Chapter Twenty-Three

She returned to their home late and was shocked to find that Mike was not at home. She had assumed that was where he had gone after leaving the event, but it was clear that no one was home. Where could he have gone? She couldn’t imagine why he wouldn’t return home. Though it was likely that he had gone to his office and continued to work like he always did. The team practically ran itself these days, so she couldn’t imagine what he did for so many hours at the office. She sent Joshua a message, letting him know that she was going to bed. She had not found Mike and would not be able to speak with him until the next day, and that was only if she could find him at that point. She went to find the nanny, excused her for the evening and went to check on Bella.

Bella slept soundly in her crib, not one worry in that pretty little head. The child grew more beautiful every time she saw her if that were possible. It was the only good thing that came from her marriage, and it would never be a regret of hers. She kissed her daughter’s forehead, being careful not to wake her. She returned to her own bedroom and prepared herself for bed, so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Mike woke Caroline early. Confused and bleary eyed, she rolled over, unsure of where she was at first.

“Good morning, beautiful. I made you coffee.”

Caroline sat up in bed. She was irritated that Mike was waking her up so early and even more irritated that he seemed in a good mood.

“Where is Bella?”

“Your parents have her. They stopped in this morning.”

“Why?”

“I asked them to stop in.”

Caroline wasn’t liking where the conversation was going. She hadn’t had any coffee yet, and Mike was pretending as if things were okay again. “I’m not in the mood for your plans, Mike.”

“Come on, we need to discuss last night.”

She checked the clock. “What the hell Mike; it’s 7 a.m., this couldn’t wait until I had a small amount of sleep or a pot of coffee?”

“I’ve been up all night, Caroline; I can’t wait any longer.”

“Yes, well where were you last night? You weren’t here when I returned, and why the hell did you leave me in the first place?”

“I can’t stand you being around Joshua.”

She rolled her eyes, “Oh, for God’s sake. I’m not going to be deliberately rude to someone just because you don’t like him. He has done nothing wrong. You act like he stole me away from you. I’ve been yours all along.”

“Until last night.”

“Excuse me?”

“I returned to the event to retrieve you, but you had already left.”

Shocked, she regained her composure. “I bet you think you’re a real hero for returning after you abandoned me at a social event to find my own way home. Did you expect me to stick around and be further humiliated?”

“I’m sorry I got upset.”

“That would be the understatement of the year.”

“Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t, not technically.”

He stared at her, and she just waited him out.

“Why did you do it?”

“You acted like a fool, and I got tired of it.”

“I think you always wanted him.”

“No, that’s not true. I married you because I fell in love with you.”

“Then why are you leaving me?”

“I think you know why. You aren’t capable of changing or letting go, and I can’t spend my life arguing over the same things over and over again.”

“Are you in love with him?”

“I think I’ve always had feelings for him, but I was in love with you and committed to our marriage. But that wasn’t enough for you.”

He had his head in his hands, and she knew it was all over with. She needed to start making some plans. “You need to sleep in the guesthouse Mike; I have to be here with Bella. Until we have things figured out, you can’t be in here with me.”

He nodded and got up to leave the room. She took a quick shower and made arrangements with the nanny to keep Bella for a few hours. She needed to return to Joshua and tell him that she would be his, finally. She loved him and could finally be with him forever, and she refused to wait another moment to tell him. This was her future, and she couldn’t wait to start it.

THE END

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