Chapter 19 up
Nyla’s phone vibrated on the small table.
One name appeared on the screen.
Clark.
She looked at it without haste. The corner of her lips lifted slightly—not a happy smile, but a small one born of a simple realization.
Finally.
She didn’t answer right away, letting the call end on its own. The phone fell silent, but only seconds later it vibrated again.
This time, Nyla slid the screen.
“Hello,” she said calmly.
“Nyla.”
Clark’s voice sounded tight, restrained. There was no warmth in it. No clear remorse. Only restlessness wrapped in anger.
“What are you doing with Vincent?” he asked without preamble.
Nyla leaned back in her chair. “Good evening to you too.”
Clark exhaled harshly. “Don’t play games. I’m serious.”
“So am I,” Nyla replied gently. “What do you want to say?”
“I heard he drove you home. And now you’re going to work for him,” Clark said quickly. “Do you know what kind of man he is?”
Nyla held back a soft laugh. “You seem to know better than anyone.”
Clark ignored the jab. “He’s not the kind of man who will truly care about you. You’ll just become… entertainment. A woman whose feelings get played with.”
The words made Nyla fall silent for a moment.
Not because she was hurt—but because she was disgusted.
She smiled faintly. “Interesting,” she said softly. “You’re worried about my feelings now?”
Clark went quiet.
“Since when?” Nyla continued. “Since I left with nothing? Since I lived on my own without a single cent from you?”
Her tone remained gentle, yet every word landed with precision.
“I’m forbidding you,” Clark finally said, his voice hardening. “Don’t get involved with Vincent.”
Nyla let out a small laugh. “You’re forbidding me?”
“Yes,” Clark replied firmly. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Nyla straightened. Her smile faded, replaced by a coolness Clark had never heard from her before.
“You don’t want me to get hurt,” Nyla repeated slowly. “But you never once asked how I was living.”
Clark fell silent.
“Do you know how long I survived without your help?” Nyla went on. “Without money. Without attention. Without a single message from you.”
“Nyla—”
“You never sent money,” she cut in. “You never asked if I ate. If I was safe.”
Clark clenched his teeth. “I thought you were fine.”
“Because you didn’t want to know,” Nyla replied coldly.
She took a deep breath. “And now, when someone gives me a chance to stand on my own, you show up—not to help.”
“Then what?” Clark asked roughly.
“To forbid me,” Nyla said. “Without any right.”
The silence on the other end stretched long.
“I’m your husband,” Clark finally said, his voice weakening.
Nyla smiled again—this time bitterly. “You remember that now?”
Clark rubbed his face. “I’m jealous.”
The confession slipped out unguarded.
Nyla exhaled softly. “I know.”
“You’re smiling,” Clark said quickly. “You enjoy seeing me like this.”
Nyla didn’t deny it. “Maybe a little.”
Clark fell quiet.
“But stronger than that satisfaction,” Nyla said slowly, “is exhaustion.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m tired of your behavior,” Nyla answered honestly. “You weren’t there when I needed you, but you want control when I start to rise.”
Clark protested, “I just don’t want you to be used.”
“And who used me all this time?” Nyla shot back. “Who let me survive with nothing, yet still felt entitled to forbid me from working?”
Clark had no answer.
Nyla stood and walked to the window of her apartment. The city lights glowed calmly in the distance.
“Vincent didn’t promise me love,” she said softly. “He offered me a job. An opportunity.”
“And you trust him?” Clark asked.
“I trust myself,” Nyla replied.
Clark was silent for a long time. “If you accept that offer… you’ll be even farther from me.”
Nyla smiled faintly. “I’ve already been far, Clark.”
The words were simple. But they closed a door with certainty.
“You can’t forbid me,” Nyla continued. “And you can’t scare me with shadows you created yourself.”
Clark swallowed. “So… you’re really going to work with him?”
“I’ll choose what you never gave me,” Nyla said firmly. “Security.”
Silence settled over the line once more.
“Nyla,” Clark said quietly, “I was wrong.”
Nyla closed her eyes for a moment. “I know.”
“But your confession comes too late,” she added gently. “And this time, I choose myself.”