chapter 29

The Things He Could Never Take Back....

For the first time in years, Liam Smith avoided work.

That would have caused national concern among his employees.

But enough that people noticed.

Enough that Victoria walked into his office on a Wednesday afternoon and immediately narrowed her eyes.

"You look terrible."

Liam glanced up from his desk.

"Good afternoon to you too."

Victoria sat down.

"I mean it."

She studied him carefully.

"You haven't slept."

Liam looked away.

Because she was right.

The stories from the Lux estate hadn't left him alone.

Every memory he heard had settled somewhere deep inside him.

Refusing to leave.

Refusing to be ignored.

The birthday dinner.

Christmas Eve.

The countless events Judith attended alone.

The plans she made.

The hopes she carried.

The disappointments she quietly swallowed.

None of those memories involved betrayal.

None involved cruelty.

That was the worst part.

There was no dramatic mistake.

No single moment that destroyed their marriage.

Just hundreds of little moments.

Little absences.

Little disappointments.

Little choices.

Each one insignificant on its own.

Together, they became a divorce.

"You finally understand."

Victoria's voice broke through his thoughts.

Liam frowned.

"Understand what?"

His mother smiled sadly.

"Why she left."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Liam laughed quietly.

Not because anything was funny.

Because the truth felt ridiculous.

Painfully ridiculous

"I thought I knew."

Victoria waited.

"I didn't."

His voice sounded tired.

More tired than she had heard in years.

Victoria stood and walked toward the window.

The city stretched endlessly below them.

People rushing to meetings.

Building businesses.

Chasing success.

Exactly what Liam had done his entire life

"Your father was like you."

Liam looked up.

That got his attention.

Victoria smiled faintly.

"He thought providing for the family was enough."

A pause.

"He thought responsibility and love were the same thing."

Liam remained silent.

Because that sounded uncomfortably familiar.

"The difference," Victoria continued, "is that your father realized his mistake before it was too late."

The room became quiet.

Painfully quiet.

Because neither of them knew if Liam had.

That evening, Judith attended a small charity fundraiser.

Nothing extravagant.

Just a local event raising money for rehabilitation services.

A cause she cared about deeply.

Pregnancy had made her less enthusiastic about social gatherings.

People asked too many questions.

Offered too much advice.

Touched her stomach without permission.

An experience she still hadn't emotionally recovered from.

Ava accompanied her.

Mostly because Ava claimed somebody needed to stop Judith from being polite to idiots.

"Remember," Ava said as they entered the venue.

"If anyone annoys you, point them out."

Judith laughed.

"What exactly are you planning to do?"

Ava smiled.

"Whatever feels appropriate at the time."

That answer was deeply concerning.

The event itself went smoothly.

For almost an hour.

Then Judith overheard a conversation.

"...I heard they're getting back together."

"Really?"

"That's what people are saying."

Judith sighed internally.

Of course they were.

Apparently the entire country had decided her love life was a public discussion.

Before she could move away, another woman joined the conversation.

"I don't know why she'd take him back."

The statement caught Judith's attention.

The woman continued.

"If my husband treated me like that, I'd never forgive him."

For a moment, Judith froze.

Not because she was offended.

Because she realized something.

People thought Liam had treated her badly.

Which wasn't true.

At least not in the way they imagined.

Liam hadn't cheated.

Hadn't lied.

Hadn't humiliated her.

He had simply failed to love her.

And somehow that was harder to explain.

Later that evening, as she was preparing to leave, she spotted Liam across the room.

He hadn't noticed her yet.

───

For a moment, she simply watched him.

The way he greeted people.

The way he listened.

The way others naturally gravitated toward him.

Handsome.

Confident.

Successful.

Everything people saw when they looked at Liam Smith.

They didn't see the man who remembered every doctor's appointment.

The man who texted her every morning asking if she'd eaten.

The man who now looked at baby clothes with more concentration than billion-dollar contracts.

The contrast made her chest tighten unexpectedly.

As if sensing her gaze, Liam looked up.

Their eyes met.

And something shifted.

Because for the first time, Judith saw it clearly.

The regret.

The guilt.

The love.

Not hidden.

Not disguised.

Just there.

Raw and undeniable.

A few minutes later, Liam approached her.

"How are you feeling?"

The question had become routine.

Comfortably routine.

"Good."

He immediately looked skeptical.

Judith rolled her eyes.

"You spend too much time around my doctor."

A smile appeared on his face.

For a few moments, they stood together.

Neither rushing the conversation.

Neither trying to force anything.

Then Liam surprised her.

"Your father was right."

Judith frowned.

"What?"

Liam looked down briefly.

As though gathering courage.

Something he rarely needed.

"About the birthday."

Understanding dawned immediately.

Judith's expression softened.

"You don't have to—"

"I do."

The interruption was gentle.

Firm.

For a moment, Liam simply stood there.

Surrounded by people.

Surrounded by noise.

Yet somehow looking completely alone.

"I spent years thinking I failed you because I didn't know how to love properly."

His voice was quiet.

"So did I."

A faint smile touched his lips.

Then disappeared.

"But that's not true."

Judith looked at him carefully.

Liam met her gaze.

"I failed you because I stopped paying attention."

The honesty stole her breath.

Because nobody had ever summarized their marriage so perfectly.

Not therapists.

Not family.

Not even Judith herself.

Just one sentence.

I stopped paying attention.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Judith did something unexpected.

She reached out.

And squeezed his hand.

The gesture lasted only a moment.

Yet Liam felt it all the way to his chest.

Not forgiveness.

Not reconciliation.

Not a second chance.

But maybe...

Maybe the first tiny crack in the wall between them.

And for the first time in months, Liam allowed himself to hope.

Not because he deserved it.

Because perhaps, just perhaps, he hadn't run out of time completely.