My Personal Nurse Faked His Identity to be with My Half-Sister

The moment my mom died after discovering my father's affair, I knew I had become disposable as he started favoring his illegitimate daughter Hayley.

So when my father asked me to marry a blind heir from the Jones family to spare his Hayley from the duty, I laughed.

But I said yes. Because I was done fighting for a place I was never meant to belong.

“You made the right decision, Addison,” my father told me. “You’ve always been the good one.”

And Joseph—my nurse, the one I loved and thought could marry, he was just another illusion. I overheard him say it himself:

“Hayley’s the reason I’m here. Addison? She likes me… I’m using that, and dispose her after I got Hayley.”

Turns out, the man I loved wasn’t just a nurse. He was the heir to the Wilson empire—pretending to be someone else, kissing my sister behind my back, and playing me like a pawn.

So now, I’m marrying a stranger. Walking away from the life I thought I wanted.

This time… I’m not coming back… even if Joseph begged for my love again.

--

“If that’s what you want, then I’m gonna marry that blind man from the Jones family just to save your illegitimate daughter!”

I didn’t mean to yell. But the words came out louder than I intended—sharp, furious, and full of pain I could no longer hide.

There was silence on the other end of the call, just the sound of my father exhaling like he’d been holding his breath.

Then he said, with absolute satisfaction, “You made the right decision, Addison. I knew I raised you well. You won’t regret this.”

I didn’t answer. My throat felt like sandpaper.

“You’ve always been the good one,” he continued. “Because of that… I’ll immediately process your inheritance. I’ll prepare everything for the wedding too. The Jones family wants things done quickly.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Okay.”

Not a word more. Not even a sigh.

But deep inside… my heart ached. Not because I was going to marry a man I didn’t know. Not even because he was blind.

But because my own father was more than willing to send me off to marry a stranger—just to spare his precious Hayley from doing it.

Hayley. His illegitimate daughter.

The girl born from the affair that destroyed everything.

I was only eight when my world ended. My mother had received a letter—anonymous, unsigned—but the contents were enough to shatter her heart. My father had a mistress. And a child.

That night, my mom collapsed. The doctors said it was a heart attack brought on by stress and shock.

She never woke up.

And just like that, I was left alone.

From that day on, I watched Hayley slowly steal everything from me. One small thing at a time.

My father’s attention. His kindness. His praise.

The house that once echoed with my mother’s laughter turned cold. A museum of memories no one dared touch.

Then things got worse.

I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety and depression. My emotions became unpredictable. Unstable. And instead of helping me… my father saw me as a burden. A ticking time bomb he needed to manage.

So he hired someone to do it.

A personal nurse.

His name was Joseph.

I still remember the first day he walked in—warm smile, calm voice, eyes that didn’t judge me even when I couldn’t meet his.

He became the only person who stayed. Who listened. Who made me feel… human.

He brought me tea when I couldn’t sleep. Sat beside me when I couldn’t breathe. Never asked for anything in return.

And somewhere along the way, I started to fall for him.

Hard.

I used to dream about what it would be like to marry someone like him. To have him hold me without it being part of a job. To have his love—for real.

But dreams are for fools.

Because just this morning, my father delivered the final blow.

“Oh, one more thing,” he said, almost casually. “After the wedding, I’ll be assigning Joseph to Hayley instead. She needs him more.”

My fingers curled into fists. “What? Joseph’s been with me for two years. He’s mine.”

“You won’t need him after you’re married,” he said coldly. “And Hayley specifically requested him. Don’t be selfish.”

Of course she did.

What Hayley wants, Hayley gets.

“Fine,” I muttered, swallowing the scream in my throat. “Give her everything. She’s the favorite anyway.”

Then I ended the call.

No goodbye. No thank you. Just… ended it.

I sank into the couch, my hands trembling. My eyes found the photo frame on the table—me and Joseph at last year’s holiday party. He had his arm around me. I looked… happy.

Stupid.

I closed my eyes, trying not to cry. But all I could think about was that night.

The night everything crumbled.

I had gone looking for Joseph in the garden. I wanted to give him a gift—something small, a hand-knit scarf I made during therapy. But before I could call out, I heard voices.

Low. Urgent.

Joseph… and his butler.

“But Mr. Wilson,” the man whispered, “you’re the heir to the Wilson Group. You need to stop playing nurse and come back.”

“I’m not ready yet,” Joseph replied. “Hayley needs me.”

My breath hitched.

“She’s the reason I took nursing in the first place. I only accepted this job to get close to her. I don’t want to scare her by revealing who I am. Not yet.”

The butler hesitated. “And Miss Addison?”

There was a pause.

Then Joseph said coldly, “She seems to like me. I’m using that to my advantage. That’s all. If she falls for me, it’s none of my business.”

The world tilted. Everything I thought I knew—everything I trusted—shattered in an instant.

He never cared. He never saw me.

I was a stepping stone. A tool.

And now, I was willingly walking into a loveless marriage… just to get away.

I sighed and stood up. A few more days. Just a few more days and I’d be gone from this house—this prison.

Just then, I heard something from the end of the hallway.

A soft melody. Gentle. Familiar.

It was Joseph.

Singing.

I crept closer, drawn like a moth to the flame.

The door was slightly ajar. I peeked through the gap.

Joseph was sitting beside Hayley’s bed, stroking her hair, singing a lullaby with a voice he’d sworn to me he didn’t have.

I remembered the night I begged him to sing for me during a panic attack.

“I’m tone-deaf,” he said with a sheepish smile. “You’ll regret it.”

Liar.

Hayley had said she liked good singers.

Of course he sang for her.

Then—he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Tender. Soft.

“I love you so much,” he whispered. “I’d do anything to be with you.”

And just like that… I died a little inside.

Chapter 2

“Joseph… would you accompany me to the beach today?” I asked quietly, standing just by the doorway of the kitchen where he was organizing a tray of vitamins for Hayley.

His eyes barely flicked up. “I won’t be able to, Addison. I took the day off.”

I blinked. “But… I need someone to watch over me. In case something happens—”

“Then cancel it,” he said flatly, turning his back. “I’m not going. I have an errand.”

Before I could say another word, he walked past me and out the door.

Just like that.

The silence he left behind felt heavier than it should’ve.

I stood there for a full minute before I finally breathed. I had nothing to say—because deep down, I already knew.

The Joseph I had first known—the one who would drop everything to be by my side, who once drove across town just to bring me a specific brand of calming tea because I said I liked it—he didn’t exist anymore.

Or maybe he never did.

Of course. How could I forget?

I was just a stepping stone.

A means to get closer to her.

Hayley.

It was even my fault.

I was the one who introduced them in the first place.

Hayley had said she was sick—weak, dizzy, that her world spun too fast sometimes. “I wish I had someone like Joseph,” she’d sighed once.

And I… like a fool, like a sister, said, “Then I’ll ask Father to assign him to you part-time.”

I should’ve known better. But I didn’t.

Now I do.

I sighed and went back to my room, chest already tightening.

The walls felt too close today. The windows too small.

My hands started to shake, a familiar buzzing panic crawling under my skin.

I stumbled toward the drawer where I kept my medicine, fumbling with the lid. But my vision blurred, and my fingers wouldn’t cooperate. “I—someone—please…” I called out weakly, clutching my chest.

A maid rushed in.

“Miss Addison—breathe slowly. Here, let me.”

She grabbed the small pill bottle and gently guided it to my lips. I swallowed hard and leaned back against the headboard, still trembling.

I closed my eyes, trying to center myself. “Where’s Joseph?” I asked.

The maid hesitated. “He went out… with Miss Hayley.”

I scoffed. “With Hayley?” My voice cracked on the name. “Where?”

“Umm… amusement park.”

I laughed bitterly.

Of course. What better place for a happy little day date?

So much for that "errand."

I didn’t say anything more. I dismissed the maid and curled under my blanket, pulling it over my head. I didn’t cry. I couldn’t even cry anymore. I just… slept.

Or tried to.

When I woke up, it was dark. My phone buzzed. A notification.

I opened Instagram and immediately regretted it.

There they were.

Hayley and Joseph. Matching headbands. Cotton candy. Hayley holding a plush bear with a big, exaggerated grin on her face. Joseph smiling in the background. His hand casually resting on her shoulder.

My heart ached. My chest felt like it had been carved open and someone was pouring salt directly into the wound.

I pushed the phone aside, forcing myself to get up. I needed food. Water. Something to anchor me. I made my way to the kitchen, feet dragging across the tiles, when I heard the front door swing open.

Laughter. Hayley’s. She walked in like a breeze of sunshine, still wearing the ridiculous headband with bunny ears. She carried a small paper bag in her hand and beamed when she saw me.

“Addie!” she chirped, skipping over. “I got you something! You didn’t get to come with us so I thought… you’d like this.”

She reached out to hand me the bag.

I stared at it for a second. Then I grabbed it. And threw it across the kitchen.

“I don’t need your pity,” I said coldly.

The bag hit the cabinet with a soft thud, the contents spilling onto the floor—a cute sand globe with “Ocean World” engraved on it.

Hayley’s smile froze.

Then Joseph stormed in.

“What is your problem, Addison?” he barked. “She was being nice! You’re being irrational. She just wanted to be close to you!”

Instead of arguing, I just walked away. I was tired.

Behind me, I heard her.

“I don’t understand…” Hayley’s voice cracked. “Why does she hate me so much? I’m trying my best.”

“It’s okay,” Joseph murmured. “Don’t mind her. If she doesn’t like you, I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.”

I laughed softly to myself.

A hollow, bitter sound. I felt overwhelmed. Like I couldn’t breathe in that house anymore. Like it was slowly closing in on me, inch by inch.

So I grabbed my phone and called for the driver.

He arrived ten minutes later. I was about to step into the car when Joseph’s voice called out from behind me.

“Where are you going?”

I didn’t look at him. “I’m going to the beach,” I said. “Alone.”

Then I stepped in and shut the door.

Just before the car pulled away, I heard a voice inside—Hayley’s.

“Let’s follow her. I’m worried. Even if she hates me… I still love her.”

It was a lie. She didn’t love me. She just likes winning.

Chapter 3

The salty breeze stung my skin as I stepped onto the sand, barefoot and alone. The moon hung low in the sky, trailing silver ribbons across the dark ocean. I didn’t come for the view—I came to escape. To forget.

A neon glow pulsed from the beach bar nearby, music thumping low like a heartbeat calling lost souls to dance. I walked in.

The place was alive—laughing voices, the scent of grilled food and coconut liquor, strangers locked in slow, sticky heat. I slipped into the crowd like a ghost.

I didn’t want to think. Not about Joseph. Not about Hayley. Not about the wedding my father was rushing like I was nothing more than an inconvenient item on his to-do list.

I didn’t want to feel. So I danced.

Hands in the air, hair whipping in the wind, I let the music drown my thoughts. The tequila burned down my throat, numbing the ache in my chest. I laughed when someone twirled me. Smiled when a stranger grabbed my body and pulled me closer.

I flirted. Light, reckless. Like a girl trying to outrun her own shadow.

But no matter how fast I moved, I couldn’t shake it.

Out of the corner of my eye… I saw him.

Joseph. My heart stopped. My feet did too.

He stood at the edge of the crowd—like he’d been looking for me. For a split second, I thought he’d come for me.

But then Hayley stepped out from behind him.

Wearing a sundress. Laughing like she hadn’t destroyed me.

Joseph took her hand and they danced.

He pulled her close and spun her like he meant it. And I realized… I was never the destination.

I was just the excuse. They didn’t follow me out of worry.

They followed me for the ambiance. They wanted a romantic backdrop.

And I… I was nothing more than a shadow again.

I clenched my fists and threw my head back, pretending to laugh at something a stranger said. The music pounded louder, faster. I moved harder, spinning in place, trying to fling off the sting clinging to my ribs.

I danced like I was happy.

Like I wasn’t cracking.

But the ache… it burned.

And then—

Rough hands wrapped around my body.

An older man, grinning with liquor-stained teeth, pulled me close and whispered something filthy against my ear.

“Hey, sweetheart. You look like you need a real man tonight.”

Before I could react, his lips slammed onto mine.

I froze. Then shoved him back, breath hitching.

“Don’t touch me!”

He laughed and caught my wrist. “Come on, baby. Don’t play hard to get.”

“I said let go!”

I struggled, panic rising as his grip tightened, nails digging into my skin. I looked around—no one seemed to notice.

“Help!” I shouted, twisting in his arms.

I searched the crowd wildly—until my eyes landed on Joseph.

He had seen me. I could tell by the way his smile vanished, his eyes locked onto mine.

He was coming.

Finally.

But then— Hayley slipped.

A sharp, piercing cry split through the air.

Joseph turned in panic.

“Hayley!”

She lay on the sand, clutching her ankle, her face twisted in pain. “Joseph—it hurts—I think I broke it—!”

And just like that… He forgot me.

I reached for him, lips trembling. “Joseph—please—help me—”

But he was already kneeling beside her, shouting for someone to call a medic.

And me?

The man yanked me back violently. “You little tease—”

Then—crash. A beer bottle smashed against the side of my head.

Chapter 4

When I woke up, the lights above me were too white. The room was sterile and quiet, save for the soft hum of machines. A dull ache throbbed at the side of my head—like something had cracked open.

“Miss?” a nurse stepped in, surprised. “Oh—thank God. You’re awake.”

I tried to sit up, but pain pulsed through my skull. I winced and fell back against the pillow.

“Careful,” she said gently, walking over. “You got stitches. A lot of them. We weren’t sure you’d make it at first… The bottle hit you hard. You’ve been unconscious for two days.”

My throat was dry. I croaked out, “Has anyone… come to see me?”

The nurse hesitated. “Well… only one person.”

My heart stupidly fluttered. “Joseph?”

“Yes. He was the one who asked us to take care of you. But… he didn’t stay long. Said he had to tend to someone else. A fractured ankle.”

My jaw clenched. “Hayley?”

She nodded. “She’s in the room next door.”

Of course.

I was lying in a hospital bed, head stitched up like a broken doll, and Joseph—my personal nurse—was in the next room, playing knight-in-shining-armor for my half-sister.

Again.

I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t have the strength.

The nurse left, giving me a sympathetic glance. The next few days passed in silence.

No visitors. No flowers. No Joseph. Just the occasional nurse checking my vitals, feeding me bland soup, changing my bandages. And every time someone opened my door, I stupidly hoped it was him.

It never was. Once, I heard two nurses whispering outside my room.

“They’re such a sweet pair, aren’t they? Joseph and that Hayley girl.”

“She’s so lucky. He’s good-looking and loyal. Can you believe he never left her side and make sure she’ll get everything needed?”

“Must be love.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. The burn behind my lids was sharp, bitter.

On the fourth day, I couldn’t take it anymore. Even though I knew it would hurt—especially because it would hurt—I got out of bed and shuffled down the hallway.

I stopped in front of Hayley’s room. The door was slightly open.

Inside, she was surrounded by balloons, gift bags, and little boxes tied with golden ribbons.

She was laughing. “Oh my God, Joseph—I don’t even know how, but the Young Master Wilson favors me now!”

My stomach twisted.

“Why do you think that is?” she asked him with a playful grin.

Joseph chuckled, brushing her hair back. “Because you’re amazing, that’s why.”

“Do you think he’ll really like me even though he hasn’t seen me in person?”

“Of course,” Joseph said. “If you say the word, he’d probably do anything for you.”

Hayley yelled out. “Then I want him to name a star after me!”

Joseph smiled, eyes soft. “He’d do it. He can even bring you the whole universe if you wanted.”

I let out a quiet laugh. Not the happy kind. The kind that tastes like metal on the lips. The truth was, those gifts weren’t from some mysterious Young Master Wilson. They were from Joseph himself. I knew it. I’d always known.

He was the heir. He was hiding behind a nurse’s uniform to stay close to her.

And now, he was selling stars for her smile.

I turned to leave, heart hollow. But his voice stopped me.

“Addison?”

I turned back slowly.

His brows were furrowed, but his voice was neutral. “Where are you going?”

“Home,” I said.

He nodded. “Alright. Take care. I’ll be staying here a few more days. Hayley still needs me.”

Of course she does.

So that was it.

He took a day off when I needed him—for Hayley.

I didn’t respond. I didn’t want to. Behind him, Hayley sat up on the bed. “Addie, are you okay? I wanted to visit but I—”

I walked away before she could finish.

Back at home, everything felt too quiet. I slept the entire day. I didn’t eat. Didn’t speak. Just wrapped myself in blankets and tried to ignore the world.

By evening, I heard laughter coming from the hallway.

I pushed the door open and stepped out. Hayley’s voice carried down the corridor.

“Oh my God! Look! He actually did it! He named a star after me!”

She giggled, the sound high and bright. “Young Master Wilson really went above and beyond! This certificate looks so real! I can’t believe it!”

Then—

Crash.

A vase shattered.

I ran. The living room was littered with porcelain fragments.

The one thing left of my mother—her favorite vase—lay in pieces on the floor.

Hayley stood frozen, guilt flashing in her eyes.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Addie. I didn’t mean—”

Something inside me snapped.

I walked up to her, raised my hand and slapped her. “You nuisance! You’re ruining everything!”

Chapter 5

I sat on the floor, hands trembling as I tried to piece together the broken remains of my mother’s vase.

Shard by shard, I pressed them into place, even though the edges cut my fingers. It was useless—I knew that—but it felt like if I could just fix this one thing, maybe… maybe I wouldn’t feel like I was unraveling.

The door to my room was locked from the outside. Father’s punishment.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” he’d said. “Slapping your sister like that—for a darn vase.”

“She didn’t mean it,” he added coldly. “Hayley would never.”

But I knew better.

Hayley meant everything. Just like she always had.

Every time I glued a piece back, it cracked again. Just like me.

A soft knock tapped against the door. It creaked open, and I didn’t even look up. I knew her steps. Knew that sugary voice.

“Do you want me to help you?” Hayley asked.

“Get out,” I said flatly, not turning to face her.

She giggled, walking farther into the room. “Come on, Addie. Don’t be so dramatic. That vase? It was just a piece of useless junk from your dead mother.”

My fingers stopped moving.

“What did you say?” I whispered.

“You heard me,” she said sweetly, crouching next to me. “She’s gone, Addison. Just like your relevance. You’re nothing now. Our father is marrying you off to some blind man like you’re an expired loaf of bread. Meanwhile, I’m the one catching the eye of Young Master Wilson. Do you know what kind of future that is?”

I stared at her. She smiled wider.

“I’ll be rich. Worshipped. Loved. And you? You’ll be in some dim house guiding a blind husband through dinner because no one else would take you.”

I wanted to scream. Curse. Shove her out of the room.

But I didn’t. I stayed quiet.

That made her furious. And that’s when she moved.

She spun, inhaling sharply dramatically and knocking her own arm into a pile of porcelain shards. Then she screamed.

“Help! Addison pushed me!”

I barely blinked before the door burst open. Joseph.

He ran straight to her, ignoring the blood on my hands, the glass embedded in my skin.

“She pushed me!” Hayley cried, holding her arm. “She tried to hurt me!”

My vision blurred. My chest tightened—too fast—too tight.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn’t breathe. I gripped my chest and inhaled sharply.

Joseph looked at me—hesitated—but then scooped Hayley into his arms.

“Stay with her!” he barked at a maid. “Hayley’s bleeding!”

And then he was gone. Leaving me curled on the floor, clawing for air, dragging my body toward the table, desperate to reach my meds.

When I finally got the bottle open, my hands were shaking too hard to even hold the pills. One rolled onto the floor. I chased it. I swallowed it dry.

I lay there for minutes. That was it.

That was the last straw. I was done.

The next morning, I called the bridal boutique. I told them I needed to finalize the gown.

That same afternoon, I stood in front of the mirror in the fitting room, white silk hugging my bruised body. I barely recognized myself. Pale skin. Hollow eyes. A woman with nothing left to lose.

As I stepped outside, I barely made it three feet before someone grabbed me.

Rough hands. A black van.

I kicked and screamed, but the world spun too fast—and before I could cry out again, something hit the back of my head.

I woke up in a warehouse.

Dim lights. Dust floating like ghosts in the air.

And pain. A hand struck me across the face. Then again.

And again. A hundred times. A thousand.

My lips bled. My ears rang.

My ribs ached with each breath.

“Why?” I croaked. “What did I do?”

A voice sneered, “This is punishment from Young Master Wilson. For hurting someone precious to him—Hayley.”

And just like that… I shattered again.

They left me there. Bloody. Bruised. Barely breathing.

I dragged myself out.

Somehow made it to the road. Somehow got a taxi. Somehow arrived at the hospital.

And no one—not Joseph, not Father, not anyone—came to check on me.

For days, I lay there in silence, every inch of my body covered in bruises.

When I finally returned home, it was Hayley’s birthday.

The house was full of laughter, music, the clink of wine glasses. Balloons danced along the staircase, a long banner reading Happy Birthday, Our Dearest Hayley! stretched across the walls.

No one noticed me slip through the door.

Not even Father.

Not even Joseph.

I walked upstairs, step by step, until I reached my room. I opened my closet. And started packing.

My suitcase creaked as I zipped it shut.

Then—just as I reached for the door—I heard a voice.

Joseph. He was on the phone just outside, in the hallway.

“Yes… I want you to deliver all the gifts to her,” he said softly. “And make sure they’re the best. I want the best for the woman I love.”

He chuckled.

“Everything I do is for her. Soon, I’ll tell her my identity and then abandon Addison. She’s nothing to me now.”

Chapter 6

I scoffed bitterly. They didn’t even need to do it. I was already ahead of them.

I would never give them the chance to abandon me again. Because I was going to leave first. I was going to take everything that remained of myself and walk away before they could tear it apart like they always did.

I sat quietly in my room, surrounded by half-packed bags and broken dreams. The faint sounds of celebration echoed through the halls—balloons popping, people laughing, clinking glasses and cheerful music. The smell of birthday cake drifted in like mockery.

I heard Father’s voice through the floorboards. Loud, proud, full of joy I had never seen directed at me.

“I am so proud of my beautiful daughter Hayley,” he said. “She’s the light of our family, and I thank God for her every day.”

I imagined the camera lights blinking as he posed beside her. Another photo without me. Another reminder that I never belonged.

Tears slid silently down my cheeks. I curled into my bed and let the ache consume me. No one knocked on my door. No one remembered I was upstairs, bruised and healing. They were too busy bathing Hayley in love.

I thought of going out to check what was happening even though I knew it would break me more. But as I made my way down, I heard Hayley with her friends.

“Joseph seems so into you,” one of the girls said. “He’s always by your side. Like… obsessed.”

Another giggled. “Do you like him? I mean, I would.”

Hayley didn’t answer immediately. Then I heard her laugh—soft, amused.

“I do,” she said.

My heart clenched—until she added, “But come on. I’d never marry a lowly personal nurse when I’m about to be the wife of Young Master Wilson.”

The room erupted in laughter.

I stood there for a moment, expression unreadable. Then I turned on my heel, went back to my room, and shut the door without a sound. Why did I even bother going out?

Then my phone vibrated.

I wiped at my eyes, barely glancing at the screen—until I saw the sender.

From: Legal Estate Services

Ms. Addison Miller—this is to inform you that your inheritance, including the Miller estate and the full monetary trust, has now been officially processed and transferred under your name as arranged. Documents to follow.

I blinked. The world stilled.

For a long moment, I didn’t breathe. I didn’t move.

Then I smiled. A slow, hollow, triumphant smile. He thought he was punishing me by marrying me off to someone I didn’t know. But all he had done was give me freedom.

Quietly, I started packing.

By morning, I was ready. I dragged my suitcase through the halls while the staff bustled around, still cleaning up from last night’s party. No one noticed me—no one ever really did.

Until him.

“Addison?”

Joseph’s voice cut through the stillness like a blade. I paused at the top of the stairs, my grip tightening on the suitcase handle.

He was standing at the bottom, frowning, a hint of alarm flashing in his eyes. “Where are you going?”

I didn’t stop walking.

“Just a trip.”

“A trip?” He started moving toward me, his steps quickening. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’ll pack my things. We can go together.”

“No need.” My voice was quiet, detached, as I reached for the door. “I’m already packed.”

He looked confused, like someone just waking from a dream. “But… you always wanted me with you. You used to say you couldn’t go anywhere without me.”

I turned to him slowly, facing him one last time.

There was no bitterness in my voice—just truth. Cold and clean.

“I don't need you anymore. I can handle myself.”

Joseph froze, as if the words struck him physically. His eyes searched mine, as if he could find something behind them—doubt, maybe. Hesitation. Anything that would let him hope.

But I gave him nothing.

“Stay here, Joseph,” I said, final and firm. “Hayley needs you. You’ve always chosen her anyway, so feel free to take care of her from now on."

His lips parted, his mouth forming words he couldn’t say. His throat worked around a response that never came. I saw it—the flicker of panic.

"Wait, let me know where you're going."

"Just buy Hayley some blueberry cheesecake because she's craving, then I'll text you my location after," I lied.

I turned, walked out the door, and left him standing there.

The black car was already waiting by the gate.

I climbed inside, silent. Through the window, I caught one last glimpse of him—still standing in the doorway, unmoving, eyes dark with something too heavy to name.

But it was too late for him to feel anything now.

With every mile we put behind us, I felt a little less haunted.

Until I reached for my phone.

“Stop the car,” I said.

We pulled up beside a quiet river. I stepped out, walked to the edge, held the phone in my hand for one last moment..

And then…

I threw it in the river.