When Mortimer decided to marry me, it wasn't without resistance.
Kent's fury. His mother's hysteria. Even the powerful families he'd turned down, closing ranks against him.
But he simply took my hand, steady and sure, and said:
"Nora, you don't know this, but that year when I was locked in the equipment room, I wanted to end it all."
"You're the one who pulled me back. From that moment on, I swore I'd be with you forever."
"I can lose everything. Everything except you."
Because I was too slow, too simple, he used to say his love for me out loud, making sure I heard every word.
And because I was too slow, too simple, he didn't even bother hiding the affair.
I stared at the wedding portrait on the wall, my eyes hollow.
The chime of my phone dragged me out of the memory.
It was Maud.
Nora, did you and Mortimer have a fight? He wasn't in the best mood when he got here.
But don't worry, he's happy now. Our baby is perfectly healthy.
In the photo she'd attached, Mortimer was listening intently to the doctor's instructions. He'd even pulled out a notebook, writing down every word.
He used to be that attentive with me whenever I was sick.
Another sharp stab through my chest.
Leave. I have to leave. Now.
That was the only thought left in my head.
I choked back a sob and dialed a number.
"Mom, I'll go with you."
"Really? You're finally willing to forgive me! Where are you? I'll come get you right now. We'll start the immigration paperwork today."
After we submitted all the documents, I went back to the villa with a set of divorce papers.
Standing in the foyer, I could already hear laughter drifting from inside.
Mortimer had brought Maud home.
"I heard eating more fish makes the baby smarter."
"Don't worry about that. You graduated from Stanford. With the mother's genes right there, this baby won't be anything less than brilliant."
Standing in the house I'd lived in for nearly ten years, I felt more like a stranger than ever.
When she saw me, Maud sprang to her feet.
"Nora, you're back."
The girl in front of me was poised, self-assured. Nothing like the gaunt, hollow-cheeked waif I'd found in that mountain village years ago.
Back then, she had just been accepted to Stanford.
But her father, a gambling addict, had already negotiated a bride price with some aging bachelor at the edge of the village.
He'd torn up her acceptance letter. Locked her in the house. On the second day, she reached out to everyone she could think of.
In the end, the only person willing to help was me, her anonymous sponsor, someone she'd never even met.
Three hours on a plane. Five hours on a bus.
I didn't feel the exhaustion. There was only one thought in my mind:
Save her. Save her.
And I did save her. But I was too slow to dodge, and her father, wild with rage, cracked a wooden stick across my back hard enough to send me to the hospital.
Because of that, Mortimer had never shown Maud a shred of warmth.
"You should have called the police, not dragged an innocent person into danger."
But later, he started inviting Maud to dinner on his own. He couldn't help mentioning it to me.
"She really is a rare talent. Thank God you brought her back when you did."
Now the two of them stood side by side, a perfect match.
"Nora, don't worry. I won't be staying here long."
Maud stepped forward and took my hand.
"It's just that the doctor said I was malnourished during the checkup, so Mortimer insisted on bringing me here for a proper meal."
I yanked my hand free and stared at her, bewildered.
"Is it me who's lost her mind, or is it the two of you?"
"You're both supposed to be the smart ones. So tell me, does carrying a married man's child feel like some kind of accomplishment?"
Maud shot Mortimer a wounded look.
"That's not... I didn't..."
