Husband In The Shadows - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Before I knew it, we pulled into the garage.
Nydia parked and turned to look at me, her eyes locked on mine. "After he got divorced, things changed. I don't have feelings for him anymore. Whatever chance we had is long gone.
"I just wanted to help. He had a rough childhood. We're just friends."
I shot her a mocking look. "Yeah, just friends. Classic excuse for crossing the line."
I didn't buy it.
There was no way she saw things clearly the second I left.
It all sounded like sweet talk to keep me from walking away.
I closed my eyes, avoiding her burning gaze. "You chipped away at my trust little by little. That's not something you can just glue back together."
Honestly, Jefferson wasn't even the biggest issue between us.
I knew the past couldn't be changed. I never blamed her for it.
But in the four years we were married—over 1,460 days—she had so many chances to be honest with me, to explain things. And yet, she never did, not once.
And those fake wedding photos with Jefferson? They weren't just a mistake.
That was a punch in the gut. Even though time had dulled the pain, I could never forget it. Each time I thought about it, the pain came rushing back, raw and overwhelming.
Nydia must've known she messed up, and she stayed quiet.
Then, she closed her eyes briefly and pleaded, "Can you give me a chance to prove I've changed? Emerson, I mean it."
She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned toward me. Her fingertips wandered over me with a kind of softness that once would've made me hesitate.
But not now. I took a deep breath, held her shoulders, and slowly pushed her away. "How you prove it is your problem. Right now, I just want a divorce."
I got out of the car before she could touch me again.
Her hand froze mid-air. After a few seconds, she let it fall and gave a bitter laugh.
I walked straight to the elevator.
At this point, divorce was the only word I kept repeating.
Nydia was caught off guard by how determined I was to walk away. Not even her attempts to be close to me made a difference.
That hit her hard. She knew that once physical desire faded, so did the last thread of connection between us.
She followed me quietly. I'd only been to The Waterway Residences once, and I didn't know the passcode.
I stopped outside the door, waiting.
Nydia didn't move. She just whispered, "The code is your birthday."
I frowned, a flicker of confusion in my eyes. "I'm not part of your life anymore. Don't give me the code, and I don't want to know. Remember to change it."
After all, my birthday wasn't something that could be changed.
Nydia let out a bitter smile, knowing full well I had made up my mind. Without another word, she lowered her head and opened the door for me.
Inside, I froze for a second. By the door was a new pair of slippers, a couple's set, the same kind we used to have.
I'd thrown ours away when I moved out.
But she bought the same ones again.
Looking around, I saw the living room was set up exactly like our old place—same decorations, same little things in all the familiar spots.
I frowned deeply and demanded, "Why'd you redo everything like this? And how did all these things find their way back?"
Nydia smiled a little, her voice calm. "It's not hard to find them—if I actually tried. I liked how you made the house feel like a home. I want you to stay."
Hearing her say that now felt like a cruel joke.
I rolled my eyes and walked in. "Decorate however you want. At least it makes it easier to find what I came for."