Chapter 53 Chapter 53: A Place to Rest
Cathy's P.O.V
I braced myself for it. The laughter, the satisfaction, the inevitable 'I told you so' that I knew I deserved. Hannah had every right to throw my own words back at my face, to remind me how I had called her jealous, how I had chosen Xavier over our friendship. I had been so cruel to her, so blindly devoted to a man who turned out to be everything she had warned me about.
But the laughter never came.
Instead, Hannah's arms wrapped around me, pulling me into an embrace that felt like coming home after years of being lost. The gesture was so unexpected, so kind, that I couldn't even process it at first. I just stood there, frozen, my body stiff against hers.
I wanted to cry. God, I wanted to break down and sob into her shoulder like I used to do when we were younger, when the world felt too big and too cruel. But I had no tears left. I had cried so much over the past few days that I felt completely hollow inside, like someone had scooped out everything that made me human and left behind just an empty shell.
Still, I returned her embrace, wrapping my arms around her thin frame. My heart, already shattered into a million pieces, seemed to break all over again. But this time, it wasn't from pain. It was from the realization that even after everything, even after I had abandoned her for a man who never truly loved me, Hannah still cared.
"None of this is your fault," Hannah whispered against my hair, her voice gentle and soothing. "You only loved and trusted a person who never deserved it."
Her words should have comforted me, but they only made the weight on my chest feel heavier. Because it was my fault, wasn't it? I had ignored every red flag, every warning sign. I had pushed away the people who genuinely cared about me for someone who saw me as nothing more than a trophy wife.
"I didn't expect you to still be so understanding," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as we finally pulled apart. I looked down at my hands, unable to meet her eyes. "After we lost contact, after everything I said to you. I wouldn't blame you if you had slammed the door in my face. But you still invited me into your house."
Hannah's expression softened, and she reached out to gently squeeze my hand. "I hoped that one day you would come to visit me. That's why I still come to this house from time to time."
I looked around the small living room, taking in the familiar worn couch, the faded curtains, the photographs on the wall of Hannah and her mother from years ago. Everything looked exactly as I remembered it, frozen in time like a memory I had tried so hard to forget.
"Wait," I said, turning back to her with confusion. "You still came here? Does that mean you moved somewhere else?"
A small smile crossed Hannah's face, the first genuine one I had seen from her tonight. "I did. Mom and I are now living in a better neighborhood. We own a small apartment."
Relief flooded through me, warming the cold emptiness in my chest. At least one of us had managed to escape this place and build something better. At least Hannah's life had turned out well, even if mine had fallen apart overnight.
"Hannah, that's wonderful," I said, and I meant it with every fiber of my being. "I'm so happy for you. What do you do now?"
"I'm a lawyer," she replied simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
I stared at her, my mouth falling open in shock. A lawyer. Hannah was a lawyer. The coincidence felt too perfect, too orchestrated by some cruel twist of fate. Here I was, probably heading toward a divorce, sitting in front of someone who could actually help me navigate through the legal nightmare that my life had become.
"A lawyer," I repeated, still trying to wrap my mind around it. "Hannah, that's amazing. I always knew you were brilliant."
She shrugged modestly, but I could see the pride in her eyes. She had worked hard to get where she was, unlike me who had taken the easy way out by marrying rich.
"How is your mom doing?" I asked, remembering the kind woman who had always treated me like a second daughter. "She must be really proud of you."
"She is," Hannah said, her smile widening. "She worked two jobs to put me through law school, but it was worth it. We're doing okay now."
The contrast between our mothers couldn't be more stark. Hannah's mom had sacrificed everything to give her daughter a better future, while my own mother had just thrown me out of the house for potentially ruining her comfortable lifestyle. The unfairness of it all made my stomach turn.
Hannah's expression grew serious again, and she leaned forward, her eyes searching mine. "Cathy, are you really going back to your husband after everything that has happened?"
The question hit me like a punch to the gut. Was I going back to Xavier? The thought of returning to that cold mansion, of sleeping in the same bed as the man who had betrayed me in ways I was still discovering, made my skin crawl.
"I'm not sure," I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "But I can't even bear to look at Xavier's face right now. Every time I think about him, I feel sick. I feel like such a fool for having trusted him, for having loved him."
Hannah nodded slowly, understanding written all over her face. She didn't push, didn't demand more explanations. She just listened, the way a true friend should.
"You can stay the night if you want to," she offered quietly. I looked at her in surprise. "Here? But this place..."
"It's small and it's not much, but it's safe," Hannah said firmly. "And right now, you need a place where you can breathe, where you can think clearly without anyone pressuring you or making demands."
She was right. The thought of going back to my mother's house was unbearable. And returning to the mansion, to Xavier, felt impossible. Hunter would welcome me with open arms, but staying with my husband’s business rival while I was still married could bring a scandal that would make my life hell. But staying here, in this small house that held so many memories of simpler times, felt like the first right decision I had made in years.
"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to impose. "I don't want to be a burden."
Hannah shook her head, her expression softening. "You could never be a burden, Cathy. We were best friends once. And maybe, if you'll let me, we can be friends again."
The offer hung in the air between us, precious and fragile. I had lost so much, pushed away so many people, but here was Hannah, extending a hand to me when I needed it most. When I deserved it least.
"I would like that," I whispered, feeling something inside me shift. It wasn't hope, not exactly. But it was something close to it. A small light in the overwhelming darkness that had consumed my life.
Hannah stood up and gestured toward the hallway. "Come on, I'll get you some blankets and pillows. The couch isn't the most comfortable, but it's better than nothing."
As I followed her, I realized that this small, modest house felt more like home than my sprawling mansion ever had. Here, I wasn't Mrs. Dalton, the trophy wife. I was just Cathy, the girl who had made mistakes but was finally starting to see clearly. And for the first time in days, that felt like enough.