<b>Chapter </b>5


    :


    <b>75 </b>


    55 vouchers


    Connor’s <b>face </b>went stiff as he watched Xylia lean on the cane again, limping a few steps away from him.


    Some kind of irritation crawled up inside Connor. Ever since she got out of prison, she had only gotten more defiant. And here he was, still telling himself he wanted a decent life with her.


    “Xylia, what kind of stunt are you pulling?” Connor’s brows tightened, voice sharp and superior. “It’s just a pendant. You’ve lost your mind.”


    Xylia stared back coldly. A chill spread through her chest. He had always known what that pendant meant to her, and still acted like it was nothing.


    At the end of the day, that was exactly what she was to him too–nothing. But fine. She was leaving in three months anyway. What he felt, or didn’t feel, didn’t matter.


    “Mom, could you quit being so dramatic?” Sonny mimicked Connor’s frown. “You’re acting like a crazydy. You don’t look like a mom at all.”


    That actually made Xyliaugh, sharp and bitter. She shot back, “So being a mom means I can’t ever lose my cool? Being a mom means I don’t get to have feelings?”


    Sonny froze for a second, then lifted his chin. There was no warmth in his eyes, only suspicion and distance.


    “If you keep this up, then you’re not my mom anymore.” He huffed, tugging Tessa’s hand like he meant it. “I’ll just let Tessa be my mom. She’s educated; she’s got ss. She’s not like you, just some housewife.”


    Xylia’s gaze hardened. Inside, she thought, ‘If I hadn’t married Connor, if I hadn’t had Sonny, I would’ve been finishing my doctorate by now.


    ‘I gave that up to raise Sonny right. And now he stood there saying I wasn’t fit to be a mother just because I didn’t keep studying?‘


    It all felt like one big sick joke. The son she carried for ten months, the son she gave her whole self to, had turned out just like Connor–cold and cruel. A bitter smile curved Xylia’s lips. “You’re right. I’m not fit to be your mom.”


    Connor’s face darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”


    A flicker of struggle passed through Xylia’s eyes, but she still spoke evenly to Sonny. “I won’t be your mom anymore. You can pick whoever you want.”


    <b>11:42 </b>Wed<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>10 </b>


    75


    EX <b>55 </b>vouchers


    She gave him onest look, her voice quiet. “Just don’t regret it. And take care of yourself. Your health isn’t great, so don’t run yourself down-”


    “I never wanted you as my mom anyway,” Sonny snapped, his face flushed red with rage. “If I got to choose, I’d pick Tessa every time!”


    He snatched a Lego model off the shelf and smashed it on the floor. Pieces scattered everywhere. “Nobody needs you. You nag like some olddy. You said you’re not my mom, so don’t act like you can boss me around!”


    The broken Legoy in a mess across the floor. Xylia’s chest ached as she looked at it. That had been Sonny’s birthday gift, something they had built together, piece by piece.


    Xylia shut her mouth, quick and firm. If he didn’t want her, then she had nothing left to say. He wanted Tessa as his mom? Fine. She would let him have her.


    Tessa covered her mouth. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, Xylia. If I’d known how much you resented me, I never would’ve stayed here.”


    Connor’s patience snapped. His expression turned icy as he grabbed Xylia’s wrist, squeezing until it hurt. “What the hell is wrong with you?”


    Xylia’s smile twisted with mockery. “What’s wrong with me? My biggest mistake was marrying you. Connor, I want a divorce.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried, clear enough to hit every corner of the living room.


    For his so–called true love, Connor had ruined her. Now she was done. She would give him and Sonny their freedom.


    Connor’s brow tightened even more. A sharpugh slipped from him. “You’ve lost your damn mind in prison, haven’t you?” His tone was cold, his grip on her wrist unrelenting as he red down at her. His eyes were edged with ice.


    Connor had always been distant, but in all their years together, Xylia had never seen him this furious.


    “Xylia, you think you can make it without me?” His tone was sharp enough to chill her. “I’ll shut down every one of your cards until you admit you were wrong.”


    Xylia almost found it funny. She opened her mouth, ready to tell him she was leaving in three months, but before she could, Tessa let out a little cry of pain.


    Connor instantly dropped Xylia’s wrist and hurried toward Tessa. The force of it nearly knocked Xylia off her feet, and she had to grab the couch to steady herself.


    When she lifted her head, she saw Tessa leaning against Connor, her voice weak. “Connor, my


    11:42 <b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>10 </b>


    :


    leg hurts so bad. What if I can’t dance anymore?”


    75


    E55 vouchers


    The worry in Connor’s eyes stung Xylia more than the grip on her wrist ever had. She let out a soft sigh, lips curling into a bitter smile.


    Maybe that was just how it was meant to be. She would slip out of this house without a sound, not even given the chance for a proper goodbye.


    “I’ll have someone draft the divorce papers. Connor, meet me at city hall to sign them.” Xylia’s voice was t, and she didn’t look at them once.


    Leaning on her crutch, she walked out, her figure small and unsteady. A flicker of emotion passed in Connor’s eyes, but he shoved it back down just as quickly.


    “Oh boy, what a mess,” said Tessa, eyes glinting for just a second before she covered it with a sweet smile. “Honestly, women can be so dramatic. Everyone knows you and I are just friends. I mean, I’m married already.


    “Why don’t you go smooth things over with her? She shoved me, but I’ll live. I’m not half as fragile as she is.”


    Connor felt that restless irritation rising again. He dropped his gaze, his toneced with impatience. “No need. Let her throw her fit. She’s got nowhere to go in Jupiton; she won’t make much trouble. You, on the other hand–your legs are worth protecting.”


    It wasn’t the first time Xylia had been angry over Tessa. Usually, a gift or two smoothed things out. She had no real family in Jupiton, and now, with her body failing her, she had nowhere to


    turn.


    This was just her way of pushing for a little more care from him. After all, he was the one who had set her up. The least he could do was try to make it up.


    Sonny came over and wrapped an arm around Tessa. “Exactly. That’s just how she is. Dad and I spoiled her. She’ll calm down in a few days ande back.”


    He nced at the broken Lego pieces scattered on the floor and felt a pang in his chest. Then he told himself, ‘She loves me and Dad too much to really walk away. She must be saying all that out of anger again!


    When Xylia stepped out of the Fords‘ house, it hit her–she hadn’t brought a thing, not even cash. Connor was right. If he froze her cards, she was stranded. In Jupiton, she really had nowhere to go.


    Xylia stood by the curb, leaning on her crutch, her mind drifting, when a smooth male voice came from behind her. “Xylia.”


    <b>11:43 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>10 </b>


    Her heart skipped. She turned.


    :


    75


    55 vouchers


    A man leaned against his car door, the ck paint making his tanned skin stand out even more. His silver hair, slicked back but with a few strands falling over his forehead, caught the light. His eyes had that pull, that dangerous kind of charm.


    He looked effortlessly refined, lips curving into the hint of a smile. His gaze dropped briefly to Xylia’s injured leg, pausing just a moment before he asked, almost casually, “Need a ride?”


    11:43 Wed<b>, </b>Sep