Chapter 06
Keith’s POV
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The moment I heard the gunshot, my body moved on instinct. I didn’t think I just threw myself toward Lily, my mind filled with only one thought: protect her. The world around me blurred into chaos, people screaming, the police shouting as they arrived on the scene. The attacker fled, disappearing into the crowd, and the chaos only intensified.
It wasn’t until the adrenaline began to fade, and I heard the shouts. of paramedics, that I turned around and saw Emily on the ground. My breath caught in my throat. Emily?
I hadn’t noticed her in the crowd before–my focus had been entirely on Lily–but seeing her now, bleeding and unconscious, something unfamiliar twisted in my chest. A mix of guilt and something else, something I couldn’t quite name.
For nine years, Emily had been in my life, and though I never loved her, there was a weight of responsibility I felt seeing her like this. She had been my wife, after all, even if my heart had never truly belonged to her. As I watched the paramedics lift her onto the stretcher, the urgency of the situation crashed into me.
“I need to go with her,” I demanded, pushing through the crowd, trying to reach her. “She’s my ex–wife.”
Chapter 06
But the police officer held me back, his grip firm. “Sir, you need to stay back. Let the medics do their job.”
I wanted to argue, to fight my way to her side, but something in the officer’s eyes made me stop. They were right; there was nothing I could do for her here.
The ambulance doors slammed shut, and I watched as it sped away, sirens blaring, carrying Emily to the City Hospital. I stood there, helpless, my mind racing. My heart pounded in my chest, not from love, but from the unsettling realization that I had never seen Emily like this–vulnerable, hurt, and alone.
By the time I arrived at the hospital, Nicole was already there, her face pale and drawn with worry. I hadn’t seen her like this before- so fragile, so consumed with fear. I could barely meet her eyes as we waited outside the emergency room.
When Emily finally emerged, her left arm in a sling, I felt a strange mixture of relief and dread. She looked different–colder, more distant. It was like she had built a wall around herself, one that I had never noticed before.
Nicole rushed to her side, her voice trembling. “Emily, how are you? Are you okay?”
Emily’s response was chilling, void of any warmth or concern. “I’m not dead yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”
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Chapter 06
Her words hit me like a slap. This wasn’t the Emily I had known- this was someone else entirely. Someone who had given up on everything, including us.
Nicole tried to talk to her about Jimson, their father, but Emily brushed her off. “Don’t, Mom. He never saw me as his daughter. He never loved me. Let’s not pretend otherwise now.”
The coldness in her voice stunned me. I had always known there was tension between Emily and her family, but hearing her speak this way, with such finality, was jarring.
I offered to take her home, but she refused, calling a taxi instead. There was no hesitation in her decision, no second thought. It was as if I didn’t exist in her world anymore.
As the taxi pulled away, I turned to Nicole, who was watching with a stricken expression. “Emily’s changed,” she said quietly, more to herself than to me.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The change in Emily was undeniable. She was no longer the woman I had married–she was someone entirely new, someone who no longer cared for me,
for
- us.
When we
conve home, the house was filled with the murmur of
conversations, but I felt detached, like I was floating through the
rooms. Emily’s entire family was there, gathered to discuss what had happened. Jimson, before his death, had been tricked by a criminal gang into a shady investment.
Chapter Di
I had been close to getting involved too, but I’d discovered the truth just in time and reported it to the police. The gang had threatened Jimson, but he had refused to back down. That’s why they killed him.
As we discussed the situation, Emily sat quietly, her face unreadable. It was clear she didn’t feel any connection to what had happened–she had never truly been a part of the family, and now, it seemed, she had cut the last remaining ties.
Lily, of course, couldn’t keep her anger in check. She lashed out at Emily, accusing her of being selfish, of craving attention and never considering how her actions affected the family.
“You’ve always been like this, Emily,” Lily hissed, her eyes blazing with resentment. “Everything is always about you. You’ve never cared about anyone else, and now look what’s happened. You’re still the same selfish person you were nine years ago.”
Emily didn’t flinch. Instead, she looked at Lily with an icy calm that made the room go silent. “You think I wanted this? That I wanted any of it?” Emily’s voice was low, but it cut through the tension like.
knife. “I’ve spent my entire life being ignored, overlooked, and dismissed.
a
I was never part of this family, Lily. Not really. You’ve always had everything, and I’ve had nothing. So don’t talk to me about selfishness. I have nothing left to give, and frankly, I don’t care about any of you anymore.”
Chapter Do
Her words left everyone stunned. Even Tyler, who had been glaring at her with barely concealed anger, fell silent. The room was heavy with the weight of her declaration.
Then, Zane came out from the kitchen, his face pale with worry. “Mommy, are you okay? Does your arm hurt?”
Emily’s entire demeanor softened when she looked at him. She knelt down, hugging him close. “I’m okay, sweetheart. It’s just a little hurt, nothing to worry about.”
Zane hugged her tightly, his small arms wrapping around her as if he could protect her from the world. “I was so scared, Mommy.”
“I know, baby,” Emily whispered, kissing the top of his head. “But I‘ m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”
As I watched them together, a strange feeling settled in my chest. Emily had changed, and I didn’t know this new version of her at all. But seeing her with Zane, so gentle, so protective, stirred. something deep inside me. Something I couldn’t quite name.
They left the room together, Emily holding Zane close, and the silence that followed their departure was deafening. For the first time in years, I understood how little I truly knew about her and how much I had overlooked.
