Her Resolve のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Lauren POV The house was quiet when I walked in. Too quiet. No music. No raised voices. Just the low hum of the air conditioner and the faint murmur of a television somewhere deeper in the house, somewhere like the lounge. I took off my heels, picked it up with my free hand and walked in. Andre was kneeling in front of Julia, her legs were stretchly places on his knee, his hands, those hands I once believed were mine were wrapped around her feet, his thumbs pressing slow, deliberate circles into her soles, massaging it carefully like if he pressed harder, she would break. She leaned back comfortably, her head resting against the arm of the couch, her eyes half-closed in contentment and satisfaction. She laughed softly at something she saw on the TV, her laughter light, happy and fulfilled. Intimate. I stopped walking. Something in my chest tightened, sharp and sudden, like my lungs had forgotten how to work. But my face remained still. Calm. Composed. I didn’t gasp. I did

Lauren POV I didn’t know where I was running to. I just knew I couldn’t stay. The word still echoed in my head—sharp, cruel, poisonous. Barren. My chest burned as I ran, breath tearing out of me in broken pulls. My legs felt like they might give out at any second, but I didn’t stop until my body forced me to. The gate of the compound loomed ahead, tall and iron and final, but I never reached it. My knees buckled. I don't even know why I thought I could reach it. Truth is I wasn't thinking, I just knew I didn't want to be there. That I needed to leave. I stumbled toward the water fountain at the center of the compound. I collapsed beside it, my hands gripping the cool marble edge as sobs ripped out of me without permission. Barren. That's new! I had been married for less than six months. It was too early for anyone to think I was barren but that did not stop the hurt, the ache I felt in my chest. I pressed my palm over my mouth, trying to muffle the sounds, b

Lauren POV I woke before my alarm. The sky outside my window was still dim, that soft blue-gray hour before the city fully stirred. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, grounding myself in the plan. Three days. Today mattered. I got out of bed quietly and began to get ready, moving through my routine with practiced ease. I had just slipped into my robe and reached for my bag when a knock sounded on the door. Three short knocks. I frowned. “Grace?” I called, already walking toward the door. I opened it without thinking. Andre stood there. For a split second, time froze. He looked tired—dark circles under his eyes, his shirt slightly rumpled like he’d slept in it. He hadn’t shaved. The sight of him still did something to me, still pulled at a place in my chest I hadn’t managed to cauterize yet. My first instinct was to slam the door in his face. My second was to pretend he didn’t exist. I did neither. “What do you want?” I asked quietly. His ja

Andre POV I woke up expecting silence. The kind that had become normal lately, the distance Lauren wore like armor, the way she moved through the house avoiding me and every other resident. I reached across the bed out of habit and felt nothing but cool sheets. I sighed deeply. I was getting sick of not being around her. I miss her so much. She had lost herself in all of this and it was entirely my fault. She had lost her spark, her energy, and her happiness and I was all to blame. The hate I had grown towards myself was gruesome. She’s been leaving home super early since the beginning of this week, before dawn. Quiet footsteps. Doors that closed without sound. She thought I didn't know or hear her but I did. I was always tempted to follow her but I knew she just wanted her space and that's all I could afford to give her at this time so I gave it generously. I got out of bed, headed to the bathroom to shower, get dressed, and then stepped into the hallway just as Gr

Andre PoV I kept rereading the note like it might change if I stared at it long enough. Lauren’s goodbye sat open on my computer screen, the words burned into me now, memorized against my will. Every line felt calm. Too calm. That was the part that terrified me the most. There was no anger in it. No accusations. Just clarity. Finality. I am not running away, I'm simply leaving for my peace of mind. Please don't bother looking for me. Don't bother to look for you? How do you leave the person you’re married to because of something that's most likely untrue without even giving them the chance to fight? And then ask that I don't look for you? Ridiculous. I hadn’t been to the office in days. I didn’t shave. I did bathe. Didn’t answer calls. I barely slept. I barely ate. The curtains stayed drawn, the room dark, as if I kept the light out long enough, this wouldn’t be real. Like Lauren might walk back in, drop her bag by the door, and tell me this was all some cruel misu