Had he even thought about their daughter? Had he decided to throw her out of his life with empty hands too, just like Nina? What was going on in his head?
And that traitor Vivian… So much for trusting the woman she’d let into her life.
CHAPTER 5
Nina walked out of the bank. Her ears were still ringing, and a deadening emptiness settled in her chest.
She knew she was supposed to feel anger, rage, fury, but inside there was only numbness.
She got into the car but didn’t touch the steering wheel. One second passed. Then two. Then ten. She just sat there, staring at one point, trying to understand what she was supposed to do next.
She knew she couldn’t go home right now. She wasn’t ready to see him. She couldn’t look Frank in the eyes, couldn’t sit at the same table with him pretending she didn’t know anything. She needed time.
Nina quickly typed a message:
“Frank, I went to see Daphne. I haven’t seen her in two weeks and want to see her. Don’t wait up for me tonight.”
Sent.
He’d believe it. She really was insanely attached to her daughter, and she still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that Daphne had been living in another city for three months now.
The reply came almost immediately:
“Okay. Give her my love.”
Nina let out a short, bitter huff.
Now came the hardest part.
She dialed her daughter’s number and lifted the phone to her ear. Her heart was pounding as if she were about to do something terrible.
“Mom, hi!” Daphne answered right away. There was so much lightness in her voice that something inside Nina seized painfully. Her daughter had no idea what was happening in their family right now. And Nina desperately wanted her to stay in that blissful ignorance for as long as possible. Daphne was all she had left.
Nina forced a smile into her voice, trying to sound casual.
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you? How’s college?”
“Oh, Mom, don’t even ask. Studying for my first finals is killing me,” Daphne laughed, and Nina’s throat tightened.
Her daughter was there, in another city, living her own life, thinking everything was fine with her parents. And Nina’s world was crumbling piece by piece.
“You’ll get through it,” Nina said, trying to sound upbeat.“You’re smart.”
“Thanks,” Daphne yawned.“So why’d you call?”
Nina swallowed, struggling not to let her voice betray how bad she felt.
“I just wanted to hear you.”
“That’s sweet. But strange. Did something happen?”
“No, no,” Nina answered quickly.“Listen, I’ve got a favor to ask. If Dad calls, let’s say I’m with you.”
A short pause followed on the other end.
“Uh… why?” Daphne asked in confusion.
“I want to surprise him,” Nina lied, praying her daughter wouldn’t sense thehollow ring.
