Burned Once, Never Again (Niamh and Castiel)

When Niamh came out of the police station, Castiel and Billie's cars were parked together. Both of them stood outside with poker faces.

Castiel approached her with a hint of guilt in his eyes.

Niamh ignored him and walked toward Billie's car.

A firm hand grabbed her wrist. "I'm here to take you home."

"Home?" Niamh laughed mockingly. She then shook off Castiel's hand, her tone calm and detached as she uttered, "That place hasn't been my home for a long time."

The numbness after a great ordeal was something no one around her could understand.

In her previous life, because Castiel always held the reins, she had panicked when brought here and spent three days inside before she could leave. It was Billie who had bailed her out later on. "Niamh!" Castiel's voice cracked,

Niamh looked back at him.

His perfectly chiseled features were captivating. He was such a perfect man, and it was no wonder that even when married, other women still coveted him without regard to propriety. When they first got together, Niamh had been unable to resist him either. Now, looking at him, all she wanted was to destroy that face.

"Let go," she said coldly.

Castiel thought she was just angry. Seeing her like this made his heart sink.

Niamh wrenched his hand away and headed over to Billie's car without hesitation.

Niamh was small, as delicate and fragile as a bird that one would want to cradle and protect. But now, she seemed like an insurmountable mountain, towering and unapproachable.

In the car, Niamh's expression was heavy with sorrow. In just one night, she had lost weight, and her already slim face now looked even more gaunt.

Billie handed her a bottle of water. "Drink some water."

"Thank you." Niamh accepted it.

When she struggled to open the bottle cap, Billie offered, "Let me do it."

Niamh paused. "I can do it!"

She didn't believe she couldn't even open a bottle cap. Was that the impression she gave others?

Her hands were so delicate that the effort of opening the cap made her fingers seem like they might snap at any moment.

Once, this was probably how she made Castiel feel, which was why he always helped her when

they first met. And she had been accustomed to this dependency.

Billie finally relented at her stubbornness.

At last, Niamh managed to twist off the cap and took a big gulp of water. Even after downing half a bottle, her heart remained unsettled. "Billie."

"Hmm?"

"How could he do that to me?" Niamh's tone sounded calm, like a byproduct of the years she spent tolerating the Jamison family. Billie took a d

deep breath. "You can scream if you want to. No one will think less of you for it."

Her husband had cheated on her! If there was ever a time to let loose, now was it.

Niamh stared out the window, unwilling to show her desolation to her best friend. "Billie, take me back."

"What?" Billie looked at her in shock. She thought Niamh was going to stay with her forThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

a while.

But Niamh was clear on what awaited her. She was disgusted at the thought of staying in a place where Castiel was, but she couldn't go anywhere else right now. The online harassment was insane. She would be safe in Castiel's villa as no one would dare to confront her on his turf. But staying outside was another story, and she didn't want to drag Billie into it.

"Why not? That house is half mine, too."

Billie was silent.

She thought Niamh wasn't one to fuss over such things. Once an orphan, the latter had always seemed laid-back and unbothered in everyone's eyes.

When Niamh first married Castiel, those who didn't know her assumed she was after his money. But only a handful understood that while money was important, dignity was not something she'd trade. If she didn't love Castiel, nothing could ever buy her affection.

Niamh said, "You'll handle my divorce case. I won't give up a single right that's mine."

"Okay." Billie nodded, though somewhat hesitantly.

She had been worried that Niamh might give up her rights in the divorce agreement before, but now she was relieved to learn that Niamh wasn't entirely clueless.