Chapter 7
That same day, after dropping off the divorce papers, I rushed home.
But little Elara, not recognizing the familiar scent of me, had cried until her face was red and her
voice hoarse.
My heart clenched painfully. I didn’t even take off my coat–I rushed to sit down and pull her to my
chest, nursing her immediately.
Her warm body pressed against mine, her tiny breath brushing against my skin–and that’s when I couldn’t hold back anymore. My tears began falling silently, drop after drop.
“I’m sorry, Elara. I’m so sorry that you were born without a father. But I promise, Mama will give you all her love. Every last bit of it.”
From that moment on, I stopped seeking any updates about Erik.
But the news still came.
He developed sepsis, was admitted to the ICU, and was at risk of amputation.
Victoria came by several times.
“Freya, please–I’m begging you. Just go to the hospital and see Erik. He’s been in and out of consciousness these days, and every time, he keeps whispering your name.”
“And Elara… can you bring her to see him? Just once. I swear, just for one second.”
I cruelly refused.
Not because I was heartless–but because Elara had caught a cold.
Hospitals are full of germs and viruses, and Erik had just returned from a chaotic region–who knows what pathogens he might have brought back? I couldn’t take that risk.
Not just because of that- even if he hadn’t gone abroad, even if it were just a regular infection, I still wouldn’t bring a one–month–old baby to the hospital.
Besides, if he hadn’t insisted on flying out to see his ex, he wouldn’t be in this condition.
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Chapter 7
Seeing me unshaken, Victoria became noticeably more haggard each time she came.
Her appearance did make me waver for a moment.
All I could do was hold her hand and softly comfort her: “He’s strong. He’ll make it through.”
In contrast, William was far less composed.
He came storming to my door multiple times, shouting, pounding, drawing a crowd of neighbors.
Each time, Elara–already unwell–would burst into terrified tears, vomiting milk until she was soaked.
Even Martha, the nanny who had been caring for me, couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed out to confront them.
“Have you people no shame? The baby’s this small and needs peace and quiet–and you come banging on the door every other day?”
“Your son ran off to another country to chase an ex, got himself injured, and now you’re forcing Freya to take the baby to see him? Keep dreaming.”
“You know, when I got the emergency call that night and rushed over, I saw her collapsed on the floor with amniotic fluid everywhere, white as a sheet and trembling. And not a soul around. I nearly called the police.”
“If she were my daughter, I swear I’d take an axe to you people.”
Hearing her stand up for me warmed my heart.
But I knew–this home was no longer livable.
After much thought, I went to the kitchen and said, “You mentioned before that you have a place in Montana, right? I’d like to go with Elara and stay there for a while. Don’t worry–I’ll pay rent.”
She froze, probably not expecting me to actually ask.
But she quickly nodded. “No need for rent. Just come with me. But… it’s out in the countryside. I’m afraid you might not be used to it…”
I gave a small, tired smile, tinged with resignation.
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Chapter 7
“That’s okay. The air is clean, and there are fewer people. Elara will rest more peacefully.”
She didn’t hesitate any further and agreed right away.
That very afternoon, we started packing. Early the next morning, with the baby and a few heavy suitcases, we left the bustling city by car.
Though Martha said rent wasn’t necessary, I still transferred her \$50,000 without
hesitation–enough to cover a year of rent and living expenses in Montana.
It was at that moment I truly appreciated why I’d insisted on financial independence all these years.
If I had depended on Erik even a little, I wouldn’t have been able to walk away so cleanly.
We were hauling our luggage downstairs to the underground garage. I was holding the doorknob with one hand and a suitcase in the other. As I opened the door, I saw Aria standing there.
She glanced at the things in my hands, her brows knitting slightly.
“Erik is still in the ICU, hanging on by a thread, and you’re thinking about moving out instead of staying to take care of him?”
