Ben was a little buzzed. He glanced at his
<
It had been almost an hour since I’d left.
How long could it take to change a dress? The
ladies‘ room was upstairs.
He frowned and texted me: “Where are you?”
No reply.
Ben’s assistant came up.
He leaned in, and whispered, “The driver said
Mrs. Baker already went home.”
Ben’s face got dark. I was being dramatic for
the first time, and he hated when women did
that.
“Get Chloe over here.”
The assistant’s heart skipped a beat, but he
nodded and went to do it anyway.
く
Chloe came back with her hair down, like a
schoolgirl.
She’d clearly been crying, all her makeup gone.
Fresh–faced and innocent.
Ben saw her like that, and he just zoned out.
“Mr. Baker, did I do something wrong tonight?”
Chloe asked, looking up at Ben.
She had these two tiny moles by her left eye,
even more obvious without makeup.
It was the exact same spot as Ben’s dead
girlfriend, April.
Ben touched her cheek, then kissed her moles.
He muttered under his breath, “April…”
4
It took three days for Ren to realize that I
<
It took three days for Ben to realize that I
wasn’t coming back.
He didn’t care too much.
Even though my name was part of a powerful
family, I was different.
I’d been lost as a kid and had a rough life.
When my family finally found me, I was already
twenty. Never been to college.
I’d grown up quiet and scared. That made them
dislike me.
Even Ben’s mom wasn’t a fan.
When he and I got married, his mom said she
would only agree to a wedding. No official
license until I gave birth to a son.
I had Ethan.
But his mom still wouldn’t bring up the subject
of the license.
I was too weak to bring it up myself.
It was a full week before he went back to our
bedroom.
It was late April.
He noticed the crabapple blossoms starting to
fade.
The housekeeper saw his mood and explained,
“Mrs. Baker always took care of the tree. Said
she didn’t want anyone else touching it.”
“She’s not back yet?” Ben asked, brows still
furrowed.
The housekeeper shook her head. “She hasn’t
been back.”
<
The housekeeper shook her head. “She hasn’t
been back.”
“What day is it?” Ben asked.
“Saturday.”
“Did you go pick up Ethan?”
Saturday was the one day I had guaranteed
time with Ethan.
“Yes, he’ll be here soon.”
Ben nodded, his face calm again.
“Tell her if she’s not back in an hour, Ethan’s
going back to the family compound.”
LO
5
Ethan was on the living room rug, unpacking a
new toy.
<
The housekeeper came in, sounding nervous.
“Sir, we called Mrs. Baker.”
Ben “hmmed“, watching Ethan. He looked so
much like me, with his big, dark eyes and long
lashes.
He was a good–looking kid.
The housekeeper stayed put and finally said, “She said she’s not coming back.”
Ben’s head snapped up.
The housekeeper trembled. Even Ethan seemed
to sense something was wrong and put down
his toy.
After a long moment, Ben laughed. Just a cold,
sharp laugh.
He stood up, calling out to Ethan, “Come on,
<
11:59
buddy, Dad will take you home.”
Ethan stood up, “Won’t Mommy come too?”
“Not today.”
Ben picked up Ethan.
“Is Mommy not coming back?” Ethan asked. He
seemed oddly calm.
Ben held Ethan, walking out of the living room
and through the backyard.
As they passed the crabapple tree, Ben finally
answered. “No, she’s not being a good girl so
she can’t come home now.
“That’s her punishment.”
6
This was probably the most relaxed time I’d had
ninan
coming hama and marming Dan
<
No more waking up at 6:30 sharp.
No more choking down Ben’s western–style
breakfast.
No more endless waiting for Saturdays, only to
end up sad and sleepless.
No more wondering if, or when, Ben was
coming home.
I could sleep in until ten. I could make myself a
big bowl of super spicy noodle soup.
I could binge–watch TV until 3 am, going
through an entire box of tissues.
When Ethan’s teacher called to invite me to
parent–teacher day, I still felt a pang of
sadness, but I just told her, “I’m no longer
associated with the Bakers. In the future, please
do not contact me about Ethan. Thank you.”
11:59
<
I hung up, then looked at my phone when I saw
a call from the house.
Tomorrow was Saturday, and I was done
waiting.
