From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Witnessing Their Perfect Little Family

Jade’s hand clenched around the phone. Daddy?!

“Hudson!” she cried out, her voice breaking.

A sharp dial tone buzzed in her ear. He’d hung up.

She called back immediately, her eyes fixed on the screen. A bitter, aching feeling rose in her chest, threatening to drown her.

Pick up. Why won’t you pick up? You said you were working late. Is there someone in your office calling you Daddy too?

On her third attempt, a cold, automated voice answered, “The number you have dialed is currently switched off.”

He couldn’t even be bothered with a lame excuse. He just shut his phone off, worried she’d interrupt his precious time with his real family.

Of course. To Hudson, I’m just background noise. How can I compare to Amara? To his daughter with Amara?

Her mind was painfully clear, but her heart felt like it was being ripped apart. The pain was so sharp she could barely breathe.

She grabbed at the fabric over her chest, pressing a fist against it, trying to push the inside. It only got worse.

agony

back

“Ah!” she screamed, a raw, broken sound. Her arm swept across the table, sending plates and bowls crashing to the floor.

The kitchen was a wreck,

Then came the sobs, harsh and suffocating, echoing in the empty villa.

She didn’t know how long she sat there crying. It was only when her eyes burned and swelled shut that she finally moved.

She washed her face, the water doing little to cool the numbness. Moving like a robot, she cleaned up the mess, then dragged herself upstairs to the master bedroom. She was a ghost in this house. No one cared if she was there or not.

Sitting on the bed, she pulled a wooden photo frame from the nightstand drawer.

The woman in the photo was beautiful, her smile gentle. Looking closely, Jade’s eyes and the shape of her face were nearly identical.

Jade traced the glass with her finger, wishing she could touch the person who had loved her most. “Mom…”

Her voice cracked. The tears she’d tried to hold back broke free, streaming down her face and blurring the image behind the glass.

She wiped at the frame frantically, but the tears kept coming. Finally, she clutched it to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Mom… you always said being with the person you love was the happiest thing in the world. So… why does it hurt so much now?”

*****

Jade must have cried herself to sleep. The next morning, she was jolted awake by her ringing phone.

She squinted, rubbing her throbbing temples, and fumbled for the phone.

“Hello?”

As they passed the arcade, Jewell tugged her inside. “Come on, Jade! Play whack-a-mole with me!”

Jade laughed and agreed. But as she looked up, her smile died. The blood drained from her face, leaving her paper-white.

There, not fifty feet away, was Hudson. The man who’d told her he was “busy with work” was playing a crane game with Amara and their daughter.

Hudson, tall and imposing in a sharp black suit, looked completely out of place next to the garish pink machine, But the smile on his face was a gentle, relaxed one Jade had never seen before.

Jewell noticed Jade freeze, Following her gaze, Jewell’s eyes widened.

She tightened her grip on Jade’s hand. “Jade. Breathe. Let’s get a closer look.”

Jade felt carved from stone as Jewell led her forward.

The trio ahead was absorbed in their own world. The little girl was clutching a pile of stuffed animals. Hudson carried her while Amara walked beside them, her face radiant.

They moved toward the mall exit. Amara handed the toys to a waiting bodyguard, then went to buy cotton candy from a cart. She came back and held the pink puff of sugar up to Hudson’s lips.

Jade waited for him to turn away. He hated sweets.

But Hudson just smiled and took a bite.

A violent tremor ran through Jade’s entire body. She felt something bitter rising in her throat.

“Hudson…” His name was a whisper, lost in the noise of the arcade.