Chapter Twelve
The silence was unbearable. Every hour that passed without a word from Ashley gnawed at Kingston like a wound that refused to close. He had texted, called, left voicemails and each one more desperate than the last. His phone was an endless trail of unanswered attempts.
“Ash, please. Let me explain. I know I don’t deserve it, but please let me try.”
“I’m sorry. I was stupid. I ruined everything. Please talk to me. Please.”
“I haven’t told the kids anything. They keep asking about me. I can’t do this without you. We can fix this.”
“It meant nothing. You mean everything. I swear to you, it’s always been you.”
“Please, Ashley. Just pick up. One call. One chance.”
But every message went unread. Every call went to voicemail.
Kingston sat in his car outside a coffee shop, his hands wrapped around a paper cup gone cold.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten.
He couldn’t bring himself to go home, home was Ashley, the kids, laughter in the kitchen.
Not the hollow apartment he’d stumbled into after she threw him out.
Rebecca had called too. Three times yesterday, twice this morning. Each time, Kingston stared at the screen until the call went dark. Once, she showed up at the hospital, her eyes pleading, her tone sharp when he brushed her off.
“I just need time to think,” he had told her, his voice low and tired.
“Kingston,” she’d pressed, her hand curling around his arm, “don’t pretend this didn’t mean something.”
He’d peeled her hand off, shaking his head. “It was a mistake. I was a mistake. I can’t do this with you anymore.”
Her face had hardened then, hurt flashing across her features but he couldn’t soften it.
Not now because the only face that mattered was Ashley’s, the way her eyes had shattered when she confronted him.
That look haunted him more than anything Rebecca could offer.
For the first time in his life, Kingston Robert felt completely unmoored.
At the hospital cafeteria, Ashley sat across from Carl and Susan, her untouched salad sitting heavy between them. She’d been quiet all morning, forcing herself through rounds, but her friends noticed. They always did.
Carl leaned forward, his elbows braced on the table. “Alright, Ashley. Spill. You’ve been walking around like someone stole your favorite stethoscope. What’s going on?”
Ashley gave a hollow laugh. “It’s worse than that.”
Susan reached over, resting her hand lightly on Ashley’s wrist. “Honey, you don’t have to carry it alone. Tell us.”
Ashley swallowed, staring at the table. For a moment, she debated keeping it inside, locking the truth away where it couldn’t breathe but the words came out anyway, ragged and raw.
“Kingston’s having an affair.”
Carl cursed under his breath, his chair scraping back slightly. Susan’s eyes widened, her lips parting in shock.
Ashley shook her head quickly. “Please don’t… don’t say anything. I just needed to tell someone. I can’t keep pretending I’m fine.”
Susan squeezed her hand. “Oh, Ashley. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s Rebecca,” Ashley continued, her throat tight. “You both know her. Everyone knows her. She works at his hospital. And I…” Her voice cracked, tears welling despite her best efforts. “I found out. I confronted him and I kicked him out.”
Carl’s face darkened, anger flashing hot in his eyes. “Good. He deserves worse. I’ll tell you that much.”
“Carl,” Susan warned gently, but she didn’t disagree.
Ashley wiped at her eyes with a napkin. “The kids don’t know yet. They just keep asking where Daddy is and I—” Her breath broke, and Susan pulled her into a hug across the table.
“You don’t have to have all the answers today,” Susan murmured. “One step at a time. You’ve already done the hardest thing.”
Ashley leaned into the comfort, letting herself exhale for the first time in days. That night, after the kids were asleep, Leah came over. Her best friend didn’t even bother with small talk as she dropped a bottle of wine on the counter and fixed Ashley with a sharp look.
“Alright. Out with it. What the hell is going on?”
Ashley managed a wry smile. “Do I really look that bad?”
Leah arched a brow. “You look like you’ve been hit by a truck. Now talk.”
So Ashley told her. Everything. The affair. The confrontation. The silence that followed. The way her heart felt like it had been split in two.
Leah listened, her expression tight with fury. “That bastard,” she spat, pacing the kitchen. “And with Rebecca of all people? God, Ashley. I could kill him.”
Ashley laughed through her tears, shaking her head. “Don’t tempt me. The thought has crossed my mind.”
Leah poured them both wine, then sat beside her, their shoulders touching. “Listen to me,” she said firmly. “You did the right thing. Don’t you dare let his mistake make you feel small. You’re stronger than this.”
Ashley nodded, though her chest still ached. The support of her friends was a balm, but it didn’t erase the storm raging inside.
By the fourth day of silence, Kingston felt like he was unraveling. He scrolled through his unsent drafts, words spilling out like confessions into the void.
“I miss you. God, I miss you. The bed is cold without you. The house doesn’t feel like home. Nothing does.”
“I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just need you to know how sorry I am. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it if you let me.”
“I don’t care about the hospital. I don’t care about Rebecca. I only care about you and the kids. Please don’t give up on us.”
But none of them felt enough. Nothing he could type, nothing he could say, could undo what he had done. He left voicemails too, his voice breaking as he spoke into the emptiness. “Ashley, it’s me. Please. I can’t… I can’t lose you. Not like this. Call me back. Just call me back.”
Still nothing.
By the weekend, Ashley felt the weight of running settling heavily on her shoulders. She couldn’t avoid him forever, not with the children, not with the life they had built.
Leah had asked her the night before, “What do you want, Ash? Not the kids, not the house, not the image. What do you want?”
The question had sat with her, burrowing into her chest and when Kingston’s latest message came through, she stared at it for a long time before finally replying.
Fine. We’ll talk. Tomorrow. Neutral place. 2 PM.
She hit send before she could change her mind, her hands trembling. For the first time in days, the silence broke and she had no idea what the meeting would bring, healing, or the final fracture.