Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)

Nicholas's voice came to an abrupt halt. I saw his body freeze. It was as if he were a glitched NPC in a virtual world, becoming oddly unreal.

He stood stiffly for a few seconds. His bloodshot eyes were burning with rage and unspeakable pain as he turned to look at me.

Nicholas gritted his teeth and staggered out. Soon after, I heard the sound of something shattering in the direction of the wine cabinet. The noise continued in a messy, cascading rhythm.

I followed him out and found the floor covered with broken glass and spilled wine. The nearby carpet wasn't spared either. Wine stains were everywhere.

Nicholas, who had just been showing off in front of me, now stood there like a lost child. He clenched his fists tightly while staring at the mess on the floor. His arms trembled uncontrollably.

As if afraid of being seen like this, he immediately crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced in my direction and said uncomfortably, "Did I scare you?"

I shook my head, but my eyes stung with emotion.

When I was pregnant with Tabitha, I often thought of Nicholas. I could never understand why a man who was so eager to have a child would abandon both me and our daughter, ignoring us completely. Even when I went into early labor with Tabitha, he never showed up.

Part of my resentment was emotional, but there was also a reluctance to accept reality. I had told him we would wait for him at the place we wanted to start over, yet we kept missing each other. I couldn't accept that he had chosen someone else, only to come back to me later.

I blamed it all on Nicholas's illness. He couldn't leave Claudia. Otherwise, I couldn't explain it to myself or talk calmly with Tabitha about her father.

"Your dad didn't leave you," I would tell her. "He was just very sick."

I had looked it up online. Severe mental illness could manifest physically, and it was happening now. He couldn't even hold onto a glass, spilling wine everywhere.

Nicholas stayed silent for a moment. He took a deep breath before looking up again. He seemed much calmer, and his body had stopped trembling.

"Same old issue. Don't worry about it." He then added, "It was a slip of my hand just now. It hasn't happened to me in a long time."

His voice was hoarse as he continued, "Beth hurt her foot, so she can't attend some events with me anymore.

"I need you to replace her as my companion until she finds someone suitable from my secretarial team. The woman you saw yesterday was also my secretary. She has been fired for talking too much."

He paused before adding, "I won't have many social events, but when I

nel

call you, you must be available on call. I won't call you for nothing, and I will think of you when there are benefits. If you have understood, you can leave now."

Nicholas was asking me to leave now. Maybe because he had softened his tone, I didn't argue with him like did just now. His demands were better than I expected. Atleast

it gave me time to maneuver V

QUMS

Besides, if Tabitha couldn't adjust to the daycare here, I would be leaving soon anyway. Who cared about being his companion?

Nicholas didn't say anything else. He went back to the cabinet and opened another bottle of wine. It had been three years, and now he had picked up smoking and drinking.

I nodded. Whether he drank or not wasn't my business. I didn't want to stay under the same roof as him any longer. It felt suffocating like I was getting sick too.

Just as I was about to leave, Nicholas suddenly called out to me. His eyes were bloodshot as he asked, "Do you still remember my phone number?"

I bit my lip and replied, "No."

It was as if he hadn't heard me. He narrowed his eyes coldly and said, "Call me."