Part 3No Return from Regret

Nina’s sobs filled the room.

The little rabbit keychain dangling from her hand was a perfect match to the one on Ethan's keyring. Clearly, he'd brought her here before, shown her our home while I was away.

Seeing her tears, Ethan's composure shattered. He turned without a second thought to go to her.

Bile rose in my throat. I fought back the nausea and grabbed the corner of his jacket. "Ethan, do you think I'm that much of a pushover?" I asked, my voice dangerously low. "Do you even consider this our home anymore? Leo is still sick..."

My voice cracked. "If you let her in that door, we are really, truly done."

His eyes, red-rimmed and desperate, met mine. He paused, his hand covering mine on his jacket.

Then, slowly and deliberately, he pried my fingers off, one by one.

"This doesn't concern you, Chloe. Just do your job and be my wife."

He pulled away and rushed to Nina's side, his voice dripping with concern. "What happened? Who hurt you?"

Nina buried her face in his chest, her muffled sobs telling a story only he could hear. Ethan’s brow furrowed in anger. He held her, murmuring reassurances until she quieted down, finally sparing me a glance.

"Nina's ex-husband followed her here. She's alone and terrified he'll harass or hurt her, so she came to me for help," he explained, his tone accusatory. "Don't be so cruel, Chloe. Go clear out the master bedroom. You can sleep with Leo tonight. Nina needs to rest."

My fingers clenched into fists. I stared at him, my jaw tight. "She needs to rest? What about Leo? Isn't he your son? You want him to sleep poorly while he's sick?"

Just then, the door to the spare bedroom opened. Leo stood there, his face stormy with irritation. He glared at me, his voice sharp. "Mommy, you're so loud! Can't a person get some sleep?"

I froze, stunned into silence. My first instinct was still to worry about his fever, to soften my voice and coax him back to bed.

But then Leo's eyes landed on Nina, who was trembling behind Ethan. I tried to block his view, but he pushed my hand away and ran straight to her, tugging on her arm like a puppy. "Miss Nina? What are you doing here? Did you miss me?"

He looked up at her tear-streaked face. "Are your eyes red because my mommy was being mean and scared you?"

Nina knelt, gently stroking his hair, her lips curving into a soft, sad smile. "No, sweetie, your mommy is a very nice person... The teacher was just followed by a bad man, her ex-husband. For a little while, I might not have a home."

Leo's face lit up with purpose. He took her hand and puffed out his chest. "Don't be scared, Miss Nina, I'll protect you! When I grow up, I'll marry you, and then you'll never have to worry about not having a home again!"

Nina blinked, then burst into a genuine, delighted laugh. "You little charmer. I wonder where you get your taste in women." Her eyes flickered meaningfully toward Ethan.

The hardness in Ethan’s face softened. He playfully tapped Leo's forehead. "Get back to bed. You think Nina needs your help?"

"No! I want to sleep with Miss Nina..."

The warm, yellow light of the living room cast a soft glow on the three of them. Bathed in the light, they looked like a perfect, happy family.

And I was the intruder.

I let out a quiet laugh—I wasn't sure if it was from pain or self-mockery.

Without another word, I went and packed a small bag. As I walked to the door, I looked back at Ethan with considerate calm.

"It's okay if the house is a little crowded."

"I'll just stay somewhere else."

Ethan’s movement stuttered. He took two steps toward me before Nina grabbed his arm. "Ethan, Leo said he's sleepy. Why don't we get him to bed first?"

He stopped. He glanced at my back, then down at Nina’s pleading eyes, and his resolve crumbled. He gently pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright. Let's get our two little troublemakers to sleep."

He hesitated for a second, then tossed a black credit card onto the floor near my feet. "If you insist on making a scene, then get out and cool off for a few days. When you're done with your tantrum, I'll come get you."

I bit down on my lip, hard.

I didn't turn around. I just walked out and slammed the door behind me.

Then I pulled out my phone and called the number that had been sitting in my block list for years.

"If I said I regret it now," I asked, "is the offer still on the table?"

On the other end, a man chuckled, a lazy, carefree sound, but his voice held a new weight when he spoke. "I'm still single. Of course it is."