After that, I learned to stay in line.
No matter how often he changed women, he never forgot that he still had a family waiting at home.
Sometimes, I wondered, maybe that tenderness in his eyes when he looked at me was real.
I was his legal wife. Maybe, deep down, I truly was different from the others.
He built a tall, firm wall between our home and the world of singing birds and swaying willows.
I stayed behind the wall, pretending not to see.
They stayed outside, sharing one indulgent affair after another with him.
But Courtney’s appearance shattered that fragile line.
She wasn’t left outside. He invited her in. Brought her right in front of me.
After coaxing Madeline to sleep, I returned to the master bedroom.
He stood on the balcony, the night breeze brushing his sleeves, a faint smile on his face as he skimmed through something on his phone.
“All right, you’ve worked hard these past few days. Go rest early.”
That voice, that tone. He had never spoken that gently to any subordinate.
And just like that, the image of that pretty, delicate face from earlier floated back into my mind.
I walked past him without a word and stepped straight into the bathroom.
Halfway through my shower, a tall, familiar warmth pressed in behind me.
A low, husky voice murmured above my ear, “Did you miss me these past few days?”
I shifted quietly to the side, reaching for a towel and wrapping it around myself.
“I’m a bit tired today.”
But as I turned, a firm hand seized my wrist and yanked me back.
He raised a brow, his eyes gleaming with teasing mischief.
“I’ve still got my ‘rations’ saved up. If you won’t take them, should I hand them to someone else?”
He had always enjoyed making these crude jokes in bed.
No matter how I responded, he always assumed I was playing along.
Even when I pushed him away again, the grin on his lips only deepened.
“Angry?”
“There’s nothing between me and her. She just sort of looks like you...”
“If it bothers you, I’ll be more careful next time. Be good.”
His lips brushed my neck as he spoke, warm and smooth, but all I felt was a chill that sank straight to my bones.
“Diego, I’m begging you… don’t touch me.”
Steam clouded the air, and in the blink of an eye, his expression turned cold.
“Kelly, don’t be ungrateful while I’m still willing to coax you.”
I stood frozen, fingertips stiff with cold.
When I still didn’t yield, he scooped me up and flung me onto the bed, no warmth. No hesitation.
In the darkness, his voice came sharp and careless.
“If you want to live comfortably, stop making a scene.”
My whole body was locked up.
Moments passed before the tears finally slipped down, soundless and slow.
The next morning, Madeline dashed over and kissed my cheek.
“Mommy, Daddy’s taking me to the amusement park today!”
I blinked, stunned. Diego never liked crowded places, much less taking her himself.
He leaned against the door, smiling faintly at her.
“Let’s go, my little princess.”
Not long after they left, I headed to the hospital.
Something about the chaos from last night left a strange, uneasy ache.
The moment I saw the early pregnancy test result, I stood frozen.
The doctor spoke plainly. “You’re four weeks pregnant. The fetus isn’t stable yet. No intercourse for the first three months, and take care of yourself.”
“If you’re not planning to keep it, decide soon. The later it gets, the more it harms your body.”
Clutching the report, I broke down inside the car, crying until I couldn’t breathe.
Back when I loved Diego the most, I had once foolishly believed a child could tether his heart to mine.
So I had Madeline.
He came home more often, softened toward me, and held me the way he used to when we were just two students in love.
It felt like he had come back to me like he was once again that passionate boy who had chased me with reckless sincerity.
Until the day our daughter was born.
While I was lying in the delivery room, trembling with fear, he vanished without a trace.
