I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 6

Nora's voice trembled slightly as she asked, "Cassie, are you sure you want me to apologize?"

Cassie furrowed her little brows. "Are you trying to back out, Mom? That's so pathetic."

The words felt like a knife plunging straight into Nora's chest. Her breath hitched, her pupils trembled, and something deep inside her shattered.

From behind came Finnegan's calm voice. He leaned against the door, his tall frame radiating a subtle pressure. "Even a child knows this much. You surely wouldn't pretend not to understand, would you, Nora?"

Nora squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as if every ounce of her strength had been drained.

She slowly let go of Cassie's hand, looked at Seraphina on the hospital bed, and spoke clearly, word by word. "I'm sorry. I failed to keep my promise."

Before Seraphina could say anything, Nora turned on her heel and walked out of the room without looking back, her footsteps eerily light.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Inside the room, Seraphina looked at the closed door, a frown creasing her forehead. "Finn, shouldn't you go check on her?"

Finnegan walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, his expression unreadable. "I'm your husband now. It wouldn't be proper for me to check on her."

Cassie immediately clambered onto the chair next to the bed, her voice ringing out crisply. "Yeah! Daddy is Aunt Seraphina's husband now, which means Aunt Seraphina is my mommy too!"

She leaned against the edge of the mattress, blinking at Seraphina, then glanced at the door before whispering, "Aunt Seraphina, I didn't say anything while Mom was here, but when will you be all better? The kindergarten has a talent show next month."

Seraphina patted her head, offering a doting smile. "What, you want me to go?"

Cassie nodded, pouting her lips. "I specifically didn't tell Mom. I want you to go, can you?"

So, in Cassie's eyes, all her sacrifices over the last five years, the endless nights of staying by her side, the surrender of her career and her very identity, amounted to nothing more than a hovering, empty existence.

Nora stared up at the ceiling, fighting back her tears.

She suddenly remembered five years ago, bleeding profusely during a difficult labor, using her very last breath to demand that her baby be kept alive.

Over the years, she had raised her entirely on her own, swallowing immeasurable hardship. The first time Cassie called her "Mom," she had cried out of sheer joy for an entire night.

It turned out that all of this meant absolutely nothing in her daughter's eyes.

She felt like a total joke. She couldn't even hear what they were saying inside anymore.

She no longer wanted custody of her daughter either.