Chapter 8
The next morning, after a sleepless night, Baillie picked up the phone and called the friend who’d helped him transplant a ginkgo tree a decade ago
“Do you remember that ginkgo tree you helped me move all those years back?” he asked, his voice raw with exhaustion. “Could you go back to that park and find another one for me? One that’s been growing for ten years?”
His friend immediately picked up on something off in Baillie’s tone. “What’s going on?” the friend asked.
Baillie’s reply was hoarse, his expression lost and adrift.!
“Veronica… I think she’s done with me.”
When the ginkgo tree was finally back where it belonged in the yard, Baillie managed a fleeting smile. He even carved a wooden plaque by hand, scrawling across it. In celebration of Baillie and Veronica’s twentieth year together. *2
His friend just sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and left!
Later, Jenifer called. Baillie hung up almost immediately. After the third call, fed up, he simply powered off his phone
Once the plaque was secured, he swept the yard from end to end, then called his lawyer to discuss custody arrangements. He remembered Veronica once saying she could accept the child.
The day disappeared into errands and chores. By nightfall, the house was quiet again.!!
The
Baillie sat alone at the dining table, staring blankly at the wall!
He couldn’t stop thinking about Veronica.
In the two days since she’d left, she’d never strayed far from his mind.
He replayed yesterday’s security footage, watching as Veronica left with nothing but a small handbag.
She’ll come back, he told himself. He just needed to get everything in order before she did, so she wouldn’t be angry anymore. But–B
“Damn it!”
Baillie kicked over the table, sent dishes crashing to the floor, then slapped himself across the face, hard, several times.
That’s when Jenifer came in, Aster trailing nervously at her side. She’d entered the code and stepped in just in time to see Baillie slumped on the floor, surrounded by chaos.
Her eyes widened in alarm. He looked utterly defeated.
Jenifer, now visibly pregnant, hurried over to help him up.
“Baillie, what’s wrong? I heard Veronica left?”
She tried to keep her expression neutral, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Baillie caught it “She’s gone. That make you happy?“)
Jenifer studied his face, searching for any hint that his feelings toward her had changed. When she found none, she finally admitted the
truth.E
“Of course I’m happy!” she said, forcing a gentle smile in imitation of Veronica’s.
“Baillie, this means Aster and I can finally stand beside you in the open. As for Veronica let her go. What if she tries to force Aster into something again? She’s never had a child–how could she possibly understand the pain a mother feels for her own?‘
She started to tear up, but before a single tear could fall, Baillies hands shot out and closed around her throati
His face was unreadable, but his eyes were cold and dangerous
“Jenifer, I warned you. Don’t you ever think you can take Veronica’s place?t
He squeezed until Jenifer nearly blacked out, then shoved her away without a second glance Ignoring her desperate, rasping coughs, he dragged her out of the house and shut the gate behind herzl
Aster was left standing alone in the yard, looking lost and frightened
Baillie gazed at the boy, a pounding headache building behind his eyes. For the first time, he found himself resenting the child’s presence
If only this were Veronica’s child Baillie pressed his lips into a thin line, tas feelings a tangled messa
He called in a housekeeper to take care of Aster’s meals and school runs, then set his lawyer to work on a custody battle with Jenifer As for himself, Baillie handed over all company business to his partners and, copying Veronica’s habit of traveling light set out to find
He couldn’t wait any
longer Veronica had been gone for half a month already.
If he didn’t go after her now, he feared she’d never come back.
