The Last to Know Chapter 03
Chapter 3 The One Thing I Couldn’t Let Go
Author: Yestin
“Gavin!” Fiona called after me, her voice tight with panic. But I did not stop, nor did I look back.
I took a cab to the hospital. Mom looked much better today, with a healthy flush in her cheeks.
She handed me a peeled apple and asked brightly, “Gavin, how did the wedding photos turn out? Let me see them.”
My throat tightened, and my nose stung.
I did not know how to explain things to her. More than that, I could not bear to let her know the truth.
Just as I was working up the courage to speak, Fiona suddenly walked into the room.
She sat beside Mom’s bed and, just as she had for the past ten years, gently massaged her with a warm smile.
“Gavin wasn’t happy with how the wedding photos came out, so we sent them back to the studio for more editing. We’ll get our marriage license in a couple of days instead. We’ll show you the pictures then, Audrey.”
For the first time, Fiona called her by her name instead of “Ms. Sutton.”
That single word moved my mother to tears. She was so touched that she completely missed how strange things were between us.
Keeping a grim face, I pulled Fiona out into the hallway. “I already walked away. What more do you want from me?”
Like she always had, she slipped her arms around my waist and let out a quiet sigh. “Gavin, we’ve been together for twelve years. Do you really have the heart to break up with me?”
What did it matter whether I did or not? She was someone else’s wife now.
My eyes burned as I shoved her away and let out a bitter laugh. “Whether I can bear it or not, I have to. I’m not in the habit of being the other man.”
I turned to leave, but Fiona stepped in front of me.
Then, without warning, she wrapped both arms around me. “But I can’t let you go.”
She clung to me stubbornly. She was small, yet somehow impossibly strong. No matter how hard I tried, I could not push her away.
“When I was saving up to buy you that car in college, I met Oliver at the coffee shop where I worked part-time.
“I was shy back then. I blushed whenever I spoke, and people were always taking advantage of me. He stood up for me all the time, and before long, we became close.
“One day, a customer slipped something into my drink. Oliver rushed to the hotel and saved me. The drug was too strong, and we couldn’t control ourselves. I tried to end things with him, but my conscience wouldn’t let me hurt him.
“Oliver has been with me all these years without a title or any promises. He never complained, never fought with you, never asked me for anything. I’ve wronged him, so I had to make it up to him by marrying him.”
Only then did I realize that twelve years and eight years were not just overlapping numbers.
While I had been grinning like an idiot, holding the key to the car she bought me, Fiona had already been in another man’s arms.
While I waited for her in our tiny apartment with a plate of her favorite honey-glazed ribs, she had been eating pasta another man cooked for her.
There had been countless moments when I thought I was the happiest man alive. Every one of them had been built on betrayal.
“When you were in danger, why didn’t you call me, your boyfriend? Why did you turn to someone else?” I had heard enough. I raised my hand. “That’s enough. I don’t want to hear another word about how the two of you got together. Just get out.”
Fiona trembled with fear, but she did not dodge. Instead, she closed her eyes.
My strength vanished. With a weary sigh, I lowered my hand.
Fiona hugged me even tighter.
“I may have married Oliver, but everything else… whatever he has, you’ll have even more. My love, my money, my time, and the way I care for your mom. None of that will change just because I married him.
Then, she added softly, “Oh, and there’s a new medication overseas that’s been showing promising results for late-stage stomach cancer. Gavin, when should we take your mom to try it?”
I closed my eyes helplessly.
Over the years, Fiona really had treated me well. If Oliver had never existed, I might have been the happiest man in the world.
Mom had always been sick. Taking care of her had left me with little time for my career, and I had fallen far behind Fiona. But she had never cared that I earned less or accomplished less than she did.
Anything I wanted, she bought for me without ever looking at the price. Anywhere I wanted to go, she went with me, even if it meant canceling business meetings.
When Mom got sick, Fiona took care of her, staying up late with the doctors to discuss treatment plans. She had also paid every expensive medical bill.
I could not leave Fiona. At least, not until my mother recovered.
