Chapter 6
The Umbrella He Never Held for Me Chapter 06
Hearing Yvette’s voice crack, Simon froze. Then he slowed down.
Remembering she was pregnant, he pulled over.
He softened his voice to calm her down. “Just haven’t slept well. I’m tired.”
“But this is our baby. Don’t you care at all? You cared at the first checkup.”
Simon had cared back then. But Yvette might have missed the point.
He’d mostly wanted to confirm the pregnancy was real. And if she could terminate it.
But seeing how excited she was, he hadn’t said it.
“I know it’s our baby. But how did this even happen?”
Simon was a mess. He barely knew what he was saying.
He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.
He let out a heavy sigh. “Yvette, we used protection almost every time. How did you still get pregnant?”
His face showed panic and confusion.
Yvette froze in place, stunned by what she’d just heard.
Then she started hitting him hard.
“What do you mean by that, Simon Hayes? You don’t want this baby, do you? Say something!”
Her hair was a mess. Her whole body shook.
Simon suddenly thought of Tessa that rainy night, forcing him to watch the dashcam.
She’d screamed and cried. More tears than the rain outside.
He’d stood there watching her with a heart full of guilt and sympathy.
He’d hurt two people.
Simon exhaled heavily and rubbed his forehead.
If only none of this had happened.
If only he hadn’t run into Yvette after getting drunk that night.
He pulled Yvette into his arms, holding her, patting her back.
But his voice was cold.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Keep the baby. It’s still a life.”
Yvette gave a muffled hum against his chest.
But Simon’s brows knit even tighter.
More than two weeks had passed.
Simon slumped on the couch, staring at the last day’s chat history he’d had with Tessa more than two weeks ago.
He kept scrolling up.
No new messages loaded.
Tessa hadn’t contacted him in over two weeks.
Not coming home. Not replying. What was she doing?
She’d even removed the location tracker. Didn’t she know he was worried about her safety?
“Damn!”
He threw his phone on the coffee table. It landed with a thud.
Yvette walked over carrying a plate of fruit.
“What’s wrong, Simon? You’ve been losing your temper a lot lately.”
Simon rubbed his forehead. After a long pause, he said, “Nothing. Just stressed from work.”
Yvette moved closer.
She blinked playfully, then melted into his arms.
Her fingers lazily traced circles against him.
“What’s there to stress about? You used to say I was the only one who could help you unwind.”
“You always said Tessa was too ambitious, that being with her stressed you out. Now that she’s gone, I thought you’d feel better.”
Yvette’s lips brushed his ear. She whispered, “We’ve never done it in your place, have we?”
Her hand slid down. The belt buckle clicked open.
Simon felt panicked. And annoyed.
He used to enjoy being with Yvette.
She was uninhibited and knew how to have fun.
But now, he couldn’t muster the slightest interest. If anything, it made him feel vaguely nauseated.
Worse yet, the thought of doing something like this in the home he and Tessa had shared disgusted him.
He grabbed Yvette’s hand.
“Stop, Yvette. You’re pregnant. This isn’t a good idea.”
Yvette’s face had stiffened, but then she smiled again.
“I knew you cared about me and the baby.”
She leaned in and pecked his lips.
“But it’s okay. The doctor said the baby’s stable now. We just have to be careful.”
Her hand started moving again. Simon shot up.
“No. Yvette, just forget it.”
Simon turned and walked out.
The door slammed shut. Yvette was left alone in the living room, devastated.
That day, Simon heard Tessa’s name again.
In the break room. People were talking about her.
“Tessa went back to Cresthill. I saw her post.”
“Yeah, I saw it too. Her new job must pay really well.”
“Of course. Way better than being a clerical assistant here. She has a degree from a top university with a master’s. I told her so many times she was wasting herself. But she wouldn’t listen. Said it was for Manager Simon.”
“So what now? She’s done waiting for him?”
“Waiting for him? Tessa was just too sincere. We kept dropping hints, asking why Manager Hayes only ever called and never came to pick her up himself. She’d just grin and honestly think we were praising him.”
Outside the door, Simon stood frozen outside the break room door.
He opened her social media. There was nothing.
Tessa had hidden her posts from him.
He remembered how energetic she used to be back in Cresthill. How driven.
He’d dragged her back to Riverside. He’d really done her wrong.
That same day, Simon booked a flight.
Destination: Cresthill.
