The Price of Blind Trust and Cruel Coldness Chapter 03
After the show ended, Thomas took Antony backstage to find Willa.
He spotted the dark, dried bloodstain on the floor where the crate had sat, and his brows drew together.
Before he could speak, Willa cut in, tilting her head playfully. “Tom, that’s just fake stage blood for the trick! Jennifer must still be mad at me and headed home early.”
Thomas’s tension vanished instantly. His voice softened as he reassured her. “It’s nothing to do with you. She’s just petty and oversensitive. A grown woman throwing a childish tantrum. Completely unreasonable.”
His tone sharpened with anger. “When we get home, I’ll make sure she gives you a proper apology.”
Antony chimed in eagerly beside him, his voice shrill. “Mom should get on her knees and say sorry to Willa! If she doesn’t, Dad and I won’t want her anymore!”
I floated beside the three of them, watching their tight little group, numb with cold.
To celebrate Willa’s successful show, Thomas took them all to a popular Michelin-starred restaurant downtown.
At the table, Willa smiled warmly as she cut Antony’s steak and poured his juice. Thomas watched the pair, his eyes soft with affection.
They laughed and chatted, looking exactly like a happy, complete family.
As I hovered beside their table, I thought back over our seven-year marriage. Thomas had never once planned a birthday dinner for me. Even the day I left the hospital after giving birth to Antony, he’d only brought back cheap takeout.
Late into the night, the three returned home laughing.
Thomas shoved the front door open and raised his voice. “Jennifer! Get out here right now! You owe Willa an apology, and you’re not getting out of this.”
Antony planted his hands on his hips in the entryway and yelled. “Mom, come out and say you’re sorry! If you don’t, I won’t recognize you as my mom anymore.”
They stood in the living room waiting, but no reply ever came.
Thomas’s expression darkened. He kicked the shoe rack hard and cursed. “Jennifer, are you ignoring me?”
He stormed upstairs, searching every room one by one. The master bedroom, office, Antony’s bedroom, even the storage closet. There was no sign of me anywhere.
He paused on the staircase, a flicker of realization sinking in. I had never come home at all.
Antony grew nervous, tugging at Thomas’s shirt. “Dad, Mom isn’t here.”
Willa stepped forward quickly, speaking softly to Thomas. “Tom, I’m sure she’s still upset with me and went to her mother’s house. Don’t fight with your wife over me. I can handle a little hurt.”
Her words stoked Thomas’s rage. “This is all her fault. How dare she storm off and give me the silent treatment! I’m going to teach her a lesson she won’t forget.”
He strode to the front door and tapped the security panel, changing the house passcode.
Next he rushed into the bedroom, dragged all my clothes out of the closet and stuffed them into large garbage bags.
He tossed away my toothbrush, my favorite throw pillows, even the pothos plant I’d tended for years.
Within minutes, every trace of me inside our house was erased.
Willa lingered in the empty bedroom, barely hiding her triumphant grin. “Tom, don’t be so harsh. What if Jennifer comes back and sees all this?”
Thomas waved the concern away dismissively. “She can stay away if that’s what she wants. If she walked out, she’s not welcome back.”
Night fell. Willa started to leave, but Antony threw his arms around her legs and begged. “Don’t go, Willa! I’m scared without Mom here. Please stay with me.”
He looked up at Thomas, pleading. “Dad, can Willa sleep over tonight?”
Thomas hesitated for only a second before agreeing. “Alright, you can stay. It’s too late for you to drive home safely anyway.”
Willa lowered her head, cheeks flushing, and did not refuse.
At Antony’s desperate request, all three climbed into the marital bed that had belonged to Thomas and me.
Antony curled up in the middle, with Thomas and Willa lying on either side of him, leaning close as they settled to sleep.
The scene seared into me like acid.
Early the next morning, sharp doorbell chimes cut through the quiet.
Thomas jolted awake, a smug look spreading across his face. “Jennifer must have swallowed her pride and come back! Don’t worry, Willa. I’ll force her to apologize.”
He hurried downstairs to unlock the door, calling out as he pulled it open. “Jennifer, finally decided you were wrong? Too late. You’re going to get on your knees and apologize to Willa.”
The second the door swung fully open, his smile froze solid on his face.