From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 5

Night had fallen. Peter, still thinking about the promise he’d broken a few days ago, pushed open the bedroom door with his pajamas in hand, ready to take a shower.

From the bed, a dull voice broke the silence. “Peter, I’m going to sleep. You can sleep in the other room tonight.”

Something flickered in Peter’s dark eyes. He turned and looked at her. “Are you sure about that?”

Ever since she got pregnant with their second child, they’d started sleeping in separate beds. Peter had claimed it was so he wouldn’t disturb her or the baby at night. Now, Eleanor finally understood the truth. After his older brother died, Peter couldn’t even be bothered to pretend anymore.

“I’m sure,” she said.

Whatever guilt Peter might have felt disappeared in a flash. He curled his lips in a cold, mocking smile. “Alright.”

Eleanor shut her eyes, her body trembling under the blanket. Even just thinking about that room filled with his photos made her sick to her stomach.

Just hang on a little longer, she told herself. It’ll all be over soon.

The next morning, Eleanor woke to her daughter shaking her awake.

“Bad mommy, why won’t you make me breakfast?”

Olga was always picky. She refused to go to preschool unless Eleanor made her breakfast herself.

“Mommy’s tired. Let the housekeeper make it today.”

“I don’t want her to! I want you to do it! If you don’t get up, I’m going to be late for school!” Olga’s shrill voice rang through the house, loud enough to bring Autumn hurrying into the room.

“Oh, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Autumn cooed.

Eleanor barely had a chance to answer before Autumn turned on her. “Eleanor, just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you get to act so spoiled. It’s just breakfast. What’s the big deal about making Olga one meal?”

Olga flopped down on the floor, wailing even louder. “You’re a bad mommy! I don’t want you to be my mommy anymore!”

Eleanor pressed her fingers to her temples. The noise was making her head throb. “Fine! You don’t want me? You don’t have to have me! Olga, don’t you like Jessie better anyway? Don’t you and your dad and Jessie have that special group chat?”

That was all Eleanor needed to hear.

He expected her to just swallow the humiliation in silence.

Eleanor slid out of bed, walked right up to him, and slapped him across the face with all the strength she had left.

Her hand tingled from the impact.

For a second, the whole room just stopped.

Autumn stared at Eleanor in disbelief.

“You… you! Eleanor, are you out of your mind?”

She couldn’t believe Eleanor had actually hit her son.