No to Marriage? Goodbye, Then

By noon the next day, Graham really came home with a cake.

Naomi's eyes lit up. She threw herself into his arms with a bright smile. "Daddy, you really got me a cake!"

Graham took her hand and said warmly, "Come on, let's go make a wish."

The scene in front of me was one I hadn't seen in a long time.

Seeing Naomi smile so happily, I couldn't help but smile too.

As long as my daughter was happy, so was I.

Naomi climbed onto the chair, bracing her little hands on the edge of the table, bouncing with excitement. "Mommy, hurry! Help me open the box!"

"Alright." I untied the ribbon and opened the box. The peach cake sat there, perfectly decorated.

But Naomi's smile faded, and so did mine.

Graham didn't notice. He grabbed the plastic knife and cut a piece, placing it on a plate. "Happy birthday, Naomi."

Naomi didn't reach for it. She looked at him disappointedly.

Graham blinked. "You don't like it?"

I clenched the ribbon in my hand, trying to hold back my anger. "Graham, she can't eat peaches. She's allergic. The one who likes peach cake is Emily."

Last year, Naomi had an allergic reaction after eating peaches. Graham had been the one to rush her to the hospital and stay by her side the entire night.

But now, he had completely forgotten.

Was it because Emily and Dean had a fight? Did he think he finally had a chance? Was that why he had only remembered Emily's preferences?

Graham froze, like the memory had finally hit him. His face shifted with a flicker of guilt.

"I'm sorry. I really forgot," he said apologetically.

He looked at Naomi and added, "Emily got alcohol poisoning last night. She's in the hospital. I need to go see her. I'll bring home a new cake tonight and we'll celebrate again, okay?"

It was Emily again!

I could take him brushing me off, but never my daughter.

I took a sharp breath, ready to finally say everything I'd been holding back.

But before I could speak, Naomi lowered her eyes and shook her head. "It's okay, Mr. Ashford. You should go take care of her."

Graham stiffened. "Mr. Ashford? Why are you calling me that?"

I smiled. "Isn't that what you wanted? Mr. Ashford, my daughter is only doing what you wished."

He looked torn, like he wanted to say something else. But in the end, all he said was, "I'll be back soon."

The front door slammed behind him, and the house fell silent again.

When I turned to Naomi, I saw that her eyes were reddened.

I wrapped her up in my arms, my heart aching. "Sweetheart, there's been a change with my job. We're going abroad together, okay?"

She choked back a sob and nodded.

I stroked her hair gently. "But we probably won't see Daddy again. Is that alright?"

Surprisingly, Naomi hugged me tighter. Her voice came out through tears. "I know. He wants to take care of Emily. He doesn't have time for me or you.

"I know he doesn't want us. But it's okay. You have me, and I have you. That's enough."

Something broke inside me. My eyes burned, my chest clenched so tightly I could barely breathe.

"Alright, sweetheart. Let's go."

Graham didn't want us. So, we didn't want him either.

I handed in my resignation and left the office. Then, I took Naomi's hand and headed straight to the airport.

...

Graham came home that evening with another cake in hand.

But when he stepped into the quiet, empty house, a wave of panic washed over him.

He quickly pulled out his phone to call me, but it went straight to voicemail. He tried again, but there was still no answer.

I never turned off my phone. Not once in the years we'd been together.

Graham felt uneasy, sensing that something wasn't right.

He quickly called his assistant, Adeline Hamilton. "Check for me. Is Nora still at the company?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Mr. Ashford, didn't you approve her resignation yourself? She turned in the letter this afternoon. She's been gone for hours. She is probably already out of Eastmoore."