsense like that and I'll let your father deal with you when he gets home."Caleb looked at me once, then went back to his room without a word."Believe me or don't. That's up to you."But Dad's going to take my side anyway."The door banged shut, and just like that we were in two different worlds.I stayed frozen on the couch, my hands and feet shaking.He hadn't been putting it on. Had Julian really been keeping another family somewhere?That influencer.The mother's name was Serena Harlow, thirty years old, with a soft, gentle face.The daughter was Maya, only four months younger than Caleb.I'd been following them for a year, and the girl's father had never once appeared on camera.Now that I was looking properly, Maya's eyes and brows really did have something of Julian in them.I scrolled,

When it was time to pay, I took Julian's card off my account.A transfer from him came through a second later."Audrey, that wasn't very good of you. Take it. I don't want you running short."I didn't answer.He thought he'd made a canary out of me, useless the second it left the cage. But I'd been drawing graphic novels for royalties the whole time.Without him, I wasn't stuck anywhere.I found a quiet table at a public library, drafted a divorce settlement, and bought a mystery-destination plane ticket.The flight left in three days.When I got home, the lights were all off.Julian hadn't brought Serena and Maya back after all.Late that night a pair of cold hands woke me.There was still snow on Julian's shoulders. He held me and murmured against my hair."Audrey, put my card back on. I know you can't take this all at once, so I came home to make it up to you."I'll keep the two of them away from you. In return, be big enough about it to stop commenting on Serena's page

Julian meant to go after Audrey when she ran out.Then Serena started crying, very quietly."Julian, go check on her. I'll be all right. I did come between the two of you, after all. If she wants to call me a mistress, that's fair."Julian sighed and pulled her against him."You're not a mistress. Audrey didn't need to say any of that. She's never been as easy as you are. Don't take it to heart."Caleb crowded in to comfort her too."I'll look out for you, Serena. If she picks on you again, you tell me."Julian kept seeing the look on Audrey's face as she left, and a fine, needling ache spread through his chest.She was the delicate one. He hadn't just yelled at her, he'd hit her.Tomorrow, when he got home, he'd have to make it right properly.He texted Grant to pick up something from Moonberry Bakehouse, over on the west side.Grant wrote back, sheepish."Sir, that place shut down yesterday."Julian stopped, and something started climbing in him without warning.Audrey

Snow was coming down outside.In the end, Julian had Serena and Maya moved out to a single-story place past the edge of Eastcliff, while the hospital and family services reviewed what had happened.The car was strangely quiet on the way home.Caleb sat in the back with his eyes slowly filling up."Dad, I miss Mom. I think I did something bad."Julian looked at him, then back out the window at the snow."We're going home now. When we get there, you apologize to her properly."He looked down.And then he'd take Audrey out to build that snowman.Caleb nodded and nodded, and got a smile out through the tears."She'll forgive me. I know she will."But the closer they got to home, the worse the panic got in Julian's chest.They shoved the door open together."Audrey.""Mom."Nobody answered.The penthouse was empty. Even the faint clean smell of her was gone from the air.Every one of those little things she collected had been cleared out.Julian stood there like his legs h

That evening I got a friend request.It was Serena.I thought about it, then accepted.She messaged me right away."Audrey, I'm begging you. Could you ask Julian to bring us back?"So after I left, Julian had shipped the two of them out of state.He'd sent them to Glacier Falls, up in Farrow, one of the coldest cities in the country.Maya had run a fever three or four times already, unable to handle the climate."I can't get hold of him. All he gave me was an assistant's number and told me to go through the office if I needed anything."But she misses him. She cries until she can't breathe. I don't know what else to do. Audrey, one mother to another, please help me."And I... I just found out I'm pregnant again."A photo came through.Two lines on the test.I screenshotted all of it and forwarded it to Julian."I think that settles it. Divorce me and let me go."Or do you want her baby growing up with no father on the paperwork either?"The typing indicator sat there fo