Chapter 2 No Spark Of Warmth
Dina had returned just to collect her things. As soon as she stepped inside, a shrill peal of laughter grated on her ears.
There sat the normally stone-faced Blair, right next to Belinda, spinning lame jokes to keep her amused.
“Achoo—” Belinda sneezed delicately.
“Chilly?” Blair jumped to attention, slipping off his pricey suit jacket and draping it softly over her shoulders.
She tilted her head up at that exact moment, their gazes locking, faces so close their noses almost touched.
The air thickened for a split second. A sticky, knowing vibe simmered between them, unspoken but unmistakable.
Dina lingered in the foyer, her mouth curling into a silent, bitter twist.
She’d been so blind, chalking up Blair’s fawning care and overprotectiveness toward Belinda to simple duty, born from Alan’s passing. But clearly, those two had been messing around for ages.
“Dina?” Belinda looked up and saw her, flinching like a spooked bunny, her face a mask of guilt and fluster. “D-don’t get the wrong idea. Blair’s just looking out for me, worried I might catch a cold…”
Dina thought, ‘Looking out?’ She sneered to herself. ‘Panicking over a sneeze in a toasty, heated room?’
Yet last night, when Dina’d been out in the blizzard in nothing but a thin top, freezing half to death, he hadn’t shown his face at all.
Whatever. It didn’t matter now. She had no interest in staring at the revolting duo anymore. Without a word, she cut through the living room and headed straight up the stairs.
Three years had piled up a ton of stuff, but Dina packed only one suitcase.
Everything Blair had gifted her over the years, the anniversary diamond necklace, the birthday limited-edition purse, the Valentine’s preserved roses, even the love letters from his courtship days, their sentimental keepsakes… she dumped it all in the trash.
She thought, ‘Why hang onto junk from a guy who’s gone rotten? It’ll just make me sick.’
Dina tucked the marriage license into the suitcase’s lining, zipped it shut, and started to rise when a fierce wave of dizziness slammed into her.
She staggered, clutching the handle hard to keep from falling.
She thought, ‘Yep, definitely coming down with something. That snow last night gets the better of me. Guess I’ll have to hit the hospital before crashing at Hank’s.’
Pushing through the spins and queasiness, Dina grabbed the suitcase and headed for the door.
She’d just reached it when Blair’s imposing figure loomed in the way.
He clocked the suitcase in her grip, his expression turning stormy, his voice sharp with annoyance and blame. “I thought a night outside would give you time to cool down and come to your senses.”
Dina thought, ‘Get a load of that, what a riot!’
Like all her hurt and the raw deal she’d gotten could just evaporate after one “cooling-off” period. Then she’d scamper back like an obedient pup, tail wagging, slipping right back into her role as the perfect, dutiful Mrs. Woodward.
“Oh, I came to my senses, alright.” Dina shot him a icy grin. “A tainted guy’s no better than a hot dog plopped in a sewer, trash it and move on. Here’s to you and Belinda: a hundred years of wedded bliss and enough kids for a soccer squad.”
“Dina!” Blair snapped, his face livid. “I already told you. I got Belinda pregnant out of duty, for the family’s sake. There’s nothing going on between us, nothing like what you’re thinking.”
“It was IVF.” He laid it out with a deadpan stare, like that somehow made it all kosher.
Dina mocked. “So when the baby’s here, will it call you Uncle… or Daddy?”
“Why do you have to be so cutting? I’ve laid it all out for you. What else do you expect me to do?”
Dina said, “Laid it out? Like your words can erase the kid? Rewind the clock? Why the hell should I forgive you just because you ‘explained’?”
Dina shoved him out of the way, grabbed her suitcase, and stormed toward the door. “The second you chose to knock up Belinda, it was over between us.”
“Over?” Blair grabbed her arm and yanked her back, his hand clamping around her waist, trapping her against him. “If you need to blow off steam, scream at me, throw a tantrum, make a huge scene, whatever. But ending it? Don’t even go there.
“Dina, get this through your head: you’re my wife for life.”
Dina thought, ‘Wife?’ She snorted, like she’d just heard the dumbest joke ever. “Last I checked, do we have the papers to prove it?”
Blair blinked, the lack of a marriage license suddenly hitting him.
But then it dawned on him, and he let out a low chuckle. “Ah, so you want me to fix that with an official license? Fine, consider it done.
“Now that Belinda’s pregnant, Mom won’t block us anymore. I’ll take you to sort it out right now.”
He clasped her hand, his voice soft but laced with a cautionary edge. “But Dina, once we’ve got that license, chill out. Settle into things, keep the home running smoothly, look after Belinda.”
A wave of revulsion hit Dina harder than ever.
She thought, ‘How could he think, after all this mess, that just getting a license would wipe the slate clean? And he seriously expects me to keep babysitting Belinda, and their bastard kid?’
Her tone turned frigid. “Blair, wake up and smell the coffee. It’s broad daylight. News flash: I’ve already tied the knot with someone else.”
“Blair.” Right then, Belinda clutched the doorframe, her face twisted in agony as she held her belly. “It hurts so much… Can you get me to the hospital?”
Blair’s focus shifted entirely to Belinda. He dropped Dina like a hot potato and rushed over to steady her.
Worry etched across his face, he murmured reassurances. “Hey, don’t panic. I’ll rush you there now. Dina, we’ll deal with the license when I’m back.”
Belinda sagged against him weakly. “I can barely stand… Blair…”
Without missing a beat, Blair swept her up in his arms like a princess, striding downstairs with urgent but careful steps.
Belinda snuggled into him like a helpless bird, glancing over his broad shoulder straight at Dina, who stood frozen in place. Her smug eyes gleamed with outright taunting malice.
Dina cracked a smile. Belinda wasn’t even putting on an act for her anymore.
As they disappeared into the elevator, Dina swallowed the sharp ache in her chest, gripped her suitcase tight, and walked out of the Woodward family for good.
*****
At the hospital, Dina wrapped up her exams, her fever spiking to scary levels. Her body dragged like lead, her thoughts blurring at the edges of consciousness.
“Ms. Gardner, the drip you’re getting has sedatives in it. You could nod off pretty easily. We need a family member here to keep an eye on you. Where’s your family?”
Dina thought, ‘Family?’ She pulled at her dry, cracked lips, her fingers mindlessly unlocking her phone.
The screen flickered on, showing a fresh post on the social media from Belinda, timestamped just minutes ago.
In the pic: Belinda on a hospital bed, nestled cozily against a man’s shoulder, her expression pure contentment and joy.
Caption: [Told ya it was just a teensy bit off, but nope, someone insists on blowing it up and checking me in. Even ditched his big company meeting with a hundred folks to stay glued to my side. Being this pampered is kinda overwhelming.]
The guy in the shot, even from that fuzzy side view, she’d know him anywhere. Blair.
Dina’s fingers turned ice-cold, her phone wobbling in her grip as a faint tremor shook her body.
She stared at the photo for what felt like forever. Until the shaking stopped, and the final spark of warmth in her eyes went out for good. “Excuse me, would you mind… arranging a caregiver for me?”
