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But as the plane took off, a dull ache settled in my chest. I’d planned this all so carefully, but heck, the final goodbye hurt so much more than I expected.
Two long decades of love and trust. How could it be possible to let go when he wasn’t just my husband–he’d been my family?
When my mom died and my dad remarried, Heather was the only constant. in my life.
I used to put up walls, rejecting his
kindness and care.
But I always remembered it.
Somehow, without even realizing it, he
earned my trust and affection.
Besides my mom, he’s the only one in this world who’s ever truly loved me.
How could I not see all he sacrificed for
me?
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As a kid, it was the warm lights he left on
for me and the thermos of hot water he always carried.
As we grew up, it was the new clothes he’d gift me every season and many more.
With him, I thought I’d never felt jealous.
Not once.
Everyone used to envy me.
My husband worked himself to the bone, day and night, just to make sure I had everything I could ever want.
In just a few years, he built his company into something massive, something people couldn’t stop talking about.
Of course, there were temptations.
That glamour of that world was way more overwhelming than I ever expected.
And honestly, there were moments when I thought about leaving him.
I even went as far as checking out places
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where I could just disappear.
But every single time, he shut down whatever was trying to pull him away. And he always came home on time.
He showed me, over and over, that I didn’t pick the wrong man.
I used to be so lucky that he was still the Heather I’ve known.
All those moments from the past–one after another–made it crystal clear how much he loved me.
I thought, as long as I showed the slightest sign of suspecting his affair…
…he would cut off his messy relationship with Jennifer without hesitation.
But even with all that, I still left.
Because here’s the truth: you can’t fix a broken mirror.
It either was never broken, or it was never whole in the first place.
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For two decades, Heather loved me with everything he had.
After all that, I just can’t tolerate even the slightest mistake.
He was careful–he really thought he could hide his affair.
But the thing is, I know him too well.
I loved him more than he realized.
So much so that I knew something was off from the tiniest change in his expression.
A month ago, he started acting distant.
He’d often zone out when he was with me.
And I felt it, deep down–I knew.
I told myself I’d only give him one chance, but I ended up forgiving him over and over again.
But I couldn’t anymore. I realized I could never forgive betrayal.
That “perfect love” everyone admired? It’s
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over now.
And the thing that kills me is I can’t even hate him.
Because he really did love me–so much.
I guess feelings just change in an instant. And maybe this is just how people are- messy, complicated.
He loved me while he had his hands on another woman.
He could talk to me about dreams and love
while talking to his mistress about lust and desire.
The sky outside is so clear, so blue.
But I can’t see anything ahead of me, can’t see where to go from here.
For 20 years, I lived under Heather’s
protection.
What the hell am I supposed to do now that I’m gone?
I wandered to my destination, barely
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knowing how I got there.
The cold wind hit me so hard that it made
me sneeze.
Heather, it’s freezing here.
My head started to pound.
The familiar words ran through my mind, but I shook my head and forced them out.
Shannon…
Oh, right, I’m Nancy Newnham now.
Nancy… just keep moving forward. Don’t look back.
Remember the promise you made at Mom’s funeral.
I didn’t take a dime of Heather’s money
when I left.
All I had was the little bit Mom left me when she passed.
It’s not much.
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After 20 years of inflation and currency
conversion, it’s barely enough to last me a month here.
I found the cheapest place I could, just something to keep me out of the cold, and bought myself a coat.
Without Heather paying, I realized how expensive clothes are these days.
I passed a little corner stand, bought a new SIM card, and inserted it into my phone.
As soon as I turned it on, a news alert popped up.
[CEO of Walsh Innovations, Inc. spends millions to reclaim his wife’s stolen island]
That idiot.
I frowned and told myself not to click it, but I still did.
Some part of me still hoped it was just
some PR stunt.
After all, I sold that island for a ridiculously
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low price.
Half because I was furious, half because I was so disappointed.
I just wanted to sever ties with the past as quickly as possible. I didn’t even think. about how much it was worth.
But as I read the article, whatever hope I had left just shattered into pieces.
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