Chapter 4 Alexander froze , his frown deepening . " Lydia . I think you need to cool down . Walk home in the rain by yourself . " The car he was driving today was a military Jeep - he wasn't bothering to hide his identity anymore . Maybe he thought someone like me wouldn't recognize it . More likely , he was done playing games and tired of pretending . I suddenly grabbed onto the car window : " Can I just say one thing to Leo ? Just one minute . " Alexander remained unmoved . " Really , just a quick word . " " I'll pay the bill tomorrow and then leave . " An umbrella was tossed at me . " Don't let him get wet . He's been through enough shock today because of you . " I crouched down to Leo's eye level : " Listen to daddy from now on , okay ? And no matter how upset you get , you can't throw knives at people , understand ? " His gaze fell on my bleeding arm . His lips moved but he said nothing . I started to reach out to ruffle his hair like I used to , then remembered he'd always thought my hands were dirty from working with families going through loss . I pulled my hand back and forced a smile : " Go on home . " He should be happy - he'd never have to see his annoying mother again . The car sped away , splashing muddy water all over me . Soaked and cold , I looked like a stray dog . I slowly crouched in the rain as blood from my sleeve mixed with rainwater and dripped down . All I felt was exhaustion - the kind that seeped out from my bones . When Alexander and I first got together , we were both broke , having to calculate bus fare carefully to know when to get off . Chapter 4 For that last stretch , he'd always carry me on his hack , panting as he said : " Lydia , let's go home . " Now , it was time for me to back to my real home . I pulled out my SIM card and tossed it into a roadside trash can .