All Chapters of After Eight Years, I Stopped Loving Him and He Fell Apart: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I read Silas a bedtime story and got him to sleep, just as I always did.Before I could leave, he caught my hand and asked me quietly, "Mom, are you sad today?"I stroked his hair to soothe him."No. You don't need to worry."He shook his head."I can tell you're never happy when you're with Dad. Especially today."Do you want to sleep with me tonight? You can have half my bed."My eyes stung. I held back the tears and smiled."It's okay, Silas. As long as I have you, I won't be sad."When I pushed the bedroom door open, Elias glanced up and went back to his book.Eight years of marriage, and almost every night ended in that same silence.Our marriage had been arranged to benefit both families.I fought it hard at first. I even thought about running away.Then I found out I'd be marrying Elias, the man I'd secretly loved for years. I said yes on the spot, full of hope.I agreed to the marriage only because of him.But he only agreed to marry me because my family name made me a suitable

Chapter 2

The first time I saw Elias was at a party my family threw.Tall and striking, he looked like he'd stepped straight out of a classical portrait.That night, he turned more than a few heads among the young women in the room.I was one of them.I just had better luck than the rest.The bond between the Bennett and Voss families went back generations.The older generation wanted us to marry to preserve that bond.I started turning up everywhere he was.He loved horseback riding, so I pushed myself to learn. I took fall after fall, bruising myself all over, just so I could ride beside him.When he went to a party, I'd put on the most beautiful dress I owned and go with him. I'd drink in his place and handle the small talk, all for one extra second of his attention.The day I learned we were to be married, I was too excited to sleep.I thought he'd finally seen how hard I'd tried and how good I'd been to him. I thought I finally had some small place in his heart.But I was wrong.He only wan

Chapter 3

Giving up on Elias turned out to be far easier than I'd imagined.No more tying his tie in the morning.No more sending someone at noon to ask if he'd eaten.No more waiting for him to come home before sitting down to dinner.All I'd done was take a few small tasks off my daily schedule, yet I felt lighter than I had in a long time.Only then did I realize how much all that one-sided effort had worn me down.A week later, I left the estate for the first time without telling him.I used to tell him where I was going, afraid he'd worry if he couldn't find me.But he never responded. He never worried about where I was.My father was startled when I came home. My mother was even more worried and asked if anyone had mistreated me.Seeing their worried faces made me want to cry, but I held back."Nobody's treated me badly. I just wanted to see you."And Silas is older now. I want to come back and work for our family."My father stared at me."But you married Elias. You're a Voss now. Does he

Chapter 4

A month after I went back to work for my father, an unusual guest arrived at the house.Camilla Mead, the only girl Elias had grown up with.The Mead family had been close to the Voss family for generations, serving at the right hand of every Voss Don.Her brother was Elias's most trusted underboss.She wasn't involved in the family business herself, but she and Elias shared a deep bond.The moment I came in, she gave me a sour look."Carolyn, where have you been? Why are you only getting back now?"I changed my shoes without looking at her."I was at work."That threw her. She probably hadn't expected me to be that cold.For Elias's sake, I'd always been kind and patient with her.No matter how much she picked on me, I never got angry.But I wasn't going to put up with it anymore.Work was hard enough. I had no energy left for her.She grabbed my arm as I tried to step around her, clearly suspicious."Since when do you have a job? You're not out doing something behind Elias's back, ar

Chapter 5

After I turned him down that morning, Elias changed a great deal.In the mornings, he stopped eating alone and leaving without us.He'd wait for Silas and me at the table and make a few awkward attempts at conversation.At night he stopped sitting up in bed reading in silence.He'd go into the nursery on his own with a picture book and read Silas a bedtime story.In his free time he stopped going out alone.He'd ask whether Silas and I wanted to come.Except this time, I was the one who was too busy.I quickly settled back into my old routine at work.Starting at the bottom was hard, but every bit of effort brought results I could see.Nobody dismissed my work as unimportant. Nobody acted as if it was simply my duty.However slowly I rose through the ranks, I was no longer trapped in the role of the Voss family's Donna.Two weeks later, Elias seemed unable to stand my silence any longer. He caught my arm as I was heading out."Carolyn, we need to talk."I didn't answer him right away.

Chapter 6

I was at work when a message came in from Julian.He was Elias's underboss and Camilla's brother."I'm sorry to bother you, Donna."The Don has been acting strange lately. When I ask him about it, he says it's nothing."As his childhood friend and underboss, I'm worried. I hope you don't mind me asking you about it."I hesitated and didn't answer right away.I'd noticed how much Elias had changed lately. He spent long stretches staring into space.But I didn't want to ask about it.Whether it was genuine regret or just discomfort with the change, it had nothing to do with me.In the end, all I sent Julian was a short reply: "He seems fine to me. If you're that worried, have Camilla ask him."That evening Elias came home with a set of children's storybooks.He set them down gently in front of Silas."You're almost done with your old books. I bought you a new set."He glanced at me and added, "I picked them myself."It was the first gift he'd ever given Silas as a father.Before that, ev

Chapter 7

After that night, something seemed to click for Elias.I wasn't just an ornament with the title of Donna. I was his wife.He started saying goodbye before he left in the morning.He'd come home at night and tell me about his day.This time, he was the one trying to find something interesting to say about an ordinary day.And I was the one listening politely, unable to smile.Silas's teacher was right. People only smile at people they like.After dinner, a work call held me up for ten minutes before I could get to the nursery.When I opened the door, Elias was already in there, clumsily stacking blocks with Silas.He never used to do anything like that.A Voss heir needed only ability and dignity.As far as he was concerned, everything Silas did for fun was unnecessary.He saw me and immediately made room."Do you want to join us? I'm not good at this."I didn't take the spot he'd cleared. I sat down next to Silas instead.Something went out of his eyes, but he said nothing.From then o

Chapter 8

Four months after I returned, I held real power in the Bennett family again.I crushed any opposition within the family.Even my father was amazed that, after years at home raising a child, I was somehow sharper than ever.The work meant more than power to me. It was a second chance at life.The memory of being stuck on that estate, a ghost with the title of Donna, felt like a bad dream.I'd been alive, but I'd felt more like a puppet.Apart from Silas, nobody actually cared how I felt.Now I was finally my own person again.Then one night, I got home late from work again.Elias was sitting at the dining table beside a candle that had burned almost all the way down.He stood up when I came in, and the look in his eyes was hard to read."Carolyn, you're home."I looked at him, confused."Did the power go out? Why is there a candle?"It took him a long time to answer. "It's our anniversary. I set up a candlelit dinner and waited for you."You were just busy. You didn't forget, right?"So

Chapter 9

After the divorce, I took Silas back to the Bennett estate.That had been his choice.Elias and I had stood in front of him together and asked who he wanted to live with.A five-year-old can't really understand what a divorce is.He'd grabbed hold of me anyway and said he couldn't be without his mom.Several emotions crossed Elias's face.Something like loss, mixed with quiet resignation, as if he'd expected it.On moving day, he walked the two of us to the car himself.He rested a hand on Silas's head and spoke like a good father. "Silas, even though you're going with your mom, you can come back anytime."This will always be your home. I'll keep your room for you."Silas nodded, his eyes wet, without letting go of my hand."Okay. Thank you, Dad."Elias said a few more words to reassure him, then looked up at me. "Can I come to the Bennett estate to see you both?"I smiled and nodded."Of course. I won't keep Silas from seeing his father."And the Bennett family doesn't turn away an al

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