บททั้งหมดของ Cash for Tears: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Chapter 1 Guilt Has a Price

The night I handed Xavier the abortion paperwork, I packed a few clothes and prepared to move into the guest room. The little boy had already settled into the bedroom next to ours, where the nanny was busy making his bed. I was carrying my pillow down the hallway when I noticed Xavier leaning against the wall, an unlit cigarette resting between his fingers. "Bailey," he called out, "why haven't you asked me who his mother is?" I stopped. The truth was, I already knew. Eloise Scott was Xavier's first love. She left the country three years ago to study abroad. On the day she left, Xavier had stood at the airport for four hours, and that night, he came home so drunk he could barely stay on his feet. Of course, I mentioned none of that. I simply gave him a small smile. "What difference would it make if I asked?" Xavier's expression stiffened. He had probably been expecting questions, accusations, maybe even screaming and broken dishes. What he clearly had not expected

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Chapter 2 The One Thing Xavier Feared

Everyone who knew Xavier knew there was one thing he hated more than anything else. It was not betrayal or deception. It was abandonment. When Xavier's mom became pregnant with him, his dad, Nathan Davis, was already engaged to another woman. She rented a tiny room in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods and raised Xavier alone. Money was so tight that when she could not afford formula, she fed him watered-down rice cereal just to keep him from going hungry. When Xavier was five, she brought him to the gates of the Davis Residence and told him to wait there while she went to buy him something good to eat. So, he waited. He stayed there for seven hours, long after the sun had gone down, until security finally called the police and Nathan eventually came outside. His mom never returned. She had taken 300,000 from Nathan, moved to another city, married someone else, and started a new family with a daughter of her own. She had built a new life for herself and left her fi

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Chapter 3 Know When to Leave

I was sitting alone outside the obstetrics clinic when Sue called. "I had someone take a look at the Astoria Heights penthouse. Top floor, private terrace. You could probably get around 55 million for it, depending on negotiations." "Okay." Sue fell silent for a couple of seconds before asking, "Bailey, did you actually terminate the pregnancy?" "No." "Does Xavier know?" "No." The click of a lighter came through the phone, followed by a long breath. "You've got guts." I said nothing. "So, what's the plan?" she continued. "You can't hide it forever." "Only until I get everything I need." "And after that?" "I'll take my baby and leave. I'm leaving for good." Sue let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on the property for you. Just be careful. Don't let him find out." After the call ended, I stared at my phone for a while. Sue was one of the clearest-eyed women I had ever met. The first time I saw her, she was wearing

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Chapter 4 The Life I Hid From Him

After Eloise came over for dinner, things between Xavier and me began to feel increasingly wrong. He started leaving work two hours early every afternoon, though it was never to come home. Instead, he picked up Eloise and Kai and took them out together. Before long, photos of the three of them began appearing on social media. There were pictures from amusement parks, aquariums, and family restaurants, and Xavier was smiling in every single one. I had never seen him look that way before—relaxed, gentle, genuinely happy.… On the fifth day, Xavier came home with a document and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Take a look and sign it." I picked it up. It was a divorce agreement. The settlement was laid out clearly. The Astoria Heights penthouse would belong to me, along with another 20 million paid in quarterly installments. Everything was clean and efficient, almost like closing a business deal. I carefully read through every page. There was not a single clause mentio

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Chapter 5 You Don't Get to Decide Anymore

I stood frozen in the entryway. Xavier's gaze moved from the ultrasound reports to my acceptance letter, then finally settled on me. He rose from the sofa and walked over slowly, every step heavy with restrained anger. "Four months." He held up the earliest ultrasound report, his voice unsteady. "You've been hiding this from me for four months." I instinctively stepped back until my shoulders hit the doorframe. "You never terminated the pregnancy. You lied to me this entire time." He came closer, then he lifted the report between us before glancing toward the acceptance letter on the table. "Elmbark University. When did you even apply?" His jaw tightened. "How much have you been hiding from me?" I remained silent. Without warning, Xavier drove his fist into the doorframe beside my head. The impact landed less than four inches from my face. I did not flinch. I did not even blink. He demanded, "Bailey, what the hell do you take me for?" I looked directly into his

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Chapter 6 The Life I Chose

It was raining when I arrived in Larton. Sue had helped me rent a small one-bedroom apartment near campus for 6,000 a month. The building was old and had no elevator, so I had to drag my luggage up five flights of stairs by myself. I stopped four times before finally reaching the apartment.… By the time I got everything inside, I was sitting on the empty living room floor, exhausted and drenched in sweat. My phone buzzed beside me. A message from Xavier. 'Did you get there safely?' I stared at it without replying. Another message arrived a minute later. 'It's getting colder in Larton. Wear something warm.' I turned my phone face down on the floor. … The next morning, I went to campus to complete my registration. My advisor, Professor Patrick Ward, was in his fifties, with graying hair and a calm, measured way of speaking. He looked through my file for a moment before raising his eyes to me. "When did you finish your undergraduate degree?" "Seven years ago."

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Chapter 7 Nothing Had Changed

I did not sleep after Xavier's call that night. Around three in the morning, the baby kicked, and I instinctively rested a hand over my stomach. That tiny movement suddenly made everything clear. It did not matter who Kai belonged to, because nothing could change what Xavier had done. He had asked me to terminate my pregnancy, accepted the abortion paperwork without question, and moved on as though our baby had never existed. Not once had he stopped to ask what I wanted. One phone call could never erase that. … The next morning, I went to class as usual. During a break, a message from an unknown number appeared on my phone. 'Hi, Bailey. This is Eloise.' I stared at the screen for several seconds without replying. Another message arrived soon after. 'Can we meet? I'd like to explain what happened with Kai.' I typed a response, deleted it, then tried again. In the end, I sent only two words, 'No need.' Eloise did not contact me again. That afternoon, Patri

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Chapter 8 Four Hours for a Bowl of Soup

Xavier did not listen. He came back the very next day. This time, he stayed away from campus and waited outside my apartment building instead, holding two large shopping bags. I spotted him from my window and stood there for nearly a minute, debating whether to go downstairs. In the end, I stayed inside. Xavier waited for three hours before finally leaving the bags with the doorman and walking away. When I eventually went downstairs to collect them, the older man behind the desk gave me a curious look. "Was that your husband? Handsome guy. He stood out there for hours." I did not bother correcting him. I carried the bags upstairs and opened them. Inside were prenatal vitamins, calcium supplements, a few other things for the baby, and a thick pair of maternity pants for winter. The price tag was still attached. More surprisingly, the size was perfect. He remembered my size. We had been married for two years, yet Xavier had never once bought me clothes. I quie

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Chapter 9 The Choice He Couldn't Undo

At thirty-five weeks pregnant, I collapsed in the library. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed with an IV in the back of my hand and the steady beep of a heart monitor beside me. Patrick was the first person to arrive. He stayed outside the room and contacted Sue for me. Xavier came next. I had no idea how he arrived there so fast. I only found out later that he had rented an apartment in Larton two weeks prior, right next to my building. When I woke up, he was already sitting beside my bed. His eyes were bloodshot, and dark stubble covered his jaw as though he had not slept properly in days. The moment he noticed I was awake, he shot to his feet. Then, almost as if he was worried the sudden movement might frighten me, he slowly sat back down. "The doctor says you're anemic and severely overworked. They want to keep you here for observation." His hand was wrapped around mine. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Let go." "No." His

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Chapter 10 The Rest of His Life

On my fourth day in the hospital, Sue flew in from Hawthorne. The moment she pushed open the door, she stopped short. Xavier was crouched in front of me, tying my shoelaces. He glanced up at her but finished securing the laces before rising to his feet. "Sue." He gave her a small nod. Sue ignored him and walked straight to my bedside. "You look better than I expected." Then, she glanced toward Xavier. "Give us a minute. I need to talk to her." He looked at me, waiting for my response. When I remained silent, he quietly turned and left the room.… The moment the door closed, Sue fixed her eyes on me. "What are you going to do?" "I don't know." "How long has he been here?" "Four days." "Every day?" I nodded. Sue studied me for a moment before she asked, "You're going soft on him?" I did not answer. She reached into her bag, pulled out an envelope, and placed it on the nightstand. "The Astoria Heights penthouse is officially sold. The final payment cleared.

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