A Life Beyond Us

Three years after remarrying her childhood sweetheart, Greg Gilliam, Kathleen Whelan attends a casual alumni get-together. There, she overhears a secret about her husband. Rita Elway, once the prettiest woman on campus, has clearly had too much to drink. When someone asks about the wildest thing she's ever done, she swirls her glass. Her eyes are glassy, and there's a taunting edge to her voice. "Being Greg's other woman, obviously! And his wife is so stupid, she actually thinks we broke things off. I had his baby, I live in his mansion, drive one of his prized supercars, spend his money, and even have his family's staff waiting on me!" The room goes dead silent. Every eye turns to Kathleen. After all, she's Greg's wife, and everyone is waiting for her to lose it. But Kathleen doesn't cry or make a scene. When a server comes by to refill her glass, she simply says, "Thank you," as calmly as ever. Chapter 1 It didn't take long after the alumni get-together for everyone to notice something was off about Kathleen Whelan. First, she deleted every post about her husband, Greg Gilliam, from her social media. When Greg came home at night, she no longer left a light on for him. Then she stopped her IVF treatments. Five years ago, Kathleen and Greg had been in a car accident. At the moment of impact, she had thrown herself over him and shielded him with her own body. Greg had come out of the crash almost completely unscathed. Kathleen had been badly injured and remained unconscious for three straight days. Afterward, the doctors told her she would likely struggle to conceive for the rest of her life. But Greg's family wanted him to carry on the family line and give them grandchildren to dote on. So month after month, Kathleen went back to the hospital and endured injections with long needles. Every day, she hoped she would finally get pregnant. Eventually, she stopped handling the Gilliam family's day-to-day affairs too. She no longer went to Gilliam Manor to check in on them, and she stopped caring what Greg was doing or where he went. It was almost as if she had forgotten she was Mrs. Gilliam and could have spent her life in comfort and luxury. Instead, she threw herself into work, leaving home early and coming back late. It wasn't until that day that Greg finally realized how much she had changed. After wrapping up his work, he went to her studio. He arrived in a tailored suit, carrying himself with the quiet authority of a man who was used to being in charge. "Kathleen." Greg called her name from the doorway, his voice warm and gentle. Kathleen paused over her work but didn't turn around. "What is it?" she asked quietly. She used to get up the second he came through the door. She would help him out of his cold suit jacket, then cup his hands in hers and breathe on them until they were warm. Now, she didn't even look at him. The difference threw Greg off for a moment. He tried to read her expression, but she turned away, letting her long hair fall across her face. "You should head home. I'll be working for a while." Kathleen sounded perfectly polite, but that only made Greg more uneasy. He hadn't made it to the alumni get-together that day because something had come up. He didn't hear about what Rita had said until later. But Rita had been drunk. She had just been talking nonsense. "Kathleen, it's not the way Rita made it sound. She was drunk and didn't know what she was saying. There's nothing between us anymore. I'm only helping her because she's completely broke." "You didn't do anything wrong. We all went to school together, after all. And now that you're a successful businessman, I guess it looks good to be generous. I'd help her too if I were you." "I saw on Rita's social media that it's her birthday today. Aren't you going to celebrate with her?" Greg frowned. "Kathleen, are you mad at me? I came here to see you because I wanted us to go home together!" Kathleen kept working at her desk, making adjustments to the sketch in front of her. "She only gets one birthday a year. You'll regret it if you miss her party." Greg's voice sharpened with irritation. "But we haven't even had dinner together or sat down and talked at home in days, Kathleen!" He had barely finished speaking when his phone rang. Rita Elway sounded close to tears on the other end. "Greg, I accidentally dropped my birthday cake. Could you pick up another one on your way over? My birthday just won't feel complete without it." Greg narrowed his eyes in irritation, but he was already turning toward the door. At the door, he stopped. He caught Kathleen's reflection in the glass. She was still working, her movements as steady as ever. She didn't look upset at all. It was almost as if she truly didn't care. "Kathleen, wait for me when you get home, okay? And have something ready to help me sober up. They're definitely going to keep the drinks coming tonight. "I also bought you an antique bronze figurine at auction. They say it brings good luck to couples trying for a baby. We'll have a baby someday." Kathleen didn't get a chance to answer before Greg closed the door behind him and left. In the corner of the studio, Kathleen's assistant watched him go, her eyes red. "How can Mr. Gilliam do this to you? He knows you got hurt protecting him, and now you may never be able to have children. How can he go celebrate another woman's birthday and say something like that to you?" "It's okay," Kathleen said softly. The pages on her desk told a different story. They were covered in tear stains, the ink bleeding into a blur. Numbly, Kathleen finished editing the last line of the email on her phone and hit send. A reply came soon after. "I'd be thrilled to have you join my design studio overseas. I've been waiting a long time for you to join me." Kathleen smiled again. In seven days, she would walk away from this place and leave Greg and Rita to each other. Chapter 2 Kathleen had known Greg for nearly 30 years. They had grown up together. As a kid, he was the boy next door who could always talk her into eating. Years later, he was a few years ahead of her in school and somehow always seemed to be around. By the time they eventually got married, both families couldn't have been happier with the match. Greg had always doted on her. In middle school, he stepped in whenever bullies gave her trouble. In college, he would cross half the campus just to model menswear for her fashion design assignments. Kathleen had always thought their marriage would be just as easy and happy as everything that had come before. Then came the car accident. She had protected Greg during the crash, and the injuries she suffered left her unable to have children. Greg blamed himself and started drinking to cope. That was how he happened to run into Rita, one of Kathleen's former college classmates. Rita had fallen on hard times and was working at a bar to make ends meet, but she was still cheerful and optimistic. She comforted Greg and helped him through it. Little by little, the two of them grew closer. At first, Greg was simply grateful to Rita. He bought her small gifts now and then and rented her a nicer apartment. Later, Kathleen walked into Gilliam Mansion and caught Greg and Rita together, both of them barely dressed. She nearly clawed Rita's face off that day. Rita immediately ducked behind Greg, cowering there as she explained, "I only moved in because I needed somewhere to stay. Greg found me a new job, and I had some questions I wanted to ask him." Kathleen's voice trembled. "And you had to take your clothes off to ask them?" Greg was young and hotheaded back then. He thought Kathleen was making too much of it and refused to back down. In a fit of anger, he signed the divorce papers. But less than six months after Kathleen left, Greg missed her so badly that he practically lost his mind trying to get her back. He swore that he and Rita were completely done and that he would never have anything to do with her again. Kathleen had once casually told him, "Unless you can bring me a star, I'm not forgiving you." So Greg paid to have a group of seven stars named "Kathleen's Crown." He told her their love would last as long as the universe itself. The day Greg and Kathleen got remarried, he lifted her high into the air, grinning like an excited kid. Kathleen didn't say anything. She only looked down at their marriage certificate. She had taken him back because she still couldn't let go of what they had. She also knew what being Mrs. Gilliam could do for her career. That name opened doors that would have taken her years to reach on her own. Then, not long after they remarried, Rita showed up again. With one hand resting over her stomach, she stood in front of Kathleen and pleaded with her, "I'm pregnant with Greg's baby. Please, just let me have this baby." Greg looked just as caught off guard. He could barely look Kathleen in the eye. "Kathleen, I swear things between Rita and me are over. It must've happened before I ended things with her. But the Gilliam family needs an heir. Someone has to inherit everything one day." Kathleen looked at the man standing in front of her and suddenly felt as if she barely knew him. The irony was almost laughable. "And what if I say no?" Greg was silent for a long time. In the end, he turned away and walked Rita out himself. That night, Kathleen smashed everything in sight. Then she shut herself inside a guest room tucked away in the farthest corner of Gilliam Mansion. She sobbed uncontrollably, thinking no one would hear her there. By morning, Greg was back. When he found Kathleen, there was blood all over her hands and legs. "Kat!" His heart clenched so hard he could barely breathe. Kathleen stepped away from him, her eyes cold. "You have to choose. Her or me!" Greg went still. After a long moment, he said hoarsely, "Rita agreed to end the pregnancy. Once that's done, it'll really be over between us." That was when Kathleen finally stopped fighting. At least Greg had chosen her. But things were never the same after that. While Rita recovered from the abortion, Greg kept sending her food and supplements to help with her recovery. After that, he spent Rita's birthday with her every year, saying it was his way of making it up to her. Kathleen argued with him about it more than once. To her, the way Greg treated Rita had gone far beyond simple concern. But Greg always gave her the same answer. "I did everything you asked. I even gave up my own child! Rita and I are completely over. But she was pregnant with my baby. Am I not even allowed to care about her at all? Kathleen, you never used to be this cruel." Cruel? So that was what he thought of her. Apparently, refusing to make room for another woman in her marriage was enough to make her cruel. Eventually, Kathleen grew too tired to keep fighting. She told herself that no matter how absurd things had become, surely this was as far as it would go. Then came the alumni get-together, and Rita's drunken confession finally exposed the truth. Greg had never stopped loving Rita. He had simply hidden it from Kathleen. And Rita had never had the abortion. They had kept the baby after all. Whatever hope Kathleen had left was gone. She would never cry over Greg again. Chapter 3 Before Kathleen left the studio, she printed out the divorce papers and took them home with her. Just as she expected, Greg had gone to see Rita. Gilliam Mansion was quiet and empty without him. The antique bronze figurine he'd bought at auction sat alone in the foyer. Andrew Percival, the butler, greeted her with a smile. "Mr. Gilliam really put some thought into this. He knows how much you've been hoping for a baby, so he chose something so meaningful for you. Where would you like me to put it?" Once, Kathleen would have smiled. But now that she knew Greg had been hiding his child from her, she couldn't help wondering how long he had planned to keep it a secret. The gift suddenly felt painfully ironic. As if on cue, the next time Kathleen checked her phone, the first post on her feed was a photo of Greg and Rita celebrating her birthday together. Since going into business, Greg had become serious and reserved. But in Rita's photo, he was making a silly face at the camera, showing a childish side of himself. They were holding Rita's child between them. The resemblance was impossible to miss. The child looked like a miniature version of Greg. Even the birthday cake was a specialty from one of the Gilliam family's bakeries. Rita hadn't exaggerated when she said she was getting the full Mrs. Gilliam treatment. One of their former schoolmates had even left a comment under the photo. "Mr. and Mrs. Gilliam look so in love. What a happy family!" The comment disappeared almost immediately. Whoever posted it must have realized they had mistaken Rita for Kathleen. Kathleen saw it all, her fingers tightening around the divorce papers until the pages crumpled in her hand. It felt as if a knife were twisting in her chest. After she and Greg got married, Kathleen had loved sharing little pieces of their life together. She used to post photos of them on holidays, and their friends would always leave comments wishing them well. Then Greg told her to stop. He said posts like that weren't good for his image. But apparently, when Rita did it, he didn't mind. Kathleen kept her eyes on the screen and noticed that Rita didn't reply to the comments individually. Instead, she posted one message for everyone. "Thanks for all the sweet wishes. I saw them all. It's getting late, so we're heading to bed." Kathleen knew she wouldn't need to make Greg anything for his hangover. He wasn't coming home tonight. The next morning, Kathleen had barely managed to fall asleep when Greg yanked her out from under the covers. He was clearly furious, and his grip was tight enough to bring tears to her eyes. "Kathleen, were you the one who leaked the photos and information about Rita's child? Do you have any idea how many business rivals I have? If people find out about Terry, he could be kidnapped. "His life could be in danger! If you're mad at me, take it out on me. Why drag a little kid into this?" Kathleen was too stunned to react. She said nothing. A half-full glass of water had been left there overnight. Greg grabbed it and splashed the water in her face. The cold water soaked into her clothes, making her shiver and jolting her fully awake. "I didn't do it." Greg had denied everything Rita said at the alumni get-together. Besides, Kathleen had only ever seen Terry Gilliam in photos on Rita's social media. There was no way she could have been the one who leaked the information, but Greg was convinced she had done it. "Rita said you're the only person who would do this to Terry just to get back at her! Why would anyone else do it?" Greg had always been calm and careful. Whenever there was something he didn't want to admit, he made sure never to let anything slip. But when it came to Rita, his self-control vanished. He had practically admitted the child existed. He had never been this impulsive before. Kathleen pulled free of his grip and let out a bitter laugh. Her voice remained as calm as ever. "So you're admitting the child in yesterday's photo is yours?" Greg froze. He had never planned to tell Kathleen about the child. But worrying about Terry had made him slip up, and he had already given himself away. When he spoke again, his voice softened, sounding almost resigned. "Rita bribed the doctor on the day she was supposed to have the abortion and hid the truth from me too. By the time I found out, it was already too late. "Kathleen, Terry can't keep living somewhere with barely any security. I'm going to bring him home. You can raise him as your own. From now on, he'll be our child. You won't have to keep going back to the hospital anymore." Kathleen felt cold all over. She thought about all the IVF treatments she had gone through and every prayer she had said, all for the chance to have a child of their own. And now, with just a few words, Greg had made all of it feel pointless. She wanted to ask him what gave him the right. But she was leaving soon, so in the end, she said nothing. After a long silence, Kathleen wiped the cold water from her face. "Fine. But you owe me for this, so sign here," she said calmly. The divorce papers were still crumpled from how tightly she had gripped them the night before. She kept the key wording covered as she handed them over, her fingers trembling slightly with nerves. Greg took the pen and signed without even looking at the papers. Then he pulled her into his arms. "Go buy yourself whatever you want. I'm sorry, Kathleen. I know this hasn't been easy on you." The moment he held her, Kathleen smelled Rita's favorite perfume on him. It was the fragrance she hated most. She closed her eyes and forced herself not to think about it. She would be gone soon anyway. Chapter 4 Kathleen hadn't expected Rita to move into Gilliam Mansion with Terry. The moment Rita saw her, she looked uneasy. She clearly hadn't forgotten what she'd said at the alumni get-together, right in front of Kathleen. "Kathleen, I'm only staying here for a little while. Once Terry gets used to living here and doesn't need me anymore, I'll leave." Terry tightened his grip on Rita's hand. "Bad woman! Don't make my mom leave. If she goes, I'm going too!" Rita gave an awkward smile, but Kathleen caught the hint of defiance in her eyes. Everyone knew Kathleen had struggled with infertility for years and desperately wanted a child of her own. Now Rita had brought Greg's child right into their home. It was hard not to see it as a deliberate attempt to hurt Kathleen. Greg, however, didn't seem bothered in the slightest. His expression softened as he looked at Rita and Terry. "No one's going to make your mom leave. This is our home from now on." Watching the three of them together like a happy little family, Kathleen suddenly felt like the one who didn't belong. Without a word, she turned and walked away. Rita started to call after her, worried that she had upset Kathleen. Greg stopped her. "Leave her alone. Lately, all she does is mess around with those designs that aren't going anywhere." Kathleen heard every word. Greg hadn't always talked about her work that way. When they first got married, he had happily modeled menswear for her. He used to praise the clean, polished lines of her designs. He told her that even without the Gilliam family's help, she would someday make a name for herself around the world. But after they got married, Kathleen gradually gave up her own ambitions and tried to focus on being a wife and building a family. Somewhere along the way, her work became nothing more than "designs that aren't going anywhere" in Greg's eyes. Kathleen picked up her pace and pretended she hadn't heard him. Greg watched her walk away, an uneasy feeling settling over him. Kathleen had been too calm lately. He had said those things on purpose, hoping she would argue with him or at least show that she still cared. But she hadn't. For one unsettling moment, Greg wondered if she might actually leave him. Then he told himself he was overthinking it. Kathleen loved him too much. She had taken him back even after their divorce, so why would she leave him now? He helped Rita settle in and let the thought go. Kathleen didn't return to Gilliam Mansion until that evening. She had planned to sleep at the studio, but some of her design sketches were still in the study. Since she would be leaving soon, she decided she might as well pack everything up once and for all. But the moment she walked into the study, she froze. The room was a mess. She bent down and picked up one of the scraps scattered across the floor. Her mind went blank when she realized what she was looking at. The sketches she had painstakingly created over the years had been ripped to shreds. Terry was still there, picking out Kathleen's things and ripping them up one by one. For a moment, Kathleen couldn't think. All she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. "What are you doing? Who said you could come in here?" she yelled. She had made it clear over and over that the study was off-limits. Not even Andrew or the housekeepers had been allowed inside before. Emily Robbins, one of the housekeepers, appeared in the doorway and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Gilliam. Mr. Gilliam said Terry could go anywhere he wanted." Kathleen grabbed Terry and pulled him away from her things so she could see exactly what he had destroyed. Before she could do anything else, Terry started wailing. His cries echoed through the entire mansion. "What did you do to Terry?" Rita came rushing over, followed by the bodyguards Greg had left behind to protect him. The moment Terry saw his mother, he grew bolder. He grabbed the framed photo of Rita and Greg beside him and smashed it against the floor. The glass shattered on impact, and a shard sliced Kathleen's arm. Nearby, the stacks of design sketches wobbled, threatening to topple over. "You're mean! You're the reason my mom and dad can't be together! Your stuff shouldn't even be in this house!" Kathleen lunged forward to stop him, but the bodyguards caught her and held her back. "You're stopping me instead of him?" "I'm sorry, Mrs. Gilliam. Mr. Gilliam gave us strict orders to put Terry's safety first. He also said you could be a threat to him." Kathleen stared at them in disbelief. Greg had actually gone so far as to order his men to protect Terry from her. Meanwhile, years of her work were being torn apart right in front of her. She struggled against the bodyguards, but she was no match for them. As she watched her sketches being destroyed, something inside her finally broke. A wave of resentment nearly swallowed her whole. By the time Greg came home, Rita had pulled Terry back to her side and pinched him hard on the arm several times. Terry's wails once again rang through the entire mansion. Rita hurried over to Greg and showed him Terry's reddened palm and the dark bruises on his arm. "Greg, Terry did one little thing Kathleen didn't like, and she tried to hit him. How am I supposed to leave him with her after this? I'm his mother. We should leave!" Chapter 5 The sight of Terry's injuries and tear-streaked face sent a rush of anger through Greg. The bodyguards were still holding Kathleen. He had ordered them to put Terry's safety first, so if they had restrained her, Greg assumed she must have tried to hurt Terry. "Why did you do this, Kathleen?" he demanded. Then he met her dull, empty gaze, and his chest tightened. His tone softened when he asked again, "Terry's hurt all over. What happened?" Kathleen had seen Rita pinch Terry herself. She hadn't injured him, yet Rita was trying to make her take the blame. "You should ask Rita. She did it." Rita shook her head frantically. Kathleen's refusal to admit she had done anything wrong only made Greg angrier. "You're saying Rita set you up? If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. You can't have children, so I'm having Rita leave Terry with you so you can raise him. Why would you still do this to him?" Once again, he was reminding her that she couldn't have children. But the only reason she couldn't was because she had been injured protecting him. Kathleen looked at him, then at the mess on the floor. She was the one who had been wronged, yet Greg believed Rita without question and was completely on Terry's side. Greg ordered, "Apologize!" "I didn't do it!" Kathleen refused to back down. She suddenly remembered their honeymoon. They had been traveling overseas when someone accused her of stealing. No one believed her except Greg. He had stood protectively in front of her. "If she says she didn't do it, then she didn't do it!" There hadn't been a shred of proof back then, but Greg had defended her without hesitation. This time, there were plenty of signs that things weren't what they seemed, yet he still refused to believe her. "Greg, do you really believe I would hurt a child? Or are you taking your anger out on me because you failed to keep Terry's identity secret?" For a split second, anger flashed across Greg's face, as if she had hit a nerve. "Apologize!" he repeated. Kathleen didn't back down. The bodyguards forced her down. Her knees slammed into the broken glass scattered across the floor. The pain was so intense that her vision went black for a moment. After Kathleen apologized, Greg came over to tend to her injuries himself. His touch was gentle, and he took his time cleaning her wounds. But there was no emotion left in her eyes. "I punished you because I wanted you to set a good example for Terry. You'll be his mother, at least in name. If you do something wrong and refuse to admit it, what kind of example does that set for him?" Kathleen didn't answer. She kept staring out the window, ignoring him. Greg sighed and reached for her hand. "What happened between Rita and me back then was a mistake. Terry won't change the fact that you're Mrs. Gilliam. But for his sake, I think Rita should stay here too. "She and Terry can have the master bedroom, and you can move into one of the other bedrooms." Kathleen slowly turned to look at him. He was watching her with a perfectly serious expression, as if he were proposing something completely reasonable. The irony of it was almost laughable. "You can arrange things however you want, Greg. It won't change what they are. Terry is still your illegitimate son, and Rita is still the woman you kept on the side! That's all they'll ever be!" Greg slapped her hard across the face. "Can't you just let the past go, Kathleen? I'm already letting you raise Terry as your own. What more do you want?" Kathleen covered her cheek and said nothing. Tears blurred her vision again. Greg stormed out. Later, Kathleen heard Terry ask in his young voice if they could all sleep together in the big bed as a family that night. Greg agreed. Kathleen's belongings were cleared out of the master bedroom and moved into another room. Meanwhile, she crouched on the floor of the study, picking up the torn pieces of her sketches one by one. Rita appeared beside her without warning. "Kathleen, you recovered years ago. Do you know why none of your IVF treatments worked after you and Greg remarried? Because Greg never wanted you to have his child. "He wanted me to have his child. He arranged for me to fake the abortion back then. And all those IVF shots? There was never any medication in them." Kathleen watched Rita walk away with a smug look on her face. So that was the truth. No wonder the doctors had spent the past few years looking at her like they wanted to tell her something but couldn't. Kathleen had thought she was already numb to the pain, but she was wrong. It still hurt just as much. She never moved into the other bedroom. Before dawn, Kathleen got into a car and headed for the airport. Before her flight took off, she sent proof of Greg's affair, along with information about Rita and Terry, to one of his business rivals. Then she snapped her SIM card in half. At last, she thought, she was free. She would never see Greg again.