I answered the call with a sneer as his tired voice filled the line.
"Nicole, I've just wrapped up a project inspection with a client. It's in a remote area, and I can't seem to find a taxi. Could you come pick me up?"
His tone was imperious and unchanged from my previous life.
In my past existence, I had naively believed his excuse that he was genuinely unable to hail a taxi and that he was helplessly ensnared by circumstance.
I couldn't stand the thought of him spending the entire night out in the cold, so I threw on some clothes and drove to the spot he had mentioned. I was ready to scoop him up into the warmth of my car and bring him back to the safety of home.
But to my utter shock, it was revealed to be an intricate web of deceit designed by him and Selena.
He had knocked me unconscious the moment I stepped out of the car.
He also paid the homeless man to stage an act of violation.
Before Henry, the homeless man assaulted me, crafting a cruel illusion of my infidelity, all to furnish Henry with the fabricated proof of my supposed betrayal.
I had been a fool.
As I remained silent, Henry tentatively questioned, "Hello? Nicole, are you there?"
I was about to respond.
Suddenly, a soft yet startlingly clear voice, unmistakably feminine, broke the silence with its gentle whisper.
"If she doesn't come, then..."
The sentence hung in the air, unfinished.
"Who are you with?" I asked Henry.
His reply was tinged with guilt, "I'm alone. You must've misheard. I was just watching a video."
I scoffed, feigning agreement. "Alright, wait for me. I'm coming to get you."
Henry seemed relieved.
Relief washed over his voice, softening his tone.
"Okay, I'll wait for you here."
After disconnecting the call, I silenced my phone, tossed it aside, and cocooned myself in the comfort of the blankets. My daughter was nestled close. Sleep claimed us once more.
Pick him up? Not a chance.
This time, my focus was singular: to shield my daughter and myself from harm.
Half an hour later, my phone buzzed incessantly.
Yet, sleep held me in its gentle grasp.
Dawn broke, and I awoke to the natural light, refreshed. After the morning rituals, I checked my phone.
Eighty-seven missed calls from Henry lit up my screen, accompanied by an avalanche of text messages.
He demanded my whereabouts, questioning my delay.