The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 40

After lunch, Clara watched TV with her parents for a while before getting up to leave.

"Why not stay the night?" Clara's mom tried to keep her.

"No, I have to go back... to bring clothes to Rhys." Clara made up a clumsy excuse. "He has no change of clothes at the station. Without me, he'd stink."

"Sigh, you really have a chaotic life."

Resigned, Clara's mom packed a large bag of apples and sausages for her. "Alright, go on then. Don't make him wait."

Clara took the bag and called Aunt Mia once she was outside.

Mia sounded very happy to hear she was coming.

"I've been saying you should move back. I'll have Jenny clean a room right now. Which room do you want? Rhys's old room?"

Clara was in a bind.

She really didn't want to sleep in a room filled with traces of Rhys's teenage self.

But if she insisted on the guest room, she might as well have "Marital Crisis" stamped across her forehead.

Rhys wouldn't be coming back to stay anytime soon anyway.

He was too busy.

Thinking of this, Clara said, "I'll stay in his room. It's convenient."

"Okay, I'll tell Jenny to clean it and change the bedding to a new set," Mia said, detail-oriented as ever. "Do you have a lot of luggage? Should I send the driver to pick you up at Riverside Court?"

"No need."

Clara looked at the toes of her shoes and kicked a small pebble on the ground.

"I'll just bring a few clothes over myself."

She had already moved her things out the last time she ran away from home. Riverside Court held nothing but a few sets of old clothes she didn't want and a room full of coldness.

"That works too. The house has everything anyway; just bring yourself." Mia laughed. "If you need anything, tell Rhys to buy it, or give me a list."

Clara smiled.

What came back was a text message.

[Alright. Call me anytime if you need anything. Even if I'm at the ends of the earth, I'll fly back to help you tear those cheating scumbags apart. Don't be afraid.]

Just a few simple words, but Clara's nerves instantly relaxed.

She dragged her suitcase out the door and looked up at the sky.

It was gray, looking like it was going to snow heavily again.

Going there might be good.

At least there were people there. She wouldn't have to face an empty room alone.

And she wouldn't have to worry about him lying next to her in the middle of the night, acting as if nothing happened, while smelling of perfume that wasn't hers.

Just like she told Simon.

Consider it a trial period before the divorce.