Her Autumn Melancholy, His Winter Grave

My husband's childhood sweetheart has autumn melancholy syndrome. Every year, when autumn arrives, she becomes despondent and suicidal.
For her, he cancels three months of his life to travel abroad and keep her company.
Molly, she's in a fragile state. Don't overthink it.
I gradually grew accustomed to his annual three-month disappearance.
Until, on a business trip to France, I saw him with a five-year-old girl by his side.
"Daddy, why do you only spend three months with Mommy and me? I want you for longer, much longer."
My husband picked her up in a doting embrace, then took the hand of his childhood friend standing beside them.
"Daddy's situation is special, Aria. Be a good girl. When you turn eighteen, I'll bring you home to meet Grandma and Grandpa."
In silence, I arranged everything, then left, pretending I knew nothing.
Autumn faded into winter, and my husband called.
"Serena's condition has stabilized. I'll be back tomorrow."
I looked at the coffin and the signed promissory note I had prepared, a cold smile touching my lips.
"Good. I'll throw you a welcome home party."

1.
It was an early autumn afternoon in Paris. I stared, frozen, at the three figures in the square.
My husband, Jacob Thorne, was feeding pigeons with a little girl.
"Daddy, why do you only spend three months with Mommy and me? I want you for longer, much longer."
A roar filled my head.
Since when did Jacob have a child?
I must have misheard.
Or he was so fond of Serena's daughter that he'd made her his goddaughter, and the child, in her innocence, had simply misspoken.
Serena leaned against Jacobs shoulder, her voice a mixture of grievance and coquettishness.
"Jacob, I've been with you for seven years without a name to my title. Aria is five years old now. Are you really going to make us wait another thirteen years?"
Jacob sighed, a note of helplessness in his voice.
"I have no choice, Serena. The Thornes and the Leroys have a generational marriage alliance. Marrying Molly was a duty. She will always be Mrs. Thorne in name. If she ever found out about you two, the Leroys would stop at nothing to harm you."
He paused, his tone becoming firm.
"But don't worry. According to Thorne family tradition, a child gains their inheritance rights at eighteen. As my blood, Aria will have the right to officially inherit the Thorne fortune. By then, it will be a done deal. Even if Molly finds out, she won't be able to do anything."
Serena seemed convinced. She sighed softly and rested a hand on her stomach.
"Alright. But you can't have children with her. Otherwise, my Aria and the baby in my belly will be bullied in the future."
Jacob gently stroked Serena's still-flat stomach.
"Don't worry. Aria and this son will be more than enough for me."
His voice dropped lower.
"As for Molly, I've been secretly drugging her. She'll never get pregnant. The Thorne family has no desire to be further entangled with the Leroys. This cursed bond ends with me."
Boom.
The tightly wound string in my mind snapped.
So that was it.
Six years of a childless marriage. I had been checked by doctors; I was perfectly healthy, but I could never conceive. Jacobs grandmother had even comforted me with kind words. "These things take time, my dear. A child is a gift of fate."
It turned out he was the one pulling the strings of my fate.
Rage replaced the initial shock and heartache. My trembling hands clenched into fists as I pulled out my phone.
"Aunt Genevieve, Jacob is cheating. I'm enacting the Leroy family code."
"And have a custom coffin made. One large enough for a family of three."
The next afternoon, I "coincidentally" appeared on the Champs-lyses, a street they frequented.
The moment Jacob saw me, the smile on his face froze, replaced by pure, unadulterated panic.
"Molly? What are you doing here?"
My own smile never wavered as I walked forward and linked my arm through his.
"I'm in Paris on business. I knew you were here, so I thought I'd give you a little surprise."
Jacob forced a laugh. "It's certainly a surprise"
Just then, a timid voice called out. "Honey"
Serena walked over, holding two ice cream cones. When she saw me, she froze, the color draining from her face.
My gaze shifted to her, a playful smirk on my lips. "Who are you calling 'honey'?"
Serena flinched, shaking her head frantically, her eyes darting away. "No, Miss Leroy, you misheard. I was calling him by a nickname, 'Jules'." She was so flustered that a hint of a provincial accent slipped out.
I chuckled, my eyes fixed on her rosy cheeks. "It seems Paris agrees with you, Miss Frost. You're glowing. I take it your 'autumn melancholy' has greatly improved?"
Serena gave a tight, awkward smile. "The weather has been lovely lately my condition has stabilized."
At that moment, the little girl fluttered over like a butterfly and hugged Jacob's leg, looking up and chirping, "Daddy!"
That single word seemed to freeze the very air around us.
Jacobs face went pale. He quickly bent down. "Aria, you said it wrong. You're supposed to call me 'Godfather'!"
The little girl pouted, about to argue, but Serena lunged forward and shoved one of the ice cream cones into her daughters mouth. "Here! Go eat this over there, don't bother the grown-ups!"
The girl winced from the cold. "Mommy, I don't like vanilla! That's Daddy's favorite!"
The last traces of color vanished from Serenas face. She fumbled, trying to swap it with the chocolate cone. "Go, go, let's eat over there"
"Stop."
My voice was quiet, but it halted them in their tracks. Serenas back was trembling.
I slowly walked towards them, unclasping the necklace from my own neck and offering it to the little girl. "It's the first time we've met, Auntie didn't bring a gift. This is for you."
The girl looked at the pendant curiously. "It looks like a bullet."
"You have a good eye," I said with a nod of approval, my voice calm. "That's exactly what it is. Someone tried to rob your godfather once. I took a bullet for him. This was extracted from my arm."
The girl's eyes widened with the kind of awe children reserve for heroes. "Wow, Auntie, you're so cool! You can block bullets!"
Hearing the story, a flicker of somethingperhaps a distant memory of gratitudecrossed Jacob's face. He finally spoke, his voice strained with forced composure. "Molly, that's a keepsake between us. It has a special meaning. Giving it to a child isn't that inappropriate?"
I turned to face him, my smile deepening. "What's inappropriate about it? She calls you 'Godfather,' doesn't she? By that logic, she should call me 'Godmother.' A gift for my goddaughter is perfectly reasonable, wouldn't you say?"
My gaze shifted to Serena, whose face was now ashen. "Right, Miss Frost?"
Serena's lips trembled as she forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace.
Just then, the little girl rummaged in her small backpack and pulled out a bracelet, holding it out to me. "Auntie, this is for you!"
My pupils contracted. My expression hardened instantly.
It was a jade bracelet, inlaid with a small gold charm engraved with the secret Leroy family crest. It was one of my mother's heirlooms, my dowry, passed down through generations of Leroy women.
It had vanished without a trace last year. I had used all my connections, even filed a police report, but it was never found.
And all this time, he had stolen it to give to his illegitimate daughter.
The moment Jacob saw the bracelet, his face contorted. "Molly, listen to me, it's a fake! It's not the one you lost! I just liked the design, so I had a copy made for the kid to play with" He shot Aria a venomous glare. "Aria, give that back! It's not worth anything, Auntie won't want it!"
He reached out to snatch it back.
I was faster. I grabbed the bracelet from the girl's hand. "No, I love it."
Watching the color drain from both his and Serena's faces, I added slowly, "The one my mother gave me is gone. This replica will be a nice memento, don't you think?"
I pretended to examine it closely, then let out a small laugh. "The color of this jade it's almost convincing. But the craftsmanship, the engraving is so blurred a fake is a fake. It can never be the real thing."
Jacob's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. He let out a quiet breath of relief. "Of course. It could never compare to yours."
Serena, however, looked ill. She pressed a hand to her forehead and swayed, collapsing weakly against Jacob. "Jules, I feel dizzy so sick"
I watched her clumsy performance with cold, impassive eyes.
Jacob, however, was a flurry of concern. He pushed me aside, scooped Serena into his arms, and shot me a reproachful look. "I'm taking Serena to rest. Her health is fragile! You just stay away!"
I stood motionless as the three of them hurried away and disappeared around the corner.
I looked down at the bracelet in my palm. How many other secrets had Jacob kept from me all these years?
I took out my phone and called a contact at a local French conglomerate.
"Ethan, it's me. Get me the best private investigator in Paris"
After securing the company's contracts, I flew back home.
That evening, Jacobs video call came through right on schedule. Seeing me at home, he visibly relaxed. "Molly, Serena's condition is getting worse. I really can't leave I'm so sorry you have to spend your birthday alone again."
I managed a "tolerant" smile. "It's alright. Her health is what's important. I understand."
"I had your gift sent over," he said quickly, as if presenting a prize. "It should be there soon. I know you'll love it."
I glanced at the trash can in the corner of the living room, stuffed with 999 red roses and a cloyingly sweet black truffle cake. The same as every other year. Utterly uninspired.
I used jet lag as an excuse and ended the call.
A message from the private investigator arrived. I opened it. It was a photo of Jacob, Serena, and Aria setting off fireworks, celebrating their "Happy 7th Anniversary."
A wave of nausea washed over me.
Was I the other woman? They had been together for seven years. We had been married for six.
For six years, I had spent every one of my birthdays alone.
"Molly, Serena's 'autumn melancholy' is very serious. She's an orphan. If I don't take care of her, no one will."
"Molly, you're the most generous and kind person I know. Please, forgive her. She's not well."
He had lied to me for six years while he was with her for six years.
What a monumental fool I had been.
My phone vibrated again. It was Ethan.
"Molly, I've seen the 'scenery' here in France. Is there anything you need my people to do? Teach him a little lesson, or perhaps make Miss Frost"
He didn't finish, but his meaning was clear.
My eyes turned to ice. "No. When the time is right, I'll buy you a drink."
Ethan chuckled softly. "What kind of drink?"
"A drink at my husband's funeral."
His laughter grew louder, but there was no surprise in it. "In that case, I'll be there. And I'll send the biggest wreath."
After hanging up, a sense of profound exhaustion and absurdity washed over me. I once thought Jacob and I were destined to be together. The Vance family had also proposed a marriage alliance back then, but I had refused without hesitation. All because of that day in America, when we were robbed at gunpoint. I took a bullet for him, and he took three knife wounds protecting me. In the hospital, he looked at my bandaged arm, I looked at his swaddled torso, and we both smiled.
"Jacob Thorne," I had said, "I think we can call this a bond forged in blood. It must be fate."
Now, it seemed it was just another one of life's cruel jokes.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang. It was my aunt, Genevieve Leroy.
After reviewing the investigator's file, she frowned. "The Thornes and the Leroys. A generational alliance."
"I was married to Jacob's uncle, Marcus Thorne, for ten years. In the end, it was nothing but a mess of broken pieces. I divorced him."
She looked at me, her gaze deep. "And now, you and Jacob are no exception. Perhaps the Thorne family is rotten, from the roots to the leaves."
"But Molly, be sure. Once you make your move, there's no turning back. Are you truly prepared to be this ruthless?"
I lifted my head to meet her gaze and nodded firmly. "He wants to have it all, the wife and the mistress. He can't have his cake and eat it too."
"When he married me, he knelt in the Leroy family chapel and swore an oath. If he ever betrayed Molly Leroy, he would suffer a terrible death and be subject to my judgment. The reckoning has come. If heaven won't take him, I will."
My aunt studied me for a long moment, then clapped me firmly on the shoulder. "Alright. Since you've made up your mind, I'll help you clean up the mess."
I knew she had the power to do it. Marcus Thorne had been a notorious womanizer. She had dealt with his first two mistresses quietly, without a trace. It was only the third time that she chose the most dramatic path. At a Thorne family banquet, she had publicly whipped him thirty times with a horsewhip, leaving him bloody and humiliated, and used the scandal to force the Thorne matriarch to strip him of his inheritance rights. Then, she had coolly returned to the Leroy family with her children, changing their surname to Leroy.
My aunt gave Marcus three chances.
I would not.
In six years, Jacob had countless opportunities to turn back.
He didn't take a single one.
My patience had run out.
Forensic specialists turned our home upside down and finally found the substance Jacob had been using to poison me.
I stared at the swapped-out vitamin bottle and gave a bitter laugh. For six years, except for the three months he was away, he would prepare my vitamins and a glass of warm water for me every single night. I used to think he was so thoughtful and considerate.
It was all a lie. The consideration was fake; the poison was real. He had gone to such great lengths to ensure I would never get pregnant.
Just then, another update came from the PI. Jacob and Serena had been spotted at a top-tier auction house in Paris.
I glanced at the calendar. Today was Serena's birthday.
My birthday gifts were always roses and cake, but for Serena, he went to an auction house.
Hah. Trying to win the lady's favor?
How could I not help him?
I immediately contacted my art consultant in France. "Keep your eyes on Jacob Thorne. Whatever he bids on, you follow. The only goal is to drive the final price up to a level that will make him bleed."
"Understood, Ms. Leroy."
Serena had her eye on a piece of ancient jade, one that symbolized "eternal love."
Jacob raised his paddle again and again. My consultant shadowed his every move. The price skyrocketed. Jacob's face grew darker and darker.
Finally, after another bid, he could no longer contain himself. He turned and yelled at my consultant across the crowded room. "Sir, are you deliberately trying to cross me? Do you know who I am? I am Jacob Thorne, head of the Thorne family and son-in-law to the powerhouse Leroy family!"
The consultant offered a professional, placid smile. "My apologies, sir. This is France. I don't know you."
Jacob was visibly enraged. He gritted his teeth and, with a burst of reckless bravado, shouted a final, staggering bid. "Two hundred million!"
The ancient jade was sold to Jacob Thorne for an astronomical price.
I knew his personal liquid assets were nowhere near enough to cover that figure.
Sure enough, my phone rang soon after.
"Molly, we have an urgent project at the company that needs a bit of a cash injection for turnover. I was wondering"
I let out a silent, cold laugh, but my voice was full of concern. "How much do you need?"
"One hundred and fifty million."
"Alright." I agreed readily, then immediately changed my tune. "But I'll need you to use your equivalent shares in the Thorne Group as collateral."
There was a stunned silence on the other end. After several seconds, he spoke, his voice laced with disbelief. "Molly? Do we really need to do things this way between us?"
His tone was that of a man who had been deeply wronged.
I scoffed. "Fine, then. Go ask your parents for the money."
Sensing I wouldn't budge, he immediately caved. "Alright. Fine."
I emailed him the digital collateral agreement and received his signed copy moments later.
I was curious to see just how deep his love for Serena ran. When faced with a choice between power and love, between his status and his children, what would he choose?
The show was about to begin.
For over two months, the PI sent me a steady stream of information, enough to make a feature film.
Autumn faded into winter, and Jacob called.
"Molly, Serena's condition has stabilized. I'll be back tomorrow."
I looked at the coffin and the signed promissory note I had prepared, a cold smile touching my lips.
"Good. I'll throw you a welcome home party."

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