BAD WIFE

Chapter {11}

Baylee spent the entire night tangled in thought, Niko's words echoing relentlessly in her mind. He was right. She was comparing everything to Desmond and Vivian's toxic, bitter marriage—the ugliness of it etched into her memory like a scar. The truth was, she didn't know much else. She had grown up surrounded by dysfunction: the chaos of her parents' union, the stormy collapse of her brother's marriage, and now, the fragile unraveling of her sister's. Add to that the heartbreaks of close friends and cousins, and love seemed more like a ticking bomb than a sanctuary.

It was Sunday morning now, and after pacing through every corner of her thoughts, she finally decided she needed to be somewhere different. Somewhere safe. A place where love was alive and breathing. A place that still believed in forever.

The drive to Nathan and Sabrina's was long, congested with traffic and heat, but Baylee barely noticed. Her thoughts stayed far ahead of her car.

Security at the front gate recognized her immediately and let her through without question. The front door opened just as she was walking up the porch.

Sabrina blinked in surprise. "Hey. Everything okay?"

Baylee never just dropped by, and it showed in the way her sister-in-law's brows pulled together instantly with concern.

"Everything's fine," Baylee replied quickly. "Thought I'd come by on this sunny Sunday and spend time with you guys."

"Oh," Sabrina said, clearly taken off guard. "Well... come in." She stepped aside and opened the door wider. "Your niece is sleeping. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

Baylee followed her into the kitchen and, without hesitation, opened the fridge. "I'll take this," she said, pulling out a blueberry yogurt cup. She plucked a spoon from the drawer, then dropped her weight onto a stool at the island like she belonged there.

Sabrina joined her, folding her arms across the countertop. "So what's going on?"

"Nothing. I just came to visit."

"Don't lie." Nathan's voice broke into the room before Baylee could say another word. He entered the kitchen in nothing but a white towel wrapped low around his waist, another towel scrubbing through his damp hair.

"Please put a shirt on. I don't want to see this," Baylee muttered, squinting in exaggerated disgust.

Nathan ignored her, walked over to Sabrina, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He pressed a kiss into her neck, slow and affectionate.

"In my house?" he said, lazily. "Where it's supposed to be just my wife and daughter home? Why don't you just cut to the chase and tell us why you're really here? Is this about your ex-husband drama?"

The yogurt suddenly turned sour on her tongue. Baylee dropped her spoon back into the container and pushed it away.

"Can I ask you both a question?"

"Sure," Sabrina answered immediately, her tone gentle.

Nathan groaned. Jasmine was napping—this was their sacred time to be alone, to be. "Make it quick."

Baylee looked between them. The couple. The love. The trials they had faced together and still... they stood.

"Is everything you've been through, every hurt and struggle—was it worth it? Being together right now, in this moment?"

"That's a stupid question," her brother said without missing a beat.

"Nathan." Sabrina scolded softly, giving him a light elbow before turning her full attention to her sister-in-law. Her voice gentled. "What is it you're really trying to ask, Baylee?"