Waited For His Love, I Divorced Instead

Chapter 5

Hailey finally understood. Yannick had room in his heart for duty, family, and everyone who depended on him, but never for her.

Even if she died, he would not grieve for her.

She nodded, forced the blood rising in her throat back down, and walked away without another word.

Yannick stared after her for a long moment, then abruptly rose and followed.

The moment he stepped outside, he spotted a handkerchief on the ground and stopped cold.

It was the one Hailey always carried, and it was stained with blood!

He snatched it up and quickened his pace.

By the time he reached the gates, Hailey's car was already disappearing down the road toward the eastern outskirts.

Yannick turned to the housekeeper. "Where is she going?"

The housekeeper answered instantly. "St. Grace Church, Mr. Landry."

His expression turned glacial.

He gave a cold, bitter laugh and walked away in the opposite direction.

Inside St. Grace Church, Father Quade removed the silver needles from Hailey's back one by one. Her body jerked, and she coughed up a mouthful of black blood before pitching forward!

Quade reached for her, but Hailey braced herself against a nearby bench and forced herself upright.

He slowly withdrew his hand.

His voice was lower than usual. "Two more treatments, and every trace of poison in Yannick's body will have transferred into yours. Once that happens, you'll have a month at most."

"I know."

Hailey did not notice the emotion in his voice. She lowered her eyes and answered with quiet acceptance.

Her absolute calm disturbed the inner peace Quade had spent years cultivating.

He could not stop himself from asking, "You're giving up your life for Yannick, and he has no idea. He doesn't appreciate any of it. How can any of this be worth it?"

Hailey looked at him in surprise. She had never expected a priest devoted to his faith to question her about love.

She turned toward the window. Most of the maple leaves outside had already fallen.

A memory surfaced of Yannick as a boy, saying, "Hailey, I'll protect you for the rest of my life."

After a few seconds, she said, "I don't need him to know what I've done, and I don't want him to feel indebted to me. I only want him to live a long, safe, peaceful life."

'If he remembers one good thing about me every now and then, that will be enough.'

*****

Three days later, Hailey returned to the villa.

Her assistant hurried over the moment she entered. "Ms. Serrano, Mr. Landry has spent the last three days at private clubs. The whole city is talking about your marriage..."

Hailey paused, stopping in her tracks, and ordered sternly. "Go there yourself and bring him home."

The sky outside was dark, and a heavy storm threatened to break.

She did not know how long she waited before familiar footsteps sounded at the door.

Hailey looked up and met Yannick's icy stare.

He saw her sitting alone beside the coffee table, pouring herself one drink after another.

Rain fell steadily beneath a sky heavy with black clouds.

The only light in the room came from the floor lamp beside her, as though every trace of warmth had gathered around Hailey alone.

Her face was pale, and exhaustion showed in every line of her body, but she had forced herself to remain there and wait for him.

She had replaced the glass that had shattered with an identical one and set it across from her.

Yannick entered carrying the chill of the rain. Then he caught the faint scent of church incense on her, and his expression hardened further.

His tone dripped with disgust. "Done fooling around and decided to come home?"

The words were like a dagger plunging ruthlessly into Hailey's heart, tearing open a bloody wound.

Her hand trembled around the glass. She looked at his sharp features and said nothing.

Her silence irritated him more than an argument would have.

He was about to speak, but Hailey beat him to it.

"Starting today, you stay with me. We eat together, live under the same roof, and go everywhere together."

Her voice remained calm, but the demand grated on him.

His face darkened. Then she continued, "Just three months. Do that, and when the time is up, I'll end this marriage myself."