Yes! Mr Murphy

Part 28

Danielle's hands gripped the steering wheel with a white-knuckled intensity as she sped towards Cillian's apartment. Her heart raced with a mix of anger and betrayal while Nina sat by her side, watching the emotions on her mother's face.

"Mum, please don't make a big deal of this", Nina told her mother, seeing that a storm was brewing both in the skies and within Danielle herself as she pulled up in front of the towering apartment building.

"Nina, quiet", Danielle spat before taking a moment to steady her breathing.

Danielle climbed out of the car with Nina, grabbed her bags, and stormed into the building.

"Mum, please!" Nina tried to reason with her mother as determination was etched across Danielle's face. She didn't pause to greet the doorman, nor did she notice the poignant gazes of the other residents. She had a mission, and she was going to confront Cillian head-on.

Nina followed her upstairs with nausea building up in the pits of her stomach, and upon reaching his apartment, Danielle pounded her fist against the door. After what felt like an eternity, it swung open to reveal Cillian, his typically suave demeanour replaced with a mix of surprise and unease, seeing the anger on Danielle's face.

"Go to your room Nina" Danielle ordered immediately before she barged inside.

"Okay, come on in", Cillian hissed sarcastically while his ex's eyes blazed with fury as she pushed past him, ignoring his comment.

"How could you, Cillian? What were you thinking, getting involved with someone as young as Y/N? She is half your fucking age, and she's your daughter's dance teacher, for God's sake! Is this a midlife crisis or something?" Danielle spat, and Cillian closed the door behind him, the silence only amplifying the tension in the room. "I understand how it looks, Danielle, but I didn't know. Despite this, it is over. I am not seeing her anymore," Cillian told his ex, trying to calm her down.

Danielle scoffed, her face twisting with disdain. "God, you disgust me, Cillian. First your assistant and now her. You're old enough to be her father. This isn't some movie scene where the older man sweeps away the young, innocent girl. This woman is part of Nina's life, and your little fling has serious consequences for her" Danielle grimaced while Cillian's face reddened as anger flared in his eyes.

"Fuck, you have some nerves, Danielle, accusing me of doing the wrong thing while all you did for months was to alienate me from my children's life", Cillian pointed out, and these words hung heavy in the room, each syllable a dagger to Danielle's pride. Her voice trembled as she struggled to grasp the reality of the situation.

"Clearly, I did the right thing by withholding custody from you. You are disgusting, and trust me, Cillian, I will inform the courts of this and fucking fight you. You aren't going to see Nina again any time soon. Not until you come to your fucking senses," Danielle spat before the arguments between her and Cillian came to a head.

***

Just as Nina closed the door to her room behind her, the turbulent argument echoed through the walls of her father's apartment, and Nina could not bear the constant clashes between her parents any longer. Their fights were like tearing her world apart.

This one was a particularly heated exchange, and Nina decided she had enough. With tears in her eyes, she scribbled a note and packed a small bag. She left it on her bed, a message to her parents that read, "I need some space to breathe." Then, she silently slipped out of her bedroom and into the hallway.

Her parents were so engaged in their arguments that they did not even notice as Nina disappeared into the night, where she wandered the streets, unsure of where to go or what to do next. She felt a mix of fear and freedom, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her.