Chapter 31
Clark realized how badly Cindy had been treating Nyla in private. Had she been speaking to Nyla this way for the entire three years of their marriage whenever he wasn’t around?
When Clark saw Damon in the surveillance footage, his grip on his phone tightened, his knuckles turning
white.
Watching Damon stand up for Nyla made Clark feel a mix of anger and helplessness. He was Nyla’s husband. He should have been the one standing by her side, but he hadn’t been there. If Nyla hadn’t told hir The more Clark thought about it, the more guilt he felt. He had failed Nyla and their eight years of love.
He turned off the video and sent a message to his secretary.
Clark: [If my mother asks you to handle my father’s matters in the future, ignore her.]
Michael: [Understood. Do you still want me to investigate your uncle?]
Clark: [Go on.]
Nyla had expected Clark to stay away for a few days after what happened last night. To her surprise, she opened the door the next morning to find him standing there with a bouquet. Clark’s eyes lit up with hope when he saw her. “Nyla-”
“What do you want?” she interrupted, sounding impatient. It was a weekend, and she didn’t want Clark to ruin it.
“Nyla, I know what happened last night. I promise it won’t happen again. Has my mom always been like this to you? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Nyla could only laugh. “Did you ever care? You’ve known your mother for years. Don’t you know what kind of person she is?”
Under Nyla’s piercing gaze, Clark averted his eyes, unable to meet hers.
Nyla laughed mockingly. “Clark, in the past three years, you’ve had plenty of chances to find out how your mother treated me in private, but you never wanted to. Isn’t that right?” Clark opened his mouth to defend himself, but no words came out. What was there to say?
Since their wedding, he hadn’t cared about her feelings as much as he used to. When she complained,
he’d dismiss her and use work as an excuse, expecting her to handle her emotions alone. Cindy dared to treat Nyla that way because of his inaction.
“Haven’t I hinted at it before? You always pretended not to understand because, in your eyes, my suffering didn’t matter.
“If it weren’t for your affair and my decision to divorce you, you might never have realized how your mother treats me.”
“Nyla, I am sorry…”
Clark’s face was pale. Besides those four words, he didn’t know what else to say. Anything he said now would be too little, too late. Any excuse would be meaningless.
“Ever since I found out about your affair, you’ve been apologizing. But belated apologies can’t undo the pain I’ve endured.”
Nyla had once had faith in their love, so she endured Cindy’s hostility. She didn’t care if others thought she was unworthy of Clark. As long as the two of them were happy together, it was enough. However, the moment she discovered his infidelity, her years of patience became a cruel joke.
Now, she was done enduring.