Chapter 9 Your Wish Has Come True
and I asked, “You want me to soften my heart and forgive you Orion, don’t you?”
It felt less like a question and more like an accusation.
Roger fell silent, his gaze shifting away, unable to meet my eyes.
After seven years of knowing him, I understood his nature well.
He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, even if it meant sacrificing himself.
I knew Roger, and he knew me too.
He was aware that I was soft–hearted.
But my compassion was never a free pass for his mistakes.
“Have you ever thought about what could have happened today?
“If I hadn’t reacted in time, Mia and I could have lost our lives.”
As I spoke, a shiver of fear coursed through me.
Roger panicked, gripping my hand that rested on the bed.
“Felicity, it’s not like that. I had it under control…”
I pulled my hand away, cutting him off mid–sentence.
“Roger, don’t you realize how crazy you sound right now?”
That simple statement left him speechless.
He must have recalled the time he said those very words to me.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Roger repeated, his voice filled with desperation.
His usual composed demeanor was now replaced with a frantic look.
As I gazed at him, something clicked in my mind.
In a relationship, the one who loved more often ended up feeling smaller and more insecure.
I continued, “Just because of a gemstone necklace, you assume
I’m vain.
“But have you ever considered the struggles we faced when we built everything from scratch?”
I spoke calmly, as if recounting a story that was all too familiar.
I had stood by him through the toughest times, and now, I felt like even a necklace was worth more than my sacrifices.
Roger’s face turned pale; his lips began to tremble.
He tried to explain himself, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“And about Lillian…”
I paused, letting the name linger in the air.
Finally, Roger looked up, his eyes earnest.
“I never had a place for Lillian in my heart. Felicity, you have to believe me.”
I shook my head, rejecting his words.
Wasipes
“No, I don’t believe you.
“Maybe you don’t have feelings for Lillian now, but that doesn’t erase the love you once had for her.”
After a moment of silence, I found myself at a loss for words.
Perhaps I truly didn’t care anymore.
My thoughts were a tangled mess as I stood up and grabbed my bag.
I glanced back at Roger on the hospital bed.
“I’ll say it again: take good care of Orion.”
As my hand grasped the doorknob, Roger’s voice broke through
the quiet. “Felicity, is there really no chance for us?”
I didn’t turn around. I simply replied, “No chance.”
My voice was soft, but it was loud enough for him to hear.
As soon as I opened the door, Orion lunged at me, clinging to my shirt as if I might vanish.
“Mom, please take me with you,” he pleaded, his eyes wide and desperate.
I crouched down, gently meeting his gaze.
“Orion, what was your birthday wish last year?”
Orion dropped his hands, stumbling over his words, unable to speak.
I calmly wiped the tears from his cheeks.
“Your wish was for me to disappear from your life and let Ms. Miller take my place.
“Have you forgotten?”
I would never forget that day.
My beloved child, surrounded by the warm glow of candlelight, had clasped his hands together in earnest prayer.
With his eyes closed, he had made his wish.
“I wish for Mom to disappear and for Ms. Miller to be my mom.”
Those innocent words pierced my heart like a thorn, embedding themselves deep within.
“Now your wish has come true, Orion. Mom is going to disappear from your life for good.”
And with that, no matter how much Orion cried, I walked without looking back.
away
Mia had been alone at home for too long; I wondered if she was scared.
With that thought, I quickened my pace.
In my mind, I could see Mia’s bright smile and hear her sweet voice calling me, “Mom.”
