Page 114 of My Ruthless Husband

I rub my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream that cling stubbornly to my thoughts. But those intense eyes refuse to fade, leaving me feeling oddly empty.

Reaching out, my fingers graze the empty space beside me on the bed. Five mornings have come and gone without Damian, yet each night he continues to show up in my dreams.

With a heavy heart, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed. But before I can plant my feet on the floor, there’s a soft knock. It creaks open to reveal a familiar figure.

I smile as Vicky steps into the room, a tray in her hands bearing a steaming cup of my favorite coffee and a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip muffins.

“Good morning,” she greets me with a warm smile, her eyes scanning my face to gauge my mood.

“Morning, Vicky,” I reply, mustering a weak smile in return as she approaches, setting the tray down on the bedside table.

“I thought you might need this,” she says softly. “You’ve been having trouble sleeping again.”

Yes, I have. Despite volunteering, I still struggle with sleep. Just when I thought I could sleep without the pills, the nightmares from my past started creeping in, disturbing my rest once again. But I refuse to turn to sleeping pills.

I stare at the tray. Or more like at the porcelain mug. It’s the mug Damian gave me, the one with my initials engraved on it. I stopped using it after we got married, but ever since I showed it to Vicky a few days ago, she insisted I start using it again.

Wrapping my hands around the mug, I lift my eyes to her. “Thank you, Vicky.”

She gives me a gentle smile. “It’s my job to take care of you, River. And more than that, you’re my friend.” Then she insists on tasting the muffins.

Reaching for one of the warm muffins, I take a bite. It’s soft and fluffy, studded with gooey chocolate chips that melt in my mouth.

Breathing deeply, I smile then take her hand and pull her beside me on the bed. “So, friend, sit here and…” I lift the tray and put it down between us. “Eat with me.”

“But—”

“Come on, friends share, don’t they?” I smile and she returns it before nodding.

As we quickly finish the last of the muffins, I can’t help but feel gratitude for this new friendship. It has given me a sense ofcomfort. I no longer feel lonely in my gilded cage. Setting down the empty plate, I turn to her with a smile.

“You know,” I say, breaking the comfortable silence, “since you’ve made it a ritual to wake me up with coffee, you have to promise me something.”

“Okay… And what might that be?”

“That you’ll bring a cup for yourself as well,” I reply, my tone earnest. “For a very long time, I had no one to share coffees or meals with. Or even to have a simple conversation.”

“I’d really like it if we could do that, you know,” I continue, my words carrying the weight of longing. “To have someone to share these moments with, to laugh with, to confide in.” Because in the past, I used to do all that with Damian. He was my only friend in the world. And I was happy it was only him. I wasn’t greedy. I didn’t want anyone else because he used to make me so happy that I never needed anyone but him. Until… we got married and everything changed.

Vicky reaches out and gently squeezes my hand, her eyes filled with warmth and empathy. “I’d like that too.”

Then she clears her throat, “I better leave you to get ready. We need to leave in an hour.”

I nod and push to my feet.

“Hey, Vicky,” I call out when she reaches the door. “You don’t mind volunteering four days in a row, right? I mean we don’t have to go there daily but I like going there so, you know…”

“I like going there too. I enjoy volunteering. Ever since you’ve started, you’re happierandit’s for a good cause so I guess it’s a win-win.”

“Okay! Give me twenty, I’ll meet you downstairs!”

???

“Do you want to give it a try?” The question spoken so close to my ear makes me jump and I spin, my wide eyes clashing with blue ones.

“Matt!” I smack at his arm. “You scared me!”

He just laughs. I roll my eyes. Then glance around to look for Vicky. She is supposed to shadow me and protect me from Matt’s pranks.

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