All Chapters of My Boss, My Nextdoor Neighbor And Me: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

Shayle's POV I started lying to myself in small ways.At first, it felt harmless. At least that was what I told my conscience when it tried to scream. I told myself Lucien was only around because he was stubborn. I told myself I was only tolerating him because I needed closure. I told myself the pull I felt was just unresolved feelings resurfacing, nothing more, nothing dangerous.All bullshit.Because closure did not feel like this.Closure did not show up at my apartment unannounced with groceries and cook dinner like he used to, moving around my space like it was still his. Closure did not lean against my kitchen counter, arms crossed, watching me with that intense focus that made my skin prickle and my thoughts scatter. Closure did not know exactly when to speak and when to stay quiet, like he could read the tension in my breathing.Lucien did.He cooked like nothing had changed. Sleeves rolled, hair falling slightly over his forehead, mouth curved in that faint smile he only wor

Shayle's POV I left the city without telling anyone.Not Lucien. Not Kieran. I turned my phone off before dawn and packed a small bag like I was running from a fire that had already burned everything down. I did not leave a note. I did not give myself time to hesitate. If I paused for even a second, I knew I would stay and keep destroying things.Going home felt like admitting defeat.But staying felt worse.The road stretched long and quiet, fields blurring past the bus window as my thoughts refused to slow down. Every mile put distance between me and the mess I had made; every mile also pulled me closer to a past I had tried hard to escape. The bus smelled of old fabric and cheap air freshener. People slept around me. I could not.I rested my forehead against the glass and let the ache settle in my chest.I had loved two brothers.I had hurt one.I had betrayed the other before I even chose him.What kind of person did that make me?My phone buzzed in my bag at some point. The vibr

Shayle's POV toMy mother opened her mouth to answer.Before a single word could leave her lips, the door creaked open.A doctor stepped in, clipboard tucked under his arm, polite smile already in place. He glanced between us once before clearing his throat.“Miss, could you excuse us for a moment?The words landed like a slap.I turned slowly, irritation flaring hot in my chest. “We are in the middle of something, please. Will you give us some time?”He offered a tight smile that did not reach his eyes. “It will only take a minute.”My mother’s fingers tightened around the bedsheet. She would not look at me.That alone made my stomach sink.I stood, forcing calm into my movements. “Fine.”I shot my mother a look that promised this conversation was not over and stepped out into the hallway, the door closing softly behind me.The corridor felt too bright. Too white. My heart was still racing from the photograph, from my mother’s reaction, from the words she had not yet spoken.I leaned

Shayle's POV I sat across from my mother, the weight of her confession pressing down on me like it would crush my chest at any moment. The room felt smaller somehow, closing in with the gravity of truth and lies tangled together. Every breath was sharp, jagged, each one making my lungs ache.“You took me because of jealousy,” I murmured, voice trembling with rage and disbelief. “You watched Selene live her life while you stole mine. You replaced her with me, your choice, your obsession, your greed.”Her hands trembled in her lap. “I know, Shayle. I know, and I will never stop regretting it. Not a day goes by that I do not regret it.”I laughed bitterly, a sound rough and broken. “Regret? Do you think that even scratches the surface? You destroyed everything I was supposed to be. My family, my life, my identity. You made me someone I was not. You stole Selene’s daughter and raised her as your own, and now… now my entire world is a lie.”Tears streamed down her face. “I was young. Fool

Shayle's POV I did not sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, my mother’s voice crept back in, soaked in regret and poison. Every truth she dropped felt like it came with teeth. By morning, my head throbbed and my chest felt hollow, but something else sat beneath the pain.Clarity.If my whole life had been a lie, then I would be the one to end it. Not with tears. Not with begging. With facts. With proof. With my name.I stood in front of the mirror as the sun crawled through the window. My reflection looked tired, but there was a sharpness there I had not seen before.“I am done being small,” I muttered.Lucien knocked once before stepping in. His eyes moved over my face like he was checking for cracks.“You look like hell,” he commented.I gave a dry laugh. “You should see how I feel.”He leaned against the door. “You barely breathed all night.”“I was thinking,” I replied. “Which is worse.”He studied me. “That tone usually means something dangerous.”“Not dangerous,” I corrected. “F