Right after walking out of Lorelei's place, I tried calling Jenifer.
The line was busy. I tried again. Still busy.
This had never happened before.
Since we'd first met, no matter the hour—whether it was the middle of the night or early morning—whenever I reached out, she'd pick up instantly.
I'd never thought much of it.
I'd grown accustomed to her constant availability. Whenever I turned around, she was just there.
So when that robotic voice kept repeating the same message, I felt my jaw clench, an uncomfortable feeling gnawing at me. I ended the call and dialed Romano instead. He answered right away.
The kid should be sleeping by now.
After a pause, Romano's drowsy voice came through. "Dad?"
I stepped into my car and turned the key.
While the engine warmed up, I said, "Go check on your mom. See if she's sleeping."
Romano whined a bit. "Do I have to?"
My tone sharpened. "Romano."
Romano knew better than to argue when I used that voice, so he grudgingly climbed out of bed and shuffled toward the door. "Why wouldn't Mommy be home? She never goes anywhere."
Even at his age, Romano got it. His mom wasn't like Lorelei.
No friends, no job, and aside from looking after him daily, she was too unmotivated to even take him outside to play.
He grumbled as he went to rap on Jenifer's door.
He knocked several times but got nothing back.
Without much concern, he yawned sleepily and reported, "Mommy's already sleeping."
Sleeping?
How was that possible? The payment alert had come through just moments earlier.
How could she be asleep that fast?
My unease deepened. I gripped the wheel harder, my forehead creasing.
"Romano, actually go inside and look."
Hearing the edge in my voice, Romano reluctantly pushed open the door.
I knew he disliked his mom's room. He'd complained before that the drawn curtains made it dark and spooky. There was always this stale, bitter smell—nothing like Lorelei's sweet perfume.
Romano shuffled across the floor in his slippers, the sound echoing softly.
He called out, "Mommy?"
No answer.
He made a face, stretched up to flip the light switch, and called louder, "Mommy!"
Light flooded the space.
The room was bare, devoid of any personal touches, with depressing charcoal-gray bedding that made it feel like some old hag's cave.
Romano wrinkled his nose and stayed near the entrance.
Spotting a slight bump under the covers, he quickly spun around and left, leaving the door ajar behind him. "Mommy's definitely sleeping. I yelled at her a bunch of times, but she didn't wake up."
"Dad, I'm really sleepy," he complained, his voice carrying both fatigue and that whiny tone kids get.
Though I still had doubts, hearing Romano's confident report, I reluctantly bought it. After telling Romano to get back to bed, I hung up.
Winter darkness fell early.
It was only around seven or eight, but the sky had gone completely black. The streets were nearly empty, with soft snow drifting down from above. With New Year's coming up, storefronts displayed twinkling lights and festive banners.
I drove one-handed, still scowling as I glanced at the payment notification once more.
Maybe it was just some online shopping?
But what could Jenifer possibly buy for 150 thousand dollars?
I wanted to speculate, but then it hit me how little I actually knew about her. I couldn't even say what she enjoyed or where she typically went. The realization irritated me.
I furrowed my brow and dialed another number.
"I need you to look into something," I said.
---
**Jenifer's POV**
I rarely slept well.
My eyes fluttered open, vision hazy at first, and I spotted someone sitting near the window. I bolted upright, clutching the blanket around me defensively. "Who's there?!"
The figure answered, "It's me. Since when did you get so jumpy?"
"Natalia?" My eyes went wide with disbelief.
Natalia rose and slowly faced me.
She wore a soft, powder-blue dress paired with an understated yet sophisticated necklace. The afternoon sunlight poured through the window, bathing her in warm golden light, giving her an almost celestial quality—pure and luminous.
Exactly like when we first met.
Looking at that beloved face, I felt my throat tighten. My eyes started to shake, brimming with all the pain and resentment I'd been carrying.
When my husband and son had turned to another woman, I hadn't shed a tear.
When I'd endured the miscarriage by myself, I hadn't cried.
But right now, all I wanted was to break down.
The tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over.
I sniffled, whispering, "Natalia..."
"My sweet girl," Natalia approached and gently wrapped a coat around my shoulders, murmuring, "I'm here."
"I'm here..."
I could barely recall the last time anyone had said those words to me. Back then, to marry Reed, I'd cruelly severed all family connections, staying away for years without returning once.
Now, the family who had cherished me stood right in front of me.
How could I not feel heartbroken, not want to weep?
I suddenly collapsed into Natalia's embrace and wailed, as if trying to cry out every injustice from these past years.
I'd been such a fool, deceived by my own emotions, convinced that Reed was my soulmate, that our future would be filled with joy. But in all this time, he'd wounded me so profoundly.
I cried with complete devastation.
Natalia remained quiet, simply holding me close, gently rubbing my back.
After what felt like ages of sobbing, I finally wiped my face, feeling mortified.
My eyes were puffy and red as I asked, "Natalia, how did you find me here?"
I definitely hadn't told anyone my location.
Natalia arched an eyebrow, a touch of smugness in her expression. "You honestly think the Zach family has been idle all these years?"
Currently, Oakwood's influence was divided between three families—the Gould, the Hall, and the Zach. And Oakwood's entire underground intelligence system was run by my older brother. When the Zach family wanted information, nothing stayed hidden.
I dropped my gaze and smiled bitterly. "I nearly forgot I'm still a Zach."
For years, I'd concealed my real identity to marry Reed. I'd forced myself to abandon the pampered lifestyle I'd known. I'd borne his child, managed his household, and mastered cooking and cleaning—tasks I'd never imagined I'd need to learn.
Suddenly, memories of my former life came rushing back, leaving me feeling disoriented.
How had I actually spent all those years?
Trapped with two cold, ungrateful people, constantly working for so long.
Natalia exhaled deeply and sat next to me, taking my hand. "Who hasn't fallen for a worthless guy when they were young? Jenifer, your parents have been waiting for your return. But you... you've been so headstrong, staying away for years without even coming home for holidays."
Feeling the warmth of Natalia's touch, I felt a sharp ache in my chest. "How could I possibly show my face at home?"
Back then, my family had been so devastated they nearly collapsed. But I still left with Reed anyway, never looking back. I'd made such a terrible mistake—how could I possibly find the nerve to go back?