Chapter 4A Warning from Seven Years Ahead

Seven years in the future, Caleb stared at the dozen unanswered calls he had made to me, unease tightening in his chest.

I had never acted like this before.

Usually, I would fall apart.

I bombarded him with calls and messages, demanding to know how much longer he planned to torture me, why he had cheated, and why he was treating me this way. Then I cried and begged him to come home.

Today, however, there was nothing.

An entire day had passed, and I hadn't sent a single text, much less called him.

Caleb could no longer sit still. He got up, put on his coat, and walked past Savannah, who was holding Andy as they watched cartoons.

"I'm going home for a while. You stay here and spend time with Andy."

Savannah immediately stood and blocked his path.

"What's wrong? Is Delilah having another breakdown?

"We finally got to take a trip together. Just ignore her. She does this every time, making threats and acting like she's going to hurt herself.

"If you give in now, she'll only do it again."

Caleb hesitated, but he still wanted to go back and check on me.

Savannah sighed and tried a different approach. "You just promised Andy you'd take him to the amusement park tomorrow. You can't break a promise to your own son."

As Savannah spoke, she gave Andy a pointed look. Andy immediately ran to Caleb and wrapped his arms around him, crying.

"Daddy, don't go. Don't go back to that evil witch! It's her fault I can't go to the amusement park. Stay here and take Mom and me instead. You promised. You can't break your promise!"

A sharp pain shot through Caleb's chest. He stroked Andy's hair and gently corrected him.

"Andy, how many times have I told you? She isn't an evil witch. She's your mother. You shouldn't call her that."

Andy looked up at Caleb, tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. So you won't leave, right? I'll be good. When we go home, I won't call her an evil witch anymore. I'll call her Mom."

Caleb nodded. He decided to stay.

But all night, he kept checking his phone, lighting up the screen and turning it off again more than a dozen times.

Still, no message came from me. I never answered his calls, either.

At 4 a.m., Caleb finally couldn't take it anymore. He booked a seat on the earliest flight home.

Savannah stirred as Caleb got out of bed. "Why are you up so early? The amusement park isn't even open yet."

Without looking back, Caleb said, "Delilah hasn't answered me all day. I'm worried something happened, so I'm going home to check on her. You stay here and spend time with Andy."

Before Savannah could stop him, Caleb opened the door and left.

By the time his flight landed, his unease had turned into dread. He kept urging the cab driver to go faster.

Then he saw an ambulance parked outside the house.

He didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete stop. He threw open the door, stumbled out, and ran toward the house.

"Delilah!" Panic tore through his voice. "Delilah, what happened? Answer me!"

No one responded.

The household staff gathered anxiously outside the bedroom. Caleb shoved past them and forced his way inside.

A white sheet covered a body on the floor.

One of the paramedics stood and looked at him solemnly.

"Mr. Wheeler, I'm very sorry for your loss. Mrs. Wheeler died from an overdose last night. She's gone."