Chapter 49: 24: A Day to Forget

SHAY

It had been a fortnight since Shay ventured into the city, seeking the assistance of her childhood friend, Keith. Keith, a lawyer with his own firm, had been a part of her life since they were kids. Their fathers were friends, and they grew up together, but their paths diverged when Keith turned fifteen.

He was a year older than Shay and had been a trusted confidant for her brothers.

In the span of two weeks, Shay had managed to bring Keith on board. They had discussed her case and her expectations from the divorce. Anger and fury fueled Shay, and she was determined to have the divorce on her terms, despite the existence of a prenup.

She was confident it was achievable.

For two weeks, she hadn’t exchanged a single word with Adam. Her annoyance with him grew with each passing moment, especially knowing he was having an affair with her twin sister.

Despite the turmoil she was going through, Shay leaned on her family this time. Unlike her issues with Ethan, which remained largely unknown, she chose to share her current predicament with her family. Her brothers took turns visiting her, even staying overnight.

They helped with the kids and provided emotional support. Their presence was comforting and they were incredibly supportive. The only detail she kept to herself was the identity of Adam’s mistress. It was too big a truth to utter.

Shay didn’t even want to believe it.

Adam hadn’t seen their son, Nate, in over a month. He hadn’t even bothered to arrange a visit or check on Nate. Shay had seen him active on social media, posting as if nothing had happened. Life seemed to have resumed for him, which was unusual, as he wasn’t typically so indifferent.

Shay felt guilty for not visiting her mother-in-law, Patsy, and for keeping Nate away from his grandmother.

As she pulled up to Patsy’s house, Shay noticed Adam’s car was missing from the driveway. Breathing a sigh of relief, she got out of the car, unbuckled Nate from his car seat, and gathered his diaper bag. Nate cooed in her arms, babbling baby talk as he played with his toys.

“Natey, be a good boy for grandma, okay?” Shay instructed, adjusting his shirt to cover his tiny belly.

He giggled, engrossed in his toy, oblivious to his surroundings, just like any other toddler. Today, she was leaving Nate with Patsy for the evening. She had arranged for her brother, Ian, to pick Nate up later.

Taking a deep breath, Shay approached the front door, Nate cradled in her arms. She knocked on the wooden door.

~Knock knock.~

Within moments, the door swung open, and Patsy greeted them with a smile, clearly excited to see her grandson.

“Hello,” Shay greeted awkwardly, stepping inside.

She handed Nate to Patsy and set the diaper bag down on a chair, checking its contents. She could hear Patsy cooing over Nate in the background.

“Why haven’t you guys been over?” Patsy asked, her smile never wavering as she rocked Nate in her arms.

Shay’s stomach churned, knowing she had to deliver the news.

“Actually, Adam and I are separating,” Shay confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt like a child awaiting reprimand, her gaze fixed on the floor.

“What?” Patsy gasped in disbelief.

“We’re separating. We’ve been in therapy and living apart for over a month,” Shay elaborated. “Things have been rocky between us, and we’ve agreed to separate.”

“No,” Patsy retorted, her eyes flashing with anger. Shay had never seen her mother-in-law angry before. Patsy was usually cheerful and easygoing.

“Maybe you should talk to Adam first,” Shay suggested cautiously. She felt like she was treading on thin ice, and it didn’t feel like her place to reveal the root cause of their issues. She wouldn’t even know where to start—the miscarriage, the lack of intimacy, the emotional distance, the infidelity.

“No,” Patsy repeated, shaking her head in disapproval. “You and your ex,” she accused.

“What?” Shay asked, taken aback.

“You’re cheating on my son with your ex. That’s why things aren’t working out,” Patsy accused.

“Excuse me?” Shay retorted, taken aback.

“You brought that no-good ex of yours into your home, and now things are falling apart. What did you expect?” Patsy challenged.

“You know what, you’re not seeing Nate today,” Shay declared, snatching Nate from Patsy’s arms and holding him close. She didn’t appreciate being accused of things she hadn’t done. She grabbed Nate’s diaper bag and hurried out the door.

“If you want to see your grandchild, arrange it with your son. I won’t stand here and let you belittle me when your son is the one cheating on me,” Shay snapped before storming off to her car. She heard Patsy mutter something, but she chose to ignore it. She was furious and couldn’t believe her mother-in-law would accuse her of such a thing.

Shay drove home as fast as she could, eager to put as much distance between herself and Patsy. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, things she wanted to say, things she wanted to scream at Adam. Her heart was heavy, and she was exhausted. It felt like her problems were piling up.

As she pulled into her driveway, she noticed Ethan’s car, along with an unfamiliar one. Instantly, she was on high alert. She parked her car and felt a knot in her stomach. Something didn’t feel right.

She quickly got out of the car, unbuckled Nate from his car seat, and rushed into the house.

“Jo!” Shay called out, kicking off her shoes and leaving the diaper bag by the door.

Jo came to greet her, and Shay handed Nate over to her.

“I thought Nate would be with Patsy?” Jo asked, cuddling Nate.

“Yeah, it didn’t work out. But it’s okay, you can leave as planned. My brother will be coming,” Shay explained. She looked around, not seeing the twins. “Whose car is that outside?” Shay asked, the knot in her stomach tightening.

“Take a look for yourself,” Jo suggested, her face twisted into an odd expression.

Shay gave a brief nod, brushing past them to enter the living room, only to find it empty. She continued her search, heading into the kitchen where she found her twins, frozen in place, their gazes fixed on something—or someone.

“Eli? Liam?” Shay’s voice echoed in the room, causing the twins to turn toward her, their eyes wide and identical expressions of shock etched on their faces.

“What’s going on?” Shay asked, moving closer to them.

That’s when she noticed the familiar figure seated casually on a bar stool at the kitchen island, chatting as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Jo, take the twins upstairs,” Shay directed, nudging the boys toward Jo.

As her gaze met Shay’s, her face twisted into a scowl.

“Why are you here?” Shay demanded, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the platinum blonde hair cascading down her shoulders.

“Shay, I need to explain,” her twin pleaded, her eyes softening. Shay could tell something was different about her.

“Do you two know each other?” Shay asked Ethan, her gaze piercing into his. She wondered if they had crossed paths before, if Ethan had been intimate with Sky.

“We’ve met once before,” he confessed.

Shay shook her head, shifting her focus back to Sky, who was now smiling at her—a smile she didn’t recognize.

“Please, let me explain,” Sky began, sliding off the bar stool.

“Get out,” Shay retorted, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“Shay, he doesn’t feel like he’s cheating on you, and I agree. He’s sleeping with someone who looks exactly like you,” Sky defended, standing up for her husband.

“And you don’t feel guilty, do you?” Shay shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Why should I? He’s practically my husband too,” Sky retorted, as if Shay’s question was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard.

Shay scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. She hadn’t seen her sister in so long, and she missed her more than she cared to admit. But right now, all she felt was a deep-seated resentment toward her twin.

“You can keep seeing him, just get out of my house,” Shay proposed, knowing their relationship was over and divorce papers were imminent.

“Shay, stop being so uptight! He’s not cheating, let him back in!” Sky’s voice rose in frustration.

Shay stared at her twin, recognizing the Sky she grew up with. Impulsive. Unpredictable.

“Just because we look alike doesn’t mean he’s not cheating. We’re two different people, with different souls. He’s cheating,” Shay retorted, her eyes wide and nostrils flaring.

“Shay—”

“Get the fuck out of my house, or I’m calling the cops,” Shay warned, her voice stern.

“Fine, I’ll leave,” Sky conceded, starting to walk away. “But I love him too, Shay. You picked a wonderful husband and a great lover. Neither of us feel guilty. You should be more understanding. He loves us both,” Sky threw over her shoulder before exiting the house.