Chapter 37 37
FREYA POV
I stared at Diana, my chest tight. "Mourn?"
The word felt heavy, like a stone dropped into a deep well. I searched her face for a crack, a sign that she was messing with me, but her expression was just... flat. Cold. I even let out a small, half-strangled sound—not a laugh, but like a mournful grunt of my own because none of this made any damn sense.
Was this part of his "other business"?
"Is it about that?" I asked, my voice cracking. "The stuff you said last night? The killing?"
Diana didn’t answer. She just gave me this slow, heavy nod that made my skin crawl. It wasn't a "he's at a meeting" nod.
I swallowed hard, my throat feeling like I’d been eating glass. I wanted to shake her. I wanted to scream at her to stop talking in riddles and just tell me if the man I was sleeping under the same roof with was a grieving widower or a cold-blooded executioner.
But just as I was about to lose it, Nana’s voice came from behind us, cutting through the tension like a blunt knife.
“He only wanted you to spend your time with our little princess, and not in that.”
I spun around. Nana was walking toward us, her face calm but her eyes sharp as she looked at Diana. It was that look—the one that says shut your mouth before you make it worse. Diana didn't even argue; she just rubbed her head, looked away, and then turned to Luna with a fake, bright smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Come on, Luna-bug," Diana said, her voice sounding forced. "Let’s go get you dressed. We’re going to have so much fun today, right?"
Luna cheered and let Diana lead her toward the house. I watched them go, my head spinning. I felt like a ghost in my own life, standing there in my tiny shorts while the world moved around me in secrets.
Then it was just me and Nana.
She didn't explain anything. She didn't tell me where he went or who died. She just walked up to me, her hand heavy and warm as she patted my back. It wasn't a hug. It was a "get moving" pat. Then she turned and left too.
I stood there alone, the sun hot on my shoulders, looking up at that empty window.
Three days.
Steve was gone for three days to "mourn," whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. He hadn't even looked me in the eye to say goodbye, or seen me as a woman who deserved an explanation. Who was I to him? Just some guest? Some pet he kept in a golden cage? I didn't deserve to know his secrets, apparently.
Suddenly, his voice echoed in my head, low and rough, exactly like it sounded when he was standing too close.
“When you become Mrs. Hayes…you will know everything”
“Oh, is that it? Fuck you,” I snapped out loud, the words sharp and bitter as if Steve were standing right in front of me.
I looked down at the diamond ring on my hand. It caught the morning sun, I felt a twisted smirk pull at my lips, but there was no humor in it.
“Joke’s on you, Freya,” I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. “Even with everything... you still can't remove this shit.”
I tried to tug at it, just for a second, but my knuckles felt swollen and the metal felt like it had fused to my bone.
I wiped a stray tear away—an angry one—and headed inside.
Let me just get dressed. go out and pretend I was a normal mom with a normal life, even if my heart was currently a jagged mess of fear
I made my way upstairs. I could hear Luna’s laughter coming from Diana’s room before I even reached the door.
“Aunt Lila told me I can eat all the candy I want and I don't have to listen to Mommy's rules!” Luna’s voice chirped.
I stopped dead. Just hearing that name—Lila—made my stomach turn. It was the same crap she used to do back then, trying to buy my daughter's love with sugar and lies while she was sleeping with my husband.
“Don’t mind Aunt Lila,” I heard Diana say instantly. Her voice was sharp, cutting Luna off before she could say more. “You should not do that.Aunt Lila is not right. Candy makes your teeth rot and your brain slow. In this house, we listen to people who actually care about you. Not her.”
Standing outside in the hallway, my heart actually flung for joy a bit. Even though my life was a complete mess, at least I’m winning in this one aspect. My daughter was no longer under the poison of Mark’s mistress. No more Lila. No more of their disgusting manipulation.
I went into my room and started getting ready. I tried to focus on just erasing Steve from my mind, but it was difficult. The ring on my finger felt like it was getting tighter every time I thought about him.
I put on a yellow sundress. It was bright, a total contrast to the dark shit in my head. When I walked out, I saw Diana was already waiting. Coincidentally, she had on a pink sundress.
Luna was wearing a little floral outfit, looking so cut and innocent
We headed out and the driver started the car. As we drove, Diana was busy taking selfies, pouting at the camera and checking her hair. She noticed I was in a shitty mood—I was staring out the window, barely breathing—but she didn't say anything. She just let it be.
Suddenly, Diana leaned over and screamed right into Luna’s ear.
“Where are we going first?!”
“The lion den show!” Luna yelled, jumping so hard the seatbelts rattled.
“And then?”
“The big slides!”
“And?”
“Cotton candy!”
Luna listed all three like she’d been rehearsing it and they both burst out laughing. I actually smiled. At least for a second, seeing her happy made the fear in my chest go quiet.
“Fine,” I muttered, looking at them. “Lion den first.”
As the car pulled into the park, I saw the crowd. Families, couples, normal people. I looked at the black card in my purse—Steve’s card. He was gone for three days, but as I stepped out of the car, I couldn't shake the feeling that his shadow was still following us.