Nora’s POV
As the cab pulled away, I fought to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over. The encounter with Ray had been far more intense than I had anticipated. His words echoed in my mind, mingling with the guilt and sorrow that had been cooking up inside me since I first learned I was pregnant.
I leaned my head against the cool window, watching the city of Paris blur past. This was supposed to be my escape, my chance to start over. But instead, it felt like every corner I turned, Ray was there, dragging the past back into the present.
How had things come to this? How had I ended up here, alone in a foreign city, carrying the weight of a decision I wasn’t even sure I’d made?
As the cab weaved through traffic, I found myself unconsciously rubbing my stomach again, as if seeking some form of comfort, some reassurance that I was making the right choice. But all I felt was emptiness, a void where there should have been certainty.
Ray’s words played over and over in my head. ‘The child has no business in our conflict.’ He had a point, and that only made it hurt more. But I couldn’t let him know that. I couldn’t let him see how deeply his words had cut.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to focus on the road ahead, both literally and figuratively. I had to keep moving forward, even if it felt like I was walking through quicksand. The decision had been made. Now, I just had to live with it.
When the cab finally pulled up in front of the apartment, I handed the driver some cash and stepped out, feeling the weight of the conversation settle on my shoulders like a heavy cloak. I needed to find a way to move past this, to build a life for myself and my child-no matter what Ray or anyone else thought.
As I walked up the steps to the apartment, I made a silent vow. This would be the last time I let Ray or anyone else shake my resolve. My life was my own now, and I would do whatever it took to protect it.
I reached for the doorknob, but before I could turn it, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I hesitated, knowing it could only be one person.
I pulled the phone out and saw Ray’s name flash on the screen. My thumb hovered over the decline button, but something made me pause. Against my better judgment, I answered.
“Nora,” his voice came through, laced with something that sounded almost like desperation.
“What do you want, Ray?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“I just… I just want to talk. Please.”
“There’s nothing left to say. You made your choices, and I’ve made mine. Period…”
“I’m not asking for much. Just a conversation. We owe each other that, at least.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Owe each other? Ray, the only thing we owe each other is the truth, and we both know how hard that is to come by.”
“Nora, please. Just… give me a chance to explain. We don’t have to part ways as enemies. I promise to make everything right.”
I laughed sarcastically at his words, “I begged for this same thing a month ago, and do you recall what you told me?” I said, however he was quiet and said nothing.
“I’ll jolt your memory then. You told me I was delusional, and that whatever picture I was painting in my head, I should get rid of it. And guess what? I erased that picture-not just the picture, I erased any possible future of the both of us. So, Mr. Raymond McLaren, I’ll appreciate it if you stop trying to contact me and leave me alone to face my life.”
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, before hanging up the phone.
I let myself into the house, relieved I had sorted everything out, for now at least. As I shut the door behind me, the silence of the apartment wrapped around me like a heavy blanket. The relief I felt was fleeting, overshadowed by the dull ache in my chest.
It wasn’t just Ray I was shutting out-it was the part of me that had once believed in us. But I couldn’t afford to look back now, not when the future demanded all my strength.
Whatever happened next, I would face it head-on. No more running, no more hiding. It was time to take control of my life, once and for all.
Grey’s House
The family sat at the dining table to have dinner, but Emma and Mrs. Grey kept exchanging words with their eyes. One could tell they were hiding something or pretending to, I’d say.
“Is there something you want to say, Emma?” Mr. Grey asked as he used his cutlery to cut the beef.
“No, Dad.”
“Obviously there is. Why else are you so conflicted?”
“I don’t want to get you worried about anything.”
“Go on, say it…” Mr. Grey urged her.
“Well… the thing is… I found out Mr. Raymond McLaren of Blue Enterprise went to Paris abruptly, and you must know it’s not for a business trip or something. If I’m being correct, I think he went there to see Nora.”
Mr. Grey’s hand tightened around the fork as he listened, his expression darkening with every word.
“So,” he began, his voice deceptively calm, “you mean to tell me…” But he couldn’t finish the sentence. The anger bubbled up, boiling over as he slammed his hand on the table, sending the silverware clattering to the floor.
“So you mean to say even after sending Nora away, she’s still keeping in touch with him? Is that her reason for not calling me all this while, even to show appreciation for all the money I’ve been sending her? What an insolent and ungrateful child! Here I was, worried that I can’t reach her, unknown to me she’s gallivanting Paris with him!” Mr. Grey said, his voice filled with anger.
“Calm down, honey,” Mrs. Grey said.
“Do not tell me to calm down,” he said, hitting his hand to the table, causing the glasses to fall and shatter on the floor. “I gave her everything, took care of her, yet she chooses to drag my name through the mud.”
Mrs. Grey exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Emma, her lips curling into a barely-there smile. She stood behind her husband, her hands gentle on his shoulders, guiding his anger exactly where she wanted it.
“Honey, no one can blame you for anything. You’ve been a great father,” Mrs. Grey said, standing up and moving behind him, rubbing his back.
With Mr. Grey’s attention facing forward, she secretly sent a thumbs-up to Emma for pulling all of this off.
“I’m not going to forgive her for this, she shouldn’t just come back; she should stay there and live her life, since it feels like I’m putting her in a leech and she intends to leave a care free life, she should go ahead, however she should stay as far as possible from me and my family. I do not want to be associated with such a person,” he said angrily before storming out of the dining room.