“When I grow up, I’m moving in with Auntie Cassie,” Leo said, pulling his sister’s hand, his voice venomous. “I’ll never come back to see you!”
Dominic didn’t stop the children’s shouting. He merely frowned slightly, his deep eyes briefly sweeping over Elara. His gaze was like that of someone looking at an unreasonable stranger.
“Enough.” His thin lips parted, his deep voice carrying an inherent air of nobility. His long fingers
absently adjusted his cuff links. “I have a video conference for the board. Throw whatever you want,
just don’t make a scene.”
The moment the door closed, Elara’s tears finally fell.
Her heart felt torn to shreds, every breath tasting of blood.
She wiped away her tears, looked at the mess around her, and suddenly laughed.
Don’t worry, she wouldn’t bother him.
Not for the rest of her life.
From the moment the divorce agreement was signed, Elara stopped managing the household.
She no longer woke up at five in the morning to prepare nutritious breakfasts for the children. She no longer waited up for Dominic to return from his late-night engagements to make him a hangover remedy,
All the chores she once considered her duty were now left to the housekeepers.
At first, no one noticed anything amiss.
3:46 pm D
<
Until Leo was late for school and reprimanded by his teacher, Mia couldn’t find her homework, and Dominic’s pocket watch stopped ticking.
The housekeepers fumbled around, yet could never meet the standards of the lady of the house.
Unwashed dishes piled up in the kitchen, children’s toys lay scattered in the living room, and the
ironed shirts were never quite smooth enough.
The once meticulously organized home gradually descended into chaos.
When Dominic pushed open the bedroom door, Elara was leaning by the window, reading.
Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled patterns on her.
“How long are you going to keep this up?” He stood at the doorway, his voice low.
Elara closed her book, looking up at him. “I’m not ‘keeping anything up.”
“Then why aren’t you managing the household anymore?” He took a few steps closer, the subtle, expensive scent of his cologne filling the air. “Are you still upset about what happened last time?”
“I’m not upset.” She placed the book aside. “I just don’t want to anymore.”
Dominic narrowed his eyes, his long fingers lightly tapping the tabletop. “Reason.”
“I’m tired,” she said calmly. “We have housekeepers. I don’t need to do it.”
She remembered her previous life, waking before dawn every day.
Dominic’s coffee had to be exactly 185°F, his sandwiches toasted golden and crispy. The children’s clothes had to be hand-washed, even their socks ironed flat.
But what had it all been for? For Dominic’s tenderness towards Cassandra, for the children’s
closeness to “Auntie Cassie,” for her lonely death on her sixty-second birthday.
“Elara.” His voice turned cold. “If you’re having a tantrum, just say so. Don’t act like a three-year-old.”
She tugged at the corner of her lips. “I’m not having a tantrum. I just want to rest.”
Before the words fully left her mouth, the door was suddenly flung open.
3:46 pm
<
