The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 98: Starting Over

Chapter 98: Starting Over

Margaret didn’t wait for Claire to wake up from her nap. She said goodbye to Cassidy, Clara, and Zeke, explaining that she had another appointment later that afternoon.

Once she left, the house felt quieter.

Zeke sat alone on one of the outdoor couches in the backyard, his eyes fixed on the pool but his thoughts were elsewhere.

A moment later, Cassidy stepped outside. She paused, then walked over.

"Can I sit here?" she asked softly.

Zeke looked up. "Of course."

Cassidy sat on the lounge chair next to his.

After a beat, she said, "Margaret must’ve been really shocked."

Zeke turned slightly to her. "Yeah."

He didn’t elaborate, but the weight in his voice was clear.

Cassidy glanced at him, then the pool. The breeze rustled the trees gently, and for a while, neither of them said anything.

"She didn’t blame me," she said quietly, almost like she was still processing it. "I thought she would. But she didn’t."

Zeke’s tone softened. "She was surprised. But not angry."

Cassidy let out a slow breath. "That surprised me."

Zeke gave a small nod. "Me too."

Another pause. The sound of birds in the distance filled the space between them.

Zeke glanced sideways at Cassidy, his tone gentle. "So... now that Claire’s doing better, are you planning to let her go back to preschool?"

Cassidy gave a small smile and nodded. "Yes. She might start next week. She’s been asking about her friends almost every day. She misses it a lot."

Zeke leaned back slightly, watching the wind ripple across the water. "And her stitches? When can they come off?"

Cassidy turned toward him. "Probably next week too. It’s been almost two weeks now. The wound’s healing well, it’s already starting to dry."

Zeke nodded slowly. "That’s good to hear."

After a moment, Zeke asked, "And... how’s Teresa? Is she doing any better?"

Cassidy nodded. "Yeah. She’s doing much better now. But she’s still going through rehab."

Zeke gave another small nod, his voice quiet. "I’m glad to hear that."

Zeke let out a soft breath, eyes still on the pool. "You know... I still can’t believe I’m a father."

Cassidy gave a faint smile. "Yeah. Me neither."

He glanced at her. "It must’ve been hard... raising her on your own."

Cassidy shook her head gently. "Not really. Claire’s always been an easy child. She doesn’t ask for much. She rarely throws tantrums."

Zeke’s lips curved slightly. "She’s like me when I was little. That’s what Grandma Elise used to say. I was a quiet kid too."

Cassidy turned to him with a curious smile. "Really?"

Zeke nodded. "Yeah. She said I used to sit for hours just building things or staring out windows. I never cried much. Not even when I got hurt."

Cassidy chuckled. "That explains a lot."

Zeke blinked, then turned to her. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Cassidy glanced at him with a small smile. "Honestly? You’re still the quiet type, even now."

Zeke gave a soft chuckle and nodded. "Fair enough." He paused for a moment. "What about you? Were you the cheerful, noisy kid growing up?"

Cassidy shook her head. "No. I was just like you. And Claire."

Zeke nodded again, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I guess she really got the quiet gene, huh?"

Cassidy smiled gently. "Yeah. Maybe it runs in the family after all."

Cassidy hesitated, then spoke softly. "I know it’s really late to ask this, but.. how have you been, Zeke?"

Zeke’s expression changed. His face grew more serious, and his eyes didn’t quite meet hers right away. After a pause, he said quietly, "I’m fine. Nothing to worry about."

Cassidy let out a slow breath. "I know I’ve already apologized, but... I want to say it again. I didn’t think about how you felt. Or what you were going through. I’m truly sorry. "

Zeke didn’t say anything.

He didn’t nod, didn’t offer reassurance.

He just sat there, silent.

Cassidy glanced at him, then looked away, her hands folded on her lap.

Cassidy took a slow breath. Her voice was soft.

"Leaving you, divorcing you, it was the first time I ever did something against my father’s wishes."

She looked away, her eyes distant. "My whole life, everything was planned. Since I was little, my future was already decided. I was just a way to grow my family’s power and money. What I wanted didn’t matter. What I felt didn’t matter."

Zeke said nothing. He stayed quiet. Just listening. No anger. No reaction. His face calm, but unreadable.

She let out a shaky breath. "I couldn’t breathe."

Her fingers tightened slightly on her lap. "And when I saw you with Arielle... I lost it. I kept thinking... why should I stay in a marriage with no love? With a husband who felt like a stranger? I felt trapped. I thought, why do I always have to give up what I want? Why is it always me who has to suffer?"

Zeke let out a long breath, his gaze fixed on Cassidy.

Cassidy didn’t look at him. She just needed to speak.

"I have feelings too," Cassidy said quietly. "I have dreams too. I wanted to live my life... without restraints. Without rules."

She paused, her voice catching slightly.

"So when I found out I was pregnant... and I saw you move on too, I left. I ran away from everything that made it hard to breathe."

Her eyes stayed down, focused on her hands.

"I know it sounds selfish. And it was. I know there were probably better ways to handle it. Better choices."

She lifted her head and met Zeke’s gaze, her voice softer.

"But all I wanted was to live a life where no one knew who I really was. Not my name. Not my family. Nothing. I just wanted a life that I chose. Not one that was chosen for me."

Zeke let out a heavy breath, his expression softening.

"I’m sorry you felt that way," he said quietly. "I didn’t know... that you were going through all that."

His voice was calm, but there was weight behind it, regret, maybe. Or understanding.

He looked down for a second, then back at her. Zeke said softly "What if we tried again? This time, just as two people getting to know each other. No pressure. No deals. Just... friendship. If you want to."

Cassidy gave a small smile. "Okay. That sounds like a good idea. We can do it."

Zeke smiled and reached out his hand.

"Hi. Ezekiel Salvador."

Cassidy shook it, smiling back. "Hey, I’m Cassidy. Nice to meet you."

They shared a small, knowing smile, then laughed.

Cassidy glanced at him and asked with a chuckle,

"Are we being too childish right now?"

Zeke smirked and nodded slightly. "Yeah. It’s totally childish... but kind of nice, isn’t it?"

***