After I Let My Husband's Fangirl Have Him, He Begged Me to Come Back

The night my son's fever hit 104F and he slipped into a coma, Corey Vance was pinned beneath his band's female drummer as she poured her heart out to him.

It was my desperate phone call that snapped him back to his senses. He turned her down.

Corey came home and sat at our son's bedside, tears streaming down his face.

Not long after, the drummer quit the band. Less than six months later, her wedding invitation arrived in my husband's mailbox.

From that day on, Corey couldn't sing anymore. He abandoned his music career, came back to the family, and played the role of devoted house husband.

Fifty years we walked side by side. Everyone who knew us said we were the perfect couple.

Then I fell gravely ill, and Corey shoved a divorce agreement and a pen into my hands.

"If you hadn't made that phone call, Letitia and I might've still had a chance."

"Please, just sign it and set me free. At least then I can still face Letitia with some dignity... Caroline Jenner, it's been fifty years. Neither of us owes the other a thing."

I shattered. Under the weight of his stare, my trembling hand signed.

Then I pulled out my breathing tube and ended it all.

When my eyes opened again, I was back on the night my son's fever spiked.

This time, I dialed a different number. My voice was ice.

"The funding programs backing Corey Vance's band. Shut them all down."

...

I hung up, rushed my son to the hospital, and didn't let myself breathe until the doctor finished treating him.

My mind still hadn't fully surfaced. Behind my eyes, I could see it: Corey in my previous life, hunched over my hospital bed, begging.

His skeletal fingers had dug into my arm, carrying the obsession of half a lifetime.

"Caroline, I've been more than good enough to you. Just sign the divorce papers. I don't want a single thing."

"I told you back then, you and I aren't from the same world. Please... let me go. Once we're divorced, at least when I'm in the ground, Letitia won't resent me for never giving her a chance."

In that moment, my heartbeat had nearly stopped.

He was begging me to let him go.

Fifty years of marriage. I'd given up a career overseas to marry him, and in that instant, every sacrifice became a slap across my own face.

Cold sweat prickled down my spine now, in this life, shocking the last shred of longing out of me.

Corey Vance, since I gave you what you wanted, then fine. This time around, we truly owe each other nothing.

Noah Abbott was still unconscious. I stepped out of the hospital to grab some food.

A piercing roar of cheers erupted from the little restaurant next door.

"Congrats to the band on another win! And congrats to Corey for scoring our Letitia's love confession!"

I froze. My gaze drifted to the group celebrating outside the restaurant entrance.

Corey stood there holding a beer bottle. Beside him, a young woman with a high ponytail had her shoulder pressed close to his.

I recognized her instantly.

Letitia Dickerson.

"What confession? Don't make stuff up."

She ducked her head shyly, but her eyes kept sneaking glances at Corey.

"I just shared my feelings with Corey, that's all. He has a family. I'd never want to come between them."

Corey's hand paused mid-drag on his cigarette. Almost reflexively, his other hand reached out to block someone from pouring her another drink.

"Exactly. Quit talking nonsense."

A few of the others looked annoyed.

"Come on, Corey, don't be so whipped. Honestly, your wife Caroline just looks down on all of us musicians. Every time she shows up at rehearsal with that look on her face? Tch."

"For real! Those stiletto heels, those oversized sunglasses, looking us up and down like we're beneath her. She's not even trying to hide it!"

Letitia widened her doe eyes and turned to Corey.

"Corey, is that how you see it too?"

He lowered his head and took a long drag. The smoke curled around his face, making his expression impossible to read.

"Caroline is definitely career-driven, and she takes good care of Noah too."

"But when it comes to feelings... who can really say?"

Letitia caught the implication. The smile tugging at the corners of her mouth was barely containable.

A strange, bittersweet ache bloomed somewhere near my heart.

I steadied myself for a moment, then walked up to the counter and asked the owner to pack up an order of fried rice.

"Babe?"

Corey spotted me and went visibly stiff, scratching the back of his head with a guilty sort of restlessness. "The band's having a dinner tonight. I forgot to mention it. What are you doing here...?"

"Hey, sis!"

Letitia's voice rang out, bright and chipper. "We just got started. Want to join us?"

Then she tugged at Corey's sleeve and pouted.

"Honestly, Corey, how could you not tell her? Now she has to eat all by herself, poor thing."

I heard exactly what she meant. My expression didn't change.

"No need. Noah spiked a fever and he's in the hospital. I need to get back."

Corey froze. His brow furrowed on instinct.

"A fever? How does a perfectly healthy kid get a fever? How are you taking care of him, Caroline?"

I tugged the corner of my mouth into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"I had work to handle"

"Work?!" His voice shot up. "All you ever think about is work. You can't even take care of an eight-year-old, and you call yourself a mother?"

Something in what I'd said had set him off. He jabbed a finger in my direction, brimming with self-righteous fury.

"And another thingyou couldn't have called me sooner? Do you even consider me his father? I bet that's it. You look down on me. You've always looked down on me, the guy who's 'wasting his life' playing in a band!"

He was practically shaking with indignation.

"Let me tell you somethingour band is competing in the National Band Championship next month. The judges think highly of us. So don't you dare look down on me!"

I listened to his tirade in silence. Around us, the rest of the band watched with thinly veiled amusement.

When he finally ran out of steam, I spoke.

"Are you done?" My voice was level. "The reason I didn't call you was because I didn't want to interrupt Letitia confessing her feelings to you at the hotel."

Corey's expression locked in place.

"Whwhat hotel? What confession? Don't make things up! Letitia and I aren't what you think."

Letitia clutched the hem of her shirt, her face flushing scarlet.

"Sis, please don't get the wrong idea. I did ask Corey to meet up, but only to thank him for letting me into the band so I could make a living. That's all. Nothing more."

Looking at the two of them squirming, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.

"Whatever. I'm leaving."

I grabbed the takeout and headed for the hospital.

Before long, footsteps trailed behind me.

Corey had followed.

"I'll come check on Noah..."

Under the medication, Noah was still asleep. I opened the container and picked at a few bites of rice.

Corey glanced at me several times before speaking, his voice low.

"Babe, you've been working hard. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that..."

He knew perfectly well why we'd gotten married. We'd done it for Noah.

Corey had spent the first twenty years of his life in a bandnever earning much, but living free. I was an investment manager at a securities firm, surrounded by money every day. If it hadn't been for that one drunken night when we crossed a line, neither of us would have given the other a second look.

Two weeks later, I showed up at his door with the ultrasound results and laid it all on the table.

Maybe it was because I looked so uncharacteristically vulnerable that day. He stared at me for a long time, then suddenly pulled me into his arms.

"Caroline, let's get married."

For a while after that, he stopped going to band practice. He came with me to every prenatal appointment, cooked meals tailored to my pregnancy cravings. The day I gave birth, he cried louder than I did, and even through the tears, he didn't forget to hold me.

From the day Noah was born until he turned three, Corey was the one doing the midnight feedings and changing diapers, present for every milestone.

Noah's very first word wasn't "mama."

It was "dada."

A man like that, falling for him was something I couldn't control. And I had my reasons.

But it turned out that when a man wanted to put on an act, he could keep it up for years.

Fine. Let him chase his dream. I'd live my own life.

"By the way," Corey rubbed his nose and lowered his voice. "We've got the National Band Championship coming up, so I'll be pretty tied up. Might not make it home some nights. Just... bear with me, okay?"

I went blank for a moment before remembering that their entry slot for the competition was something I'd begged a client to arrange, practically groveling for the favor.

With his band's actual skill level, they never would have qualified on their own.

But that entry slot? I didn't feel like giving it to them anymore.

So I nodded lightly.

"Sure. Got it."

Corey froze. Whether it was guilt or something else, he suddenly wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me close.

"Babe."

His voice was muffled against my hair.

"Thank you. For supporting my dream. For understanding."

In my previous life, Corey eventually found out about the investments I'd secretly funneled into his band.

Unlike what I'd expected, he was furious. He trashed the entire apartment.

"What's that supposed to mean, Caroline? You bought me a national championship with your money, is that it? I'm telling you, this is an insult!"

"Take your money and get the hell away from me! My band could've taken first place on our own talent. You were just sticking your nose where it didn't belong!"

We didn't speak for weeks after that. It took Noah playing peacemaker before the cold war finally ended.

Sometimes I genuinely had no idea what that man wanted.

I snapped back to the present and pushed him away gently.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you should go. I need to stay with Noah."

Our voices must have been too loud, because Noah woke up anyway.

He rubbed his eyes, spotted Corey, and broke into a grin.

"Daddy!"

Corey opened his arms, his eyes brimming with warmth as he scooped the boy up.

"Did you miss Daddy? Still feeling sick? How about Daddy goes and gets you some food, hm?"

While the two of them chatted, the door swung open without warning.

"Hey, sis."

Letitia stepped inside, a smile already arranged on her face.

"I heard your little one was sick, so I picked up some light dishes for him."

Under the fluorescent lights, the red-dyed tips of her hair were impossible to miss. She was barely in her early twenties, eyes bright and sparkling.

If I was being honest with myself, she really was striking.

No wonder Corey had zeroed in on her the moment they met, even posting their photo together on social media, calling her his kindred spirit.

I said nothing. Corey took the food from her hands.

Noah studied her curiously, then blinked.

"Hey, miss, the perfume you're wearing smells exactly like Daddy's. That's so cool!"

The air in the room turned to ice. Both their expressions went stiff at the exact same time.

"Noah, what are you talking about? Daddy's cologne is a common brand. It's totally normal for someone else to wear the same one." Corey scrambled to cover.

But Noah had never been one to filter his thoughts.

"Nuh-uh. Daddy's cologne is the custom one Mommy got him when she was on a business trip overseas. It's one of a kind in the whole world."

Corey's gaze darted sideways. He covered his mouth with a cough.

"This kid... always saying the wildest things."

"Alright, Noah, let's go to the bathroom." I cut in just in time, then looked at the two of them. "He needs to rest and get some sleep soon."

The hint to leave couldn't have been more obvious.

At the doorway, Corey suddenly turned back.

"Babe."

He tugged at his hair, visibly uncomfortable.

"Letitia's outfit was too short during a performance, so I lent her my jacket. That's how she got my cologne on her. Don't overthink it."

I couldn't be bothered to guess how long it had taken him to come up with that pathetic excuse. My eyes stayed on my phone screen.

"Relax. I don't have the bandwidth to obsess over this stuff. I'd rather spend my time reviewing investment portfolios."

His expression froze, then darkened.

"Money. That's all you ever think about. Do I even exist in your world? Am I even your husband?"

"Fine. Let's see how well you hold this family together on your own!"

He shoved the door open and stormed out.

Letitia trailed after him, her voice dripping with smug sympathy.

"You know, Caroline, being a wife means learning to soften up a little. If you keep this up, Corey's going to be really hurt."

She paused at the threshold. "And honestly, how can you put a price tag on someone's dream? You still don't understand him at all."

I didn't respond. I got up and gave Noah his medicine.

After they left, Noah looked crestfallen too.

"Daddy's leaving already? He hasn't been home in so long. I miss him."

I let out a heavy sigh and pulled him close.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Mommy will always be right here with you."

Corey didn't show up again, not even once, all the way through Noah's discharge. Like he was punishing me with his absence.

I went back to work and scheduled a meeting with a client.

The meeting spot happened to be a caf near the mall. After we wrapped up, the client pointed through the glass window with an amused grin.

"Kids these days. So much energy."

I followed his gaze toward the mall's outdoor stage and froze for a second.

It was Corey's band.

What were the odds.

The last pounding notes faded, and as the crowd broke into applause, Letitia rose on her tiptoes, threw herself into Corey's arms, and kissed him hard.

The audience went still for a beat, then erupted into louder cheers.

Something flickered inside me, faint as a breeze across still water. Then it was gone.

I wrapped up the conversation and headed out. The band was coming offstage at the same time, and Corey and I walked straight into each other.

He spotted me, and his expression shifted into something almost defiant.

"It's just a gig, and you show up to spy on me? Caroline, can you give me some space for once?"

Space. The word hit a nerve. In my past life, he'd begged me on his knees to set him free. The memory left a bitter taste.

"I was here meeting a client. Trust me, nobody wants to watch you make out with your drummer."

He went rigid, eyes wide.

"What... what did you just say?"

I looked straight at him, then at Letitia beside him, barely concealing her satisfaction. Every word landed clean and deliberate.

"I said I have zero interest in watching you date someone else."

Corey's chest heaved. The color drained from his face, then flooded back.

Something snapped in him, and he doubled down, righteous as ever.

"Yeah. Letitia gets me. She knows what I need."

"But you, Caroline? All you've ever done is nickel-and-dime everything down to the last dollar. Do you understand what our band stands for? Do you have any idea what I'm chasing? No. You don't know the first thing about it."

His eyes were full of disappointment.

"Let's get a divorce."

My heart lurched.

Damn it. He beat me to it.

I didn't hesitate. I nodded.

"Fine."

The speed of my answer caught him off guard. He stared at me, visibly stunned.

"Noah stays with me. I'll have a lawyer split everything fifty-fifty. You won't get shortchanged."

I pulled out my phone and texted the divorce attorney I knew on the spot.

His eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Even now, it's still about money? Caroline, do you even have a heart? Did our marriage mean nothing to you? Almost ten years, and this is what I get?"

Ten years didn't even begin to cover it.

Counting my past life, my marriage to Corey Vance had spanned close to seventy or eighty years.

And in all those decades, I was never as happy as the world assumed.

After he quit the music scene, he used his "bad moods" as an excuse and never shared a bed with me again.

She'd locked herself away in that room for years, burying herself in housework and trivial chores, as if she were hiding from life itself.

Then came the diagnosis. A serious illness, and at her age, there was no cure.

When the doctor delivered the news, Corey actually looked relieved.

The money she'd earned had kept them comfortable for the better part of their lives, yet he still stuck her in a six-bed ward. Night after night, she lay awake, unable to sleep through the beeping monitors and the restless stirring of strangers.

It wasn't until the day he walked in with divorce papers that she finally understood. He had hated her all along.

Hated her for that phone call. Hated her for occupying the title of his wife. Hated her for not dying sooner.

"You're the one who asked for a divorce. What's the point of rehashing all this?"

Corey blinked, caught off guard. His Adam's apple bobbed once before he turned away.

"Fine. After the band finishes the National Championship, we'll go to City Hall and file."

Caroline couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

He didn't even know he'd already lost his entry ticket.

Then again, why would he? In her previous life, she was the one who'd registered the band, quietly bankrolled the whole thing, and personally dragged him to dinners with the organizers and judges. Corey probably thought the championship trophy was already sitting there with his name on it.

One of the other band members perked up, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Oh yeah, Corey, last time we asked about the entry fees and competition details, they still haven't gotten back to us. You think something's wrong? That judge seemed really into us."

Corey scoffed.

"They're probably just busy. Once we take the championship, we'll settle that score."

Letitia looped her arm through his and flashed a smile at Caroline.

"Thanks, sis. So generous of you to step aside for me."

She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper, eyes dark and venomous.

"Using your kid to chain Corey down? That's emotional blackmail. Caroline, I've told you before you two aren't from the same world. Take a hint. Grab your brat and get lost."

Caroline didn't flinch.

"Spare me the soulmate act. You two seemed to be having plenty of fun at that hotel the other night. A mistress should at least have the decency to know her place."

Letitia's expression froze. She glared, seething.

"Just you wait."

Caroline didn't give the threat a second thought.

A few days later, Noah vanished.

An entire day and night passed. She tore through the apartment, the neighborhood, even the school. Nothing. She was seconds away from calling the police when Corey's number lit up her phone.

"Come pick up Noah."

A beat. Then he added, almost as an afterthought:

"Oh right, Letitia brought him over to my place. Forgot to mention it."

Rage flooded her brain like a match hitting gasoline. Caroline stormed into Letitia's apartment and slapped her across the face. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Who gave you permission to take my son?!"

Corey lunged forward and grabbed her arm.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you psycho?! You're hitting people now?!"

Caroline wrenched free and backhanded him across the cheek. Then again. Her voice was ice.

"Why didn't you tell me? Do you have any idea how terrified I was?!"

The sudden fury in her eyes made him falter. He went still for a moment.

"...Nothing happened. What's the big deal?"

Letitia clutched her reddened cheek, seizing the moment to play the victim.

"Caroline, I know you look down on me. But Noah is Corey's son too."

Her voice quavered with practiced hurt. "Besides, we were busy preparing for the competition and just forgot to let you know. Did you really have to hit me?"

Caroline laughed. A sharp, mirthless sound.

"You still think you're competing?" She locked eyes with Corey. "Keep dreaming."

She pulled out her phone, dialed, and held it up to Corey's ashen face.

He was about to explode when the voice on the other end stopped him cold. The color drained from his skin in an instant.