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But his wife only shook her head at him. “There’s nothing to worry about.” And then she turned and walked away without a word.
He caught up to her easily, capturing her wrist and making her turn to face him again. “What’s wrong with you?” Because something was wrong. It was like she was seeing him with the wrong eyes, and it wasn’t just because there weren’t stars in it anymore.
No, something was too wrong, and it terrified Kyr.
“Polly?”
She stared up at him, thinking that this was it. If she really wanted it to be over, she had to do it now.
“Your ex made me realize something,” she said tremulously.
And his wife was smiling at him now, but Theo, it had to be the saddest smile in the world, and his terror increased.
“Whatever it is, don’t believe her,” he said sharply.
She laughed, but she also felt tears forming in her eyes at his words.
Oh, Kyr.
Oh, my love.
She closed her eyes. “I forgive you, Kyr.”
She forgave him. Kyr didn’t know what to say. He had thought he would be happy if he heard her say that, but now that he was hearing the words, he realized that it couldn’t be that simple.
If by forgiving him, she would leave, then—-
He sucked in his breath.
He would rather she hated him forever.
“Polly.” Her name was wrenched out of him.
It hurt to hear his voice falter. He was supposed to be the strong one between them, and she didn’t want to be strong at his expense. But God, she also wanted to stop hurting.
“I forgive you,” she repeated painfully.
“And that’s it?” he threw violently at her. “You forgive me?” His voice was ravaged with despair. “And we go our separate ways?”
She bit her lip hard. “Yes.”
“No.” He shook his head. “It can’t end just like that. I won’t stop trying—-”
“Then you don’t really love me,” she whispered inaudibly. “Because if you really do, you’ll help me move on.”
And this time, when she walked away, he no longer stopped her.
She didn’t cry on her way back. She kept waiting for the tears to come, but it didn’t. She joined her children on the yacht, and an hour later, Kyr arrived. They played games, they laughed, and they ate together. But both of them knew that it was goodbye.
That night, she waited for the tears to come, but her eyes remained dry.
When the holidays were over, she threw herself back into work and was rewarded with a surprise announcement a week later. She had been voted Entrepreneur of the Year, and it was the first time that the award-giving body had selected a mere high school graduate as the winner.
It should have been her biggest achievement, but Pollyanna couldn’t make herself feel anything. This was what she had dreamed of, what she wanted to be so that her children would be proud. A career mother, someone who made her mark in both the industry and her family life.
So why wasn’t she happy?
She had her big confrontation with Ana, and the other woman had practically begged her, Pollyanna, to give Kyr to her. Wasn’t that supposed to be vindication? Wasn’t that proof that she had won?
So why wasn’t she happy?
Why did she feel emptier and emptier every day?
She prayed for answers, but nothing came to her, and it hurt, to think that even God was silent. And so Pollyanna simply worked. Her job made her feel important, and that was the next best thing to happiness. Her job made her feel respected, even if she was unloved.
So she worked, and worked, and worked, until she couldn’t breathe anymore.
Chapter Ten
Overfatigue and stress. It had been the doctor’s official diagnosis, and as he looked down at his wife, pale-faced even in her drugged sleep, everything became dazzlingly...lucid. Coherent. Simple.
Everything that made the past and even his present a goddamn blur – it was all gone now.
The only thing left was his future.
His reason for existence.
And when he thought it that way, there was no question about what he should and could do.
Kyr slowly took his seat next to his wife’s bed. His glance strayed to the trophy placed lovingly on her bedside table, and his heart clenched with pride. He was so damn proud of her, and he just wished he could have been the man he was now ten years ago, when he had first met Pollyanna.
At eighteen, his wife had known what Kyr had only come to realize now, and it was love was all the sappy things that people said about it.
Love was kind, love was selfless, love was generous.
Love gave.
He thought of how he had been over a decade ago, when Ana had left him, and he knew he had been selfish, thinking it had been her duty to wait for him.
He knew this because he knew now, he could not be the same with his wife.
