She Was Never Just the Wife novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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At 3:00 PM on Saturday, on the fifth floor of Summit Valley Mall, the outdoor seating of the Cyrenthian restaurant overlooked the entire atrium.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling thirty feet above, and the glass dome let in the warm autumn sunlight of Silvergate. Soft jazz played in the background, and the air smelled of fresh coffee and bread straight from the oven.

Celia and Haley sat at a table by the railing. Two cups of pour-over coffee and a few delicate pastries sat in front of them.

Haley wore a pair of beige wide-leg pants today, the cast on her left leg cleverly hidden beneath the fabric. One wouldn’t notice she had trouble walking unless they looked closely.

“So you just refused?” Haley bit into her silver fork, her face full of disbelief. “You skipped that dinner at the Luceros’? Emily called my mom, fishing around for where you were. She was pissed.”

“I had something come up.” Celia stirred her coffee slowly, the latte art on top fading away. “An elder was sick. They needed me.”

Haley raised an eyebrow, her red nails tapping lightly on the table. “What elder? Since when do you have some elder in Silvergate who needs you to rush over in the middle of the night?”

“Someone who helped me a long time ago.” Celia brushed past it and looked up at Haley. “Enough about that. How’s your leg? How much longer with the cast?”

“Two more weeks, the doctor said.” Haley patted the cast. “It’s pretty much healed, honestly. It’s just annoying that I have to walk slow. But getting out to have lunch with you? Worth it.”

She paused, leaned forward, and lowered her voice. “Cece, I heard Laylah has been bringing her kid in and out of Lucero Mansion.

“Emily tells everyone he’s her grandson. She’s obsessed. Last week they threw a family dinner, invited all the close relatives, and officially introduced Laylah and the boy.”

Celia’s expression stayed calm. She cut a small piece of raspberry tart with her little silver spoon. “Let them.”

“Let them?” Haley nearly choked on her coffee. She set her cup down and stared. “Cece, that’s your husband, legally, in name, in every way that matters.

“And now the other woman is moving into his house with her kid, and you’re saying let them? You’ve been living under a rock for three years. Do you have any idea what people are saying?”

“He won’t be for much longer.” Celia’s voice was as calm as if she were talking about the weather. “I signed the divorce papers. Sent them yesterday.”

Haley froze. She studied Celia’s face carefully.

Celia wore a cream-colored knit top today, light blue jeans, her long hair loosely pinned up at the back, showing the clean lines of her profile and the slender curve of her neck. She looked calm. Calm enough to make a person nervous.

Chapter 16

“You’re really doing it?” Haley asked softly. “Three years. Cece, I know you…”

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“Yeah. I’m doing it.” Celia looked out the window. Down in the atrium, people moved back and forth. parents with their kids, couples holding hands. Everyone had somewhere to go, someone to be with. “Three years. That’s enough,”

Haley looked at her calm profile, and something in her chest ached. The Celia she knew had always been gentle but strong, like a willow branch.

Soft on the outside, but tough in ways one wouldn’t expect. But this calm felt different. It was like looking at still water, no ripples on the surface, but ice underneath.

“Cece,” Haley took her hand and found it cold, “whatever you decide, I’ve got your back. I’ll handle the divorce. I’ll make sure Beckham walks away with nothing. You’ll get every penny you’re owed.”

Celia smiled. It was a faint, fleeting smile. “No. I don’t want anything else. Just want my freedom.”

“No way.” Haley’s eyes went wide. “You’re entitled to half the marital assets. The Luceros are loaded. Take what’s yours. You spent three years in that house, waiting on his whole family. If nothing else, you earned

it.”

“Hails,” Celia said softly, but her eyes were steady, “I don’t want anything tying me to them. I’d rather leave

clean.

“And you know I’ve never slept with Beckham in our three years of marriage. Besides, I don’t need the money. So there’s no need for it.”

Haley wanted to argue, but when she saw the calm indifference in Celia’s eyes, she finally sighed. “Fine. So what’s next for you?”

“Go to Brighton.” Celia’s eyes finally had a little light in them.

“I’m going to open a flower shop. Small. On a street with big windows. Sell flowers in the morning, coffee in the afternoon, and at night I’ll lock the door, listen to music, and read.”

“When are you leaving?”

“A few days. Once…” Celia paused. “Once I finish up a few things,”

Celia and Haley chatted for a while longer, then paid the bill and got up to leave. The restaurant host held the door open for them.

Haley still had trouble moving around, but with a well-designed cane, she managed to walk with surprising grace. Celia stayed close beside her, and the two of them made their way slowly toward the elevators.

As the top luxury shopping center in Silvergate, Summit Valley Mall was packed on weekend afternoons. The fifth floor was mostly high-end restaurants and home goods. The floors below were all luxury brand boutiques.

An art installation hung in the massive atrium. Sunlight streamed through the glass dome, casting dappled shadows on the floor below.

They had just reached the third floor, the children’s toy section, when a familiar voice stopped them.

12:56 Sat, May 9 MMD

Chapter 16

“Ricardo, do you like this one? I’ll buy it for you.”

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