He Traded My Trauma for Her Redemption - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

His tiny figure stood stiffly against the cold morning air, his face set in an icy scowl. He was still wearing yesterday’s wrinkled clothes. He shivered slightly in the chill, but his expression remained stubborn, unyielding.
My heart softened, just a little. I was about to say something when he cut me off.
“Dad was right—you’re just putting on a show!”
“You must’ve had someone spying on me! You knew I was sneaking back home to prepare a surprise for Mom, so you staged this whole act like you’re leaving.”
“Well, I’m telling you now—I’m not falling for it! I won’t ask you to stay!”
He looked at me with such certainty, as if he had exposed some grand scheme of mine. And just like that, whatever warmth I had left inside me vanished completely.
Ten years.
Ten years of love, of care, of sacrifice.
All for nothing.
I turned to the driver. “Let’s go.”
The car started moving and almost immediately, I heard the commotion behind me. Tyler was barking orders at the maids, telling them to throw out everything I had ever used. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he picked up a stick and started smashing my belongings to pieces.
I didn’t look back.
As the Gunn Family’s villa disappeared into the distance, I whispered a quiet goodbye.
Not to them. But to the obsession I had clung to for ten years.
***
At the airport, as I neared the boarding gate, I finally checked my phone.
It had been on silent, but there were countless missed calls from David and my parents.
When they couldn’t reach me, they flooded me with messages instead.
Mom: [Nadine, since Yvonne is back, you should leave. The farther, the better. This is her home, after all.]
Dad: [We appreciated your help before, but staying any longer is just ridiculous.]
I read their words quietly, then blocked their numbers without a second thought.
As for David, I hesitated. And then, after a long pause, I called him back. His voice was as indifferent as ever.
“Nadine, stop being childish. If Tyler broke your things, I’ll buy you new ones. You’re in a wheelchair. You can’t do anything on your own. How long do you think you’ll last out there? Come back. The Gunn Family can still afford to take care of you.”
Even now, he thought I was just throwing a tantrum.
I let out a quiet laugh, “David,” I said, my voice calm, “what do you think it sounds like when a woman lives in her own brother-in-law’s house?”
There was a brief silence on his end before he scoffed dismissively.
“I’ll arrange a fake husband for you. That way, people won’t gossip if you live here.”
How utterly ridiculous. I laughed until tears welled in my eyes, “David, you were never the only option for me.”
An announcement echoed through the airport, urging passengers to board.
On the other end of the call, his voice turned sharp with anger, “You’ve been with me for ten years—do you really think anyone else would want you? Enough with the theatrics. You have one hour. Get back here. Yvonne and Tyler are still waiting for you to cook.”