Chapter 7
In the following days, Dorian seemed to disappear, avoiding
any contact with me.
I didn’t reach out either.
Instead, I occupied myself with packing up the house, making sure it was spotless.
I contacted a real estate agent to list the house for sale.
To my surprise, the day after I listed it, Dorian returned.
He glanced at the packed bags on the floor, looking slightly
confused.
“Evangeline, what’s going on?”
“Why are my things packed?”
I looked at him, puzzled, maintaining a calm tone.
“We’re getting divorced. Why would your things stay in my
house?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already gotten rid of anything you might find annoying.”
Dorian protested, “I won’t divorce you! I made a mistake with
the situation involving the kid, but I just wanted to help.”
“You don’t blame me, do you? You’ve always been understanding, right?”
As he spoke, his voice trailed off, growing more uncertain.
I replied gently, “I understand your desire to help. Finnian adores you; wouldn’t it make more sense for you to be his
dad?”
Dorian shook his head vehemently, gripping my hand, insisting he wouldn’t be Finnian’s father.
I laughed at that.
He refused to be Finnian’s dad, yet he let him call him that.
He constantly claimed not to care for Aurelia, yet hurt me repeatedly for her sake.
“Dorian, don’t you feel any guilt saying that?”
Just as he was about to respond, the doorbell rang.
I assumed it was the agent, coming to show the house unexpectedly.
But when I opened the door, it was Aurelia and her son.
Finnian glared at me before rushing over to Dorian.
“Dad… Finnian missed you.”
Aurelia spoke with a hint of guilt:
“Sorry to bother you. Finnian needs his favorite toy to sleep, so I had to come by.”
“I thought I’d also gather our things.”
Her smile barely concealed her certainty that I wouldn’t
make her leave.
make her leave.
In the past, I had always backed down during arguments, giving in to Dorian.
But not this time.
I smiled and pointed to the luggage pile in the corner, my
voice light.
“Everything’s there. Feel free to take it.”
Aurelia’s expression froze momentarily.
She hadn’t expected this response.
As she seemed to gather herself to speak, I added:
“Take Dorian’s luggage too. It’ll be more convenient for you to live together.”
Her expression shifted from disbelief to something more complex.
Finnian, on the other hand, was delighted, trying to drag
Dorian away.
But Aurelia stopped him.
“Uncle Dorian lives here. Let’s go home, okay?”
Upon hearing this, Finnian began to cry.
Aurelia picked him up, gathered their belongings, and left.
I wasn’t surprised by this outcome.
I had long known Aurelia wasn’t interested in Dorian.
She was just looking for a free place to stay.
Once she knew they’d be moving abroad, Dorian practically
offered himself up.
After Aurelia left, it took Dorian a while to react.
He reached out, trying to hold onto me, struggling to say:
“I’ve sent them away, darling. Let’s make this work, alright?”
His eyes were filled with hope as he looked at me.
I chuckled softly and personally carried his luggage out.
Standing by the door, I watched him.
Realizing I wouldn’t change my mind, he left, dejected.
Not long after, I received a message from him.
“I won’t agree to the divorce. Once you’ve calmed down, we’ll
talk.”
The day after Dorian left, I arranged for the real estate agent
to come over.
We signed the contract, handing over the sale of the house.
That evening, I boarded a flight back to the States, carrying nothing but my luggage and a sense of newfound freedom.
