Divorce and Freedom No More Homemaker for Him novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19 A Taboo

Ten minutes passed, and Ayla’s hands and feet were already numb from the cold.

But Troy’s car still hadn’t come.

She had no choice but to keep on waiting.

About five minutes later, headlights cut through the thin night fog and landed on her.

There was more than one family living on this mountain, so she looked closely.

It was a Bentley.

Troy drove a Maybach; this wasn’t him.

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Maybe it was the cold, but Ayla had been hoping Troy would show up on time. Now that he hadn’t, her hope turned into disappointment.

She dropped her gaze to her phone.

Shortly, she heard a car pull over.

Puzzled, Ayla looked up. The window rolled down, showing a man’s profile.

He turned.

Her

eyes

collided with a pair of deep, unreadable ones.

The air froze for a moment.

“Need a ride?” Draven’s low voice reached her ears.

Ayla froze.

Three years ago,

their first meeting had left her with a cold, distant impression of him.

Yesterday, two chance encounters only made that impression stronger.

This was the first time Ayla ever felt real fear of someone,

She couldn’t figure Draven out. She didn’t know why he suddenly wanted to give her a lift.

Maybe he was just being kind.

But the heavy chill that clung to him carried a sharp edge. The instant the window went down,

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it felt threatening.

Ayla’s instincts told her to stay away.

“Thanks, but no. I’m waiting for someone.”

Draven said nothing and drove off.

As the Bentley disappeared, a gust of cold wind hit Ayla. She shivered.

At the same time, Troy’s car finally arrived–almost ten minutes late.

He didn’t even glance at her when he stopped.

Troy always had this habit of ignoring her.

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Ayla silently walked around the front, opened the passenger door, got in, and buckled her seat belt.

The car climbed the mountain in silence. She didn’t try to make small talk like she used to.

They had shared rides before; silence was usually the norm. Ayla was used to it.

But today felt different.

Troy had always hated car air fresheners, saying they were suffocating. His car used to carry no scent. Now, the cabin was filled with a fresh lily fragrance.

The moment she got in, she also spotted a woman’s scarf on the backseat.

Ayla once left a sweater in his car by accident. He’d called her immediately and told her to come get it right away or he’d throw it out. If he disliked something, Ayla had to obey.

It had only been a week since they last saw each other; Troy had broken several of his old rules.

Ayla thought of her coworkers. Many were married.

Once, she happened to see a husband pick up his wife after work. The passenger seat had a sticker on it that said Wife’s Spot Only.

He even brought her snacks and drinks before he showed up to make sure his wife could relax right away.

Ayla never had anything like that.

No special seat. No warm little moments as husband and wife.

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The car reached halfway up the mountain. Ayla thought they would ride the rest of the way in silence, but then Troy suddenly asked, “You and Draven–are you close?”

It was rare for Troy to break the silence.

He must have noticed Draven’s car.

For a normal couple, a question like that might just sound like mild jealousy, even playful.

But not for Ayla and Troy.

If it had anything to do with Draven, it was never simple.

In Troy’s eyes, his older half–brother wasn’t just family–he was a forbidden subject and a

taboo.

Draven had spent the past few years overseas. During that time, Troy never spoke of him. What little Ayla knew came from Eric Winston at family dinners.

He had a habit of comparing the two sons, and he always favored the older one.

Three years ago, when Troy became president of Winston Group and did well, Eric still said he was no match for Draven.

If Eric could dismiss Troy now, at the height of his career, Ayla could only imagine what Troy

had heard as a child.

Troy was proud. The constant comparisons had left a deep scar. His resentment toward Draven had built up for years. It wasn’t something that could be easily erased.

So if it involved Draven, Troy would never be happy.

He avoided Draven whenever he could. If it weren’t for Martin, he wouldn’t have come back to

the estate at all.

Ayla spoke the truth. “I don’t really know him.”

Troy already knew that.

She and Draven could never have been close. He only asked because of Draven, not because of Ayla.

The car soon rolled up to the estate.

Ayla stepped out with Troy.

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In the past, she would take the chance to slip her arm through his, pretending closeness for Martin’s sake.

Troy never liked it, but out of respect for his grandfather, he played along.

Ayla had cherished those moments.

But not tonight. Tonight she came to put on a show in front of Martin until she received the divorce certificate. All her old wishful thoughts were long gone.

She walked ahead, moving faster than Troy.

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