The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife-Chapter 93: A Day at the Park

Cassidy had just finished giving Claire a bath. The little girl sat on the edge of the bed, her damp hair wrapped in a towel, while Cassidy helped her pick out clothes for the park.

"Mommy," Claire said, eyes bright with excitement, "can I wear my favorite blue dress? I want to wear it to the park!"

Cassidy smiled gently and shook her head. "Sweetheart, the park isn’t the best place for that dress. It’s better if you wear something more casual, something you can run and play in."

Claire’s shoulders slumped a little. "But it’s my favorite..."

"I know it is," Cass said softly, brushing a strand of hair from Claire’s cheek. "But we’re going to be on the grass, maybe the playground. You’ll be more comfortable in something simple. How about your overalls or the polka-dot shorts you like?"

Claire thought for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Okay... but can I wear the blue dress next time?"

Cassidy chuckled. "Of course. Next time we go somewhere fancy, it’s the first thing you wear."

Claire grinned and jumped off the bed to dig through her drawers.

After helping Claire into her clothes, Cassidy gently tied her daughter’s hair into a neat ponytail.

"I can’t wait to go to the park," Claire said eagerly, swinging her legs as she sat in front of the mirror. "When is Uncle Zeke coming?"

Cassidy smiled as she fastened the hair tie. "Soon. He’s probably on his way here right now."

Claire nodded excitedly. "Okay!"

Cassidy looked at her daughter through the mirror as she finished tying her ponytail.

"Claire," she asked gently, "do you like Uncle Zeke?"

Claire nodded quickly. "Yes! I like Uncle Zeke. He’s nice, he gave me a teddy bear, he played with me, he has a cute dog, and he’s taking me to the park."

Cassidy chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Her heart softened at how sincere and innocent Claire sounded.

Then, almost without thinking, Cassidy asked, "Do you like Uncle Zeke more... or Uncle Xavi?"

She didn’t know why she asked. Maybe curiosity. Maybe something else. But the moment the question left her mouth, she felt her chest tighten slightly. For some reason, she was nervous to hear the answer.

Claire paused, her little brows furrowing in deep thought.

"I like both," she finally said.

Cassidy let out a small breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She felt relieved. Claire gave the kindest answer, she chose both.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Cassidy looked at Claire through the mirror. "That’s probably Uncle Zeke."

Before she could say anything else, Claire had already walked quickly toward the door, waiting eagerly as Clara opened it.

As soon as Zeke stepped inside, Claire walked shyly up to him and looked up. "Uncle Zeke... you’re finally here."

Zeke’s expression softened as he knelt down and opened his arms. Claire didn’t hesitate, she stepped into his embrace with a quiet smile.

Not far behind them, Cassidy appeared in the hallway.

"Would you mind sitting with Claire for a bit in the living room?" she asked. "I just need a few minutes to change."

Zeke nodded easily. "Take your time."

He took Claire’s hand and followed her into the living room, both of them settling in to wait while Cassidy went to get ready.

Zeke looked at Claire, admiring how adorable she looked in her little outfit. "You look beautiful," he said warmly.

Claire grinned. "Thank you, Uncle Zeke. You look nice too!"

Zeke chuckled softly, touched by her innocent compliment. "Why, thank you, kiddo."

Zeke glanced at Claire with a playful smile. "Are you ready to go to the park?"

"Yeah, I’m ready!" Claire said excitedly, bouncing a little on her feet.

Just then, Cassidy stepped into the room, now dressed in casual clothes, fitted jeans and a simple white t-shirt. The look suited her. She seemed younger, effortlessly relaxed.

For a brief second, Zeke found himself staring. But he quickly looked away, clearing his throat to push the thought aside.

"Sorry for making you wait," Cassidy said as she grabbed her bag.

Zeke shook his head lightly. "Not at all. We were just chatting."

Claire reached for Cassidy’s hand. "Let’s go!" she said eagerly.

Zeke smiled. "Alright then. Park time."

***

Zeke had chosen a park with a cozy playground. When they arrived, he noticed a few children laughing and playing on the slides and swings. Some parents sat nearby watching, while others joined in the fun with their kids.

The moment Claire saw the playground, her face lit up with joy.

Just as she was about to dash forward, Cassidy reached out and gently held her arm, stopping her in place.

"Don’t run, sweetheart," she said softly. "Your stitches aren’t fully healed yet."

Claire paused, placing a small hand over her tummy. She gave a small nod, still excited but more careful now, and waited for Cassidy and Zeke before walking toward the playground together.

Cassidy and Zeke held Claire’s hands as they walked together toward the playground. Claire’s eyes sparkled as she took in the colorful scene, swings swaying, children laughing, and slides shining under the gentle sun.

"I want to go on the swings!" Claire exclaimed, her voice full of excitement.

Zeke glanced at Cassidy and smiled. "You go ahead and take a seat. I’ll take her."

Cassidy nodded and released Claire’s hand. "Okay. Don’t push her too high."

Zeke gave a small nod and guided Claire toward the swings.

Cassidy found an empty bench nearby and sat down, watching them from a distance. The sight of Zeke carefully settling Claire on the swing and adjusting her grip made something warm stir in her chest.

A moment later, a young woman took the seat beside her, exhaling as she looked out toward the playground.

"Finally, we get to sit down," the woman said with a grin. "Let the dads handle the kids for a while."

Cassidy gave a small, polite smile. "Yeah... finally."

The woman beside her offered a friendly smile. "I’m Naomi, by the way."

Cassidy nodded politely. "Cassidy."

Naomi pointed toward the slide area. "My son’s the one over there, going down the slide for the fifth time in a row. He’s five, full of energy, and cannot be left alone for a second. So it’s his daddy’s turn to keep up with him."

She then glanced back at Cassidy. "What about yours? Where’s your kid playing?"

Cassidy looked toward the swings. "She’s over there."

Naomi followed Cassidy’s gaze and spotted the swing set. Two little girls were on the swings, one with short hair, the other with her hair tied up in a neat ponytail.

"Which one’s yours?" Naomi asked, still smiling. "The one with the short hair, or the one with the ponytail?"

Cassidy answered calmly, "The one with the ponytail."

Naomi watched for a moment, then her eyes shifted to the man gently pushing the swing. Her smile widened as she leaned in slightly.

"Wow," she whispered. "Your husband is seriously good looking. Do you have to keep an eye on him all the time?"

Cassidy’s expression froze just slightly. "Ex-husband," she corrected.

Naomi blinked, then slowly nodded, like something suddenly made sense. "Yeah... with that kind of face, it’s hard to believe he came with a perfect personality too. Let me guess, he cheated?"

Cassidy’s lips twitched. "No."

Naomi leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a curious whisper. "No? So... domestic violence?"

Cassidy blinked, caught off guard. "What? No, nothing like that."

Naomi tilted her head, undeterred. "Debt? Alcohol? Drugs?"

Cassidy let out a quiet breath, surprised by the guesses. "Also no," she said, her tone still polite, though a little more guarded now. "We just... had different values. Different goals in life."

She didn’t want to go into details, especially not with someone she’d just met. But the way Naomi casually tossed out those possibilities made her stomach twist a little.

Naomi nodded slowly. "I see. I’m sorry if I was being too nosy or intrusive earlier. I tend to talk a lot too much, honestly. So if I said anything out of line, I really didn’t mean to."

Cassidy offered a small smile. "No. It’s alright. Really."

Naomi looked relieved. "Thanks. You’re very composed, by the way. If it were me, I probably would’ve snapped."

Cassidy chuckled faintly. "It takes practice."

Still, as she looked back toward the swings, she felt a quiet need to shake off the weird discomfort. Because no matter what had happened between her and Zeke, he wasn’t that kind of man. And even now... she wouldn’t let people think otherwise.

Naomi nodded slowly, her expression softening. "I get that. Honestly, my husband and I almost split up for the same reason. We were just... out of sync. But we stuck it out because we kept talking. Like, really talking. Every time something felt off, we made ourselves sit down and deal with it."

She glanced toward the playground, then back at Cassidy. "You know, every marriage goes through something. Whether it’s love fading, money problems, or just growing into different people... if you don’t talk about it with your partner, it builds up. And eventually, it breaks you."

Cassidy gave a small nod, her eyes on Claire in the distance. "Yeah. I know."

Naomi smiled gently. "But you seem like a great mom. And your daughter looks happy. That says a lot."

Cassidy smiled back, a little more genuinely. "Thanks."

Naomi tilted her head curiously. "So... you co-parent with your ex?"

Cassidy gave a small nod. "You could say that."

Naomi smiled, then glanced back at the playground. "Well... looks like your ex is doing a great job over there."

Cassidy followed her gaze to where Zeke was gently pushing Claire on the swing, both of them laughing.

***

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