The Day I Stopped Being the Nice Wife - Chapter 6: Chapter 6
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"Thank you," Jane murmured, her voice tinged with shyness and something darker as they reached her hotel room door.
"Don't mention it," Caleb replied, firm but gentle. "You've thanked me more times than you've actually talked to me," he pointed out, a hint of amusement in his tone.
A faint, bittersweet smile flickered across her lips before fading just as quickly.
"Get some rest. Big day tomorrow," he said, stepping back. "Goodnight."
She opened her mouth—to protest, to ask him to stay, she wasn't sure—but he was already walking away. His presence lingered like a shadow even after he turned the corner. With a slow exhale, she swiped her keycard and stepped inside.
The second the door clicked shut, Jane kicked off her heels and collapsed onto the bed. How was it that the people who hurt you the deepest were the same ones who tried to patch you up? They knew exactly where to twist the knife—and how to pretend they hadn't.
As she peeled off her clothes, a hollow ache settled in her chest. She wished she could crawl into her father's arms, bury her face in his shoulder, and whisper, You were right. But that ship had sailed. She was nothing to him now—just a fugitive.
The courthouse hummed with whispered conversations and the nervous shuffle of footsteps. Jane stood frozen at the entrance, her stomach in knots. She'd chosen her outfit carefully—a fitted navy dress, understated heels, makeup light enough to look effortless. Breathe, she reminded herself. This wasn't real. Just a transaction. A stepping stone.
Beside her, Caleb was a pillar of calm. "Ready?" he asked.
She nodded, though her fingers trembled as they signed the papers. The ghost of her divorce from Marcus hovered over her—the betrayal, the humiliation of catching him with Abby. The ink on the marriage certificate felt like a final erasure of that ###Chapter. She was free. And she'd use that freedom to burn his world to the ground.
"Ready to meet my family?" Caleb asked as they stepped outside, his tone casual, as if he'd just suggested coffee.
Jane blinked. "Your parents?"
"Mom and my sister. They'll think this is real, so play along."
Her pulse spiked, but she forced a smile. "Sure. I can handle it."
Caleb hesitated. "Fair warning—my mom's… not the warmest."
Jane's smile turned wry. "Noted." A difficult mother-in-law was nothing compared to what she'd already survived. Revenge was worth a little discomfort.
The mansion was obscenely lavish. Jane lingered near the doorway, absorbing the opulence, when Caleb's voice snapped her back to reality.
"Mother." He spread his arms as an elegant woman rushed forward, kissing his cheeks.
"My boy!" she cooed, oblivious to Jane's presence.
"Where's Lilian?" Caleb asked.
"Out with friends." His mother's smile turned sly as she gestured to the woman beside her. "Stella and I were just talking about you."
Jane watched as Caleb's entire body stiffened. Stella—whoever she was—smiled like a cat spotting prey.
"Hi, Caleb," she purred, stepping closer.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. Jane might as well have been invisible for all the attention anyone paid her.
Stella reached up, brushing his cheek. "I've missed you."
Caleb recoiled like she'd burned him. "You've got nerve showing your face here," he spat.
His mother gasped. "Don't be cruel! Everyone deserves forgiveness!"
Caleb's gaze flicked to Jane—then hardened with resolve. "Actually, I'd like you to meet my wife. We married today."
The room went silent. Stella's face drained of color. Jane offered a weak smile, suddenly the center of two very hostile stares.
Caleb draped an arm around her, pulling her close. His mother's lips pursed. "And where did you find her?"
"Does it matter? You wanted me married. Here she is."
"I wanted you with Stella! Not some gold-digging stranger!"
Jane bit her tongue. Caleb's grip tightened. "Jane isn't after money. We're in love. End of discussion."
His mother—Rose, she corrected icily—eyed Jane like a stain on her rug. "Dinner. Tonight. The whole family will be there."
Jane nodded, feigning calm as Caleb steered her out.
Behind them, Stella's voice rose in panic. "He's married! What now?"
Rose's reply was a venomous whisper: "Leave it to me. That girl won't last a week."
"Don't mention it," Caleb replied, firm but gentle. "You've thanked me more times than you've actually talked to me," he pointed out, a hint of amusement in his tone.
A faint, bittersweet smile flickered across her lips before fading just as quickly.
"Get some rest. Big day tomorrow," he said, stepping back. "Goodnight."
She opened her mouth—to protest, to ask him to stay, she wasn't sure—but he was already walking away. His presence lingered like a shadow even after he turned the corner. With a slow exhale, she swiped her keycard and stepped inside.
The second the door clicked shut, Jane kicked off her heels and collapsed onto the bed. How was it that the people who hurt you the deepest were the same ones who tried to patch you up? They knew exactly where to twist the knife—and how to pretend they hadn't.
As she peeled off her clothes, a hollow ache settled in her chest. She wished she could crawl into her father's arms, bury her face in his shoulder, and whisper, You were right. But that ship had sailed. She was nothing to him now—just a fugitive.
The courthouse hummed with whispered conversations and the nervous shuffle of footsteps. Jane stood frozen at the entrance, her stomach in knots. She'd chosen her outfit carefully—a fitted navy dress, understated heels, makeup light enough to look effortless. Breathe, she reminded herself. This wasn't real. Just a transaction. A stepping stone.
Beside her, Caleb was a pillar of calm. "Ready?" he asked.
She nodded, though her fingers trembled as they signed the papers. The ghost of her divorce from Marcus hovered over her—the betrayal, the humiliation of catching him with Abby. The ink on the marriage certificate felt like a final erasure of that ###Chapter. She was free. And she'd use that freedom to burn his world to the ground.
"Ready to meet my family?" Caleb asked as they stepped outside, his tone casual, as if he'd just suggested coffee.
Jane blinked. "Your parents?"
"Mom and my sister. They'll think this is real, so play along."
Her pulse spiked, but she forced a smile. "Sure. I can handle it."
Caleb hesitated. "Fair warning—my mom's… not the warmest."
Jane's smile turned wry. "Noted." A difficult mother-in-law was nothing compared to what she'd already survived. Revenge was worth a little discomfort.
The mansion was obscenely lavish. Jane lingered near the doorway, absorbing the opulence, when Caleb's voice snapped her back to reality.
"Mother." He spread his arms as an elegant woman rushed forward, kissing his cheeks.
"My boy!" she cooed, oblivious to Jane's presence.
"Where's Lilian?" Caleb asked.
"Out with friends." His mother's smile turned sly as she gestured to the woman beside her. "Stella and I were just talking about you."
Jane watched as Caleb's entire body stiffened. Stella—whoever she was—smiled like a cat spotting prey.
"Hi, Caleb," she purred, stepping closer.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. Jane might as well have been invisible for all the attention anyone paid her.
Stella reached up, brushing his cheek. "I've missed you."
Caleb recoiled like she'd burned him. "You've got nerve showing your face here," he spat.
His mother gasped. "Don't be cruel! Everyone deserves forgiveness!"
Caleb's gaze flicked to Jane—then hardened with resolve. "Actually, I'd like you to meet my wife. We married today."
The room went silent. Stella's face drained of color. Jane offered a weak smile, suddenly the center of two very hostile stares.
Caleb draped an arm around her, pulling her close. His mother's lips pursed. "And where did you find her?"
"Does it matter? You wanted me married. Here she is."
"I wanted you with Stella! Not some gold-digging stranger!"
Jane bit her tongue. Caleb's grip tightened. "Jane isn't after money. We're in love. End of discussion."
His mother—Rose, she corrected icily—eyed Jane like a stain on her rug. "Dinner. Tonight. The whole family will be there."
Jane nodded, feigning calm as Caleb steered her out.
Behind them, Stella's voice rose in panic. "He's married! What now?"
Rose's reply was a venomous whisper: "Leave it to me. That girl won't last a week."
End of The Day I Stopped Being the Nice Wife Chapter 6. Continue reading Chapter 7 or return to The Day I Stopped Being the Nice Wife book page.