Seven Years Waste, Stepping Aside For Quinn2 / 3

Chapter 2

But looking back, I was nothing but an ATM to him. I was a tool to be used and discarded.

Silas never lacked money for medical bills. He had Quinn Harlow funding him from the shadows the whole time.

Besides, he wasn't sick that year. He went back home to take care of a secret child.

I discovered the truth about Silas and Quinn six months ago, right around the holidays.

That winter was brutal, so the office closed early for the break.

Silas and I had a routine where we'd spend the holidays at our respective parents' houses. He came up with the idea right after we married.

He claimed holiday travel was too stressful for me and that sending gifts was enough.

Since I was an only child and his brother was away at school, he argued it was better to keep our own parents company.

At first, I thought he was being thoughtful. I agreed to his plan without a second thought.

It wasn't until I saw his betrayal that I realized it wasn't about being a good son. He was just hiding his dirty secrets.

That year, Silas headed to his small hometown first. I followed a day later, catching the next train to give him a surprise.

I had already worked it out with my parents. I'd spend New Year's Eve with Silas's family and then visit them.

It's pathetic, really. Seven years of marriage, and I had never been to his hometown. Every time I brought it up, he had a fresh excuse.

I took a local bus to his village and trudged through the deep snow with my suitcase.

At the edge of the neighborhood, I saw two older women sitting on a porch, gossiping.

"So, that Sterling boy and the Harlow girl... their kid is huge now, and they're still not hitched?"

"Wait, you don't know?" the other woman whispered, leaning in.

"Silas has a wife in the city. Some rich city girl. The Sterlings and Harlows have that old family feud, so the parents won't let them marry, even with a kid involved."

"I heard the Harlows came into some money recently, though. The families might settle things for the sake of the grandson."

Silas?

Hearing his name felt like a physical blow to my chest.

Were they talking about my Silas? My husband?

By the time I snapped out of it, my eyelashes were heavy with frost.

I forced my frozen limbs to move, heading toward the address Silas had given me years ago.

I had spent years sending expensive gifts to his parents, even though I'd never met them.

The truth was, his parents never liked me. They thought their son was a Greek god who deserved a supermodel.

They wondered why he "settled" for me.

Silas once told me he fought them tooth and nail to marry me. He even claimed he stood outside in a rainstorm for twenty-four hours until they gave in.

Because of that story, I was hopelessly devoted to him.

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts.

Silas loved me. He wouldn't do this to me.

When I reached the Sterling house, I heard the sound of laughter and clinking glasses.

I reached for the gate, ready to reveal myself, when the front door opened.

It was Silas, walking out with a young boy. A woman followed close behind.

My breath hitched. It was Quinn Harlow, his "good friend."

I froze. What the hell was she doing here during the holidays?

The sun was setting, and I was standing in the shadows. They didn't even notice me.

Just as I was about to step forward, Silas spoke.

"Quinn, our son wants to build a snowman. Why don't you play with him for a bit?"

His words turned me to stone. Our son?