The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

~ Soraya ~
Soraya was angry at herself.
She was upset because she felt she had not done enough for Sage, but at the same time, her pride prevented her from interfering.
Calum clearly didn’t want her to step in. He had to save face—for Rose, of course. He let Rose take the lead, allowed Sage to call her ‘Mommy,’ and even in that desperate moment, he stood back as Rose took control. It was Rose who emerged from the Emergency Room to address everyone, effectively blocking Soraya from seeing her own daughter.
But it wasn’t just Rose.
Soraya had seen the way Sage reached for her, had heard her desperate cry. “Mommy. Mommy.”
And yet, when faced with Rose’s presence and words, Sage still chose her.
Soraya was never good enough for Calum, and even as a mother, she felt she was not good enough compared to Rose.
Sage chose Rose.
She swore she would never cry again, but when it came to Sage, it was truly difficult to fully cage her heart.
Soraya let it all out. She broke down in tears in Jacob’s chest.
Jacob, on the other hand, said nothing. But the way he rubbed her back gave her all the soothing she needed.
Soraya shut her eyes and counted numbers. Again, she repeated her mantra, ‘Control, Soraya, control. Feelings pass. Feelings pass. Control.’
Two ladies entered the restroom while Soraya cried. Jacob told them, “Please go to the other comfort room. We just need a moment.”
Eventually, all of Soraya’s tears ran dry. She pulled away, sniffing.
“I’ll talk to Calum and let you in to see Sage,” Jacob offered while reaching for a tissue.
Soraya shook her head. She said, “No, it’s for the best that I don’t.”
“I don’t understand,” Jacob answered.
Soraya wiped her nose. She said, “I need to start detaching myself from Sage. At least for now. It’s better that way. So it will eventually hurt less.”
“I’m sorry, Soraya,” Jacob said.
“Did they see you follow me?” Soraya asked, concerned.
Jacob shook his head, saying, “I told them I’d use the restroom, and I did.”
“You are using the wrong restroom,” Soraya pointed out.
“I did,” Jacob nodded. “On purpose.”
Jacob checked the time. He texted someone on his phone and said, “I asked Dante to pick us up. I told him to drive by the hospital’s back entrance. Why don’t you go and wait for him? I’ll speak to Calum first. I know you’ll want to make sure that Sage is okay.”
“Okay,” Soraya said.
“I’ll leave first,” Jacob suggested, and she nodded in agreement.
~ Jacob ~
By the time Jacob returned, Calum and Rose were no longer in the emergency room. They had already been admitted. He caught up with them in the private room.
Axel, Edward, and Peter were not there. Only Melvin stayed with Calum and Rose. Jacob assumed the other parties had left.
Jacob stared at Sage. The little one was sleeping soundly. He asked Calum, “How is she?”
“She is stable now, but she will need to stay for at least two days, according to the doctor. She will need IV medications,” Calum explained.
Jacob took a moment, then said, “What happened today is wrong.”
“I understand that you don’t like Soraya, but the fact remains that she is Sage’s mother. Why can’t you just acknowledge this publicly? You are already getting divorced, Calum. Soraya won’t stand in your way.” As Jacob said this, he tried to stay calm, but inside, his blood was boiling.
“And how do you know that, Jacob?” Rose pointed out. “She’s been using Sage to get to Calum. Besides, Sage is already six years old. People will connect the dots—”
“That you are a mistress,” Jacob spat, and from that moment on, Calum’s gaze darkened.
“You are not allowed to speak to Rose that way! What has gotten into you, Jacob?” Calum snapped.
“Then you should not have started this relationship before getting a divorce,” Jacob pointed out. When Calum did not respond, he added, “Look, it’s not my business to decide how you work this out, but it isn’t right that you deprive Soraya of being Sage’s mother.”
“I wasn’t depriving her. It just wasn’t the right place to let her attend to Sage!” Calum shot back. “Rose was there!”
“I think, Calum, you are making a big mistake. I pray that you don’t wake up one day full of regrets,” Jacob said before he turned on his heel.
He no longer cared what Calum, Melvin, or Rose thought of his actions. He knew what a child’s longing for a mother could do. He had witnessed it firsthand with Angela.
As he walked out into the hallway, Jacob felt a heavy wave of regret settle in his chest. He had been one of those who supported Calum’s relationship with Rose, genuinely believing it would make his friend happy. But now, everything felt different.
He couldn’t help but wonder—if he had met Soraya earlier, if he had stepped in and knocked some sense into Calum, would he have been able to stop him from divorcing his wife?
Just as Jacob was deep in thought, he remembered something.
It was the night Calum and Soraya had slept together. Jacob had always thought of digging into it, but now, more than ever, he wanted to prove Soraya’s innocence.
Later that afternoon, after arriving at his estate, he let Soraya walk out of the car first. When she disappeared into the house, he ordered Dante, “Have our men look into what happened between Calum and Soraya more than seven years ago. I know it’s been a long time, but there should be footprints that will lead us somewhere.”
“Yes, sir,” Dante acknowledged.
When Jacob walked into the house, he saw Soraya hugging Angela tightly. She was on her knees, her eyes closed, and seemingly taking in Angela’s warmth.
“Mommy? Are you okay?” Angela asked.
Soraya pulled away with a smile. She said, “I feel better now. That’s all thanks to you.”