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Chapter 8
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Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 9
One afternoon, I was weaving a flower crown to put on my head when Zeke showed up—along with Zia.Her belly, once swollen with pregnancy, had clearly deflated. The moment she saw me, tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Carrie. I was wrong."The little girl, Kristen, who was helping me with the flowers, asked, "Mom, who's she?"I stroked her head and gently told her to go inside for a while.Meanwhile, Zia dropped to her knees at my feet, still begging for forgiveness.Zeke's face was filled with sorrow. "I've looked into what happened with Dylan and the pills. I know the truth now.""If that's what you came to apologize for, you can leave," I said calmly, already moving to show them out.I didn't know how he'd convinced Zia to humble herself like this, but it didn't matter. I had already let it all go.To me, those memories boiled down to two words: unnecessary trouble.Zeke shook his head. "I'll send Dylan to my parents and cut ties with Zia. I'm begging you, please forg
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 10
The truth is, Zeke and I both knew—some things don't change gradually. They collapse all at once, becoming something unrecognizable.Six years ago, Zeke's family suddenly began investing in an infant care company under his name.Was it because I was pregnant back then?No. It was because Zia was.He'd told me he didn't want me to suffer through pregnancy. Meanwhile, he was secretly raising a beloved child with someone else. It's astonishing how someone can live by such a double standard.I couldn't take his entanglement any longer. I decided to sell the flower shop and move to another city with Kristen.When Zeke saw the movers clearing out everything from the shop, he broke down without warning. Cried like he knew this was it—that he was about to lose me again.And maybe this time, it would be for good.Tears streaming down his face, he suddenly asked, "Carrie, did I hurt you that badly? Please, give me a chance to make it right. I'll open a new flower shop for you, fill it wi
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 1
Zeke Maelstorm stared at me in disbelief. After a long pause, he let out a laugh."Is this fun for you?" he said. "Is divorce your go-to threat for everything now?"I lowered my eyes. "No. This time, I mean it."At that, his smile twisted. He yanked off the wedding ring he'd worn for twenty years and slammed it down in front of me. The crash of metal on wood echoed through the room, as if everything we'd once shared—our years of mutual care and quiet companionship—had shattered with it.I took a deep breath and slid my own ring off, setting it gently on the table. The gold band was still well-kept, polished like new.When we married, we'd bought three gold pieces—earrings, a necklace, and the rings.To fund his research, I pawned the earrings and the necklace long ago. Only the rings had survived, the last semblance of dignity in our marriage. And now, I was giving it back to him.Zeke looked at me with a complicated expression. He must have thought I'd scream, cry, make a scene
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 2
After that day, he got a vasectomy.But a vasectomy isn't sterilization. It's not a guarantee. Just like promises—always shifting, never fixed.Looking back, I got pregnant six years ago. His child with Zia was also six now. The timing was a little too perfect.Come to think of it, after Zia gave birth, he even asked me to take care of her.I stared blankly at Zeke. Even in his forties, with only a few faint lines at the corners of his eyes, he was still as handsome as he'd been twenty years ago.But he was no longer the guy whose world had once revolved around me."You say you can't bear for a child to grow up without a father," I said. "Then are you really okay with me living without a husband? You're all I have."He shut his eyes, as if wrestling with something deep inside."All these years, I respected your wishes. I didn't force you to have children. Can't you try to understand me too? We can bring Zia and Dylan here. We could live together.""I haven't fallen that far!"
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 3
Zeke's mother's smile was warm—almost gentle—so unlike how she looked at me. But the moment her eyes landed on my face, the warmth vanished, replaced by the same cold resentment I'd come to expect.She pulled Dylan behind her, shielding him."What are you doing here? Trying to hurt my precious grandson?" Her voice was shrill. "Even if you shamelessly refuse to divorce, you can't change his blood. Dylan and Zia will be parts of our family. And you? After making my son suffer for all these years, our family does not recognize you as a daughter-in-law."I let out a bitter laugh, not knowing how to respond.Dylan glanced longingly at the biscuit in my hand. Without a word, she snatched it away.I hadn't flinched when I first learned of Zeke's affair. Not even when Zia came to confront me. But this time, I ran.Because I hadn't eaten dinner, the stomach pains came back.Curled up in bed, the agony blurred my senses. My fingers moved on their own, dialing a number I'd called more time
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 4
"Dylan's about to start elementary school? Don't you own a place in that school district? It's one of the best schools in the area. You like living over there anyway—wouldn't it be perfect for helping take care of him?"I stared at Zeke's mouth opening and closing, my entire body trembling in disbelief.That apartment had been left to me by my mother, who passed away far too soon. It was a cramped little place where he and I had weathered the hardest years of our lives together. The home we once dreamed we'd return to in old age. And now, he wanted that same home to house the child of the woman who had shattered my heart—and he wanted me to take care of their son?I could barely breathe. The ache in my stomach was nothing compared to the pain radiating from my chest."Not a chance. That place is mine. Even if I gave it away, I'd never let the child of a mistress live there—"I didn't even get to finish. Zeke cut me off sharply. "Do you even hear yourself? How can you say something
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 5
He buckled my seatbelt with practiced ease. The scent from the car diffuser and the music playing were both exactly to my taste.If I could ignore the mother and son sitting in the backseat, the moment would've been perfect—so perfect it almost didn't feel real."We're taking Dylan to check out the school today," he said. "If you'd like, you could spend some time with them.""No. I've got class," I replied.The moment we pulled up, I stepped out and walked away, not daring to linger. A second too long, and I knew the tears welling in my eyes would spill over.But Zia wasn't about to let me go that easily. She brought Dylan into my class, sitting quietly in the back while I lectured.Later, without a word, she dropped him off in my lab and vanished.Dylan tore through the lab like a storm. Equipment knocked over, and pages of my painstakingly written research notes were ripped to shreds.I grabbed his arm. "Apologize."I didn't care to argue with a child, but I needed, at the v
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 6
I handed in my resignation to the university.Truth was, years ago, my worsening eye condition had already made it difficult to keep up with intense research. I only stayed on to help Zeke because he was busy chasing accolades. After his affair came to light, he began—subtly or not—sabotaging my work. Funding dried up. My research had nowhere to go.I transferred my unfinished project, along with my students, to a trusted colleague.She looked stunned. "This is the work of your life. You've already made progress. You're just giving it to me?"I smiled and nodded.She hesitated. "The direction overlaps quite a bit with Zeke's work, too. Are you sure you're not passing it to him?"I sighed and shook my head. "He's not someone I'd entrust things to."Once, he gave my research away to Zia. Who's to say he wouldn't do the same with my students' results?My colleague didn't argue further. She quietly helped me pack.We weren't moving my things back to my old apartment. Just to the
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Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 10
The truth is, Zeke and I both knew—some things don't change gradually. They collapse all at once, becoming something unrecognizable.Six years ago, Zeke's family suddenly began investing in an infant care company under his name.Was it because I was pregnant back then?No. It was because Zia was.He'd told me he didn't want me to suffer through pregnancy. Meanwhile, he was secretly raising a beloved child with someone else. It's astonishing how someone can live by such a double standard.I couldn't take his entanglement any longer. I decided to sell the flower shop and move to another city with Kristen.When Zeke saw the movers clearing out everything from the shop, he broke down without warning. Cried like he knew this was it—that he was about to lose me again.And maybe this time, it would be for good.Tears streaming down his face, he suddenly asked, "Carrie, did I hurt you that badly? Please, give me a chance to make it right. I'll open a new flower shop for you, fill it wi
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 9
One afternoon, I was weaving a flower crown to put on my head when Zeke showed up—along with Zia.Her belly, once swollen with pregnancy, had clearly deflated. The moment she saw me, tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Carrie. I was wrong."The little girl, Kristen, who was helping me with the flowers, asked, "Mom, who's she?"I stroked her head and gently told her to go inside for a while.Meanwhile, Zia dropped to her knees at my feet, still begging for forgiveness.Zeke's face was filled with sorrow. "I've looked into what happened with Dylan and the pills. I know the truth now.""If that's what you came to apologize for, you can leave," I said calmly, already moving to show them out.I didn't know how he'd convinced Zia to humble herself like this, but it didn't matter. I had already let it all go.To me, those memories boiled down to two words: unnecessary trouble.Zeke shook his head. "I'll send Dylan to my parents and cut ties with Zia. I'm begging you, please forg
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 8
Everything here looked just the same.It even felt like Carrie's presence still lingered faintly in the air.This was where it had all begun—where the two of them had holed up together and quietly built a life from scratch. Even if she was gone now, he believed she'd come back eventually. He didn't think she could really cut ties with him, not entirely. Not with all the memories tied to this place.She'd regret it.And when that time came, all he had to do was wait here for her.But at night, when the house grew cold and the bed felt impossibly big, Zeke often woke in a sweat from nightmares. He kept seeing her, suitcase in hand, walking away. Leaving the old house. Leaving him.Each time, panic twisted in his chest. He'd lash out—punch the wall, curse under his breath.Then one night, he made a call to a friend at the hospital. "Next time Zia comes in for a checkup," he said, "tell her I don't want the child."It had started seven years ago—his parents had shown up, persuasive
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 7
Carrie had been crying a lot lately—more than usual, all because of him.After three cigarettes in the car, Zeke finally turned the wheel and headed toward the house they used to live in.He knocked on the front door for a long time. No answer.At first, he thought maybe she just didn't want to see him. But a neighbor eventually came over and told him she hadn't been back in days.Made sense. He'd really gone too far this time. She'd probably gone back to her apartment in the school district.Unlike other women, Carrie didn't have a family home to return to when she got upset. So whenever she was angry, she'd head to that old place and wait—wait for him to show up and coax her, usually after some effort.The thought made Zeke smile, as if time had rolled back to those early days of marriage, when even their fights had been filled with warmth.On the way over, he stopped to buy sunflowers.Carrie loved sunflowers.He still remembered how, back when he wasn't so swamped with res
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 6
I handed in my resignation to the university.Truth was, years ago, my worsening eye condition had already made it difficult to keep up with intense research. I only stayed on to help Zeke because he was busy chasing accolades. After his affair came to light, he began—subtly or not—sabotaging my work. Funding dried up. My research had nowhere to go.I transferred my unfinished project, along with my students, to a trusted colleague.She looked stunned. "This is the work of your life. You've already made progress. You're just giving it to me?"I smiled and nodded.She hesitated. "The direction overlaps quite a bit with Zeke's work, too. Are you sure you're not passing it to him?"I sighed and shook my head. "He's not someone I'd entrust things to."Once, he gave my research away to Zia. Who's to say he wouldn't do the same with my students' results?My colleague didn't argue further. She quietly helped me pack.We weren't moving my things back to my old apartment. Just to the
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 5
He buckled my seatbelt with practiced ease. The scent from the car diffuser and the music playing were both exactly to my taste.If I could ignore the mother and son sitting in the backseat, the moment would've been perfect—so perfect it almost didn't feel real."We're taking Dylan to check out the school today," he said. "If you'd like, you could spend some time with them.""No. I've got class," I replied.The moment we pulled up, I stepped out and walked away, not daring to linger. A second too long, and I knew the tears welling in my eyes would spill over.But Zia wasn't about to let me go that easily. She brought Dylan into my class, sitting quietly in the back while I lectured.Later, without a word, she dropped him off in my lab and vanished.Dylan tore through the lab like a storm. Equipment knocked over, and pages of my painstakingly written research notes were ripped to shreds.I grabbed his arm. "Apologize."I didn't care to argue with a child, but I needed, at the v
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 4
"Dylan's about to start elementary school? Don't you own a place in that school district? It's one of the best schools in the area. You like living over there anyway—wouldn't it be perfect for helping take care of him?"I stared at Zeke's mouth opening and closing, my entire body trembling in disbelief.That apartment had been left to me by my mother, who passed away far too soon. It was a cramped little place where he and I had weathered the hardest years of our lives together. The home we once dreamed we'd return to in old age. And now, he wanted that same home to house the child of the woman who had shattered my heart—and he wanted me to take care of their son?I could barely breathe. The ache in my stomach was nothing compared to the pain radiating from my chest."Not a chance. That place is mine. Even if I gave it away, I'd never let the child of a mistress live there—"I didn't even get to finish. Zeke cut me off sharply. "Do you even hear yourself? How can you say something
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 3
Zeke's mother's smile was warm—almost gentle—so unlike how she looked at me. But the moment her eyes landed on my face, the warmth vanished, replaced by the same cold resentment I'd come to expect.She pulled Dylan behind her, shielding him."What are you doing here? Trying to hurt my precious grandson?" Her voice was shrill. "Even if you shamelessly refuse to divorce, you can't change his blood. Dylan and Zia will be parts of our family. And you? After making my son suffer for all these years, our family does not recognize you as a daughter-in-law."I let out a bitter laugh, not knowing how to respond.Dylan glanced longingly at the biscuit in my hand. Without a word, she snatched it away.I hadn't flinched when I first learned of Zeke's affair. Not even when Zia came to confront me. But this time, I ran.Because I hadn't eaten dinner, the stomach pains came back.Curled up in bed, the agony blurred my senses. My fingers moved on their own, dialing a number I'd called more time
Like Love Faded In The Wind Chapter 2
After that day, he got a vasectomy.But a vasectomy isn't sterilization. It's not a guarantee. Just like promises—always shifting, never fixed.Looking back, I got pregnant six years ago. His child with Zia was also six now. The timing was a little too perfect.Come to think of it, after Zia gave birth, he even asked me to take care of her.I stared blankly at Zeke. Even in his forties, with only a few faint lines at the corners of his eyes, he was still as handsome as he'd been twenty years ago.But he was no longer the guy whose world had once revolved around me."You say you can't bear for a child to grow up without a father," I said. "Then are you really okay with me living without a husband? You're all I have."He shut his eyes, as if wrestling with something deep inside."All these years, I respected your wishes. I didn't force you to have children. Can't you try to understand me too? We can bring Zia and Dylan here. We could live together.""I haven't fallen that far!"
