The Ex-Wife's Billion Dollar Comeback - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

~ Soraya ~
Soraya could feel her daughter’s guilt in every trembling breath, in the desperate way Sage clung to her,and in how she buried her face into her clothes as if trying to disappear. A part of Soraya wanted to cry with her—wanted to wrap her arms around Sage and never let go. But she was afraid.
Sage had let go of her too many times before. Again and again, she’d chosen someone else.
Since Rose entered their lives, Soraya had become a shadow in her daughter’s world.
What was the point of investing all her emotions when history kept repeating itself?
She couldn’t do it. Not yet.
Soraya wasn’t ready to look at Sage with open-hearted forgiveness, not when every hug risked breaking her all over again. She wasn’t ready to accept that another woman could be called Sage’s mother. And she wasn’t ready to smile while watching Calum find happiness while she was still searching for hers.
She no longer cared about Calum, but that didn’t mean she was ready to accept things the way they were.
“Shhh,” Soraya said, hushing her daughter’s cries. “Crying too much can make it harder for you to breathe, remember? Let’s take deep breaths together, just like we practiced before.”
She waited for a while. When Sage finally pulled away, Soraya gently cupped her daughter’s chin. She asked, “You feel better now?”
Sage's eyes flickered briefly toward Rose and Calum. Then she looked down, nodding reluctantly.
“Come on. Let’s practice your breathing,” Soraya encouraged, simulating deep breaths, and Sage followed.
Calum and Rose never gave Soraya private time with her daughter. So, at best, she could only give her daughter reminders. She offered Sage a piece of the cookie, a glass of water, and said, “You should always sleep early, drink lots of water, and eat healthy. Avoid triggers like dust, smoke, pollen, pets, cold air, strong smells, and processed snacks with preservatives—like chips.”
“Mommy, can you stay with me tonight?” Sage asked. “You always take care of me when I’m sick.”
“I—” Soraya gasped.
“You should stay, Soraya,” Calum added, “for Sage.”
Soraya didn’t look at Calum. She kept her eyes on her daughter. She bit her lip and said, “I have things to do, but let me try to clear my schedule for the night.”
She stood and excused herself, stepping outside the hospital room to make a call.
Jacob was in the capital, still within reach. He picked up on the third ring.
“Jacob, Sage is asking me to stay with her at the hospital. Is it okay?” Soraya asked. “I’ll make up for it.”
“You don’t need to make up for it. I’ll call Angela and make her understand,” Jacob replied. “If you have time, let her know too. You know how she can be sometimes—and lately, especially with you.”
“Yes, thanks, Jacob,” Soraya said.
Soraya called Angela next, through her nanny. The little girl was upset but still said she understood. She was just about to return to the room when Calum walked out. He asked, “Busy? Even at night? With whom? Silas Ward?”
The question caught Soraya off guard. She frowned and answered, “No. I have other business to attend to. Whatever it is, it’s none of your concern. Anyway, I can stay with Sage for the night. I’ll leave around five so I can still get ready for work.”
She walked past him and re-entered the room.
Calum and Rose stayed for another hour in the hospital. It was an awkward hour where few words were exchanged. When they finally left, everything felt lighter. Only Belinda remained behind to help Soraya care for Sage.
Soraya ordered their dinner, carefully selecting from non-allergen broths to help Sage recover. When Sage had nebulizations, Soraya took it upon herself to perform chest taps and help her cough out phlegm.
That night, before bed, she massaged Sage’s back with eucalyptus rub.
Sage hummed contentedly. “I miss this, Mommy.”
When Soraya finished, Sage reached out to her, wanting to share the bed.
Soraya said nothing. She simply lay beside her and hummed a song until Sage fell asleep.
Just then, her phone buzzed. Soraya sat up and picked it up—it was from an unknown number.
“Hello?” she answered.
But what she heard next made her blood boil.
“Make love to me, Calum. It’s good that Soraya can take care of Sage. At least we can have time for ourselves.”
It was Rose. Sultry. Intimate. Soraya could hear everything, including Calum’s voice .
Calum: “I’m a little—”
Rose: “Oh, come on.”
Then came the sounds of kissing and soft moans.
Soraya’s hand trembled. Her jaw clenched. Finally, she ended the call.
Just what reason did Rose have to make that call? To make her jealous?
She wasn’t jealous of Calum anymore.
She was furious at him, at herself. All those years spent trying to prove her worth, to earn his love… for what? For this?
What enraged her most wasn’t just that Calum left—it was why he left. Sage was sick, and he still walked away. Was she really that repulsive to him? So much so that he’d rather abandon his daughter in a hospital bed just to go have sex?
Later, she texted Calum: [I’m going to talk to Sage about the divorce. It’s time.]
She set the phone down and tried to sleep.
~ Calum ~
Calum had been in a foul mood for the past twenty-four hours.
First, Sage was hospitalized. Then Jacob confronted him. Then Claire launched her usual tirade in the group chat. But what unsettled him most was Melvin. Melvin suddenly questioned if he had ever truly known Soraya.
That part shook him.
But truthfully, it wasn’t just the events piling up. It was her.
Soraya was changing. Not in small, subtle ways—but in sharp, unmistakable ones. She had edges now. Silence. Strength.
Why now?
And perhaps the most disturbing thought of all…
He was starting to wonder if he had ever really known her.
When Calum brought Rose to her apartment, he’d meant to catch up on work in the study. But Rose came with intentions. She kissed him, pressed close, whispered that they should “make the most of the time” while Soraya was taking care of Sage.
But that suggestion didn’t sit right.
How could he be here, giving in to desire, while his daughter lay in a hospital bed?
After a few kisses, he pulled away.
“I need to go back to the hospital,” he said.