Chapter 9
Cold water hit Aaron’s face and ran down his body, helping to sober him up. But his thoughts were anything but calm
That iris–patterned sheet had opened a floodgate. All he could see in his mind was me.
His jaw clenched as quit began to creep in. He remembered the rose garden in the estate- I had been allergic to roses. He shouldn’t have torn out the irises in a fit of rage, not just to spite me. Now, regret swallowed him whole. Nancy didn’t even cross his mind anymore.
Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Nancy hadn’t left. She sat on the edge of the bed, seething. When she finally stood up, her eyes landed on the iris design woven into the
sheets.
Everything clicked. Aaron hadn’t stopped because of the baby. He stopped because of me. Nancy’s teeth ground together. But before Aaron came back out, she stormed off to her own room, her face twisted in rage. Once behind closed doors, she swept everything off her vanity with one violent motion.
Why were there still irises in this house? I was gone. I’d signed the divorce papers. I had no place here anymore.
So who was helping me?
Nancy’s eyes burned with fury.
She had clawed her way up to this point–to stand beside Aaron, to become Mrs. Mackey. She wouldn’t let anyone, or anything, ruin that.
Not even me.
She grabbed her phone and typed a message to a contact.
[Find out where Cassidy is. If she’s still trying to crawl her way back, get photos–whatever it takes. I don’t care what happens to her. Once I become Mrs. Mackey, your reward will be waiting.]
With that sent, her mood finally steadied.
She slipped off the pearl necklace from around her neck and began rolling each bead between her fingers like prayer stones. Victory tasted sweet. Too sweet to give up now. She was never going back to that nightclub life.
In the days that followed, Aaron was distant, distracted. But even so, they went through all the motions: guest list, caterers, venue scouting.
The wedding planning moved forward.
Nancy was trying on her dress the day Aaron drifted off again.
She stepped out in a backless satin gown, radiant and intentionally provocative. Her heavy makeup dulled her natural charm, but she knew the low–cut front would catch Aaron’s eye. “What do you think of this one?” she asked, a coy smile on her lips as she subtly thrust her chest forward.
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Aaron saw right through it. His frown deepened. He stared at her for a long moment… and then my face filled his mind. I had been so young when we got married–sweet, modest. I’d picked conservative gowns that still managed to take his breath away.
In the end, he had custom–designed a gown just for me, detailed with delicate iris embroidery. He still remembered how his heart almost burst when he saw me walking toward him down the aisle. And my vow–how could he forget?
“I love irises,” I had said, eyes locked on his, ‘because they mean everlasting love. And if you ever fall out of love with me, I won’t hesitate to walk away.”
That memory hit Aaron like a thunderclap.
He barely noticed Nancy nudging him.
“Aaron? Hello?” she whined.
He rubbed his temples, voice dull and distant.
“Whatever. Pick whichever one you want. I’ve got stuff to deal with at the office.”
And just like that, he turned and walked out, ignoring Nancy’s frantic calls behind him.
He couldn’t help it.
He missed me.
He pulled out his phone, fingers hovering over her contact. He hit call.
No answer.
A flicker of panic stirred in his chest.
But before he could dwell on it, Nancy came running out, phone in hand, eyes brimming
with tears.
“Aaron, it’s my dad–he’s critical… Please, come with me.”
Aaron clenched his jaw. Every part of him wanted to turn around and go find me. But then he looked down at Nancy’s growing belly. He took a deep breath and told himself—It’s okay. Once her father passes, everything will be in place. He could finally keep his promise to me. They’d go back to how things were before. So he pushed his thoughts of me aside once more and went with Nancy to the hospital.
08:38 Tue, 17 Jun
