Chapter 98
I stood among the young hikers on McCarthy Mountain, flashing a smile as we gathered for a group photo. Time was slipping through my fingers–just half a month more, and I would finally have my divorce certificate in hand.
The day I walked away from Charles, I booked the first flight to Springfield.
We had once dreamed of settling here, but work had always kept him tethered elsewhere. I, however, had no such chains.
For a week, I wandered through the city, savoring the freedom, before stumbling upon a mountaineering club online.
The group was full of lively twenty–somethings, their energy infectious. At first, they hesitated, wondering if I could keep up. But after conquering two mountains together, I was no longer just a newcomer–I was one of them.
At times, it felt as if I had stepped back into my twenties, reclaiming a version of myself I had long lost.
The last thing I expected was to find Charles standing at the foot of the mountain.}]
This wasn’t some mere coincidence. He had come looking for me. That much was clear.
After bidding my friends goodbye, I led him to a quiet restaurant, the kind that smelled of aged wood and nostalgia.
The mountain air still clung to my skin, a lingering chill that made me crave something cold. Without a second thought, I ordered an ice cream.
Charles watched, his frown deepening with every bite.
“Eating ice cream in this weather isn’t good for you,” he muttered. “You’re not some twenty–year–old girl anymore…“}
He trailed off, realizing too late how his words sounded.
I paused briefly, then simply smiled, letting it slide past me like wind through the trees.
“I saw a traditional doctor. They said my body is still young and strong.“}]
Silence stretched between us, thick and unspoken. I took my time finishing the ice cream, savoring every bite, before finally meeting his gaze.
“You came all this way to find me,” I said lightly. “What is it?”
His jaw tensed, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“About what happened when Orion had gastritis…” He exhaled, the words heavy with something unspoken. “I’m sorry.“}]
I smiled, indifferent. Unmoved.
“It’s fine. That’s in the past.”
His breath caught, just slightly.
And when he spoke again, there was a quiet tremor in his voice.
“And about that sentence… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.“@
I looked at him, puzzled. It took a moment before I realized which sentence he was referring to.”
I thought for a moment, then pulled out my phone and made a call.
About fifteen minutes later, a little girl with pigtails was led to me by the club leader. The moment she saw me, her face lit up. She ran straight into my arms, wrapping her tiny hands around me before pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
“Mommy Natalie,” she called sweetly.
Charles stiffened, staring at her in utter disbelief.}
I reached into my bag and pulled out an old, faded photo. Dust dulled its edges, the image barely capturing the delicate, adorable child standing before him.”
“Her name is Eliza.“}
I held her close, my arms tightening around her small frame as I met his gaze.}
I had adopted her from an orphanage the day after I left.”
Back then, she had been frail, her tiny limbs like twigs, her cheeks sunken, her wide eyes dull with hunger. To be honest, she hadn’t been particularly adorable. Just a small, fragile thing struggling to survive.
But now?
Now, she was soft and round, her chubby cheeks flushed with warmth, her fair skin glowing with health.
It had only been twenty days.
“So, Charles, I don’t accept what you said.”
“I may have never given birth, but do you really not know why?”
The truth was, I had wanted a child, dreamed of it, even. But he had shut down that dream without a second thought.
And the reason had been painfully simple.
Eleanor was already pregnant.
He swayed slightly as if the weight of my words had struck him harder than he’d expected. His voice came out uneven, shaken. “You… you knew all along?“}
I met his gaze, unflinching, and gave a slow nod.
I had always known about Charles and Eleanor’s past.
e Lot Me Over A Child That Was Never His
I met his gaze, unflinching, and gave a slow nod.”
I had always known about Charles and Eleanor’s past.”
I had been the driving force behind the company’s success, the one everyone relied on. Compared to Charles, most employees saw me as the true backbone of the business.
He knew it, too. That was why he never let me go. But it wasn’t just about business. He still loved me then, even if he feared me in equal measure.}
Trapped between wariness and attachment, he wrestled with his own contradictions.
And that was when Eleanor appeared.”
She wasn’t particularly capable, just the kind of woman who clung to men to rise like a vine winding itself around a sturdy tree. And that soft, yielding nature of hers… it was all too familiar.
Because once, I had been just like that.”
7:56 AM
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So, Charles had willingly kept her a secret from me.§
I found it somewhat amusing.
