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Sent him lengthy, heartfelt texts.
I poured out my heart about the hardships I faced in the orphanage.
Recounted his two-year pursuit and our sweet married days.
Like an onion,I peeled away layer after layer,begging him to turn back and love me.
He listened to my frantic calls,saying nothing in return.
Ignored my heartfelt messages. I,a love beggar,cried and screamed for scraps of his affection.
Grace’s condition worsened.
Chemo costs soared.
I had no choice but to ask Nathan for more money. He erupted over the phone.
“Claire,have some self-awareness.I said divorce gets you five million.This fifty grand is my final offer. Want more? Then divorce me.” “And stop sending me your orphanage sob stories.You think a privileged guy like me gives a damn? It’s like reading about a rat in a sewer.” A rat in a sewer.
Hah.
That’s what he thought of me.
I took the fifty grand,left our luxurious home, and rented a shabby apartment in the city with Grace.
When the money ran out,Grace forbade me from asking Nathan again.
But when I resolved to divorce for the five million to give her more time, she passed away. After her death,I didn’t sleep for days,handling her affairs by day and crying endlessly at night.
I couldn’t sleep.
I wondered what to do about the baby in my womb.
What to do about myself.
Under the weight of crushing grief and relentless strain,my body gave out.
I died.
…
Nathan, sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, drew the attention of security.
Given his polished appearance, they politely urged him to stand
His face was ashen, and he seemed to have aged visibly in an instant.
He handled my affairs , just as I had Grace’s.
But while I placed Grace’s ashes in a cemetery,he took mine home.
This trapped my soul by his side, cruelly and relentlessly. How cruel and vile.
Even in death, he wouldn't let me go, forcing me to witness him rekindle his relationship with Lily.
Oddly, after my death, he stopped staying out late and came home every night.
He wouldn't eat, just sat staring at my urn. Then he’d hug Daisy,burying his face in its fur,muttering.
“Daisy,Mommy loved holding you,smelling you.Now Daddy holds you and smells Mommy to himself.”
“Daisy,did you know Mommy was pregnant?Why didn’t you tell Daddy?”
I rolled my eyes in exasperation..
When I found out I was pregnant, he was out every night with Lily. Daisy and I rarely saw this busy man—how could it tell him?
What an idiot.
Wait a minute..
Something felt off. I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought.
He seemed to revert to his courtship demeanor.
I stopped myself.
No way.
I could be lovesick alive,but lovesick in death?What a waste.
Daisy broke free,meowing mournfully at my spot.
Nathan looked up,thrilled,at where Daisy meowed.
“Claire,are you back?Did Daisy see you,asking for help?”
I wasn’t back.
His urn-hoarding trapped me here.
I'd rather flee far away to avoid him.
Getting no response,he lowered his head,disappointed.
“Daisy,it’s unfair.Why can you see Mommy,but Daddy can’t?”
Goosebumps rose on my arms..
I suspected he was losing his mind.
