I Fell Where His Love Favored Another
Half a month into our cold war, I, Claire Parker, found an abortion procedure slip tucked inside Daniel Carter's suit pocket.
The patient's name belonged to the fragile little childhood sweetheart he had always protected so fiercely-Sophie Bennett.
I folded the paper calmly and slipped it back where I had found it.
Daniel noticed the movement immediately. His eyes flicked toward me through the rearview mirror, resignation coloring his voice.
"What are you overthinking now? Sophie was just keeping a friend company at the hospital. She accidentally left it there."
I turned toward the window and said nothing.
This was Sophie declaring war on me, yet the man who could crush competitors without mercy in the business world believed her completely.
The silence inside the car grew suffocating until Daniel finally stopped outside an upscale jewelry boutique.
He reached over and ruffled my hair with easy familiarity, his tone indulgent and affectionate.
"Come on. Pick out a ring. Your birthday's next month anyway, so we might as well register our marriage too."
I bit down hard on my lip as tears fell soundlessly onto the back of my hand.
What he still didn't know was that I wouldn't live long enough to see next month.
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Chapter 4
When I returned to the mansion, I dug a few cardboard boxes out of the storage room.
Then I began sorting through the things that belonged to me, one item at a time.
There really wasn't much.
Every corner of this house carried traces of Daniel and Sophie.
Sophie's favorite throw pillows were scattered across the couch. Imported snacks she liked sat casually on the coffee table.
As for me, it felt as though I had never truly existed here at all.
I folded the cheap everyday clothes from my closet and packed them neatly into the boxes.
Then I tossed my toothbrush and towel from the bathroom counter straight into the trash.
Finally, I opened the drawer and took out the plastic bag containing the plain ring band.
I placed it squarely on the center of the coffee table, impossible to miss.
The sound of the keypad lock echoed from the front door.
Daniel walked in with his tie loosened slightly, exhaustion clinging faintly to his face.
In his hand was the bag of chestnut cakes I had refused earlier.
The moment he noticed the boxes scattered across the floor, he stopped dead in his tracks. His grip around the paper bag tightened instantly.
"It's getting colder. Makes sense to reorganize your clothes for the season." He tugged at his tie and forced out a strained smile before reaching for the packing tape in my hand. "Leave it alone. We can have the housekeeper deal with it tomorrow."
In the past, whenever he offered me even the smallest olive branch, I would end up throwing myself into his arms with tears in my eyes.
But this time, I didn't even pause my packing.
The tape ripped apart with a harsh tearing sound, sharp enough to feel like the final thread between us snapping clean in two.
Avoiding his hand, I said quietly, "Daniel, let's cancel the marriage registration next month."
His fingers curled sharply in midair.
For the first time, a flicker of panic surfaced in those always-confident eyes.
"Claire..." His voice came out hoarse, even trembling slightly, though he still struggled to maintain the composure and authority he was so used to. "Don't joke about something like this. I've had a long day."
"I'm not joking." I looked at him calmly. "And one more thing. I can't eat chestnut cakes with peanuts in them. I'm allergic."
The color drained from Daniel's face instantly.
He drew in a deep breath, walked over to me, and pulled an unlimited black card from his wallet before placing it on top of the box beside me.
"Claire, throwing a tantrum has its limits. Take the card. Go buy yourself something you like. Stop taking your anger out on yourself just to upset me."
I stared at the black card while violent cramps twisted through my stomach hard enough to leave a sheen of cold sweat across my skin.
Then I lifted my head and smiled at him with impossible gentleness. "Daniel, you don't need to spend money buying yourself peace of mind anymore. For the past three years, I've been the one constantly backing down. I'm tired of climbing down from that ledge over and over again. From now on, I won't put you in a difficult position anymore."
Daniel's pupils constricted sharply, but within seconds, he tightened his jaw and forcibly shoved every surging emotion back down.
"Fine. Claire, if you insist on leaving, I won't stop you. Starting today, your card access is suspended." He straightened his suit jacket with his back facing me, his voice lowered almost to a whisper. "When you've calmed down and thought things through, come back to me."
At the doorway, his hand clenched around the handle so tightly that his knuckles turned ashen.
After several long seconds of silence, he finally said without turning around, "I'll wait for you to come back."
But his tone stayed cold and unyielding, as though he was simply waiting to see how long I could keep this up without him.
A second later, the front door slammed shut with a violent bang.
I remained standing where I was as cold sweat slid from my face and dripped onto my collar.
My stomach churned violently, and this time, I couldn't hold it back anymore.
A thick metallic sweetness surged straight up my throat.
I doubled over suddenly and vomited a mouthful of blood onto the carpet.
My body collapsed helplessly to the floor, fingers digging desperately into the thick fibers beneath me.
Yet as I stared at the shocking splash of crimson spreading across the carpet, a relieved smile slowly curved across my lips.