Chapter 8

Chapter8

Eleanor sat frozen in the passenger seat. She thought she had built up enough emotional armor, but the sharp pang in her chest told her otherwise. It felt like invisible claws were tearing at her insides.

A memory surfaced - from when she had just returned to the Thompson family. It had been raining that day. Margaret had come to pick her and Isabella up from school personally. But on the way home, their car had skidded while avoiding another vehicle, crashing into a guardrail. Eleanor had hit her head hard against the window, blacking out.

Before losing consciousness, she had seen Margaret rush past her to Isabella's side. The way Margaret had clung to Isabella, sobbing hysterically, was etched in Eleanor's mind. That was the moment she realized - they had only taken her back because of shared blood. But Isabella would always be their true daughter.

Eleanor had tried to bury that memory deep, knowing it only brought pain. But now it resurfaced with a vengeance. Only this time, it wasn't her mother holding Isabella - it was her husband.

She didn't know how long she sat there. Finally, she stepped out of the car. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead, and rain began pouring down in sheets.

Eleanor hurried toward the house, but Nathaniel had parked quite a distance from the entrance. By the time she reached the door, she was soaked to the bone.

Upstairs, lights were on - one in Isabella's room, another in Nathaniel's study. He hadn't even noticed she hadn't come in yet.

Eleanor stood still for a moment, confirming this. Then, with leaden legs, she trudged upstairs. Her phone screen lit up suddenly - an unknown number.

As she stared at the screen, something clicked in her mind. She froze mid-step. Just as she debated answering, the call ended.

Strangely, when the screen went dark, Eleanor felt a wave of relief. But it was short-lived - the phone rang again immediately.

This time, she knew who it was. Without hesitation, she answered.

"Elle."

The nickname caught her off guard. It had been so long since anyone called her that. "It's me," the voice continued. "Julian."

"Oh," Eleanor managed softly. "Are you... back in the country?"

"Not yet," Julian chuckled. "But I will be soon. My flight's the day after tomorrow. Think you could pick me up?"

Eleanor hesitated.

"Too much trouble?" Julian picked up on her pause. "It's fine. I can manage. It's just... after all this time, I'd like you to be the first person I see."

"I'm married," Eleanor blurted out.

"I know," Julian replied smoothly. "To that Carter guy, right? Amity Group's pretty famous. Even overseas, I heard about the CEO's wedding."

Eleanor fell silent.

After a beat, Julian asked softly, "Elle, are you happy?"",