Too Late To Love Me I Already Left With His Twins (Lydia and Dave) novel Chapter 228

I raised an eyebrow.

7/8

20 8gnut

He looked at me as though he’d just discovered something unexpected.

Kou are such a brilliant mind.”

I immediately narrowed my eyes.

That sounded suspicious.

Theo grinned.

“I can’t wait for us to know each other better.”

I gave him a side-eye.

A strong side-eye.

The kind mothers perfected over years of dealing with nonsense.

His grin widened.

“Business, obviously.”

Anna burst out laughing.

Theo placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

“I swear.”

I wasn’t convinced.

Not even slightly.

He stood and picked up his jacket.

“See you tomorrow, Lydia.”

I shook my head as he headed toward the door.

For some reason, I had a feeling this business arrangement was about to become far more complicated than I originally expected. 4

And something told me Theo knew it too.

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Cup of tea

dia POV

The next morning started with a strong cup of ginger and chamomile tea.

I stood by the kitchen island, one hand wrapped around the warm mug while the early morning sunlight filtered through the windows. The house was still relatively quiet, and for a few precious minutes, nobody needed anything from me.

No emails.

No meetings.

No children debating whether dinosaurs would make good race-car drivers.

Just me and my tea.

I took another sip and mentally reviewed my schedule for the day.

It was packed.

Ironically, the thing I was looking forward to most wasn’t a business meeting.

It was my assistant’s proposal.

The thought immediately brought a smile to my face.

Her boyfriend was persistent. I’d give him that.

The previous weekend, he’d somehow managed to corner me in a grocery store while I was trying to buy vegetables.

I had been comparing two brands of pasta sauce when a nervous-looking man appeared beside my shopping cart.

“Ms. Lydia?”

I remembered turning to look at him.

“Yes?”

He immediately introduced himself.

Apparently, he was my assistant’s boyfriend.

At first, I had assumed something was wrong.

Maybe she’d been injured.

Maybe she’d quit.

Maybe he’d come to complain about how much she worked.

Instead, he had looked at me with the kind of determination usually reserved for people preparing to jump out of airplanes.

“I want to ask her to marry me next week.”

Just like that.

.

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No introduction.

small talk.

Straight to the point.

I remembered blinking

“Oh.”

Then I had laughed.

“Oh.”

His shoulders visibly relaxed.

Then he explained everything.

He wanted the proposal to be a surprise.

He wanted help.

And somehow, for reasons I still didn’t fully understand, he’d decided I was trustworthy enough to involve in the plan.

It had felt strangely warm.

The fact that someone looked at me and thought, Yes, she can help me create one of the biggest moments of my life, was unexpectedly touching.

Of course, obtaining the ring size had become my responsibility.

That had required strategy.

Luckily, I happened to be very good at strategy.

A few days earlier, I had casually mentioned to my assistant that I was considering gifting the staff jewelry later in the year as part of a company appreciation initiative.

The lie had rolled off my tongue embarrassingly easily.

Immediately, she’d become excited.

Then she’d shown me an entire jewelry set she’d been eyeing for months.

Naturally, I had asked what size ring she’d wear if I ever decided to include rings in the gift package.

And just like that….

Mission accomplished.

I still felt slightly guilty.

Not guilty enough to ruin the proposal, though.

Apparently, her boyfriend planned to do it at the office because she would never expect it there.

According to him, she constantly talked about how professional I was and how I would never allow romantic surprises in the workplace.

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That alone had nearly made me laugh.

e really was a good girl.

I was happy to help.

Though after today, I was absolutely sending a company-wide email stating that nobody should get any ideas.

One proposal was enough.

I wasn’t turning my office into a wedding venue.

After finishing my tea, I headed upstairs to get dressed.

For some reason, I felt unusually cheerful.

Maybe it was the proposal.

Maybe it was seeing two people who genuinely loved each other.

Whatever the reason, I found myself reaching for an asymmetrical cream blouse and a flowery skirt.

The outfit felt softer.

Lighter.

More youthful than what I normally wore.

Looking at myself in the mirror afterward, I smiled.

Today felt like a flower-skirt kind of day.

By the time I stepped outside, my driver already had the car waiting.

I slid into the back seat and was halfway through checking my emails when my phone rang.

Anna.

Of course.

I answered immediately.

“Good morning.”

“You sound suspiciously happy.”

I laughed.

“That’s because somebody is getting proposed to today.”

Anna gasped dramatically.

“The office girl?”

“The office girl.”

“Oh, I need updates.”

“I’ll give you updates.”

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The conversation drifted naturally from there.

Anna told me about a disaster involving one of her clients, I complained about a supplier delaying documents, and eventually she somehow managed to steer the conversation back toward Theo.

Suspicious woman.

“So.”

I rolled my eyes.

“No.”

“You didn’t even let me finish.”

“Because I know where you’re going.”

Anna laughed loudly.

“I just wanted to know whether you found my brother charming.”

“I find your brother dangerous.”

She sounded delighted.

“That’s not a denial.”

I hung up before she could become more annoying.

When I arrived at the office, everything appeared normal.

Employees moved through the building carrying coffee and laptops.

Meetings started.

Phones rang.

People worked.

Nobody suspected anything.

Least of all my assistant.

She was too busy reminding me about meetings I’d already remembered.

Around noon, the plan finally began.

I called her into one of the conference rooms under the excuse of reviewing documents.

She walked in carrying her tablet.

Completely unsuspecting.

“Morning, boss.”

“Morning.”

The second she entered fully, the door behind her opened.

She turned.

4/8

Then froze.

Her boyfriend was standing there.

Holding flowers.

Holding a ring box.

Holding what looked like every ounce of courage he possessed.

The confusion on her face lasted approximately three seconds.

Then realization hit.

Immediately, tears filled her eyes.

“Oh my God.”

The room fell silent.

Everyone else had already gathered discreetly around the edges.

Her boyfriend stepped forward.

His hands were visibly shaking.

But his voice remained steady.

“I’ve spent years trying to figure out how to deserve you.”

My assistant immediately covered her mouth.

The tears started falling.

“I don’t think I’ll ever fully succeed,” he continued softly, “because you’re still the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Several people in the room sniffled.

Including one of the accountants.

“I love the way you care about people.”

He smiled.

“I love how excited you get when you’re talking about things you love.”

Another tear rolled down her face.

“I love that no matter how hard life gets, you somehow keep finding reasons to smile.”

By now she was openly crying.

The ugly crying too.

The real kind.

The kind nobody could fake.

Then he got down on one knee.

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5/8

The room collectively held its breath.

don’t want to spend another day wondering what life would look like without you.”

His voice cracked slightly.

“I want every version of my future to have you in it.”

The silence felt sacred.

“Will you marry me?”

My assistant burst into tears.

Again.

Then she nodded frantically.

“Yes.”

A louder sob.

“Yes.”

The entire office erupted.

Applause.

Cheers.

Someone screamed.

Someone else started crying.

People were hugging each other.

My assistant practically launched herself at her fiancé.

For several moments they simply held each other.

As though the rest of the world had disappeared.

I watched quietly.

Then smiled to myself.

Love.

Hmm.

Love.

I suddenly felt like an intruder.

So I quietly slipped away and left them to enjoy their moment.

By the time lunchtime arrived, I found myself at one of my favorite restaurants.

The food was ridiculously expensive.

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The kind of expensive that made you question your life choices while ordering.

somehow I kept returning.

The pasta arrived steaming.

Perfectly cooked.

Covered in a rich sauce.

Alongside it sat a small bowl of garlic cream sauce that should probably be illegal.

I spent several minutes pretending I had important thoughts while actually focusing entirely on my meal.

No regrets.

Every bite was worth it.

Eventually, lunch ended.

I stood from my table and reached for my handbag.

That’s when my phone vibrated.

A notification.

My eyes immediately landed on the name.

Dave.

I sighed.

Of course.

For several seconds I simply stared at the screen.

Then curiosity won.

Again.

I opened the message.

And immediately discovered it wasn’t what I’d expected.

There was no dramatic apology.

No emotional confession.

No attempt to discuss yesterday’s disaster.

Instead, it was surprisingly normal.

Hi Lydia.

I’ve arrived safely.

I’d love to speak with the twins when it’s convenient. Maybe we can figure out a schedule that works for everyone.

Attached was a picture.

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I opened it.

Aphotograph of Dave standing in front of what looked like one of his company’s buildings.

Beneath it he’d written:

“Proof for Ava and Eli that I didn’t get kidnapped by airport dinosaurs.”

I stared at the screen.

Then I rolled my eyes.

A small smile threatened to appear.

I immediately suppressed it.

Hmm.

This man.

Honestly.

He was impossible.

I typed a brief reply.

You can speak with them tonight when I get home. We’ll discuss a proper schedule afterward.

Then I exited the app before I could overthink it.

The moment the conversation disappeared from my screen, I shoved the phone back into my handbag.

No.

I wasn’t thinking about Dave.

Not right now.

I had more important things to focus on.

Namely a certain annoyingly charming businessman who was waiting for a meeting later that afternoon.

And for some reason, that thought made me suspicious all over again.

Hmm.

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Lighter

Lydia POV

By the time I got back to the office, the excitement from the proposal had mostly died down.

Mostly.

A few balloons were still floating around various corners of the office, and every now and then I would catch employees whispering excitedly before bursting into laughter.

The atmosphere felt lighter than usual.

Warmer.

I had barely settled into my chair when there was a knock on my office door.

My assistant peeked inside.

The moment our eyes met, she practically beamed.

“Lydia, thank you so much for today. It means a lot. Thank youuu.’

I looked up from my laptop.

She placed a hand dramatically over her chest.

“I wish I could hug you right now.”

I slowly raised an eyebrow and gave her one of my deadliest stares.

The one that had reduced grown men to nervous stuttering during negotiations.

“Don’t overstep now.”

For a second, she froze.

Then I smiled.

Immediately, she laughed.

“There she is.”

She pointed at me.

“I knew there was a heart somewhere inside all that intimidation.”

I rolled my eyes.

She blew me an exaggerated kiss.

Honestly.

Funny babe.

Then she disappeared.

Only to reappear less than a minute later.

She looked horrified.

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“Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

Polinked.

“The whole excitement made me forget something important.”

That got my attention.

“What?”

“You have a meeting with Mr. Theo and his team in about thirty minutes.”

She hurried inside.

“They’re coming to discuss the company crisis and the recovery strategy.”

I nodded.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already reviewed the case.”

She visibly relaxed.

“I know exactly what’s happening.”

“Okay.”

She hesitated.

“Do you need help with anything?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

She finally left.

This time for real.

The moment the door closed behind her, my focus shifted completely.

Business mode.

I pulled several documents closer and opened the presentation I’d been working on.

The foundation was already complete.

What remained were final refinements.

The kind of details most people overlooked.

The details that usually determined whether a strategy succeeded or failed.

I reviewed every slide carefully.

Every projection.

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Every timeline.

Every recommendation.

The first section focused on immediate damage control.

Public perception analysis.

Media sentiment breakdowns.

Consumer trust metrics.

The second section focused on rebuilding credibility.

Not reputation.

Credibility.

There was a difference.

Reputation could be repaired with good marketing.

Credibility required accountability.

I adjusted a few figures.

Updated several projections.

Added a more aggressive timeline for supplier transparency audits.

Then I moved on to the most important section.

Long-term trust restoration.

Partnerships with child welfare organizations.

Independent factory inspections.

Supply-chain transparency reports.

Consumer education campaigns.

A victim support initiative.

Scholarship programs.

Everything needed to be visible.

Not performative.

Visible.

Because the public had become incredibly good at identifying performative corporate apologies.

And once people decided you were faking concern, you were finished.

I spent another twenty minutes making final notes.

Then I closed the laptop.

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3/10

Satisfied.

tood up.

Straightened my blouse.

Adjusted the sleeves.

Smoothed down my skirt.

Business first.

Always.

Then I grabbed my tablet and headed toward the boardroom.

The moment I entered, I noticed they were already there.

A pleasant surprise.

A for punctuality.

Theo sat near the center of the table.

Beside him were four other executives.

Two women.

Two men.

Every one of them looked polished.

Sharp.

The kind of people who probably managed entire departments before breakfast.

Good.

I preferred intelligent rooms.

Introductions were brief.

Formal.

Professional.

Then the presentation began.

The lights dimmed slightly as my slides appeared on the screen.

I stepped forward.

Immediately, the room quieted.

“Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth.”

Nobody moved.

“The public does not currently trust your company.”

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4/10

A few expressions tightened.

Good.

They needed honesty.

“Your problem isn’t that consumers believe you made a mistake.”

I switched slides.

“It’s that consumers believe you didn’t care.”

The room remained silent.

I continued.

“The distinction matters.”

Graphs appeared.

Public sentiment trends.

Media analysis.

Consumer trust scores.

The numbers painted a brutal picture.

One of the women frowned.

“The child labor story wasn’t the thing that destroyed consumer confidence.”

I pointed toward the screen.

“The response did.”

Several heads turned.

“The public can forgive poor judgment.”

I clicked again.

“They struggle to forgive perceived indifference.”

I spent the next forty-five minutes dismantling every mistake that had been made.

The delayed response.

The supplier oversight failures.

The poorly structured apology.

The absence of visible action.

The lack of independent investigation.

Then I moved into solutions.

A detailed crisis recovery roadmap.

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Month one.

Emergency actions.

Public accountability.

Independent audits.

Partnership announcements.

Month two.

Community rebuilding.

Transparency reports.

Factory inspections.

Third-party oversight.

Month three.

Victim-centered initiatives.

Scholarship funding.

Educational programs.

Long-term monitoring.

Every recommendation had supporting data.

Consumer research.

Case studies.

Recovery projections.

Historical comparisons from other major corporate crises.

The further I went, the quieter the room became.

Not because they disagreed.

Because they were processing.

I could practically see calculations happening behind their eyes.

Questions being answered before they asked them.

Concerns being addressed before they voiced them.

By the time I reached the final slide, nobody looked skeptical anymore.

They looked convinced.

I ended with one final statement.

“If you genuinely care about fixing this, then stop asking how to save the company.”

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6/10

The room was silent.

Start asking how to help the people harmed by your mistakes.”

Nobody spoke.

For several seconds, all I heard was the soft hum of the projector.

Then one of the executives slowly exhaled.

“Wow.”

Another nodded.

The woman nearest the screen leaned back in her chair.

“I’ve never seen anyone break down a crisis like that.”

The second man shook his head.

“That was impressive.”

Theo hadn’t said anything for nearly ten minutes.

He simply sat there looking thoughtful.

Studying every note he’d taken.

Eventually he stood.

“We’re in.”

The rest of the team nodded.

One after another.

Agreement.

Commitment.

Decision made.

The meeting slowly concluded.

Documents were exchanged.

Follow-up timelines were discussed.

Additional sessions were scheduled.

Then everyone began gathering their belongings.

Theo approached me.

For a moment I prepared myself for another round of unnecessary charm.

Instead, he simply extended his hand.

Professional.

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Respectful.

flirting.

No teasing.

Just business.

“That was awesome.”

I shook his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Seriously.”

His expression was genuine.

“I understand why Anna speaks so highly of you.”

I smiled politely.

“Safe travels.”

He nodded.

Then rejoined his team.

And that was that.

A perfectly normal business interaction.

The way it should be.

By the time everything wrapped up, the afternoon was already winding down.

I finished a few final emails.

Reviewed tomorrow’s schedule.

Checked messages from the twins’ school.

Confirmed dinner plans.

The usual.

More importantly, I needed to get home.

Dave was supposed to have his first scheduled virtual call with Ava and Eli tonight.

And despite how much I wanted to remain annoyed with him forever, the children had been talking about the call all day. 1

Especially Eli.

Eventually I packed my things and headed downstairs.

An hour later, I was crossing the parking area toward my car.

The evening air was cooler now.

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Most employees had already left.

e parking lot was beginning to empty.

I reached for the car door handle.

Then stopped.

A familiar voice drifted across the lot.

Theo.

I hadn’t even realized he was still there

He stood several vehicles away with a phone pressed against his ear.

At first I wasn’t paying attention.

Then I heard his tone.

Tense.

Frustrated.

The kind of frustration someone only showed when they were genuinely scared.

“No.”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“No, I thought the court already gave me partial custody for weekends.”

I froze.

The word custody immediately caught my attention.

Theo turned away slightly.

His voice lowered.

Then rose again.

“What does that even mean?”

A pause.

His jaw tightened.

Another pause.

Then he spoke again.

This time sounding genuinely shaken.

“What’s all this company talk about me not being able to be a good father because of what happened?”

I stopped moving entirely.

The parking lot suddenly felt very quiet.

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And for the first time since meeting Theo, I wasn’t looking at a confident businessman.

was looking at a father who sounded terrified of losing his child.

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Aside

Lydia POV

I slipped into my car and closed the door behind me.

Honestly, I’d already overheard more than I should have.

The last thing I wanted was to stand around eavesdropping on a private conversation. Whatever was happening between Theo, his lawyer, his ex, or the courts was his business, not mine.

So I pushed the thought aside. 1

At least I tried to.

As the car pulled out of the parking lot, one of Drake’s newer songs started playing through the speakers. Normally, music helped clear my head after a long workday.

Today, though, my mind kept drifting back to the parking lot.

Theo had a child.

That alone wasn’t surprising.

Plenty of people had children.

What surprised me was the custody battle.

For some reason, he didn’t fit the image I had unconsciously built of him.

He always seemed so composed.

So confident.

So annoyingly smooth.

The type of man who walked into a room already knowing exactly how things would go.

Yet the man I’d overheard sounded worried.

Scared, even.

And that didn’t match the version of Theo I’d seen so far.

Not that it was any of my business.

Besides, Anna had never mentioned a child.

Though, to be fair, she had absolutely no reason to.

I sighed and leaned my head against the seat.

Enough worrying about Theo.

I had my own demons to deal with.

By the time I arrived home, the sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon, bathing the house in warm golden light.

The moment I stepped inside, I kicked off my shoes and headed upstairs.

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The twins’ room was my first stop.

expected, Eli was sprawled across the floor, completely absorbed in a puzzle.

His tongue poked out slightly in concentration as he worked.

The second he noticed me, however, his entire face lit up.

“Hi, Mom!”

I smiled.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“How was your day?”

I walked further into the room.

“It was actually pretty nice.”

Immediately, his curiosity kicked in.

“What happened?”

I sat down on the edge of the bed.

“You know my assistant?”

“The one who always gives me snacks?”

“Yes, that one.”

“What about her?”

I laughed.

“She got proposed to today.”

His eyes widened dramatically.

“No way.”

“Way.

“What happened?”

I found myself smiling as I replayed the memory.

“It was very sweet. Her boyfriend surprised her at work, and she cried so much.”

Eli gasped.

“Happy crying?”

“Very happy crying.”

“Wow.”

He looked genuinely impressed.

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Then his expression brightened even more.

Would I be her little groom?”

Iblinked.

“What?”

He sat up straighter.

“I’ve seen lots of my classmates do it.”

I immediately started laughing.

“Have you now?”

“Yes.”

He nodded confidently.

“They wear tiny suits and everything.”

“Hmm.”

I pretended to consider it seriously.

“We’ll see how it goes.”

His grin widened.

“Really?”

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“Maybe.”

I pointed at him.

“Because I definitely don’t want to impose that on my assistant.”

He accepted that answer surprisingly easily and returned to his puzzle.

A few seconds later, I glanced around the room.

Something felt off.

Or rather…

Someone was missing. 1

“Where’s Ava?”

Without looking up from the puzzle, Eli answered.

“Oh, she’s in the bathroom.”

I frowned.

“In the bathroom?”

“Yep.”

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“Since when?”

shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

Then he immediately went back to fitting puzzle pieces together as though his sister potentially living in the bathroom was completely normal.

Children were strange.

I stood and headed toward the bathroom.

The door was slightly open.

I pushed it gently.

Then immediately stopped.

There she was.

Fast asleep.

My daughter had somehow managed to fall asleep sitting against the side of the bathtub.

I stared.

Then laughed.

Softly.

“Honestly, Ava.”

This child.

Carefully, I crouched beside her and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.

She didn’t even stir.

I slipped one arm beneath her knees and another around her back before lifting her.

She remained asleep the entire journey back to the bedroom.

Impressive.

I laid her down gently on the bed.

The very second her back touched the mattress, her eyes snapped open.

Immediately.

I immediately narrowed my eyes.

“Madam.”

Ava blinked up at me innocently.

“Yes?”

“Were you pretending to be asleep?”

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“What?”

Nolded my arms.

“Don’t ‘what’ me. Were you pretending to sleep because you wanted me to carry you?”

She looked genuinely offended.

“Mom.”

“Mhmm.”

“I actually fell asleep.”

I sat beside her on the bed.

“Really?”

“Really.”

She stretched dramatically before sitting up.

“School was exhausting today.”

That made me laugh. 1

“What exactly did you do at school that was so exhausting?”

Ava immediately perked up.

“Oh!”

She sat up straighter.

“My friends and I had our poetry gathering today.”

I frowned slightly.

“The one you’ve been talking about all week?”

“Yes.”

“The one that made me buy all those art supplies?”

Ava pointed at me.

“Exactly that one.”

I shook my head.

“So all those paints, clay, markers, ribbons, glitter, and whatever else you smuggled into this house were for that?”

She nodded proudly.

“Yes.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

Ava had always been creative.

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If she discovered something she liked, she threw herself into it completely.

how did it go?”

“It was fun.”

“What did you make?”

Her face immediately fell.

“Oh.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“I forgot it at school.”

I laughed.

Of course.

Of course she did.

“You forgot it?”

“It was an accident.”

“Mhmm.”

She pointed a finger at me.

“It was a very unfortunate accident.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Well, bring it home tomorrow.”

“I will.”

“What did you even make?”

Her face brightened again.

“I made flowers.”

That sounded surprisingly normal.

“And?”

“I painted stars on them.”

There it was.

I groaned.

“Ava.”

She grinned.

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“What?”

Can you please take a break from painting stars on everything?”

The grin widened.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because stars make things happier.”

I looked toward the ceiling.

Lord help me.

Everywhere this child went, stars appeared.

Flowers, Books, Plant pots, School projects, Birthday cards.

At this point I was convinced she’d eventually paint stars on the refrigerator.

Before I could continue the conversation, Eli finally looked up from his puzzle.

“Mom.”

“Hmm?”

“When is Dad calling?”

There it was.

The question both children had been quietly waiting to ask.

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Virtual meetup

Lydia pov

I glanced between them.

Then smiled.

“Actually, that’s what I came to talk about.”

Both children immediately became attentive.

Even Ava.

I leaned back against the headboard.

“So, you both know it’s been a two days now.”

They nodded.

“And we talked about figuring out a virtual schedule with your dad.”

Another nod.

“This is basically going to be similar to what you used to do before.”

Eli tilted his head.

“Except virtual?”

“Exactly.”

He seemed satisfied by that answer.

“That’s not bad.”

I noticed Ava giving a small side-eye from the corner of my vision. 1

Immediately I pointed at her.

“What was that look?”

Her eyes widened.

“What look?”

“The look you just gave.”

Ava sighed.

“It wasn’t a look.”

“It was definitely a look.”

She hesitated.

Then shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

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1/8

I studied her carefully.

She looked away.

“I’m just in my feelings, I guess.”

The honesty surprised me.

I reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Whatever feelings you’re having, you can talk to me.”

Her expression softened.

“I know.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know, Mom.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Eli dramatically interrupted the emotional moment.

“So are we calling him or not?”

I laughed.

“Yes, impatient child.”

That earned a grin.

I grabbed my iPad from the bedside table.

“Now, before we start, let’s establish some rules.” 1

Both children immediately groaned.

“Mom.”

“There are always rules.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m your mother.”

Neither of them could argue with that.

I continued.

“You’ll be using my iPad for the calls.”

“Okay.”

“You are not getting your own phone.”

Eli immediately looked disappointed.

“What?”

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“No.”

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“Because you’re six.’

He looked personally offended.

“I’m practically seven.”

“Still no.”

Ava laughed.

I continued.

“If you ever want to tell your dad something between calls, you can write it down.”

“Okay.”

“Or tell me.”

“Okay.”

“Or use your watch to call me.”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

Satisfied, I unlocked the iPad and opened the call.

The twins immediately shifted closer.

The call rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then connected.

The first thing that appeared on screen was Dave’s face.

And for some reason, he was holding two giant ice creams.

I stared.

Immediately unimpressed.

Honestly.

This man.

Before he could even speak, I minimized his screen and switched the display so the children could see themselves

properly.

Petty?

Maybe.

3/8

Deserved? Absolutely.

The second the twins saw him, their faces brightened.

“Hi!”

Dave laughed.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“I haven’t even said hello yet.

Eli pointed dramatically.

“You have ice cream.”

Dave looked down at the cones.

“Oh.”

Then he nodded seriously.

“Good observation.”

“I know.”

Dave laughed again.

Ava leaned forward.

“Where are you?”

“My office.”

“You’re eating ice cream in your office?”

“It was a stressful day.”

That answer seemed acceptable to her.

Then Ell immediately launched into his own agenda.

“Dad.” 2

“Yes?”

“I have a very important question.”

Dave visibly straightened.

“Go ahead.”

“Today somebody told me cats can see ghosts.”

Silence.

I immediately buried my face in my hand.

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Dave blinked.

What?”

“Can they?”

Dave looked genuinely thoughtful.

“Hmm.”

“Dad.” 2

“I’m thinking.”

Ava sighed dramatically.

“They can’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if they could, there would be scientific evidence.”

Eli looked horrified.

Dave burst out laughing.

“Your sister just destroyed your entire argument.”

For the next several minutes, the conversation bounced wildly between topics.

School.

Friends.

Poetry projects.

Puzzle competitions.

Favorite snacks.

Strange classroom incidents.

At one point Eli spent nearly five minutes explaining why his teacher was wrong about dinosaurs.

At another point Ava proudly informed Dave that she had discovered she might have a passion for business.

That immediately got his attention.

“A passion for business?”

“Yes.”

Dave looked serious.

“Excellent.”

I groaned.

Here we go.

5/8

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Ava crossed her arms.

think businesses are interesting.”

“What part?”

“The strategy.”

Dave nodded approvingly.

“The best part.”

I pointed at both of them.

“Absolutely not.”

Neither child listened to me.

The conversation continued.

Questions.

Stories.

Laughter.

Random observations.

The kind of easy interaction that only happened when people genuinely enjoyed talking to each other.

After a while, I quietly slipped out of the room and left them alone.

The house was peaceful.

I made myself a cup of tea.

Answered a few emails.

Straightened a few things around the house.

Eventually curiosity got the better of me.

I glanced at the clock.

Almost thirty-five minutes had passed.

I expected the call to be over.

Instead, when I returned to the room, the conversation was still going strong.

Eli was halfway through what sounded like an incredibly detailed explanation about a classroom disagreement.

Ava was correcting every second sentence.

Dave was listening as though they were presenting the most important information in the world.

For a brief moment, I simply stood in the doorway and watched.

Then Dave checked something off-screen.

6/8

His expression shifted.

Regret.

“Guys.”

Both children looked up immediately.

“I have to go.”

Instant disappointment.

“Aww.”

Dave smiled apologetically.

“I have a meeting.”

“A real meeting?”

Eli asked suspiciously.

“A real meeting.”

“Not a fake one?”

Dave laughed.

“A real one.”

Ava rolled her eyes.

“Adults always have meetings.”

“Unfortunately.”

The twins reluctantly accepted that.

Dave pointed toward the screen.

“I’ll call again soon.”

“When?

Eli demanded.

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Hmm.”

Dave smiled.

“Tell your mom not to ignore my messages.

I nearly choked.

Ava’s eyes immediately narrowed.

Interesting.

+20 Bonus

7/8

Very interesting.

Before either child could investigate further, Dave waved.

“Goodnight, troublemakers.”

“Goodnight.”

The screen went dark.

The room fell quiet.

For approximately three seconds.

Then Ava slowly turned toward me.

Very slowly.

Far too slowly.

The exact way she turned whenever she thought she’d discovered something.

And suddenly, I had a horrible feeling I knew exactly what question was coming next.

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See you

Lydia POV

“Mom.”

I sighed.

“What is it?”

She folded her arms.

“Why did Dad say not to ignore his messages?” 1

I blinked.

Then laughed.

“Because your father enjoys causing trouble.”

“Mom.”

“I’m serious.”

Ava continued staring at me.

I raised both hands dramatically.

“I haven’t ignored anything. Every message he’s sent regarding you two has been answered.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ava’s expression softened.

“Oh.”

Then she immediately looked guilty.

“I wasn’t accusing you.”

“You sounded like you were.”

“I wasn’t.”

I pulled her into a side hug.

“My sweet baby, I thought you were trying to blame me.

She immediately buried her face against my shoulder.

“Never.”

Then she looked up.

“You’re my favorite parent.”

Eli gasped from across the room.

་།

+20 Bonus

1/9

“What?!”

Aka ignored him.

“You’re my favorite parent in the whole world.”

I laughed.

“Let’s not start this emotional nonsense.”

“No, seriously.”

She pointed at me.

“You stayed.”

My smile faded slightly.

Ava continued.

“You didn’t have to. But you stayed.”

Before I could respond, Eli jumped onto the bed.

“Fine.”

He crossed his arms.

“Officially Dad is now my favorite parent.”

I nodded.

“Excellent.”

He blinked.

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

“Yes.”

“Mom.”

“What?”

“You aren’t supposed to agree.”

I laughed.

“Good. Let your favorite parent make dinner for you tonight.”

His jaw dropped.

“Mom!”

Then I looked at Ava and smiled.

“Ava, I have a piece of amazing news for you.”

Immediately, she sat up straighter.

+20 8gnus

2/9

+20 Bonus

“What?”

The excitement in her voice made me laugh.

“You remember that girl with the science TV show you like so much?”

Her eyes widened instantly.

“Brooke?”

I nodded.

“Yes, Brooke.”

“What about her?”

I couldn’t help smiling at how quickly she became interested.

“Well, I met her mother at a conference recently, and we got talking. At some point, I mentioned how much you admire Brooke’s TV show and how you’ve always wanted to meet her.”

Ava was already staring at me suspiciously.

The kind of stare that said she knew there was more coming.

I continued.

“And after we spoke for a while, her mother agreed to a playdate between you and Brooke.” 1

For a second, Ava simply stared at me.

Then she screamed.

Actually screamed.

“Whattttt?!”

Before I could react, she launched herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Mom!”

I laughed as she squeezed me tightly.

“You did all that?”

“Of course.”

I kissed the top of her head.

“Anything for you guys.”

“Aww.”

She pulled back, still grinning.

“Thank you, Mom.”

The excitement on her face was impossible to miss.

“When’s the playdate?”

3/9

500 V

“Saturday.”

Her jaw dropped again.

“Saturday?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my God.”

She immediately started bouncing on the bed.

“Can we talk before then?”

I laughed.

“Talk to who?”

“Brooke!”

The answer came so fast that I almost choked.

“I have so many things to ask her.”

“I know you do.”

“Mom, seriously.”

“I’m serious too.”

She looked like she was about to explode from excitement.

I shook my head.

“Calm down, Queen.”

She grinned.

“I can arrange for you two to talk tomorrow evening.”

Her eyes widened.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“And she’ll answer my questions?”

“I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to.”

Ava immediately buried her face into a pillow and screamed again.

I honestly didn’t know how the child still had a voice.

Then I pointed a finger at her.

“However.”

She froze.

1

+20 Bonus

4/9

“The playdate comes with one condition.”

Her eyes narrowed. 1

“What condition?”

“You have to take Eli with you.”

She blinked.

Then shrugged.

“Sure.”

That was surprisingly easy.

“Sure?”

“Sure.”

She looked over at her brother.

“He’s annoying, but I guess I can tolerate him.”

“Excuse me?” Eli immediately protested.

Ava ignored him completely.

Meanwhile, Eli had already moved on to a much more important topic.

“Mom.”

“Hmm?”

“What special gift are you getting me?”

I stared at him.

“What makes you think you’re getting a special gift?”

His mouth fell open dramatically.

“Mom!”

I folded my arms.

“Do you deserve one?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Mom!”

I laughed.

Then Eli brightened.

“What about a grass cutter?”

+20 8gnus

5/9

I sighed.

course.

The grass cutter obsession again.

For months now, he had been talking about them nonstop.

“I’ve been telling you about them forever.”

“No, Eli.”

His face immediately dropped.

“Why?”

“Because I’m not buying you something that could potentially harm you.”

“But they’re cute.”

“They can also carry diseases.”

His expression became horrified.

“Diseases?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

+20 Bonus

“Really.

I nodded firmly.

“Some animals can carry things that make people very sick.

He thought about that for several seconds.

Then sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

“I’ll get you something else soon.”

That seemed to cheer him up.

“Okayyy, Mom.”

Eventually, I left the twins’ room and headed toward my own.

As I walked down the hallway, my thoughts drifted back to how the whole thing with Brooke’s family had happened in the first place.

It had actually been pure luck.

A few weeks ago, I’d attended one of the biggest conferences of the year. The invitation itself had come through connections from the First Lady’s office, which still felt slightly surreal whenever I thought about it.

The event had been packed with politicians, business leaders, media personalities, and influential families.

6/9

+20 Bonus

༣༽

That was where I’d met Brooke’s mother.

‘d been seated near each other during one of the networking sessions and somehow ended up talking about our children.

One conversation turned into another.

Before long, I found myself showing her pictures of Ava and Eli.

And naturally, because the First Lady absolutely loved my children, she spent a good portion of the conversation singing their praises.

According to her, the twins were brilliant.

Creative.

Curious.

Exceptionally bright.

Honestly, she rooted for those children so hard that sometimes I wondered whether she secretly wanted to adopt them herself.

Brooke’s mother had laughed through most of it, but she seemed genuinely interested.

The moment I mentioned how much Ava adored Brooke’s science show, her entire face softened.

She told me Brooke loved meeting other children who were interested in science and learning.

By the end of the conversation, she was already suggesting a playdate.

And now here we were.

Ava was finally going to meet one of her favorite people.

As I thought about how excited she’d been just moments ago, I felt a smile spread across my face.

Moments like these made everything worth it.

Every late night.

Every stressful meeting.

Every impossible schedule..

Every sacrifice.

Because at the end of the day, nothing compared to seeing my children genuinely happy.

Later that evening, after successfully surviving dinner and approximately six hundred questions from Eli, I finally escaped to my room.

One thing nobody tells you about getting older is that skincare eventually becomes a form of therapy.

No matter how exhausting a day had been, I never skipped it.

Ever.

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, carefully applying an expensive Korean eye patch I’d bought online after

7/9

+20 Bg

being aggressively influenced by strangers on the internet.

Me reviews had promised miracles.

Reduced puffiness, Brighter eyes, Younger skin, Inner peace, World peace.

Probably.

Honestly, after seeing the price tag, I hoped it performed surgery too.

Still, I’d bought it.

And annoyingly, it worked.

The next morning arrived far too quickly.

I woke the twins.

Supervised breakfast.

French toast today.

A personal favorite.

Unfortunately, Eli had apparently woken up with a thousand questions.

By the time I finished my coffee, he’d already asked about astronauts, volcanoes, inheritance laws, and whether penguins had favorite cousins.

I answered every single one.

Because that’s what mothers do.

Even when they’re exhausted. 1

By the time I arrived at the office, I was ready for a relatively peaceful day.

That hope lasted approximately three minutes.

My assistant appeared beside my desk, flaunting her huge engagement ring in my face and I know it’s definitely not intentional, it’s a subconscious thing.

“Good morning, ma’am.”

“Morning.”

Then she lowered her voice.

“Mr. Theo has been waiting for about five minutes.”

I frowned.

“We don’t have a meeting today.”

“I know.”

I looked up.

She shrugged.

8/9

“He specifically asked to see you.”

teresting.

“Send him in.”

A few moments later, Theo entered.

The moment he walked into my office, I noticed something different.

The playful energy was back.

The confidence.

The teasing smile.

The version I’d first met.

“Good morning.”

I gestured toward the chair.

“Sit.”

“Trust me, I was planning to.”

I rolled my eyes.

And just like that, the conversation began.

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9/9

Affair

Lydia POV

I rolled my eyes the second Theo settled into the chair across from my desk.

“So…” I said. “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

He leaned back comfortably.

“I saw you yesterday.”

I frowned.

“Yesterday?”

“At the parking garage.”

I opened my mouth to respond.

He lifted a finger.

“Wait.”

I sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

He smiled.

“Let me finish.”

I gestured for him to continue.

“You overheard part of my phone conversation yesterday.”

I instinctively opened my mouth to apologize.

Again, he stopped me.

“No, that’s not why I’m here.”

I blinked.

He rested both elbows on the armrests.

“The reason I’m here is because I also saw what happened after that.”

Now he had my attention.

“You heard enough to realize I was talking about a custody battle.”

I nodded slightly.

“I did.”

“But then…” He smiled faintly. “…you got into your car.”

I looked confused.

+20 Bonu

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1/10

“You didn’t stand there pretending to look for your keys.”

You didn’t suddenly decide the parking lot scenery was fascinating.’

“You didn’t linger around hoping to hear more.”

He shrugged.

“You respected my privacy.”

For a second, neither of us spoke.

Then he laughed softly.

“Honestly…”

“You are exactly how Anna described you.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

He nodded.

“My sister speaks ridiculously highly of you.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“Does she now?”

“Constantly.”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“I actually assumed she’d already told you about… all of this.”

He motioned vaguely toward himself.

“The custody battle.”

“The divorce.”

“My daughter.”

“The whole disaster.”

I shook my head.

“No.”

He frowned.

“Really?”

“Really.”

He sighed.

“Huh.”

ཨ་།

+20 8gnus

2/10

“I honestly thought she’d have told you.”

Naughed.

“I think she probably forgot.”

“Impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because Anna cannot keep secrets whenever she likes someone.”

I burst into laughter.

“That’s oddly specific.”

“It’s true.”

He grinned.

“Right now, you’re one of her favorite people.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is.”

The room fell quiet again.

Then Theo cleared his throat.

“So…”

He looked unusually serious.

“I know you overheard part of my conversation.’

I nodded.

“And maybe this is me needing to get something off my chest…”

He looked down briefly before meeting my eyes again.

“…or maybe I just don’t want someone walking around with half of my story.”

I folded my hands together.

“Mr.Theo.”

He looked up.

“I don’t judge my clients.”

His eyebrows lifted.

“I’ve handled cases that would make most people lose sleep.”

I smiled politely.

“As long as my clients pay my invoices…”

༼༢༽

+20 8gnus

3/10

“…I’m remarkably open-minded.”

laughed.

“I like that answer.”

“So…”

He tilted his head.

“May I continue?”

I pretended to think.

“Well…”

I tapped my desk thoughtfully.

“My one on one consultation sessions cost five thousand dollars an hour.”

His eyes widened dramatically.

“Oh?”

“I don’t work for free.”

He stared at me for a second.

Then burst into laughter.

“I knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“You do have jokes.”

I couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’ve been accused of that once or twice.”

“So…”

He leaned forward.

“Business?”

“Business.”

“I’ve already paid?”

“You’ve already paid.”

He laughed again.

“Well then…”

He settled deeper into the chair.

“I might as well get my money’s worth.”

20

‘༽

4/10

I nodded once.

‘m listening.”

He looked out the window for a few seconds before speaking.

“The mother of my daughter…”

A faint smile appeared.

“…was my first everything.”

I remained silent.

“We met during our last two years of high school.”

His smile grew.

“We were those annoying teenagers everyone secretly hated.”

“The inseparable couple?”

“The very same.”

He chuckled.

“We survived high school.”,

“We survived college.”

“We survived long-distance internships.”

“We survived graduation.”

He looked genuinely nostalgic.

“After university, we decided not to rush marriage.”

“We spent another four years building our careers.”

“I wanted stability first.”

“I wanted to know I could give her a good life.”

He smiled faintly.

“So after four years…”

“I proposed.”

“And she said yes.’

His voice softened.

“We got married.”

He paused.

“By then we’d already known each other for fifteen years.

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5/10

I nodded slowly.

That’s a lifetime.”

“It felt like it.”

He smiled sadly.

“The first few years of marriage…”

“They were wonderful.”

“There wasn’t some magical switch where we suddenly got tired of each other.”

“If anything…”

“I loved her even more.”

He laughed quietly.

“People used to joke that we’d eventually run out of things to talk about.”

“We never did.”

“Then our daughter came.”

His face transformed.

It wasn’t subtle.

The businessman disappeared.

The father remained.

“My little girl.”

He smiled to himself.

“She’s five now.”

“You should see her laugh.”

“It’s impossible not to laugh with her.”

For a brief moment, he wasn’t sitting in my office.

He was somewhere else entirely.

Somewhere happier.

Then the smile slowly disappeared.

“When she turned three…”

“Everything changed.”

His fingers tightened around the bottle of water sitting on my desk.

“Miranda changed.”

+20 8gnus

6/10

Alles

I waited.

couldn’t explain it.”

“She became distant.”

“Cold.”

“Everything annoyed her.”

“I kept telling myself maybe she was overwhelmed.”

“Maybe motherhood had finally caught-up with her.”

“So I tried talking.”

He smiled bitterly.

“That didn’t go well.”

“I feel like something’s bothering you.’

Miranda didn’t even look up from her phone.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“I’m tired.”

“You’ve been tired for months.”

She sighed loudly.

“Why do you always have to make everything into a problem?”

Theo blinked.

“I wasn’t trying to argue.”

“But you always do this.”

“Do what?”

“You overanalyze everything.”

“I’m literally asking if you’re okay.”

“And I’m literally telling you I’m fine.”

The conversation ended there.

Just like every other attempt.

“I thought maybe I wasn’t enough.”

Theo admitted quietly.

“So I booked therapy.’

།།

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7/10

✓

Afton

He smiled sadly.

ndividual therapy.”

“Couples therapy.”

“Psychologists.”

“Doctors.”

“Anyone who could help.”

The psychologist adjusted her glasses before looking at Theo.

“From everything we’ve evaluated…”

“…your wife appears psychologically healthy.”

Theo frowned.

“Healthy?”

“Yes.”

“But she’s nothing like herself.”

The psychologist nodded sympathetically.

“People change.”

“No.”

Theo shook his head.

“This isn’t change.”

“This is…”

He searched for the word.

“…someone else.”

The psychologist remained calm.

“Sometimes relationships evolve.”

Theo left the office feeling more confused than when he’d entered.

“The doctors kept saying she was fine.”

“The therapists said she was fine.”

“The psychologists said she was fine.”

He looked exhausted just remembering it.

“But every instinct I had kept screaming that something wasn’t right.”

I stayed quiet.

+20 Bonus

8/10

APTO

He needed someone to listen.

So I kept trying.”

“I’d suggest date nights.”

“Family outings.”

“Weekend trips.”

“Dinner.”

“Movies.”

“Anything.”

“Every conversation somehow turned into an argument.”

He rubbed his forehead.

“I honestly started questioning myself.”

He looked at me.

“I wondered if maybe I was imagining everything.”

He gave a humorless laugh.

“Then something else changed.”

I frowned.

“What?”

His expression became painfully blank.

“Our marriage stopped feeling like a marriage.”

He swallowed.

“There was no affection anymore.’

“No intimacy.”

“No effort.”

“It was like living with a stranger.”

“I kept telling myself relationships have difficult seasons.”

“So I waited.”

“And waited.”

“And waited.”

Finally…

“I couldn’t ignore the feeling anymore.”

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“So one night…”

picked up her phone.”

He stared at the floor.

“I hadn’t gone through her phone in years.’

“She hadn’t gone through mine either.”

“We trusted each other.”

He inhaled slowly.

“I wish I’d stayed curious instead of trusting.”

He looked up.

“The messages were all there.”

I felt my chest tighten.

“The affair.”

He nodded once.

“The affair.”

His voice dropped almost to a whisper.

“And then I found something that broke me even more.”

He reached for the glass of water on my desk.

His hand trembled ever so slightly.

He took a slow drink before setting the glass back down.

“When I realized she’d been bringing another man into the house…”

His jaw clenched.

“…while my daughter was home…”

The office fell completely silent.

P

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Shake

Lydia POV

Theo reached for the glass of water on my desk, but instead of drinking immediately, he simply wrapped his fingers around it. His grip tightened just enough for the tendons on the back of his hand to become visible. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. His eyes had drifted toward the floor, unfocused, as though the polished wooden tiles beneath us had somehow become a doorway into a life he hadn’t wanted to revisit.

The office, which usually felt bright and energetic, suddenly seemed unusually quiet. The steady hom of the air conditioner faded into the background, leaving nothing but the silence between us.

“… While my daughter was home,” he repeated quietly.

The words lingered in the room.

I didn’t rush to fill the silence.

There are moments when people don’t need questions. They need space.

Without thinking, I gently nudged the tissue box sitting on my desk a little closer to him. It wasn’t dramatic. I wasn’t assuming he was about to cry. It was simply instinct.

His eyes dropped to it.

For the first time since he’d begun telling his story, a tiny smile appeared.

It was tired.

Appreciative.

Almost apologetic.

“You know…” he said softly. “That’s the first time anyone has ever done that without making me feel weak.”

I smiled gently.

“You don’t have to take one.”

He shook his head.

“I know.”

Neither of us touched the tissues.

He finally took a sip of water before setting the glass back down.

“I couldn’t sleep that night.”

His voice had changed.

Gone was the playful businessman who had teased me five minutes earlier. Gone was the man who flirted shamelessly the day we’d met.

Sitting across from me was simply a father.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced it,” he continued, “that feeling where nothing is technically wrong…”

He paused.

1/9

“…but something inside you refuses to believe everything is okay.”

Modded slowly.

“I have.”

He gave me a grateful look before continuing.

“For months, Miranda kept telling me she was fine.”

“I’m tired.””

“I’m stressed.””

“Work has been overwhelming.””

“I believed every excuse.”

“Not because I was naïve…”

He laughed bitterly.

“…but because I loved her.”

The confession hung heavily between us.

“When you love someone for fifteen years…” he continued, “…you stop expecting betrayal.” “You start assuming there’s another explanation.”

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a brief second.

“That night she told me she was having dinner with an old friend.”

“I kissed her goodbye.”

“I told her to enjoy herself.”

“I even reminded her to drive safely.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

“I remember waving as she pulled out of the driveway.”

He rubbed a hand across his face.

“God…”

“I even packed leftovers for her.”

My chest tightened.

He wasn’t telling me about a failed marriage anymore.

He was reliving it.

“When Miriam finally fell asleep…”

His face softened at the mention of his daughter.

2/9

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“…I carried her to bed.”

remember she wrapped her tiny arms around my neck before falling asleep completely.”

He smiled to himself.

“She always did that.”

I couldn’t help smiling too.

Then the smile disappeared from his face almost immediately.

“I walked downstairs.”

“I poured myself a drink.”

“I turned on the television.”

“I lasted maybe ten minutes.”

He looked directly at me.

“My instincts wouldn’t let me rest.”

I frowned slightly.

“So I did something I almost never did.”

“What?”

“I opened the security camera app.”

I blinked.

“You had cameras inside your house?”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“Outside.”

“Driveway.”

“Front entrance.”

“Garage.”

“The backyard.”

“I travel a lot for work.”

“They were mostly for security.”

He exhaled slowly.

“I wasn’t looking for proof.”

“I was looking for peace of mind.”

༨༩

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3/9

He gave another humorless laugh.

wanted the cameras to prove I was being ridiculous.”

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

“I started scrolling through old footage.”

“Nothing.”

“I skipped ahead.”

“Nothing.”

“I skipped again.”

“Still nothing.”

His breathing slowed.

Then…

“I reached the recording from that evening.”

His fingers curled unconsciously into a fist.

“The gate opened.”

I watched him carefully.

His eyes weren’t in my office anymore.

They were somewhere else.

“I thought she’d forgotten something.”

“So I smiled.”

His voice cracked slightly.

“I actually smiled.”

He swallowed.

“But it wasn’t Miranda’s car.”

A chill crept up my spine.

“It was a black SUV.”

“It stopped outside my house.”

“A man stepped out.”

Theo’s jaw tightened.

“He wasn’t looking around nervously.”

“He wasn’t checking whether anyone could see him.”

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4/9

“He walked straight to my front door.”

As if he’d done it before.”

I found myself unconsciously leaning forward.

“What happened?”

Theo let out a slow breath.

“The door opened.”

His voice became almost emotionless..

“Miranda was already waiting.”

He stared at the floor.

“She smiled.”

It sounded ridiculous.

Such a simple sentence shouldn’t carry so much pain.

Yet somehow…

It did.

“It wasn’t just any smile.”

He looked up at me.

“You know when someone smiles differently depending on who’s standing in front of them?”

I nodded.

“I hadn’t seen her smile like that at me…”

He searched for the words.

“…in almost a year.”

The room felt unbearably quiet.

“They hugged.”

He paused.

“Not politely.”

“Comfortably.”

“Like two people who had forgotten the rest of the world existed.”

I instinctively folded my hands together beneath the desk.

“I remember staring at the screen.”

“My brain refused to process what I was seeing.”

ལ་།

+20 Bgnus

5/9

“I kept thinking…”

He laughed quietly.

“Maybe that’s her cousin.””

“Maybe it’s an old friend.””

“Maybe I’m overthinking this.””

He looked at me.

“Love makes you incredibly creative when you’re trying to protect your own heart.”

I didn’t know what to say.

He continued anyway.

“Then something happened that destroyed every excuse I’d invented.”

He looked down at his clasped hands.

“I heard little footsteps.”

My heart sank.

“Miriam.”

His voice barely rose above a whisper.

“She ran into the hallway.”

A smile touched his lips despite everything.

“My little girl always ran.”

“Never walked.”

“Always ran.”

He chuckled softly through the sadness.

“She threw herself toward the man.”

I frowned.

“The stranger?”

Theo nodded.

“From the camera angle…”

He stopped.

“…he looked like me.”

I froze.

“My daughter thought her daddy had come home.”

M

+20 Bonus

6/9

The words landed like stones.

Teo closed his eyes.

“She wrapped her tiny arms around his leg.”

His voice cracked completely this time.

“And then she looked up…”

Another pause.

“…realized he wasn’t me…”

“…and started crying.

Neither of us spoke.

The silence hurt more than any dialogue could have.

“The man looked uncomfortable.”

“He gently tried to move her away.”

“Miranda rushed over…”

“…picked Miriam up…”

“…and carried her upstairs.”

He smiled sadly.

“My daughter kept reaching toward the front door.”

“She thought her daddy was coming.

His shoulders slumped.

“I paused the footage.”

“I just…”

He shook his head slowly.

“I couldn’t watch anymore.”

For several seconds, the only sound in the room was the faint ticking of the clock hanging on the wall.

“I wish that had been the worst part.”

I looked at him carefully.

“But it wasn’t.”

His eyes slowly lifted to meet mine.

“I told myself there still had to be another explanation.”

“I was desperate.”

M

+20 Bonus

7/9

“I wanted one.”

after they watching the security cameras…”

“1 picked up Miranda’s phone again.”

He inhaled deeply.

“I hadn’t looked through her phone in years.”

“Neither of us believed in invading each other’s privacy.”

“We never needed to.”

A bitter smile crossed his face.

“I unlocked it using the passcode she’d given me herself.”

His fingers trembled slightly.

“The first message I saw said…”

He stopped.

His throat worked as he swallowed.

“Is your husband still at work?””

Theo’s eyes closed.

“The reply came almost immediately.”

“No.””

“Come over.””

He let out a slow breath.

“I kept scrolling.”

“There were hundreds.”

“Pictures.”

“Voice notes.’

“Plans.”

“They laughed about how easily they fooled me.”

He gave a hollow laugh.

“I spent fifteen years believing I knew my wife.”

He looked at me.

“It took me less than three minutes to realize I didn’t know her at all.”

I felt my own chest tighten.

C

༽༼༢༽

20 8gnus

8/9

5805

There wasn’t a trace of anger in his voice anymore.

ly grief.

+20 Bonus

The kind that comes after you’ve cried so much there are no tears left.

For the first time since meeting Theo, I wasn’t looking at the confident CEO whose charm seemed effortless.

I wasn’t looking at the playful younger brother Anna constantly complained about.

I wasn’t even looking at my newest client.

I was looking at a man whose heart had been broken so thoroughly that even now, months later, simply telling the story made his hands shake.

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9/9

+20 Borus

1

Sadness

Lydia POV

Neither of us spoke for what felt like a full minute.

Theo wasn’t crying.

Somehow, that made it worse.

There was something profoundly heartbreaking about watching someone who had clearly cried all the tears they had years ago. The grief was still there, but it had settled somewhere deeper, somewhere quieter. It lived in the pauses between his sentences, in the way his shoulders seemed just a little heavier whenever he mentioned his daughter, and in the tired smile that never quite reached his eyes.

He stared at the half-empty glass of water.

“I didn’t confront her immediately.”

I blinked.

“You didn’t?”

He shook his head slowly.

“No.”

“I wanted to.”

His jaw tightened.

“God, I wanted to.”

He let out a shaky breath.

“But upstairs…”

He pointed vaguely toward the ceiling.

“…my little girl was asleep.”

“I wasn’t going to let the first memory she had of her parents’ marriage ending be the sound of us screaming at each other.”

His voice remained calm, but there was something almost painful about how carefully he chose every word.

“So I waited.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“I barely slept.”

“Every few minutes I’d look at the clock.”

“Three in the morning.”

“Four.”

“Five.”

1/8

“I remember watching the sun come up.”

Afaint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I even made breakfast.”

I frowned.

“You did?”

He nodded.

“French toast.”

“Miranda’s favorite.”

I stared at him.

“You still made her breakfast?”

He laughed quietly.

“I know.”

“It sounds ridiculous now.”

“But after fifteen years…”

“…your brain doesn’t switch off love overnight.”

“I think a part of me was still hoping I’d misunderstood everything.”

He looked down at his hands.

“I kept telling myself…”

“Maybe there’s an explanation.””

“Maybe those messages weren’t what they looked like.””

“Maybe I’m about to accuse my wife of something she didn’t do.””

He smiled bitterly.

“Hope can make intelligent people incredibly stupid.”

I didn’t disagree.

“I heard Miriam’s little feet before I saw her.”

His face softened instantly.

“She came running into the kitchen wearing those tiny dinosaur pajamas she refused to take off.”

A genuine smile appeared.

“She climbed onto one of the chairs and demanded pancakes.”

I laughed softly.

20 Bonus

2/8

“You made French toast.”

know.”

He chuckled.

“So naturally she wanted pancakes.”

“That’s children for you.”

His smile lingered for another second before disappearing again.

“Miranda came downstairs about twenty minutes later.”

“What did she do?”

Theo looked at me.

“She kissed our daughter.”

He paused.

“Then she kissed me.”

I felt my stomach twist.

“I almost hated myself for letting her.”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“I stood there wondering…”

“…if she’d kissed him the same way a few hours earlier.”

Silence settled between us again.

“I waited until Miriam finished eating.

“I packed her little backpack.”

“Tied her shoelaces.”

Walked her to preschool.”

His smile returned briefly.

“She insisted on wearing two different socks.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“Fashion statement?”

“Apparently.”

He laughed quietly.

“When I got back home…”

“The house felt…”

༢༽

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3/8

He searched for the word.

empty.”

“Not physically.”

“Emotionally.”

He exhaled.

“I placed her phone on the dining table.”

“I sat down.”

“And I waited.”

“What happened when she came downstairs?” I asked quietly.

Theo’s eyes hardened slightly.

“She looked at me.”

“Then she looked at her phone.”

“Then back at me.”

His expression became unreadable.

“She knew.”

I could almost picture the scene unfolding in front of me.

Miranda stopped walking.

Her smile disappeared.

The silence between them stretched endlessly.

Finally-

“What’s this?””

Theo didn’t raise his voice.

“I know.”

He repeated those two words exactly as he’d said them that morning.

Calm.

Controlled.

Almost frighteningly calm.

“I know.”

He looked at me.

“That’s all I said.”

+2080

+20 Bonus

4/8

“What did she say?”

Meo let out another humorless laugh.

“You know what she didn’t say?”

I remained quiet.

“She never denied it.”

He shook his head.

“Not once.”

“No…”

“”You’re mistaken.””

“No…”

“It’s not what you think.”

“No…”

“I can explain.””

He smiled sadly.

“The very first thing she said was…”

His voice changed slightly as he mimicked hers.

“”You went through my phone?””

I sighed.

“Exactly.”

“I remember sitting there thinking…”

“…that’s your concern?”

“Not the affair.”

“My invasion of your privacy.”

He rubbed his forehead.

“She kept shouting.”

“You violated my trust.’””

“”You had no right.””

“How dare you?””

His smile vanished.

“And all I could think was…”

+20 Bonus

5/8

“”Trust?””

He looked at me.

“She used that word.”

“Trust.””

His laugh this time sounded hollow.

“The irony would’ve been funny if it hadn’t destroyed my life.”

“What did you say?”

“I asked one question.”

“What?”

“How long?””

He swallowed.

“I didn’t ask why.”

“I didn’t ask who.”

“I didn’t ask whether she loved him.”

“I simply asked…”

“How long?””

He stared at the floor.

“She said…”

“About a year.””

The words settled heavily between us.

I felt my chest tighten.

“A year?”

He nodded once.

“A year.”

“Which meant…”

He looked at me.

“…while I was booking therapists…”

“…while I was blaming myself…”

“…while I was wondering how to become a better husband…”

“…she was already in another relationship.”

༥༽

+20 Bonus

6/8

+20 Bonus

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I let it out slowly.

What did you do?”

“I stood up.”

His answer surprised me.

• 20 8gnus

• 20agnus

• 20@g

20 8gnus