The little boy bolted towards Evander, his small feet pounding against the floor as he flung himself into his arms with all the trust and innocence of a child who had no worries in the world.
"Daddy! Where have you been? If Mom hadn't brought me here, I wouldn't have been able to meet you," the boy complained, his voice sweet and full of excitement as he snuggled deeper into Evander's embrace. His tiny arms wrapped around Evander's neck, holding on to him as if he would never let go.
I stood frozen, my heart squeezing painfully as I watched their interaction. The warmth in Evander's eyes as he looked at the boy and the softness in his expression, then there was a tenderness that I had never seen directed at me… made my breath catch in my throat. It was as if I was an outsider, who was intruding on a family moment that had no place for me.
Would he have loved my child this much? Would he have accepted him as warmly as he did to the little boy in front of me?
My hands clenched into fists at my sides, the bitterness of the truth settling in my chest like a heavy stone. How many secrets had Evander kept from me? How much of his life had been hidden behind the cold face he showed me? Did he ever care about me? Or was I really just an object for display for him?
The boy's laughter rang out in the room, full of joy that echoed painfully in my ears. My child would have been around his age if he were alive! But these people… These cruel people not only made my life hell but took my child's life which I would never forget!
I felt like a fool, standing there, trying to piece together a life that had never been real. While I had been struggling to win a place in Evander's heart, he had kept this part of his life locked away, safe from the chaos that was our marriage.
"Daddy, did you miss me?" the boy asked, his big eyes shining with expectation, completely unaware of the turmoil brewing just a few steps away from him.
Evander's gaze flicked to me for the briefest moment, his expression unreadable. But it was enough to confirm what I already knew—I didn't belong here. Not with them. Not in this house where I was nothing more than a ghost haunting a life that was never truly mine.
"Yes, of course, I missed you," Evander finally said, his voice soft, as he pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead. It was a tender gesture which so unlike the man I knew, that it nearly broke me.
And yet, I stood there in silence, as if I was rooted to the spot, unable to tear my eyes away from the scene. The boy giggled again happily in his father's arms, while I felt my world crumbling around me.
This was the truth I had been too blind to see. The truth I had been too scared to confront.
And now, as I stood on the edge of a life I no longer recognized, I realized that I had already lost years ago and now, here I was witnessing the result. There was no place for me here—no room in Evander's heart, as I was the woman he had married out of duty, not love.
But I wouldn't allow myself to break... not in front of them. I swallowed the pain as I forced myself to take a step back, to distance myself from the scene that had become a cruel reminder of everything I had lost.
Although, I had left him for three years, but those years had been nothing but a deep abyss which I barely survived but what did I get after struggling so much in the end?
It was time to let go.
"Enjoy your time with him," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper, but steady enough to conceal the storm brewing within me. Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heels and walked away, leaving behind the man I had once loved and the life that had never truly been mine.
"Claire!" Evander's voice echoed behind me. It sounded desperate and urgent, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. I had to get away from that place, from the suffocating memories that clung to every single one of my cells. This mansion... that was once a place I had dreamed of turning into a home, now felt like a prison where all my hopes and dreams had been shattered.
I burst through the front doors and into the night, the cool air hitting my face as I ran, my footsteps echoing off the empty road. The street was eerily quiet, the flickering lights casting long and horrible shadows that seemed to be following me, mocking me for the life that I wanted to make mine. The darkness pressed in from all sides, amplifying the fear and anxiety that had been suffocating me for months.
I hated the darkness. It reminded me of all the cruel nights I had spent alone in that mansion, waiting for a love that was never reciprocated.
"I have to leave this place," I muttered to myself, my voice trembling as I quickened my pace. "How could they not repair the streetlights?" The flickering lights above only added to the creepy atmosphere, making everything seem even more daunting.
As I ran, memories of the past began to flood my mind, overwhelming me with their intensity. The first time I entered that mansion, I was filled with hope and excitement. The nights I had spent alone, waiting for Evander to come home, only to be met with his cold indifference. The way his family had treated me like an outsider like I was nothing more than a temporary guest in their world.
Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to stop. I had to keep moving... I had to get away from the memories that threatened to kill me. The darkness around me felt like it was seeping into my soul, but I pushed forward, filled with the determination to escape the nightmare that had become my life.
My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and anger driving me forward. I could hear the distant echo of Evander's voice calling my name as I stumbled upon the ground and fell hard, losing consciousness.