My Husband’s Countdown Dropped When She Smiled At Him Chapter 07

My Husband’s Countdown Dropped When She Smiled At Him Chapter 07

The signed divorce papers showed up at my door three days later.

Owen’s signature looked like it had been carved into the page with rage. Or agony.

Per the rules, we entered a thirty-day waiting period.

During those thirty days, Owen turned into a different person.

No more pointless texts full of sweet nothings.

He started doing things instead.

Every morning, I’d find a hot breakfast hanging on the doorknob of Maya’s condo.

Homemade by Owen.

Shrimp and cheese omelette. Oatmeal with brown sugar, the way I liked it. He even figured out Maya’s taste and made two different versions every day.

I didn’t eat any of it.

Every single container went straight into the dumpster downstairs.

Maya watched me toss those perfect little boxes without blinking, and she couldn’t help laughing.

“Damn. He’s really going all in on the whole ‘win her back’ show.”

I dusted off my hands.

“Too little, too late.”

I thought he’d give up after a few days. He’d been spoiled his whole life. Proud to the bone.

But he didn’t. He even started following my car after work. Keeping a careful distance.

Not bothering me. Not leaving.

Like a stubborn ghost.

Day twenty of the waiting period.

Rain again in Crestwood.

I walked out of my office building and saw a familiar figure standing outside in the downpour.

Paige.

No umbrella. Soaked to the bone. Like a lost puppy.

When she saw me, she rushed over.

“Mrs. Harper.”

Her eyes were red. Her voice cracked.

“Can you please talk to Mr. Harper for me? Tell him to stop blacklisting me?”

I frowned. “Blacklisting?”

Paige wiped her face.

“After he fired me, I applied to over a dozen companies. None of them would take me.”

“Then I found out Mr. Harper spread the word in the industry that I have character issues.”

“Mrs. Harper, I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have worn his jacket. I shouldn’t have taken the humidifier.”

“Please forgive me? I really need a job.”

She reached for my sleeve.

I stepped back. “You’re asking the wrong person.”

My voice was flat. “First of all, I’m not ‘Mrs. Harper’ anymore.”

“Second, Owen’s the one blacklisting you. Not me. Go beg him.”

Paige froze.

Then her whole face changed.

That innocent, open expression vanished. Something ugly flickered in her eyes. “Nora Harper, don’t act like you’re so above it all!”

Her voice shot up.

“Mr. Harper is a good man! What gives you the right to treat him like this?”

“He stands outside your building every night until midnight. He cooks for you every morning. You won’t even look at him!”

“You’re just using the fact that he loves you to control him!”

“Who do you think you are?”

People started stopping on the sidewalk, staring.

I looked at Paige’s twisted, angry face.

And I felt nothing.

This was the sweet, hardworking girl Owen had felt so sorry for.

“You done?” I looked at her. “Then move.”

Paige didn’t budge. “No! You’re not going anywhere until you give me an answer!”

Then a hand shot out from the side and yanked Paige backward.

Hard enough to send her sprawling into a puddle.

“Get the hell away from her!”

Owen appeared out of nowhere.

He was holding a black umbrella, radiating pure menace.

He glared down at Paige on the ground. “I warned you. Stay away from her.”

Paige sat in the dirty water, staring up at him in disbelief.

“Mr. Harper… I was just asking her to—”

“Shut up!”

Owen’s voice was ice.

“Come near her again, and I’ll make sure you can’t even find work in any town within a hundred miles of here.”

Paige flinched, scrambled to her feet, and ran.

Owen turned back to me.

The rage in his eyes evaporated instantly, replaced by something small and desperate.

He tilted the umbrella toward me, leaving most of his own body in the rain.

“Nora. I didn’t send her. I swear.”

“She’s gone. She won’t bother you again.”

He looked at me with that careful, hopeful face.

“Tonight… can we have dinner?”

I looked at him.

At his rain-soaked shoulders.

“Owen,” I said quietly, “the way you just shoved her? That wasn’t gentlemanly.”