The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 5

The winter nights in Stockholm were brutally long and freezing. By four in the afternoon, the sky had already plunged into total darkness.

Sloane stood outside the villa, pulling her coat tighter against the biting wind. This was the Fosters' Stockholm residence. She had taken a cab straight from the airport and had been waiting by the door for over two hours. Her fingers were numb, but the house remained dark.

She gripped her medical report tightly, endlessly rehearsing how to break the news to Garrison. She wasn't going to sugarcoat it; she would just tell him she had brain cancer.

As a professional doctor, her husband would understand the gravity of the situation.

In the distance, headlights pierced the darkness.

A taxi pulled up to the driveway. The doors opened, and Garrison stepped out first, gripping a briefcase and conference materials. A moment later, Quinn stepped out, holding five-year-old Archie's hand.

"Dad!" Archie practically launched himself at Garrison.

Garrison crouched down, effortlessly scooping the boy up. A rare, gentle warmth softened his features. "Were you a good boy today, Archie?"

"The best! Quinn took me to the Nobel Prize Museum. I know all about Alfred Nobel now!" Archie beamed, wrapping his small arms around his father's neck.

Quinn stood nearby, watching the exchange with a soft smile.

Wrapped in a pristine beige coat and a luxurious cashmere scarf, she radiated effortless elegance. "Archie is fascinated by the history of science. He really is a doctor's son." Her tone carried an undeniable, natural pride.

Sloane stepped out of the shadows. Her boots crunched against the snow, causing all three of them to turn around.

"What are you doing here?" Garrison clearly looked taken aback.

"I called you. I texted you. You didn't answer. I had to ask your assistant, and he said you were at a conference," Sloane said, her voice trembling from standing in the cold for so long. "There's something I need to talk to you about. In person."

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