Chapter 9
The fire had stirred up quite a buzz. Soon, people started digging into Roderick and
Francesca.
That was when the truth finally came to light. Although they were married, it was all just a
facade. They had signed a contract before tying the knot.
Roderick had said more than once that their marriage was nothing more than a business arrangement—a strategic partnership.
Yet, I knew he wasn’t being honest. It was evident in the way he looked at Francesca.
If her mistakes hadn’t been so disastrous to the point where they couldn’t be covered up,
he probably would’ve stood by her.
For Danny’s sake, I broke the lease on our apartment. We moved somewhere farther out,
but it was closer to the preschool where he would be attending.
On his first day of school, he was over the moon.
I had promised that I’d be the first one there to pick him up, and I kept my word. I waited at the gates long before classes ended.
When the final bell rang, he came flying into my arms, exclaiming, “Mommy, I was so good today! Many kids cried, but I didn’t!”
“You were amazing, Danny. You’re the bravest kid there!” I said as I kissed his cheek.
We were chatting and laughing when he suddenly fell quiet. Then, he pointed cautiously at
someone in the distance.
I followed his gaze and saw Roderick. He looked exhausted, with stubble around his jaw.
When he realized I had seen him, he stepped forward.
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Chapter 9
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Danny, on the other hand, stiffened. He remembered the time Roderick had shouted at me, so he was still afraid of him.
Eventually, Roderick stood right before us and said, “I know everything now, Savannah.”
My heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, I held Danny tighter and turned to leave. However, Roderick blocked my way.
“This is your therapist’s son, right? We could raise him together. Your room’s still there. If you’re willing, we can start over.”
I pursed my lips and said nothing.
Roderick had always made it sound so simple. How could we start over where there hadn’t been a beginning in the first place? Whatever we were had ended long ago.
Maybe he had forgotten the day he told me we would never be together. In fact, I didn’t think he loved me. He simply didn’t want to lose me.
With that in mind, I shook my head. “I’m not going back, Roderick. I like the life I have
now.”
The past had been too painful, and not a single day of it had felt good. As for the version of him I used to cling to, I had let go of that a long time ago.
Roderick stared at me in disbelief, while I calmly met his gaze.
I added, “Like you once said, maybe I was too dependent on you. That was why I mistook it for love.
“Thank you for sending me away. These past few years have given me clarity. I won’t depend on you anymore, and I don’t love you either.”
This version of me would do just fine without Roderick.
He stood there, watching me walk away. But I didn’t look back.
That was the last time I ever saw him.
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Chapter D
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When we got home, Danny told me, “I think he cried. He seemed sad.”
He didn’t know how to describe what he saw. After all, I had never let myself cry in front of
him.
I nodded in acknowledgment before changing the subject. “Shall we have pizza tonight?”
“Yay!”
Children were easy to cheer up. All it took was the mention of his favorite food, and his focus shifted.
Now, Danny was already dreaming about dinner.
a
I had just put the pizza in the oven when my phone rang.
It was the company I had interviewed with a few days earlier. They wanted me to start the following week.
I had been back in the country for a while now, and finally, I landed a job. It seemed like all my struggles had finally started to pay off.
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