Chapter 32
Emily’s POV
After the date at Frank’s place, I couldn’t stop smiling. The evening had been everything I needed and more. Frank had gone out of his way to make me feel special, cooking a meal that was not only delicious but also comforting in a way I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
As we sat at the table, enjoying the meal, Frank looked up at me, his eyes warm and full of sincerity. “I’m really glad you came tonight, Emily. I’ve been wanting to spend more time with you, to get to know you better.”
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks, but I smiled, feeling more at ease than I had in a long time. “I’m glad I came too, Frank. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this… relaxed.”
He chuckled softly, reaching across the table to gently take my hand. “I want you to know, I’m here for you. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
His words sent a wave of warmth through me, and I squeezed his hand in return. “Thank you, Frank. That means a lot.”
After dinner, we moved to the couch, where we spent hours talking. We shared stories, laughed at each other’s jokes, and the conversation flowed effortlessly, as if we had known each other for much longer.
Chapter 32
As the night drew to a close and it was time to say goodnight, Frank walked me to the door. “Tonight was really special,” he said softly, his hand lingering on mine. “I’d love to do this again sometime.”
“I’d like that.” I replied, my voice filled with genuine warmth.
Later, as I lay in bed. Frank called me to soothe me to sleep. His voice was calm and reassuring, and we talked until my eyes grew heavy. “Sleep well, Emily,” he said softly, just before I drifted off. “I’ll be thinking of you.”
It was the kind of peaceful, effortless connection I had been yearning for. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt hopeful about the future.
The next morning, however, reality came crashing back. I was sipping my coffee when the doorbell rang. The last person I expected to see standing there was Lily. Her presence immediately set me on edge, and I could see the familiar fire of jealousy in her eyes as she stepped into my home uninvited.
“Emily,” Lily began, her voice dripping with venom, “you need to stay away from Keith. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it ends now.”
I felt my blood boil at her audacity. “Lily, I don’t have time for your paranoid delusions. Keith and I are over, and if you can’t see that, then that’s your problem, not mine.”
But Lily wasn’t about to back down. “Don’t act like you’re innocent. I know what you’re up to. You think you can win him back by making
Chapter 32
H
yourself the victim? Orchestrating those attacks? It’s pathetic.”
Her accusation was so absurd that I couldn’t help but laugh, though there was no humor in it. “You really think I would put my life at risk to get Keith back? If anything, you’re the one who stands to gain from my death. If I’m out of the picture, you get everything you want, don’t you?”
Lily’s eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, she seemed speechless. I could tell my words had hit a nerve, but I wasn’t done. I took a step closer to her, my voice low and filled with contempt. “Maybe you’re the one who hired someone to kill me. After all, you’ve always been good at getting what you want, no matter who you have to step on to get it.”
She took a step back, clearly rattled, but her expression quickly hardened. “Don’t be ridiculous, Emily. You’re losing it.”
I was ready to tell her to get out when she suddenly brought up Zane. “You know,” she said, a malicious smile curling her lips, “once I marry Keith, I’ll send that damn son of yours to boarding school. I won’t have him disrupting our lives. If you can’t control him, I’ll make sure you only see him twice a year.”
It was as if something snapped inside me. The thought of Lily trying to take Zane away from me, of her even daring to think she could have any control over my son, was too much. Without thinking, I slapped her across the face, the sound echoing in the room.
Lily gasped, her hand flying to her check as she stumbled back, eyes wide with shock and rage. “You’ll pay for that, you whore,” she hissed, before storming out of my house.
Chapter 32
For a moment, I stood there, shaking with anger, trying to calm the storm inside me. But the peace didn’t last long. Just a few hours later, Keith showed up at my door, his expression dark and accusing.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded, barging in without waiting for an invitation. “Lily came to me with a slap mark on her face. She said you attacked her.”
I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm, but the unfairness of the situation made my blood boil all over again. “She threatened to send Zane to boarding school! She said I’d only get to see him twice a year!”
But Keith wasn’t listening. “She told me you bragged about our past, that you said we’re still involved.” His eyes narrowed, filled with cold accusation. “Is that true? Do you think I still want you? That I’ve ever wanted you?”
His words cut through me like a knife, and I felt my heart shatter all over again. “How could you even think that, Keith? I never said anything like that. But you don’t care, do you? You’re just here to protect her.”
Keith took a step closer, his expression twisted with anger. “I never loved you, Emily. Not once. Every time we were together, I was thinking of Lily. She’s the one I’ve always wanted, not you.”
The pain of his words was too much to bear. Without thinking, I slapped him across the face, the sting of it reverberating through my hand. “Get out of my house, Keith,” I said, my voice trembling with emotion. “You’re not welcome here anymore. And tell your bodyguards to leave too, or I’ll
Chapter 32
call the police.”
Keith stared at me, his eyes wide with shock, as if he couldn’t believe I had the audacity to stand up to him. But I was done being the quiet, obedient ex–wife. I was done letting him and Lily walk all over me.
After he left, I collapsed onto the floor, the weight of everything finally crashing down on me. The tears came hard and fast, my body shaking with the force of my sobs.
I had never felt so alone, so betrayed, and so utterly heartbroken. Keith’s words echoed in my mind, over and over, each time cutting deeper than the last.
But as the tears subsided, a new resolve began to form within me. I wouldn’t let them destroy me. I wouldn’t let them take Zane away from me. I had to be strong–for myself and for my son. And I would never, ever forgive them for what they had done to me.
