He Left Me During My Miscarriage to Support His Ex—1 Year Later, He Returned to My DIVORCE Papers Chapter 03
The entertainment news segment covering Silas and Luna’s rumored romance had only thickened the awkward tension hanging between us.
Still, I didn’t waste much time dwelling on Silas and Luna’s relationship.
Throughout his year overseas, I’d occasionally scroll across Luna Cole’s social media updates.
I knew Silas had tracked down the world’s top oncologists for her father and taken her parents on sightseeing trips across the country.
Over Christmas Eve, the pair had even traveled to Hokkaido, Japan, to watch the snow fall.
Silas parted his thin lips, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on me, no attempt to hide his stare.
His intense gaze sent a shiver down my spine, and I quickly looked away.
His deep, rumbling voice filled the car’s silent space.
“Willa.”
“Her father’s cancer has stabilized now.”
I gave a quick, stiff nod.
“Oh, that’s good news then.”
The black Tesla Model S rolled into the building’s underground parking garage.
Silas lowered his eyes to study my face.
“Do you have any questions you want to ask me?”
I’ll explain everything to you.
I don’t want you carrying the wrong impression of what happened.”
I pulled at my mouth in a hollow smile.
“Nope.”
“I don’t have any misunderstandings at all.”
His eyes darkened even further at my reply.
Silas’s sudden return had thrown my entire daily schedule completely off balance.
I’d grown used to wandering around the house in nothing but a thin nightgown after washing up each evening.
Summer was in full swing, so the fabric of my sleepwear was lightweight and sheer.
When I stepped out of the bathroom that night, he narrowed his eyes, his line of sight dropping straight to my chest.
My ears burned bright red. I darted forward, grabbed a camisole from the counter, and locked myself in the restroom to change into it.
Once I emerged again, I brought up the idea of sleeping in separate rooms to him outright.
“Silas Mercer, I’ve got stacks of overtime shifts every single day lately. I leave before dawn and get home long after midnight, and I don’t want to wake you up while I’m moving around.”
“I’ll move into the guest bedroom. I already asked Aunt Chen to tidy it all up for me.”
He creased his brows, remaining quiet for a long moment before responding.
“What time do you need to head into work tomorrow?”
I’ll drive you there.”
I shot him down immediately.
“No need.”
“Our routes don’t line up at all.”
He held my gaze, his eyes heavy and unyielding.
“They do. I’ve got a meeting near your office building tomorrow morning.”
I blinked rapidly, scrambling for an excuse.
“But I won’t be going straight to the office tomorrow morning.”
I used that flimsy reason to turn down his offer of a ride.
I woke up far earlier than necessary the next day.
Silas stuck to a rigid daily routine, and he worked out at the crack of dawn every week without fail.
To avoid crossing paths with him, I either woke hours before he got up or lingered in bed long after he’d left the house.
I couldn’t risk being late for work that day, so I roused myself shortly after six in the morning.
I pushed open my bedroom door and spotted his tall, broad back standing in the kitchen.
He heard my footsteps and twisted his torso slightly, his eyes landing on me.
“You’re awake?”
“Come eat breakfast.”
It was the first time we’d been alone in a room together in ages.
He’d only been back home for three full days.
Back before our cold war kicked off, we’d grab our own breakfast and lunch separately, but always sit down for dinner side by side.
We hadn’t shared a single meal together in these past three days.
The thought of eating breakfast alone with him made my skin crawl with awkwardness.
The social media feed’s algorithm somehow always picked up on my inner turmoil.
I’d never crossed paths with Luna Cole in person, never exchanged a single message with her.
Yet every new post she uploaded kept popping up front and center on my feed.
Reading through the comments under her photos, you’d never guess they’d broken up years ago.
They looked exactly like a pair of lovers reunited after a painful separation.
In the full twelve months Silas spent overseas, we’d grown so distant we barely had a single word to exchange.
Being alone with him made me feel as though I was stealing another woman’s partner—even though the two of us were legally husband and wife.
Silas’s eyes locked onto mine, forcing me to meet his stare.
I snatched a slice of toast off the plate and headed straight for the entryway.
I stared down at my shoes as I slipped them on.
He stepped up beside me.
“Sit down and finish your breakfast first.”
I shook my head.
“I’m running late.”
The corners of his mouth tugged upward in a faint smirk.
“I can drive you—”
I bolted out the front door before he could finish his sentence.
Truth be told, I had plenty of extra time to spare.
I wandered over to the neighborhood bodega tucked in the alley beside our apartment complex and slid into one of the small outdoor tables.
Silas and I used to be regulars here, back when things between us were good.
Silas Mercer was the sole heir to the Mercer family fortune, born into extreme wealth and status. I’d never pictured a man of his standing sitting on a plastic roadside stool to eat cheap street food.
Yet he’d been the one to bring me to this diner for the very first time.
After he left for overseas treatment with Luna’s family, I’d been coming here alone every time.
The shop owner had asked me once before.
“Miss, where’s your husband?”
“I haven’t seen the two of you come in together in months.”
I’d made up a lie on the spot.
“We’re taking some time apart right now.”
The shop owner had taken my words to mean we’d gotten a divorce.
That morning, the woman behind the counter suddenly offered to set me up with a blind date partner.
“Miss, I thought you two split up for good?”
“I’ve got a wonderful young man in mind for you—he’s a postdoctoral researcher and works as a hospital doctor too.”
I offered her a polite smile.
“Thank you so much, ma’am, but I’m not looking to date anyone right now.”
She waved her hand dismissively.
“He’s handsome, towers over most folks, and his looks match up just as well as your ex-husband’s.”
A tall shadow fell across my table, blocking the sunlight from my plate. I lifted my head and crashed straight into Silas Mercer’s narrow, sharp eyes.
I must’ve hit a streak of terrible luck lately; every private comment I made somehow landed straight in his ears.
Silas’s face darkened with irritation.
“Ma’am, she still has a husband.”
The shop owner froze, completely stunned.
“You two got back together?”
Silas replied flatly.
“We never filed for a divorce.”
The woman’s gaze flickered awkwardly toward me.
“Goodness, I’m so sorry.”
“I truly assumed you’d ended your marriage.”
Silas’s expression turned even grimmer after hearing that.
