Noah’s POV:
I leaned back in my chair, my fingers frozen over the keyboard, unable to type another word.
Mirabelle’s words still echoed in my mind. “Maybe this marriage was never real to you in the first place.”
The accusation hit me harder than I wanted to admit, and the more I thought about it, the tighter my chest felt.
I tried to focus, staring blankly at the spreadsheet on my laptop. But the numbers blurred.
My mind slowly drifted to the past. It was two years ago, just after we had taken the kids to the park. Tyler had fallen off his bike, scraping his knee, and he was crying so hard that his face was bright red.
I had rushed over, panicking, but before I could reach him, Mirabelle was already there, pulling him into her arms, wiping his tears with soft whispers. She kissed his forehead, and his cries turned into hiccups, his small arms wrapping around her neck.
I remembered the way Mirabelle looked up at me with a gentle smile, saying. “You worry too much. He’s tougher than he looks.” Her eyes were so full of warmth.
That was the first time I thought I could have something real with her, something that went beyond the arrangements, the contracts, and her plan for revenge. But that warmth was gone now.
My phone buzzed on my desk, and I picked it up without looking at the screen, half expecting it to be a work-related message. But it wasn’t. It was Natasha!
“Noah, are you there?” Her voice came through the line. “I haven’t heard back from you about the Shanghai trip. We need to finalize the details. You’re not getting cold feet now, are you?”
I clenched my jaw. “Natasha, this isn’t the best time.” I said, keeping my voice as calm as I could. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much her name was wreaking havoc in my marriage.
“Not the best time?” She echoed, almost teasingly. “You know, Noah, you’ve been distant lately. Is something wrong? If there’s an issue with the deal, we can talk about it.”
My grip tightened on the phone. “The deal is fine, Natasha. It’s not the deal I’m worried about.”
There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, her voice shifting. “It’s Mirabelle, isn’t it? She’s giving you a hard time over this partnership. I knew she wouldn’t understand.”
I wanted to hang up, to cut off the conversation before it went any further, but I didn’t. “This has nothing to do with you, Natasha. I’ll handle it.”
“Will you?” She asked softly. “Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re already losing control. Just… don’t make any rash decisions. Call me when you’re ready to talk.” I ended the call without another word.
But Natasha was right about one thing-I was losing control, and I hated it. The phone was barely back on the desk when I heard a knock on the door.
I looked up to see Grandpa Ed standing in the doorway, his eyes narrowed. I didn’t want to talk to him right now, didn’t want to face his judgment or the disappointment I knew would be in his gaze. But he walked in anyway, his cane tapping against the wooden floor as he took a seat across from me.
“You’re going to have to face this sooner or later, you know.” He said bluntly. “Running off to your study every time things get tough isn’t the answer.”
I hissed. “And what would you have me do, Grandpa? Just bend over and give up everything I’ve worked for because Mirabelle is being unreasonable?”
Grandpa Ed’s eyes sharpened. “Watch your tone, Noah. This isn’t just about business-this is about your family. Your marriage is falling apart, and all you’re doing is hiding behind your work and blaming everyone else.”
I stood up. “I’m doing everything I can! You think I don’t know how bad things are? You think I’m not trying?” He didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink.
“What I think, Noah, is that you’re too proud to admit when you’ve made a mistake. You should never have let the situation with Natasha happen. And if you keep going down this road, you’re going to lose everything that matters.”
I sank back down into my chair, my chest tight. “What do you want me to do?” I muttered, my voice cracking. “I’m doing the best I can…”
Grandpa Ed’s expression softened, and he leaned forward, resting a hand on the desk between us. “You can’t control everything, son. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices. Decide what’s more important-your pride, or the people who love you.”
I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. He sighed heavily before getting up and leaving the room.
After Grandpa Ed left, I sat there for what felt like hours, staring at my laptop screen. My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
I had an email draft open-a response to Natasha, telling her that the trip to Shanghai was off, that I was backing out of the deal for the sake of my family. But I couldn’t hit send.
Every time I tried to force myself to type those final words, I thought about the consequences-about what it would mean for the business, about the pressure it would put on our finances.
I thought about the contract with Natasha, the expansion in Shanghai that I’d worked so hard for.
I slammed the laptop shut, feeling trapped and suffocated. Grabbing my car keys, I walked out of the house, ignoring the worried look from Jamie.
I needed air. I needed to breathe.
I drove aimlessly for what felt like hours, my mind was a mess. Eventually, I ended up at the park, the same park where Mirabelle and I had taken the kids years ago. I sat down on a bench, the cool breeze chilling my skin, my hands still trembling inside my coat’s pocket.
That’s when I saw her-a frail elderly woman struggling with her handbag, its contents spilling onto the grass. Without thinking, I got up and went to help her.
“Oh, thank you, darling,” She said with a warm smile, patting my hand. “You always take such good care of me.”