Chapter 7
Over a month had passed since the split with Tania, and Fred stood in the closet, eyes on the neatly hung shirts and suits, his brow tight with frustration.
The new housekeeper didn’t know how to match his outfits. Each morning, she failed to lay out his suit, tie, and cuff- links ahead of time like Tania used to.
His shirts were perfectly pressed, but she always forgot to spritz his collar with the cedar–scented cologne he liked.
Every morning, the coffee didn’t taste right, even though she used the same machine and beans as Tania.
When he came home late at night and the hallway light switched on, he automatically called out, “Tania, I’m home,” but the empty room only gave back his voice.
He told himself it was just temporary. After all, six years of living with someone doesn’t just disappear overnight.
He stood in the pitch–black living room, staring at a faint streak of light through the gap in the curtains. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, his mind drifting.
Everything fades eventually.
Sooner or later.
Just like he once adjusted to having someone beside him, he would learn to live without her too.
But after hiring a fourth housekeeper, he finally understood what was really bothering him.
He thought he could easily brush off Tania, but without even realizing it, she had quietly filled all the little parts of his life he tried to ignore.
Nelly had brought up moving in several times, and each time, his first response was to reject her.
There was something about the idea that didn’t sit right with him. He didn’t want her in the home he once shared with Tania.
Back when they were still married, he’d invited Nelly over to provoke Tania on purpose.
But that chapter had ended. Nelly lost the baby while filming a commercial two months into her pregnancy.
Fred took the chance to cut ties. He gave her a few career connections as compensation and ended things between them.
To him, these relationships were never serious. With the pregnancy gone, so was the obligation. He felt nothing but relief.
Nelly had cried in the hospital, calling him heartless. But he didn’t flinch. His expression was cold, his voice sharp.
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Chapter 7
“Nelly,” he said, “how many sponsors did you sleep with during that time? Do I need to remind you?
“Even if the accident hadn’t happened, there’s no way that baby would’ve made it.”
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All the warmth he used to show her was gone. His gaze now was ice–cold, like he was looking at someone he didn’t know.
“The baby… it really was yours,” she said, her voice shaking, though even she sounded unsure.
Fred let out a low laugh.
“Don’t act,” he said flatly. “This was always a deal between us–you got what you wanted, I got what I needed. Just because I kept quiet doesn’t mean I was blind.
“With the baby gone, there’s no reason to go through with a paternity test anymore.
“Don’t waste any more time. You got the gigs, so don’t reach out again.”
And just like that, he walked out, leaving her in tears on the hospital bed.
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