Chapter 39: Old Message Thread

최신 챕터

• The Unwanted Wife   Epilogue (Part 17)

  A few days passed.He was at his office when Riah called out of the blue.She didn’t say much, only that she’d gone to see Lara at the school.His heart jumped in his chest. “You talked to her?”[“Yeah,”] Riah said.“What did she say? What did you talk about?”There was a pause on the other end. [“I think you already know,”] she said. [“But it’s not my place to speak for her. You need to talk to her, Lucas. And this time... don’t hold anything back. Be honest. All of it.”]And that was how he ended up here—on a Saturday afternoon, parked outside Lara’s condo building, heart pounding like it was trying to tear its way out of his chest.He hadn’t planned this. Hadn’t thought it through. He hadn’t even rehearsed what to say. All he knew was that he had to see her.To talk to her. To try.Somehow, that need had driven him here.Now, he sat at the edge of a plush couch in the waiting area, wearing a navy-blue polo shirt and jeans that he barely remembered changing into, Lucas stared down a

• The Unwanted Wife   Epilogue (Part 16)

  Lara stood across from him, composed despite the tears that had earlier glistened in her eyes. She looked strong. Beautiful, in a way he had never fully allowed himself to see before. Not until he was at risk of losing her for good.And yet, she wasn’t doing this out of anger or resentment. She was doing it because she had finally chosen herself.“And I can finally start learning how to love myself.”The words stayed with him long after she turned away.Lucas didn’t move. He didn’t stop her.Couldn’t.The door closed softly behind her. And just like that, the silence swallowed everything.Lucas stood there, the echo of her footsteps fading, the weight of her words pressing down like chains. Regret curled in his chest, sharp and suffocating.But this wasn’t the end.She might have chosen to walk away tonight. She might have drawn the line. But he wasn’t done, not with her. Not with what they could be.Even if she hated him now. Even if she wanted nothing more to do with him. Lucas refu

• The Unwanted Wife   Epilogue (Part 15)

  He carried her through the hallway and into his old bedroom, walking past the stares and whispers like they didn’t matter. Once inside, he gently set her down on the bed.She immediately shifted away, creating space between them as if his presence burned.Lucas stood there, unsure. Torn.She didn’t want him there, but he couldn’t make himself leave. His heart ached at the tension in the room, in her body, in her eyes. He asked if she was feeling okay, hoping for a sliver of warmth.But instead, her eyes found his with a kind of pain that carved straight through him. A short bitter laugh escaped her lips before she spoke words that didn’t have to be loud to wound him.He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He had no defense. Because she was right. He knew his failures. She had every reason to doubt him—every reason. And yet, hearing her say it still hurt more than he expected.Then, unexpectedly, she told him to stay.Lucas was caught off guard by how serious her tone was. There was no anger i

• The Unwanted Wife   Epilogue (Part 14)

  Days flew by quickly.Life, strangely enough, carried on as if nothing had changed. That was what surprised him the most, that everything still felt so normal. He had expected the breakup with Riah to shake his world, to leave him wrecked and struggling. But it didn’t. Not the way he thought it would.The pain was there—heavy, dull, persistent—but not all-consuming. It didn’t disrupt his routine or hollow out his days the way he imagined losing her might. It was more of a quiet weight, the heaviness of guilt, of having hurt someone who had once meant the world to him. For six years, Riah had been his person. He had loved her. He had imagined a future with her. He thought she’d be his partner for life. But fate had something else in store. And that something else—someone else—was Lara.That future he once saw with Riah slowly faded, and in its place… was Lara. He ended up falling for the very woman he promised never to love. The irony wasn’t lost on him. But strangely enough, he didn’t

• The Unwanted Wife   Epilogue (Part 13)

  “I want to break up.”Riah’s voice didn’t tremble. She wasn’t crying. But the pain in her eyes—God, it was loud. It rang louder than anything he’d ever heard.“No—Riah, wait. Can we just—can we talk about this first?” he said quickly, his voice trembling.“I’ve been thinking about it for weeks,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I kept telling myself things would get better. That everything would go back to the way it used to be… That we’d find our rhythm again. But every time we’re together, it just becomes clearer. The way you look at me has changed.”“That’s not true,” he said, immediately.But she looked up at him then, with a small, almost broken smile. “It is,” she replied, firmer now. “You’re still sweet. Still caring. You haven’t stopped being kind to me, but there’s something missing. Something real. Something I used to feel with you every time you held my hand, or kissed my forehead, or looked at me like I was your whole world.”Her voice cracked. “And it’s not like tha

• The Unwanted Wife   Epilogue (Part 12)

  Later that afternoon, he went looking for Riah.She wasn’t home.So he went to her flower shop.He found her in the small studio behind the shop, painting on a tall canvas, her back to him. She didn’t turn around when he entered. Her brush moved slowly, deliberately.“Riah,” Lucas said softly.She stilled. “I thought I told you I needed space.”“I know,” he stepped closer. “But I had to see you. I don’t want us to break up.”Riah finally turned to face him. Her eyes were tired and red-rimmed. A mix of sadness and quiet anger flickered across her face. “Then what about Lara?”Lucas swallowed. “I don’t love her.”“But you like her,” Riah said sharply.Lucas exhaled. “I do care about her. I won’t lie about that. But it’s you I love, Riah. You know that.”She gave him a hard look. “That’s not good enough, Lucas. I can’t live waiting for the day those feelings grow stronger. I’m not going to compete with your wife for your heart.”Lucas clenched his fists. “It won’t go any further than thi