The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 30: No more running

Chapter 30: No more running

Xavier drove Cassidy and Claire to the airport in silence, the hum of the engine filling the quiet space between them. Tension hung in the air, not because of anything said, but because of everything that hadn’t been.

At the departure gate, Cassidy checked their boarding passes while Claire stood beside her suitcase. Moments earlier, she had tucked her stuffed bunny inside, but at the last minute, she unzipped the bag and pulled it out, unable to part with her favorite toy. Now, she clutched it tightly against her chest.

When it was finally time to say goodbye, Claire ran into Xavier’s arms.

"Uncle Xavi," she mumbled into his shoulder, "can’t you come with us?"

Before Xavier could respond, Cassidy spoke quickly, too quickly.

"Claire, no. Uncle Xavi has work. He’s very busy and can’t come to America with us."

Her tone was sharper than she intended, clipped by exhaustion and nerves. Claire flinched, then pulled away slightly, her lower lip jutting out in a familiar pout of disappointment.

Xavier knelt down so he was eye-level with her, his voice soft and steady.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said gently. "If you miss me, you can borrow Mommy’s phone and call me anytime. We can even do video calls. I’ll answer whenever I’m not too busy. Promise."

Claire’s eyes lit up just a little.

"Pinky promise?"

Xavier held out his little finger. "Pinky promise."

They linked fingers, sealing the quiet deal between them. Then Xavier pulled her into one last hug.

"I’m going to miss you, Claire."

"Me too," she whispered, hugging him tightly.

A few moments later, Cassidy took Claire’s hand, and they walked toward the gate. Claire turned around, waving with her tiny hand as Xavier stood there, watching them go with a bittersweet smile.

And then they were gone, swallowed by the crowd, leaving Xavier behind in the soft hum of an airport that never really said goodbye.

It was nearly 10 p.m. by the time Cassidy stepped out of JFK Airport. The city greeted her with thick, summer air and a sky already drowned in night. Time had folded strangely, eight hours in the sky, yet she arrived on the same day, just on the other side of the world.

Claire was half-asleep, her small hand clutching Cassidy’s fingers tightly as they made their way through the terminal. Without wasting time, Cassidy hailed a taxi outside and gave the driver the address of the hotel she had booked.

Once they were inside the cab, and Claire was nestled quietly beside her, head resting on Cassidy’s arm, she pulled out her phone and called Georgia.

"I just landed," she said, her voice low.

"Where are you now?" Georgia asked immediately. "Still at the airport?"

"No. I’m in a taxi with Claire."

There was a pause. Then Cassidy asked, cautiously, "How’s Mom?"

Georgia exhaled heavily. Her voice was worn, stretched thin with exhaustion and worry. "She still hasn’t woken up."

Cassidy closed her eyes, pressing her lips together. Her stomach turned, but she knew now wasn’t the time for this, not with Claire asleep on her shoulder and the driver just a few feet away.

"I’ll call you again once we’re at the hotel," she said, her voice low.

"Okay. Be careful," Georgia replied. "And Cass... thanks for coming."

Cassidy didn’t answer. She simply hung up, then leaned back into her seat.

Outside the window, New York flashed by in streaks of yellow and red, traffic lights, headlights, movement without pause. The city looked the same, but to Cassidy, everything felt different. Distant. Heavier.

She glanced down at Claire, whose lashes fluttered in sleep, her face peaceful and unaware.

Cassidy brushed a strand of hair from her daughter’s forehead and exhaled slowly.

She was back. But nothing about this return felt like home.

Nearly an hour later, the taxi pulled up in front of a luxury hotel in Manhattan. Cassidy stepped out into the warm night air, her body heavy with exhaustion. She glanced up at the grand entrance, ornate lights, marble columns, and polished glass. It was beautiful. But it wasn’t home.

This used to be her city.

A pang of regret stirred in her chest. Not far from here, she once had a beautiful apartment of her own. It had been her safe haven, her space of independence. But she had sold it years ago, not out of necessity, but out of choice.

She had meant to leave America behind.

To walk away from the past, from pain, and from everything tied to her old life.

Switzerland was supposed to be a clean slate. A new beginning. A life for her and the child no one knew about.

But now, being back with no home but a hotel room, reminded her that even the cleanest slates couldn’t erase everything.

She gently shook Claire awake.

"Sweetheart... wake up."

"Are we at the hotel now?" Claire asked sleepily, her voice muffled against Cassidy’s shoulder.

Cassidy nodded softly. "Yes, sweetheart. We’re here."

Claire yawned and hugged her bunny tighter as they stepped into the golden-lit hotel lobby. The marble floor gleamed, and the air smelled faintly of lilies and polished wood, too perfect, too unfamiliar. Cassidy checked them in quickly and led Claire toward the elevator, pulling their luggage behind them.

Their suite was quiet and cool, spacious enough to feel impersonal. Cassidy guided Claire straight to the bedroom, helped her change into her pajamas, and tucked her under the thick, white duvet.

"You’ve been so brave today," she whispered, brushing hair from her daughter’s forehead. "Sleep now, baby."

Claire nodded, already drifting off, her bunny nestled under one arm.

Cassidy lingered a moment, her heart tugging at the peaceful sight, then stepped softly into the small sitting area just outside the bedroom, still within their suite. The muted light made the space feel more intimate, less foreign. She sank into the armchair by the low coffee table, folding her knees close, and dialed Georgia.

"We just got to the hotel," she said quietly.

"Are you okay?" Georgia asked, her voice quiet and frayed with fatigue.

"We’re okay. Just exhausted." She paused. "Claire fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. It was her first flight."

"Poor thing," Georgia murmured. "She must’ve been so tired."

Cassidy looked down at her hands, fingers loosely laced in her lap.

"She was. But she did so well. She didn’t even complain once."

There was silence for a beat.

"And you?" Georgia asked gently. "How are you, Cass?"

Cassidy hesitated. Her voice came out quieter than she expected.

"I don’t know. I haven’t really let myself feel anything yet."

Another silence. This one heavier.

"Georgia..." she whispered. "How? What exactly did she do? And why did she do it?"

There was no immediate reply, just a deep, slow sigh from Georgia’s end of the line.

"She tried to hang herself," she continued quietly. "In her bedroom. One of the housekeepers found her, thank God she got there in time. They rushed her to the hospital and managed to save her."

Cassidy’s breath hitched. For a moment, her surroundings seemed to blur, everything faded into the background.

"She really wanted to die..." she whispered.

Her eyes welled up, and hot tears began streaming down her cheeks. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and burying her face in her hands, the phone still pressed against her ear.

"She’s been struggling with depression for a while," Georgia said finally. "But it’s been worse these past four years. Raymond just told me today. I had no idea either..."

Four years.

The words hit Cassidy like a wave of ice.

Four years since she left. Since she cut off contact. Since she walked away.

"Do you think it got worse because of me?"

Silence.

And that silence said everything.

Cassidy’s stomach turned. Her limbs felt numb, her hands cold.

There was silence on the line, brief, but sharp. Then Georgia spoke, firm and gentle.

"Cass, don’t go there. Please don’t start thinking like that."

Her voice softened.

"If Mom’s depression got that bad... it’s on all of us. We’re her children. And none of us saw it. None of us took care of her the way we should’ve. We were too wrapped up in our own lives, our own pain. We didn’t notice what she needed. This isn’t just on you,"

Georgia continued. "It’s not fair to blame yourself alone. We all let her down in some way."

Cassidy swallowed hard, guilt settling like lead in her throat.

"I shut her out," she said shakily. "I didn’t want to deal with her. I was so angry. So disappointed. But I never asked what she was going through. I never even asked if she was happy."

"You were hurting too," Georgia whispered. "We all were."

"That’s not an excuse. I was her daughter. And now I’m a mother, I should’ve understood. I should’ve known how much it takes to just keep going. I failed her. I didn’t just leave... I erased her."

Her voice cracked completely, and she covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound.

And just like that, the guilt settled in deeper.

Not as a stab, but as a slow, quiet ache she knew she would carry for the rest of her life.

"Cass... I know it hurts. But what’s done is done," Georgia said, her voice thick with emotion. "What we can do now is be strong, for her. Be the daughters she needs us to be. That’s how we help her heal."

Cassidy wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, trying to calm the trembling in her chest. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a shaky breath, and exhaled slowly.

"Okay..." she whispered, her voice raw but steadying. "You’re right."

She pressed her hand over her heart, as if trying to hold herself together. "We’ll be there for her. We’ll be better... for Mom."

There was a long pause, and then she added more softly, almost like a promise to herself, "No more running. No more silence."

***

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