The Promise He Never Remembered Chapter 05

The Promise He Never Remembered Chapter 05

Walking out of the apartment complex gates, the 

night wind hit my face, carrying the crisp coolness 

of early autumn. 

Toby leaned against my leg, his small hand. 

holding tight to the hem of my shirt, not making a 

sound. I knew he was tired–not just his body, but 

his heart too. A six–year–old child shouldn’t have to 

go through any of this. 

I squatted down and lifted him into my arms. He 

wrapped his arms sweetly around my neck, buried 

his little face in my shoulder, and mumbled: 

“Mommy, we’re not going back, are we?” 

“No,” I kissed the top of his hair. “We’re never going 

back.” 

He gave a soft “mm” and said nothing more. 

Carrying him with one arm and dragging the 

suitcase with the other, I sat down on a bench by the roadside. The streetlights were dim, stretching 

our shadows long and thin. 

I pulled out my phone and dialed that number 

again. 

It rang twice and was answered. The steady voice 

of the middle–aged man came through, laced with concern and quiet understanding: 

“Child. How is it?” 

I took a deep breath. My voice was a little rough, 

but clearer than ever: 

“Dad. I’ve made up my mind. I’m coming home.” 

There was a two–second silence. Then the man’s 

voice changed, no longer careful and tentative, but warm with a father’s eagerness I hadn’t heard in 

years: 

“Good. Good! Daddy’s been waiting for you to say 

that for far too long.” 

My throat tightened, and I almost couldn’t hold 

back the tears. 

“But-” His tone turned serious again. “There’s 

something I need to ask you first. All those orders 

I gave Ethan Carter’s company, all those contracts, I did it for you, to keep you comfortable. Now that 

you’ve decided to come home, do you want me to 

cancel all of them?” 

I froze. So all these years, my father had been secretly helping me. All those business deals, 

those contracts, those orders Ethan thought he’d won with his own skill–they’d all been because his daughter had married him. 

I closed my eyes. Ethan’s face flashed through my mind: the cold, distant look he gave me in the office when he called me “Assistant Carter,” the soft, tender smile he gave Chloe, the way he’d looked down at his phone on that Ferris wheel on 

his son’s birthday. 

“No,” I said. “Dad, don’t cancel them yet.” 

“Why?” My father’s voice was puzzled. 

“Because-“I paused, my voice very soft. “I just 

want to live peacefully for a little while first. No 

drama, no fighting. Just me and Toby.” 

“Dad, right now I just want to settle down. Can you 

send someone to pick me up?” 

“Of course.” His voice turned sharp and efficient at 

once. “Where are vou right now?” 

I looked at the street sign and read him the 

address. 

“Okay. I’ve got it. Someone will contact you the second they arrive. Child, stay safe.” 

“Mm. Dad, thank you.” 

“Silly child. What’s there to thank your daddy for?” 

I hung up, held Toby tight in my arms, and stood up. The little boy had fallen asleep, his breathing even and steady, his small hand still holding tight 

to the collar of my shirt, like he was scared I’d 

leave him. 

I kissed his forehead, dragged the suitcase, and 

walked toward the crosswalk. 

My phone buzzed again. I pulled it out, a 

notification from my work email popping up. I 

opened it, found the resignation letter I’d written. 

long ago in my drafts, and read it one last time. 

[Dear Leadership, 

For personal reasons, I, Clara Bennett, hereby 

resign from my position as Assistant at Nova 

Enterprises, effective immediately. 

Thank you for the company’s training and care 

over the years. 

Best regards, 

Clara Bennett) 

It was simple. Calm. No complaints, no bitterness, not even a single extra word. Just like the years between Ethan Carter and me. In the end, it had all 

amounted to nothing more than this. 

I hit send. A line popped up: [Email sent.] 

I put my phone back in my pocket and didn’t look back once at the lit–up apartment building behind 

1. me. 

Ethan Carter, goodbye. Goodbye forever. 

The next morning, Ethan Carter arrived at Noval 

Enterprises right on time. He’d come earlier than 

usual. The receptionist hadn’t even arrived yet. The 

whole office building was as quiet as an empty 

city. 

He walked into his office, slung his jacket over the 

back of his chair, and glanced around out of habit. 

Empty. 

Clara’s desk was spotless. The computer was off. 

The papers were gone. Even the mug she’d used 

every day for three years was nowhere to be seen. 

Ethan frowned, sat down, and turned on his 

computer. An unread email sat in his inbox. The 

sender’s name made his jaw tighten–Clara 

Bennett.