Chapter 16
Chad’s POV
After divorcing Joan, I didn’t marry
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I hated her–hated that she sent Joan the video of us. Made Joan witness my betrayal, my filth. []
But I hated myself more. []
Like Vance said, yeah, he planted the idea, but he didn’t force me. A fly only buzzes where there’s rot. I wrecked things myself–couldn’t keep it in my pants, lied to Joan. I got what I deserved.
I gave Eve two choices: have the kid, get minimum monthly child support (and nothing else, ‘cause I sure as hell wasn’t marrying her), or take two mil and abort.
The same girl who’d threatened to jump off my office building? She picked the cash without blinking and vanished. []
Figures-“love” my ass. [
I still loved Joan, so I planned to win her back. I knew she was disgusted, but I thought she’d never find someone better at her age. []
Shane wasn’t the marrying type.
I buttered up her mom, got old classmates to put in a good word, staged “accidental” run–ins.
Time heals all, right? We’d fix things. |
Then a year later, Shane proposed. And Joan had twins with him. []
At Mom’s birthday, Joan came with Shane and the kids. [
Mom didn’t want to see me, but I showed up anyway–selfish enough to hope she was miserable. That way, even if she divorced and had two kids, I could take her back, raise her kids as mine. [
But Shane didn’t give me a chance. He peeled shrimp for her, remembered her allergies, doted on the kids, respected Mom.
Joan didn’t spare me a single look–her eyes were all for her new family, her smile warm and blinding.
I knew then: I’d lost her for good. We were parallel lines now.
O
After they left, Mom talked to me calmly for the first time in ages. Told me to move on, find someone new, stop being an idiot. I didn’t want to worry her. I know you gotta look forward, but no matter how much I regretted it, time wouldn’t rewind. []
I dated younger girls, but the spark was gone. It all felt empty. I missed the quiet life with Joan, the partnership. []
When Mom died of breast cancer, I shut down the company.
Going through her things, I found her old medical examination report. She’d known about the lump for years. The doc said early detection could’ve saved her, but she never told me, never got treatment.
Mom never forgave me. She hated cheaters–my dad ran off with a hairdresser, then came crawling back when I made it big. Luckily, he dropped dead at a poker table.
Mom paid for his funeral, said she didn’t regret marrying him–she got a good son and a great daughter–in–law. She was content. []
But then I turned into my dad. I must’ve disappointed her so much.
First Christmas without Mom, I came home early to an empty house.
I opened our old bedroom, looked at the wedding photo, and said, “Hey, babe, I’m home.“[
88.2%
Hie Billionaire Buddy Finally Time to Crown My Queent
No answer. [
The silence was killing me. 0
It used to be, Joan, Mom, and I cooking dinner together, stuffing the turkey. Back then, it felt ordinary–now, it was everything I wanted. []
I lay on our old bed. Even though Joan threw out our stuff, I’d tracked it all down. []
Stomach growling, but I couldn’t move.
All I saw was Joan: was she decorating the tree with the kids? Making eggnog with Shane?
We’d had a baby once. I was broke from a failed startup, Mom was in the hospital, we had a mortgage–she worked too hard and we lost the baby. I wish that kid was here. [
If I’d never cheated, we’d be happy.
When midnight struck on Christmas Eye, I took a kitchen knife and slit my wrist. []
Blood poured out, dripping onto the floor. Leaning against the couch, I waited for it to end.
As I blacked out, I remembered proposing to Joan: []
“I only want you. I’d die without you.” [
Joan, I wasn’t lying. [
Without you, I really am dying.]]
