Chapter 4

Before dawn, Cora was jolted awake by a sharp, stabbing pain in her lower back. Over the years, she'd spent countless days and nights hunched over her computer drafting designs, just to earn more money and speed up her return. Working 12 hours a day was the minimum, and all-nighters were routine. "You're so young, yet you have such severe back strain and a herniated disc." The doctor had held up her scans and sighed. She'd never brought it up to Axel for fear that he might worry, but today, she simply couldn't get out of bed. After some thought, she decided to call him. He was Nolan's dad, after all. "Hello?" a sweet female voice answered. Cora froze for a second before checking her screen to make sure she hadn't dialed the wrong number. "Who told you to answer my phone?" Axel's furious voice barked in the background, and Cora finally understood that was how it was. Her heart clenched violently, and each breath suddenly hurt so much. "Cora?" When Axel's voice came on the line, it sounded careful and tentative. Cora's tone was cold as she said, "I can't get out of bed. Come back, make breakfast for Nolan, and take him to school. Or perhaps Ms. Leighton beside you can do it." Axel panicked. "Wait! It's not what you think—" She hung up before he could finish. Half an hour later, Axel rushed into the house, followed by a red-eyed Louise, who looked like she'd been weeping. Her voice was a blend of righteousness and hurt as she said, "Ms. Spade, I must explain. Mr. Jaeger had stomach pain from drinking too much last night, so I came this morning to make him some hangover soup." Instead of looking at her, Cora kept her eyes on Axel and asked, "Where were you last night?" "I stayed at a cheap motel," he blurted out without a second thought. Cora turned back to Louise. "So, you're saying you went to a cheap motel at 6:00 am to make him some hangover soup?" Noticing their stiffened expressions, she let out a low laugh. Louise's lips twitched into a barely noticeable smile before she lowered her head and slipped out of the room. "I'll make breakfast." Meanwhile, Axel awkwardly slid into the seat beside Cora and asked, "What's wrong with your back?" "Did you sign the divorce papers?" His expression darkened. "Are you still blaming me for not making enough money, and that you have to work hard to pay our debts? I promise that after we clear this one-million-dollar debt, you'll finally have the life you deserve." She was about to answer when the bedroom door creaked open. Nolan stood outside, clutching his blanket, and timidly asked, "Mommy, are you going on another business trip? You work so hard, Mommy. I'll take care of you when I grow up." He climbed onto the bed and nestled in her arms for the first time in a while. All Cora could manage was a quiet hum and said nothing else, though she wasn't planning to leave for Auchendale, anyway. Nolan's lips curled into a secret grin. Louise's trick had worked, after all. Behind her, Axel's fingers flew across his phone. "I won. Now, pay up your 100 million dollars." After breakfast, Axel and Louise dropped Nolan at school, while Cora took painkillers and sleeping pills before deciding to get a nap. Exhausted from a sleepless night, she soon fell into a deep slumber. Axel and Louise returned after dropping Nolan off. Seeing how Cora was forced to sleep on her stomach due to the back pain, a flicker of genuine concern flashed in Axel's eyes. Louise immediately began skillfully massaging Cora's lower back and explained, "Ms. Spade must've developed this lumbar strain after spending too many hours hunched over a desk for work." "She never told me," Axel murmured, frowning. As Louise pressed harder, she said, "Don't blame yourself. My massage can be your way of apologizing to her." "If only she were as thoughtful as you are," Axel said, his finger suggestively tracing Louise's lips. The latter blushed and turned her head away. "Your wife's right here!" "Don't worry. She took sleeping pills." He slid his hand further along Louise's body, unashamed. … Cora woke up in the afternoon to an empty house, but there was a lingering, odd odor that made her frown. She tried to push herself up, her arm numb and tingling, when an unprecedented, excruciating pain exploded from her lower back. By the time she fumbled for her phone, cold sweat had soaked through her clothes. "Hello? 911?"