Chapter 3 A Stranger in my Home

Nick's POV

I grabbed her arm without warning and pulled her out of the room, throwing a look at Luke over my shoulder, that told him to stay put even without words. He pouted but remained inside obediently, Cassie's face folded into something complicated but understanding enough.

"Are you happy now? What if that scene you just pulled worsened Cassie's condition?!" I blew up at her.

Instead of her crumbling into an apology as she normally would she hissed in my face and continued the nonsense she was saying earlier like she didn't even hear me.

"30 million, that's how much settlement I'm going for, and I'm not taking a penny less."

My chest seized, "30 million?" I repeated back at her to make sure my ears were not tweaking.

"I didn't mince my words, Mr Winston."she said to me hauntingly, "I gave up a promising career and some of the best years of my youth to cater to you and your son, don't you think that's the least I deserve?"

"My son?" I couldn't just help with repeating everything she threw at me, it felt like my brain was short circuiting.

Where was my docile, obedient wife? The one who could sprout out of bed in the dead of night to quickly fix me up a snack if I asked.

Only a week ago, she'd kissed me and told me that she didn't mind Cassie moving in with us despite our former romantic history and the undeniable tension but still existed between us, sparking the air and electrifying my nerves.

Now she was raving about a divorce, and an absurd settlement. As a CEO I could take that, but we were about to establish a new branch in another state, that money would go to better use.

What am I even saying? I'm not agreeing to any silly divorce!

I was about to tell her just that when I heard a screech coming from inside Cassie's ward, I looked between Clara and the door, hesitant for a split moment.

She just rolled her eyes at my dilemma; "Go to her, both of you deserve each other."

A muscle ticked in my jaw.

"This conversation isn't over."

I didn't wait for her retort, just hastened back into the ward room to check on Cassie.

Turns out she was fine, just indulging in some silly horse play. Luke who would normally be laughing and giggling at such playful antics had such a serious look on his face he almost looked moody.

The second he saw me he sprinted over to my side, rubbing my pants like I owed his money.

"Daddy is mommy going to leave us?"

His eyes had already gotten so red and puffy, I grated my teeth together.

Couldn't Clara see that her entire fiasco was affecting all of us? But I know she won't leave us.

I ruffled Luke's hair.

"Mommy is not going anywhere," then I flicked my eyes towards Cassie and my heart skipped a beat; "Aunt Cassie isn't going anywhere either,"

••••••

We returned home after a couple more hours, I sent Luke up to his room then. My butler, Mr Whipple approached me with a cloud hovering above his head.

"Master Winston..." He began then paused dramatically.

"If you're going to say something, spit it out," I snapped short of patience.

He coughed awkwardly to clear his throat adjusting the color of his button up, ironed shirt.

"The madam asked me to pack her things into bags, she says she will be departing either today or tomorrow."

This new piece of info flushed the color right out of my face and a muscle stretched in my jaw.

"Are you sure she said that to you?"

He nodded quickly.

"She did, I wanted to wait for you to arrive but she insisted and I did as she asked so-"

"Enough!" I normally wasn't so sharp with Mr Whipple, he had worked for my family ever since I was a toddler but right now I was not in my best state of mind.

"I'll talk to her, where is she?" I demanded to know, Mr Whipple turned his head towards the swimming pool, telling me enough without words.

I stomped over to confront her, but what I saw seized all the breath in my throat for a second.

There was my wife like I had never seen her, stretched out on a lounge chair, wearing a bikini that wasn't leaving much to the imagination, exposing smooth supple skin that radiated the rays from the sun, she had the company of a cocktail beside her, taking eventful sips every now and then.

Her eyes tilted over to me and I don't know if it was my imagination or not but there seemed to be a flash of disgust before her face molded a mask of neutrality in front.

I regained myself and approached her, noticing that my steps had become watery and weak.

What the heck?! For years I had begged her to dress like this instead of her normal style that would make any grandma shake their head.

Just what had possessed her to be acting so differently?

"Mr Whipple told me you asked him to pack your bags," I said, finally beginning to question if all of this was really not just a bluff for my attention, "are you really ready to throw away everything we have together? 8 years just like that?"

She took a long loud sip from her cocktail then without even looking at me she stretched out on the lounge chair, I gulped a mouthful of spit wondering if she was teasing or taunting me, perhaps both.

"Have you found a new donor for Cassie?" Her question brought me back to earth.

"I thought you were just divorcing me... You're also going to let Cassie die too?"

Another sip from her cocktail, as if it was giving her the next words to claw into my heart.

"Who says you can't be the donor instead?"