When Silence Became Goodbye

After their son died, Shiloh quit every habit Manuel hated. No more blowing up his phone. No more crying when he stayed out all night. No more scenes. Even after a car crash, when the doctor told her to call family, she only said, "I'm an orphan. I don't have anyone." Chapter 1 After their son died, Shiloh Schaffer quit every habit Manuel Preston hated. She stopped blowing up his phone. When he stayed out all night, she didn't cry or pick a fight. After a car accident, the doctor told her to call her family. "I'm an orphan," she said. "I don't have anyone." The nurse looked closer. "You're Mrs. Preston, right? Mr. Preston's upstairs. Want me to get him?" That was when Shiloh realized she was in a Preston hospital. She shook her head. "No, thanks." Half an hour later, Manuel came downstairs anyway. His cold stare landed on her, heavy enough to choke the room. "Why didn't you call me after the accident?" Shiloh looked down. "It's just a broken leg. Nothing serious." Her casual tone got under his skin. He remembered how soft she used to be. Back when they were dating, even a small cold had her curled in his arms, asking for comfort, kisses, and cuddles. Now her leg was broken, and she didn't even flinch. Before Manuel could speak, the nurses outside started whispering. "Mr. Preston spoils Ms. Duffy like crazy. She only scraped her knee on set, and he freaked out. Brought in a whole specialist team and stayed with her the entire time. He carried her everywhere, too. Wouldn't even let her feet touch the floor." His chest tightened. Anger flashed across Manuel's face, but he still looked at Shiloh, waiting for her to get jealous. To lose it. She didn't even glance up. She lay quietly in the hospital bed. His mood sank lower. "Don't listen to them," he said. "Rainee hurt her knee while filming. I just happened to bring her in." "Mhm." That was it. Manuel's temper snapped. "You don't believe me?" "I do." Shiloh answered every question, but there was no emotion in her voice. "Rainee's your adopted sister. You grew up together. Of course you care about her." Before, Manuel would shut her down with that cold look. "Rainee's my sister. I can't just ignore her. She's family. Can you stop making a scene?" Now Shiloh was doing exactly what he wanted. No tears. No fights. He should've been happy. Instead, his chest felt too heavy. 'Something's wrong. None of this feels right.' A nurse pushed open the door. "Mr. Preston, Ms. Duffy says her knee hurts. She wants you upstairs." Already on edge, Manuel snapped, "Then she should see a doctor. I'm not one. Why are you calling me?" The nurse rushed out. Manuel looked at Shiloh, guilt in his eyes. "Are you still mad about our son? Rainee was wrong. I already chewed her out." He hesitated, then sat beside her bed. "We can have another baby." He took her hand. "I'll stay with you this week." Shiloh quietly pulled away. Manuel frowned, ready to snap, when something crashed outside the door. Rainee Duffy had fallen in the hallway, struggling with her crutches. Manuel rushed over and lifted her into his arms. "Why are you out here again? Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?" "I heard Shiloh got in a car accident." Rainee looked pathetic. "I came to check on her." Then she pressed closer to Manuel, like Shiloh scared her. Her voice shook as she looked at Shiloh. "Shiloh, please don't be mad at me. I never meant for Zach to die." Before, Shiloh would've broken down. She would've screamed through tears, demanding to know why Manuel kept protecting the woman who got their son killed. Now, she said nothing. She lay there with her eyes closed, like she was asleep. Her face was pale. She looked painfully thin. From the doorway, she seemed painfully fragile. A dull ache settled in Manuel's chest. "I'll take Rainee upstairs first," he said quietly. "I'll be right back." He carried Rainee away. Manuel never came back that night. Instead, Shiloh got a call from the Aerospace Agency. "Professor Schaffer, are you sure you want to join the Space Elevator Project? It's classified. Once you're in, you'll be based there for decades. No outside contact. Not even with your husband." "I'm sure," Shiloh said calmly. "I already filed for divorce. In a week, once the waiting period is over, I'll get the signed decree. No more ties. A project cut off from the world is exactly what I need." Chapter 2 The person on the line sounded stunned. "Professor Schaffer, are you serious? Everyone at the Agency knows how much you love Manuel. You gave up so many chances for him. Otherwise, you could've been our chief engineer by now." Pain cut through Shiloh's chest. She was an engineer. Calm. Logical. Steady under pressure. Except with Manuel. The second he was involved, all that logic disappeared. Her whole world had revolved around him. Shiloh fell for Manuel twice—once at first sight, then all over again over the years. They'd been classmates since elementary school. Everyone called them the school's genius duo. Every test ended the same way: Manuel took first. Shiloh came in second. She hated always coming in second. Every time, she studied even harder, determined to beat him. And every time, she still lost. The worst part? He barely studied. Still stayed on top like it was nothing. Shiloh acted like he was her rival. Secretly, she'd been in love with him forever. Senior year, she finally got the nerve to ask. Face burning, she said, "Manuel, if I beat you on the SAT, will you be my boyfriend?" She expected him to shut her down. Instead, he leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "If you get a perfect score and win nationals in science, I'll marry you." Because of that one promise, Shiloh went all in her senior year. She got a perfect 1600 on the SAT and took first at the biggest high school science competition in the country. Manuel kept his word. In front of the whole country, he proposed in the most over-the-top way possible. Hundreds of helicopters dropped rose petals over the city until the skyline disappeared under flowers. "Shiloh Schaffer, I love you. When we're old enough, will you marry me?" He dropped to one knee in a sea of roses. Back then, Shiloh thought she was the luckiest girl alive. She learned the truth later. That huge proposal wasn't because he'd always loved her. It was damage control. A way to bury the scandal involving him and his adopted sister. That year, Shiloh was everywhere. Perfect 1600. Valedictorian. First place at the country's biggest high school science competition. The media couldn't get enough of her. Manuel knew their story could drown out his scandal. They'd competed since childhood. Two genius rivals who grew up and fell in love? The public ate it up. So he chose her. "Professor Schaffer? Are you still there?" the caller asked carefully. "You went quiet. Are you having doubts? I get it. You love Mr. Preston so much—" Shiloh cut him off. "I don't regret it. I never will. I stopped loving him a long time ago." The words had barely left her mouth when the door swung open. Manuel stood there, his cold stare dark and furious. "Stopped loving me?" he said. "Shiloh, say that again." Chapter 3 Shiloh had already been lying in bed when she took the call. She immediately hung up, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep. Manuel stormed in, anger rolling off him. Then he saw her closed eyes. 'So she's been talking in her sleep.' Relief hit him, followed by irritation. Even in her dreams, he wouldn't let Shiloh stop loving him. He shook her awake. "Shiloh, did you have a nightmare? I heard you crying about not loving me anymore. What were you dreaming about? Why were you crying like that?" Shiloh looked down. "Nothing. I dreamed about Zach. He was crying, asking why Mom and Dad didn't love him." Pain cut through Manuel's chest. He pulled her into his arms. "Zach's death was an accident. Stop blaming yourself." After a beat, he added, "We're still young. We can have more kids. As many as we want." Shiloh said nothing. Her heart had gone cold. She couldn't even cry anymore. 'Yeah, I'm young. I can have more kids. So what? My son is dead. Would another child erase any of this?' She didn't have the energy to argue with Manuel. Instead, she changed the subject. "You came here in the middle of the night. What do you want?" Manuel froze, suddenly awkward. "Rainee's stomach hurts. She wants that soup you make." Shiloh went still. She'd just been in a car accident. Her leg was broken. And Manuel woke her up in the middle of the night to cook for Rainee. He must've realized how bad it sounded. "You don't have to get up," he added fast. "Just tell me how to make it. I'll do it." Manuel had always had a sensitive stomach. Whenever it acted up, Shiloh made him soup. She'd gone through countless nutrition guides and home-remedy books until she came up with her own chicken soup recipe. But Shiloh had stomach issues too. She'd wrecked her stomach by pushing herself too hard during senior year. Manuel never noticed. Five years of marriage, and he'd never cooked her a meal. Never made her soup. She'd been the only one in love. A bitter smile touched her lips. "Bring me a pen and paper. I'll write it down." Manuel ordered someone to get them. But when Shiloh handed him the recipe, his chest tightened. He remembered the last time he'd asked for it. Back then, she'd smiled and said, "I'll give it to you after we're divorced. As long as we're married, I'll always make it for you." Now she gave it to him without hesitating. Unease settled in his chest. Still, he told himself the divorce talk was just another tantrum. 'Shiloh will never leave me.' A nurse called from the doorway. "Mr. Preston, Ms. Duffy's stomach is really bad. She keeps asking for you. Please come upstairs." Manuel frowned. "She's always being dramatic. If it hurts, give her painkillers. Stop rushing me." But even after snapping, he still went upstairs to Rainee. He was always like that. No matter what he said, he always chose her. Shiloh wasn't surprised anymore. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. She hadn't been out long before Manuel yanked her off the hospital bed. "Shiloh, why is Rainee throwing up blood after drinking the soup I made?" His hand clamped around her jaw, his voice ice-cold. "Did you put poison in that recipe?" Chapter 4 Shiloh looked up at Manuel, calm. "If there's poison in the recipe, have a doctor test it. Or do you not care about the truth? Are you just taking your anger out on me? In that case, stop dragging this out. Punish me. I'll take it." Rainee had framed her before. She'd thrown herself down the stairs, then cried that Shiloh pushed her. She'd splashed hot oil onto her own hand while Shiloh was cooking, then bit her lip and swore Shiloh hadn't meant it. There were too many scenes like that to count. Back then, Shiloh couldn't understand how someone as smart as Manuel didn't see through the lies. Now she got it. It wasn't that he couldn't. He just couldn't stand seeing Rainee hurt, so someone else had to take the hit. That someone was always Shiloh. She couldn't even be bothered to react. She was numb. Manuel misunderstanding her didn't hurt anymore. Something heavy settled in his chest. "What do you mean, I'm taking my anger out on you?" He frowned. "If something's bothering you, say it. Stop talking to me like this. I'm your husband, not your enemy." Shiloh closed her eyes. "There's nothing left to say." Manuel's chest tightened. "What do you mean, there's nothing left to say?" Shiloh didn't answer. Her eyes stayed closed. She wouldn't look at him. Wouldn't listen. She shut him out completely. Unease crept through Manuel. For some reason, he felt like he was losing her for good. He needed to say something. Do something. Anything to keep her. After a long silence, he said, "Tomorrow's Zach's wake. I'll go with you. We'll stay for visitation and go to the funeral together." Shiloh went still, but she didn't open her eyes. A nurse spoke from the doorway. "Mr. Preston, Ms. Duffy's been treated. She's stable, but she's scared and keeps asking for you." "Okay," Manuel said. He looked back at Shiloh. "Get some rest. We'll go home tomorrow and say goodbye to Zach." The night dragged on forever. Shiloh lay awake until dawn. *** The funeral was the next day. The child she'd carried for nine months and brought into the world would be cremated, sealed in an urn, and laid to rest. Manuel showed up the next morning and drove Shiloh back to the Preston estate. The house had been turned into a funeral home. Black ribbons framed the entrance. White lilies filled the halls. The staff wore dark clothes. Soft sobs drifted from the memorial room. Some people were truly grieving. Others were putting on a show. But no one hurt more than Shiloh. Leaning on her crutches, Shiloh slowly made her way to the memorial room. She wanted to see Zach one last time before the service. The second she stepped inside, Manuel's mother, Olivia, rushed her like a lunatic. "You evil woman! How dare you come back here?" She slapped Shiloh twice, grabbed her hair, and started hitting her. "This is all your fault!" Olivia screamed. "You killed my grandson! You knew Zach couldn't swim, but you still took him surfing. You wanted him dead!" Shiloh froze. 'Rainee was the one who took Zach to the beach. Why is Olivia blaming me?' She looked at Manuel. He looked away. The mourners closed in, joining Olivia as they cursed and shoved her. "Kill her! What kind of mother kills her own son?" "Throw her out! She has no right to be at Zach's funeral!" Chapter 5 Today was already the worst day of Shiloh's life. Her son was dead. No one could understand that kind of grief. Even with a broken leg, she'd dragged herself here to say goodbye. But the Prestons threw her out of the memorial room. They beat her with canes. Threw rocks at her. Dumped all their hate on a mother who had just lost her child. A rock hit Shiloh's forehead, and blood ran down her face. Someone ripped away her crutch and beat her with it. She collapsed, her clothes and skin smeared with blood. "Stop!" Manuel rushed over and shielded her. "Have you all lost your minds? Zach's death was an accident. Shiloh had nothing to do with it. Anyone who touches her again answers to me." His gaze swept the crowd. As head of the Preston family, no one dared challenge him. The crowd scattered. Only then did Manuel's face soften. He carried Shiloh upstairs, grabbed the first-aid kit, and treated her wounds himself. But Shiloh didn't look grateful. She stared at him, ice-cold. "Manuel, Rainee took Zach surfing. Why did your mother accuse me of killing him?" His hand froze around the gauze. "You know Rainee's place in this family is... complicated," he said. "She grew up as one of us, then everyone found out she'd been switched at birth. The family already resents her. If they learn she played a part in Zach's death, they'll cut her off for good." He hesitated. "But you're different. You're my wife. As long as I'm here, no one will disrespect you. Take the blame for Rainee. I'll make it up to you by transferring half of Preston Corp's shares to you." He looked at Shiloh, uneasy. He expected anger. Tears. For her to ask why he always chose Rainee over her. Instead, her calm scared him. She didn't argue. Didn't complain. She only glanced at him. "Whatever you want. I don't care." She'd agreed. He should've felt relieved. Instead, his thoughts spiraled. "Don't get the wrong idea. Rainee is just family to me," Manuel said, even though she hadn't asked. "We grew up together. I've always seen her as my real sister. Then we found out she'd been switched at birth. The second the truth came out, she lost everything. Everyone in the Preston family turned on her. I couldn't." "I understand," Shiloh said, eyes lowered. "You don't have to explain." Only people in love needed explanations. She didn't love him anymore. She didn't need one from him. Even if he slept with Rainee right in front of her, she wouldn't care enough to ask. Manuel looked even more annoyed. Before he could speak, a maid rushed in. "Mr. Preston, something happened. Ms. Duffy came to pay respects to Zach, but she ran into Ms. Preston. They're fighting downstairs." She meant Christy Preston, the family's biological daughter. Before coming back to the Prestons, Christy had lived through hell. Her adoptive father had even sexually abused her. She hated Rainee. Every time she saw her, she went after her—hitting, kicking, no mercy. Rainee never fought back. She'd drop to the floor and play the victim. The second Manuel heard Christy and Rainee were fighting, he panicked. He set down the gauze and stood. "Shiloh, bandage yourself. I need to go downstairs before Christy tears the house apart." Without waiting for an answer, he rushed out. Shiloh almost laughed. Christy was Manuel's real sister. Yet he never cared about the years she'd spent beaten, abused, and hurt by her adoptive father. No. He only cared about Rainee's fake tears. Downstairs, Manuel faced the whole family with Rainee hiding behind him. Christy's sobs carried all the way upstairs. "Manuel! I'm your real sister! Why have you never once taken my side? Why do you always choose Rainee?" She cried until her voice went raw. "You've always been like this. You're just as cruel to Shiloh. That manipulative girl keeps setting her up, and you fall for it every time. That's why Shiloh's done with you. Haven't you noticed she barely talks to you anymore?" "Because she finally sees you for who you are. "She stopped expecting anything from you." Chapter 6 Christy's words hit Manuel like slap after slap. Furious, he snapped, "Enough! My relationship with Shiloh is none of your business!" Then he scooped up Rainee, who lay sprawled on the floor with blood running down her face, and left without looking back. The second Manuel left, Olivia called in the staff. They grabbed whatever they could and stormed upstairs. "Shiloh, Manuel's gone. No one's here to protect you now." Olivia's eyes burned with hate. "You killed Zach. I'm not letting you off easy. From now on, every day you spend in this family will be hell." She nodded. The staff rushed forward, tied Shiloh up, and dragged her downstairs. Olivia kicked her into the pool. Then she grabbed Shiloh's hair and shoved her head underwater. "Zach drowned. Do you know how painful that is? Of course you don't." Her voice shook with rage. "That's fine. Today, you'll learn." Freezing water filled Shiloh's lungs. Her whole body screamed. 'So cold... So unbearable... Did Zach suffer like this when he died? Did he call for me in the ocean?' Right before she blacked out, Olivia yanked her up by the hair. Shiloh gasped for air. Before she could take another breath, Olivia shoved her under again. "You can swim! Why didn't you jump in and save Zach?" Olivia cried. "Don't lie to me. I know the truth. You wanted revenge on Manuel. You hated him for lying to you. You hated that he loved Rainee. So you killed his only child to get back at him!" Shiloh almost laughed. 'See? Everyone knows Manuel loves Rainee.' Only Manuel kept lying to himself, insisting Rainee was just family. Olivia was determined to make her suffer. Every time Shiloh nearly drowned, Olivia pulled her up for one or two desperate breaths, then shoved her back under. Again and again. Dozens of times. Then, as Olivia forced her under once more, the water turned red. "Her lungs are injured!" someone shouted. "Holding her underwater over and over can seriously injure her. She needs a hospital now, or she'll die!" Only then did Olivia stop. By then, Shiloh was unconscious. *** When Shiloh woke up again, she was in a hospital room. Manuel sat beside her bed. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His hair was a mess. The man who always carried himself like untouchable royalty now looked wrecked. "Shiloh, you're finally awake." Relief flashed through his tired eyes. He took her hand, guilt all over his face. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I failed to protect you. Don't worry, I punished the staff. As for my mother, I gave her a serious warning. She won't make things hard for you again." Shiloh felt nothing but disappointment. She had almost died. And all Manuel did was warn his mother. He still hadn't told anyone the truth. When it came to letting her down, Manuel never missed. "Okay." She closed her eyes, too exhausted to say more. Shiloh's indifference made Manuel's chest tighten. Christy's words echoed in his head. "Haven't you noticed she doesn't even talk to you anymore? She finally sees you for who you are. She stopped expecting anything from you." Panic hit him. He tightened his grip on Shiloh's hand. "I've been here day and night. I haven't eaten, and my stomach's acting up again. It hurts. Can you make that chicken soup?" Shiloh lay there with one leg in a cast and an IV in her arm. Bruises covered her body. Everything hurt. Manuel's eyes widened. He rushed to correct himself. "You don't have to make it. Just tell me how, and I'll do it. From now on, we switch roles. I'll take care of you, okay?" Shiloh couldn't even look at him. She turned her back. "You have the recipe. "Make it yourself." Chapter 7 Before, whenever Manuel's stomach hurt, Shiloh dropped everything and made chicken soup. Once, she'd even broken her arm at work. It was still in a cast, but when Manuel complained, she went straight to the kitchen and made it herself. But now, when his stomach hurt again, she turned away, giving him only her back. A crushing ache gripped Manuel's chest. His voice nearly broke. "Shiloh, why are you so cold to me lately? You were never like this." Still facing away, Shiloh said, "Before? Weren't you always annoyed by me? Now that I don't bother you, what could you possibly be unhappy about?" Her words left Manuel speechless. The old Shiloh had always clung to him. She wanted to know where he went and what he did. She cared about everything. He found it annoying. Hated how she got jealous over the smallest things. He'd scolded her more than once. "You're the lady of this house. Act like it. Rainee is family, and you're jealous of her? That's embarrassing." Now she'd finally given him what he wanted. She didn't follow him around. Didn't ask about his life. So why did it feel like his heart was being ripped apart? "I know you're still upset about Zach," Manuel said with a sigh. "Trust me. I'll make it up to you. We have a long future ahead. I have plenty of time to win you back." He leaned down and kissed Shiloh's forehead. Then he left. What he didn't know was that the second he walked out, Shiloh got two texts. The first was from the court clerk: [Ms. Schaffer, your divorce has been finalized. The judge signed the decree this morning. Your certified copy is ready for pickup.] The second was from the aerospace agency: [Prof. Schaffer, the Space Elevator Project officially begins tomorrow. Send us your location, and we'll arrange pickup.] Shiloh stared at the messages for a long time. Then she finally smiled. She'd made it. The day she could finally leave had come. But first, there was one last thing to do. Shiloh got out of bed and made her way to Rainee's room on her crutches, one painful step at a time. It was late. Manuel wasn't there with Rainee. 'Good. He'd only get in the way.' "What are you doing here, Shiloh?" Rainee's usual helpless act was gone. She looked Shiloh over with open disdain. "Looking for my brother? Pathetic. You're hurt this badly, and Manuel doesn't even care. I had a few scratches, and he stayed with me all night. He only left because I said my stomach hurt and made him cook for me. If I hadn't, he'd still be here. You've been married to Manuel all these years. Has he ever cooked for you?" Shiloh said nothing. She was done fighting over a man. There was only one thing she needed to know. "I want the truth. The day you took Zach surfing... did he fall off his board, or did you push him?" Rainee burst out laughing. "You really want the truth? Fair warning—you might not be able to handle it." "I can," Shiloh said through gritted teeth. Rainee's smile widened. "Really? Then here it is. Manuel was there that day too. When the waves hit, Zach and I both fell in. Manuel didn't hesitate. He went straight to me... while your poor son got swept away." Every nerve in Shiloh's body went numb. The dim hospital room felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Manuel had been there when Zach died. "And you know the funniest part?" Rainee laughed. "Manuel knew I could swim, but I was still the first person he saved. To him, you and your son together never mattered as much as me." Tears blurred Shiloh's vision. She swore this was the last time she'd ever cry over Manuel. She wiped her face and hobbled out of the hospital on her crutches. Slow, but steady. 'Manuel, there's no tomorrow for us. There was never a long future. 'All that's left is never seeing each other again.' Shiloh took a cab to the courthouse. She waited outside all night. At daybreak, she finally got her divorce decree. She tucked away her copy, then asked the clerk to mail Manuel's to the Preston estate. After that, she waited outside until the aerospace agency's military jeep came for her. She got in without hesitation. Then she pulled out her phone and uploaded the recording from the night before. When she confronted Rainee, she'd secretly recorded everything. Zach's death had been ruled an accident. The law couldn't punish Rainee or Manuel. But the internet could judge them. It was the last thing she could do for Zach before she left. Then Shiloh threw away her phone. The military jeep drove toward the endless horizon. For the first time in a long time, she felt free.