Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 170

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

It took a long time before Julian finally spoke, his voice dropping to a low, hollow rasp. "You've changed, Hester."

Hester stood up, looking directly into his eyes. She saw her own reflection perfectly mirrored in the man's dark irises.

A violent storm of complex emotions was churning within them, but Hester couldn't understand them, nor did she have any desire to try.

Basking in the absolute peace within her own chest, the corners of her lips curved up slightly.

"I haven't changed. This is who I've always been. If everything with Melody and Seraphina had happened five years ago when we first got married, my love and patience for you wouldn't have lasted half a decade. You crossed my boundaries over and over again. Even the most passionate love in the world will eventually be ground into dust under that kind of treatment."

Julian's lips parted, but his throat was completely dry. He couldn't force a single word out.

"I originally came downstairs to have a rational conversation with Seraphina, but it's painfully obvious she is entirely incapable of hearing a word I say."

Hester took a deep breath, letting it out as a soft sigh before continuing. "So, considering how things are, there is absolutely no reason for her to ever set foot in this house again. I can't stand looking at her, you can't stand watching me be rude to her, and the only one who actually suffers is Caden, who is terrified of the tension between us.

"I will convince Caden to go with you to see her and slowly build a bond. He probably won't want to stay for long at first, so we'll start with just one meal and gradually increase the time they spend together. Everything takes time. Caden is a smart, adaptable boy. As long as he isn't forced, I believe he'll come around to her eventually."

It wasn't a negotiation. It was a notification.

Julian finally understood that the current Hester would never concede another inch to him.

And it was only today that he realized he had never actually been the one in control of their five-year marriage.

To love or not to love had always been Hester's absolute choice.

When she loved him, she could be the warmest, most devoted presence in the world.

When she didn't, she was ruthless, cold, and entirely untouchable.

Her affection and her apathy were entirely at her own command.

Julian watched Hester's back as she walked up the stairs, a profound sense of loss clouding his dark eyes.

If Hester truly didn't love him anymore, could this marriage even survive?

...

However, the idea of a pregnant woman wrangling two toddlers by herself made Jasper anxious. He quickly reached out to Sabrina Quinn to see if she was available to help out.

Sabrina happened to have some free time over the next few days. Once she heard the plan, she immediately arranged to meet Hester at the mall.

...

The second floor of the mall housed Storybook Playland, a massive indoor playground perfect for toddlers up to five years old.

Hester already had a membership card. Sabrina helped the kids change into sterile grip socks, and the staff secured smart-tracking bracelets around their little wrists.

The playground was incredibly safe, but because it was sprawling and filled with massive crawling tunnels and slides, all children were required to wear the trackers so parents could pinpoint their exact location at any moment.

Hester swiped her card, and the two little toddlers cheered as they bolted full speed into the massive playground.

"Kids are so easy to please," Sabrina sighed, leaning against the railing as she watched the two toddlers hurl themselves into the ball pit. "If I ever have kids, I'd want them to be exactly like Caden and Gigi. They're so gorgeous and cute, just looking at them is healing!"

Hester listened to Sabrina, her hand resting gently over her own stomach, her voice incredibly soft. "When you're actually pregnant, you'll realize that as long as the baby is safe and healthy, absolutely nothing else matters."