Chapter 29

On the other hand, Lewis was not what Lily thought. As he angrily asked her to get out of the car, he felt a sharp pain in his chest when she walked away. It was as if a part of him had shattered with her departure. He watched her retreating figure, frustration and hurt swirling within him. After a moment of hesitation, he drove a few blocks, but the ache in his heart compelled him to turn back.

When he returned to the spot where he had dropped her off, he was dismayed to find that she was already gone. Panic surged through him, and he quickly stepped out of the car, searching for any sign of her. His heart raced as he scanned the street, desperate to catch a glimpse of her.

Then he spotted her a few blocks ahead, walking briskly, her head down, seemingly lost in her thoughts. Without her knowledge, he began to follow her, keeping a safe distance. He wanted to ensure she reached home safely, despite the turmoil brewing inside him. The rain continued to pour, soaking him to the bone, but he didn’t care; all he wanted was to be close to her, even if it meant hiding in the shadows.

As he trailed her, he couldn’t shake the hurt from her words. She had misunderstood him yet again. He had tried to be there for her, to show her that he had changed, but every time he reached out, it felt like she pushed him further away. He was at a loss for how to express his true feelings, how to make her see that he wasn’t the enemy she believed him to be.

Finally, he watched as she entered her apartment building, his heart sinking a little more. He stood outside, drenched and shivering, but he didn’t move. He just wanted to catch a glimpse of her to reassure himself that she was ok.

As he peered through the window, he saw her sitting in a chair, laughing with Mia. The sound of her laughter was like a balm to his aching heart, but it also twisted the knife deeper. He had always loved her smile, and seeing it now, so bright and carefree, made him feel a mix of longing and despair. It was a smile he had missed for so many years, a smile that had once lit up his world.

Lewis thought back to all the years he had worked tirelessly to achieve his position, believing that one day he would be able to give Lily everything she deserved—the love, the security, the happiness that had been taken from her. But now, it seemed like everything was going in the opposite direction. His efforts felt futile as he realized that she still saw him through the lens of their past, as an adversary rather than a friend.

He leaned against the wall, watching her through the glass, feeling utterly powerless. All he wanted was to reach out, to tell her that he was here for her, that he had changed, and that he would never hurt her again. But the fear of her rejection held him back. He felt trapped in a cycle of misunderstanding, and the weight of his unspoken feelings pressed heavily on his chest.

As the rain continued to pour, Lewis stood there, a silent guardian, wishing desperately for a chance to prove himself to her. He knew he had to find a way to break through the walls she had built around her heart, but for now, all he could do was watch and hope that someday she would see him for who he truly was.

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Ethan arrived home, his mind still reeling from the sight of Lily in Lewis's arms. No matter how hard he tried to push the image away, it lingered in his thoughts, burning like a brand. He hated seeing her with anyone else, especially someone like Lewis, who had always been an adversary in their shared past. For years, he had been indifferent to her, dismissing her feelings as he pursued his own desires. Yet, witnessing her with another man ignited a jealousy he thought he had buried long ago.

As he sank into the couch, lost in a haze of regret and frustration, Sarah stormed into the room, her face a mask of anger. “You’re home late!” she snapped, her voice cutting through his thoughts like a knife. “I planned a nice dinner for us, and you just… vanished!”

Ethan looked up, momentarily startled. He had barely registered the time, consumed by his own turmoil. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I got caught up with work,” he lied, not wanting to reveal the truth about his emotional state.

“Caught up with work?” she repeated incredulously. “Or caught up with Lily? I swear, if you’re still hung up on her—”

“Enough!” Ethan interrupted, frustration boiling over. “I’m not seeing Lily. I’m done with that chapter of my life.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer, her voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “You’d better be. Because if I see you go near her again, I swear I’ll do something drastic. I will kill the baby inside me if it means keeping you away from her.”

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine at her words. He had fought tooth and nail for Sarah, divorcing Lily and severing ties with his family to be with her. Yet here they were, locked in yet another argument, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had made a grave mistake.