Chapter 5: Flashback five years ago

FLASHBACK five years ago

While staring at them, Nicole's tears continuously flowed down, causing her chest to close up—hard to breathe, actually. The day her husband wanted her to sign the divorce paper wasn't really the day they ended up together. It was her plan not to sign because she promised to help him recover and prove she was worthy of him even if she was sick.

But there, she saw him in her eyes; with a woman she had instincts, they had feelings for each other. Instead of making a scene there, Nicole chose to turn back and left with her friend.

"Jay, let's go. There's bad air from here. I need to find a fresh air that suits your special day tonight, so come on," she invited her friend, pulling his hands to follow her while the other hand was rolling the wheels of her chair.

***

She stamped the table in front of him, handing the paper filled with complete information, and signed it as she confirmed that she agreed to have them divorced.

"I know that signature is your happiness. All this time, I thought you just wanted to focus on your business, but when I saw you last night, clinging to another girl, fu*k! You're disgusting. I regretted that I wasn't able to sign this paper the last time you handed it to me, but right now, it's over!" She expressed all her emotions, controlling her body that was shaking because of anger within.

"It's not what you think; Nic. Stacey is just my—"

"You're mistress? Yeah, I really know it seeing my own eyes that you hide your relationship with her from me because of my condition. Gerald, you're free now, so stop defending yourself."

It hurts inside, but she had to endure it, thinking about her future. Besides, she had not have enough energy to fight. Only that, she awaits her death rather than telling herself to live with chaos.

Because of the determination seen by Gerald toward her, he had no choice but to agree. It was his original plan to cut their ties for his business, so he just stood on it.

"What's your plan after this?" Gerald asked, pointing his lips at the 2-year-old kid next to her.

"I don't know. I don't have money, but I have friends to help me. Don't bother me. I can handle this," was her reply.

After seeing his husband sign the paper, she decided to roll back carrying her kid for her to go back to her room. Her kid's eyes started to swell, accompanied by crying after leaving his father in his mini office room.

Dylan, Nicole's kid, was spoiled by his stepfather since they got married. Actually, Gerald wanted to have a child after one year of their marriage, but since his father was early leaving the world, his focus in the present is to grow and expand his business before anything else.

Besides, Nicole wasn't alone in her life because she has a kid on her own. By the way, before they decided to marry, Gerald already knew about Dylan as Nicole's child in her past mistaken encounters. Meaning to say, Nicole had no idea about her kid's father because she was sleeping with a guy because of money.

***

She packed all her things with the help of her friend, Jay, able to move out of Gerald's house. She also called Annie, her best friend, for assistance, but the woman was too busy settling things for her boss.

Actually, Nicole didn't know where she would go. She had no penny, even jewelry, to sell to sustain her needs for shelter and food. Jay had a big family, making his home fully packed; that was why he couldn't let Nicole live with him. The only thing Nicole did was to survive on her own.

"Nic, just wait here. I will come back to you after my duty, okay?" Jay said, giving hope to his friend that he will not let Nicole suffer hunger in the streets.

Jay put his friend outside the bar. There was a tiny tent there that only allowed people who were just wanting shade or to rest.

She nodded and took a deep breath while controlling her tears not to fall down. She watched her friend enter the bar until he faded into her sight. After that, she decided to play with her kid.

Seven hours later, the sky started to dominate its darkness, and she felt fear of what may be happening to them. Upon carrying her kid and dancing him to sleep, a man came out of the white car with his wife approached to her.

"Lady, do you feel cold?" asked the woman, whose dress was branded and looked fancy with her jewelry. Her accent and the way she talked seemed different from hers.

She replied, "Ahm. No, we're okay, ma'am."

She kept smiling at the woman to show she was alright in the midst of fear.

The rich woman removed her husband's thick coat and handed it to her to cover her kid, easing its cold weather.

"Thanks, sir and ma'am," she joyfully said.

"Do you have a house to stay in tonight?" asked the lady.

"Ahm, we're actually... homeless right now, lady. I caught my husband with her mistress; that was why we were divorced."

"Oh, sorry. By the way, I'm Avril and my husband's name is Nickson Hillson. We're from Germany. We just came here to meet our friends in business, and right now, we are heading back to the Nava-H hotel to check in. You can come with us, if you want," was invited by the lady bearing her sincere heart.

As Nicole stared at her child, she felt pity to just sleep with her outside the bar. Besides, she was disabled and couldn't protect her son well if dangers came to them. So, her heart was filled with positivity, which pushed her to harden her face to join the strangers she first met.

She asked Jay to come with them. Her support friend agreed and said goodbyes to her afterwards, tearing to let her come with the stranger but full of positivity in his heart.

***

Weeks later, Hillson's family brought Nicole and her kid back to Germany. They just used private jets to easily ride without requirements needed to pass on.

The next few days, the rich couple changed her identity to a new one and found expert doctors to check her condition. The process was too quick through their active connection, which helped Nicole recover easier. From Nicole Roque, she became Ava Nicole Hillson

"Yehey! Good job, my dear!" her foster mother exclaimed, expressing her great happiness towards her daughter's recent improvement.

Nicole stood on her own, walked straight, and could move in any direction through her hard work and determination in striving so hard. Her ability to fight on her condition made her foster parents do their tasks to train, support, and plan to send her to school as early as they could.

In the midst of her business schooling, she received an email from an anonymous person stating, "Ms. Hillson, I found him. I found Dylan's father."

She burst into tears, running various ideas and imagining things that made her feel dirty when remembering them. The scent of the man from that night keeps in her mind, always reminding her of her mistakes for attracting money rather than her own reputation.

"He's in New York," another email she received after the first email.