Chapter 5
Reception room.
Bernadette locked the door behind her and poured Jessica a glass of
water.
Jessica just looked at her, eyes wet with tears. “He hasn’t come to see me for a week. I guess you said something.”
Bernadette did not say a word.
She was the wife while Jessica was the other woman. Back when she married Nolan three years ago, she never thought the mistress would one day show up like this, so calm, so sure of herself.
“Ms. Connery, how much do you really know about us?” Jessica asked.
Bernadette stayed silent, so Jessica pulled her phone from her bag, opened her photo album, and pushed it in front of her.
Bernadette just stood there, stunned. That album was filled with photo after photo of Nolan and Jessica–from sandy beaches to barren deserts, from deep jungles to wide open seas.
“We were together 739 days. We took 370 photos, went to 21 cities, and he told me he loved me 78 times.”
Jessica flipped through the photos slowly, showing each one to Bernadette.
Bernadette’s eyes burned as she stared at Nolan in those shots.
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She knew that look–the way Nolan’s eyes softened when he was in love. It was the same look he had when he first chased her down at seventeen.
Jessica watched her face, then suddenly smiled and pulled up a photo
full–screen.
Bernadette’s head buzzed and her mind went blank for a second.
It was a picture of Nolan and Jessica in bed.
“That was our first night together. Two years ago. He held me and said he’d love me forever.”
She went on like she was just chatting about the weather. “Nolan’s actually really romantic. He held me tight on the cable car and sat with me for hours to watch the sunset at Mt. Baldy. He said ‘I love you‘ everywhere we went–Castaic Lake, Iceland…”
She paused, and narrowed her eyes, that soft smile twisting cruelly. “Sometimes I hate you for taking up that spot by his side. But sometimes? I pity you. You’ve been married for three years. Does he even still say ‘I love you‘ to you?”
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It felt like someone was carving Bernadette’s chest open with a dull knife. She was shaking so hard she could barely stand. Then, she shot to her feet, voice raw. “Get out.”
Jessica did not even fight back. She just stood, gave her that same smile, and left.
“You can keep living off Nolan’s so–called responsibility, but I’m not going to lose.”
She said that as she walked away with her head high, heels clicking.
Bernadette clenched her teeth and leaned on the door for support.
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When she finally looked up, she saw Nesta standing there in shock, and Declan next to him, looking like he had seen this coming all along.
Nesta stammered, “That’s Arcobaleno Studio’s rep just now…
Declan cut Nesta off at just the right moment.
“I came to talk about fixing the first draft. Let’s go inside.”
When the door of the meeting room closed, all the curious, pitying stares were shut out too.
Bernadette sank onto the sofa, all her strength gone, and covered her eyes with her hand. “Thanks.”
She really did not want her messy marriage bleeding into work.
She hated that she had just become a laughingstock.
“I hope whatever’s going on at home doesn’t mess with your work.”
Declan spread the drawings out on the table and pointed at the red marks. “These parts need work. Jessica’s Mr. Mallins‘ daughter, so your design has to blow hers out of the water if you want to win this.”
Bernadette took a slow breath. “Got it.
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Declan nodded, glanced at her flushed face, and asked in a low voice, “Are you sick?”
Bernadette touched her cheek and it felt hot. “It’s fine. Just a mild fever.”
Declan looked at her for a second, then just said, “Take care of yourself.”
***
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Bernadette stayed up working until 11, fixing the draft until she was finally happy with it.
- ─ ” – |
She had planned to just go straight home, but as soon as she stood up, her head spun a little. She pushed through it and made her way downstairs. The moment a snowflake touched her face, Bernadette snapped back to her senses–only then did she notice it was snowing outside.
She tilted her head back and suddenly felt like she was back in her freshman year.
She had a fever then too, and Nolan had skipped class to carry her all the way to the hospital.
She still remembered that the snow that day was heavier than tonight, and Nolan’s hair had turned white with it.
When she looked up, he would just smile at her through wet lashes and
tell her not to be scared.
“How did he change so fast?”
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One moment he was that boy with snow in his hair. Now she was here,
like this.
Being sick always makes people weaker.
—
Bernadette’s thoughts were a mess. Before she knew it, her fingers were dialing Nolan’s number.
M
The busy tone beeped twice and then the line connected. On the other end were no words, just the sound of breathing.
Bernadette’s voice came out raw. “Nolan, I think I have a fever.”
“Oh, but he’s busy right now.”
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It was Jessica’s voice. “Want me to call you an ambulance?”
