Page 52 of Temporary Wife Temptation

“You can’t leave now.” Not ever. He dragged his hand down his face. “It’s not even light out.”

“What I do isn’t any of your concern. Not anymore,” she said, her face drawn but resolute. “If you don’t mind, I’ll ask my friends to pick up the rest of my things later.”

He swayed slightly and widened his stance to steady himself. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something, but he could barely stand, much less speak. Oh, God. What have I done?

“Goodbye, Garrett.”

It was the final nail in the coffin, and he felt shrouded in darkness. He welcomed the oblivion as he listened to Natalie leave with a quiet click of the door.

Seventeen

Natalie barely made it to Mrs. Kim’s apartment before her knees gave out and she crumpled to the ground. Her friend was at Natalie’s side within a second.

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Kim supported her by the waist and led her into her living room. “What happened?”

A sob broke from Natalie and sorrow enveloped her. Hot tears streamed ceaselessly down her cheeks until she felt wrung dry. She lay down on Mrs. Kim’s couch and closed her eyes. Consciousness was exhausting...

The next time Natalie opened her eyes, it was dark out. She’d barely made a sound, but Mrs. Kim was at her side.

“You need to eat something.” The older woman set a bowl of cereal on the coffee table. “I need to go to the market to make you a proper bowl of jook, my famous Korean porridge, but I couldn’t leave you alone.”

Natalie shook her head and flinched. It hurt. It hurt everywhere.

“Fine. Let’s start with some water, shall we?”

Mrs. Kim held a cup to her lips and she swallowed. Once. Twice. “No more. I can’t.”

“Give yourself a few days to grieve, then no more.” Mrs. Kim pressed a kiss to Natalie’s forehead. “Think of Sophie.”

Natalie sat up and looked at the bowl Mrs. Kim had brought her. She never knew Cheerios could expand five times their size by soaking up all the milk in the bowl. Natalie settled in to witness the entire process—without curiosity, without interest. It was food she was meant to eat, but couldn’t.

I don’t believe you.

She clenched her eyes shut.

It’s over.

Her mom had abandoned her and her dad couldn’t stand her.

Stupid, lonely girl. You should’ve known Garrett would never love you back.

The dark, gaping hole in her soul spread—patient in its malice, in its cruelty. Soon it would swallow all that was good and bright in her. She looked forward to it because maybe then she could find some peace. A peace for the dead.

Only the mother in her would survive. She would eat, talk and breathe as long as Sophie needed her.

“What the hell is going on, Garrett?” Adelaide burst into his office and opened the blinds, letting in a shaft of blinding sunlight. “Have you turned into a vampire?”

Garrett hadn’t slept in days and it felt like a sledgehammer was pounding inside his head. Sunlight didn’t help, so he’d closed all the blinds and shut off the lights.

“Leave. Now.”

“I had a feeling he would be a wreck,” Mike said, closing the door behind him.

“You told me they might’ve had a fight, but this is ridiculous,” she huffed at his best friend.

Garrett didn’t see any reason to talk to them, so he kept abusing the keys of his laptop, even though the document on his screen made no sense. Nothing made sense.

“Where’s Natalie?” Adelaide said, stepping deeper into his office. “I’ve been trying to reach her for over a week, but she hasn’t responded to any of my texts except for the first one.”

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