All Chapters of SHE WAS NEVER HIS MISTRESS : Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

ISABELLA’S POVThe taxi pulled up in front of my parents’ house just as the sun dipped behind the mountains. I paid the driver and stood on the sidewalk with my three suitcases. The air smelled like pine and fresh bread. It felt familiar in a way that made my chest tight. I had not told them I was coming. I did not want questions on the phone. I just needed to be here.I dragged the suitcases up the walkway and before I could knock the front door opened. My mother stood there in her apron, eyes wide with surprise.“Isabella? Oh my goodness, honey!”She pulled me into a hug right away. Her arms felt warm and strong. I held on longer than I meant to. “Isabella?”“Papa” My father came out behind her and wrapped both of us up. For a moment it felt good and safe. Then the questions started.“What a surprise,” my mother said as she helped me carry one suitcase inside. “We did not know you were coming. Is Dominic with you?”I forced a small smile. “No. He's uhhh.. he's busy with work. I jus

ISABELLA’S POVThe next few days passed in a slow, quiet rhythm that felt both comforting and strange. I helped my mother in the kitchen every morning. We chopped vegetables and stirred pots together like we used to when I was a girl. She did not ask many questions. She just let me be there. I took long walks in the afternoon when the sun was not too strong. The streets in Leavenworth looked the same as I remembered. The same trees. The same old houses with flowers in the front yards. I tried to quiet my mind but the thoughts kept coming anyway.I felt lost and completely directionless. Some mornings I woke up and just lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I wondered if this was it now. Was I just going to keep breathing and moving through the days without actually living? The pain from Dominic had settled into this dull ache that followed me everywhere. I kept waiting for it to go away but it never did. It just sat there like a heavy coat I could not take off.One afternoon, I walked to

ISABELLA’S POVOne week passed in a blur as the days had blended together. I helped my mother around the house. I took walks when the house felt too small. I tried to keep my mind busy so the heavy thoughts would not catch up to me. Then Camila and her fiancé arrived three days before the rest of the family. They came early to formally introduce him to my parents. I stood in the living room when they walked in. Camila looked beautiful and glowing. Her fiancé, Marco, stood beside her with a warm smile. He shook my father’s hand and hugged my mother like he had known them for years.They looked perfect together. Marco was warm and pleasant. He told funny stories about how he met Camila at a family friend’s party. He made my parents laugh right away. My mother kept touching Camila’s arm and smiling. My father nodded with approval while I sat on the couch and watched them. The ring on Camila’s finger caught the light every time she moved her hand. It was beautiful. Simple but full of prom

ETHAN’S POVI saw Isabella leave the gathering fast, her face looking pale. I followed her outside without thinking. She stood against the side of the house breathing too fast. Her hands pressed against the wall like she needed something solid to hold her up. I walked over to her quickly.“Breath, Izzy. Breath with me.”I took her hand, placed it on my chest and made her match my breathing. In. Out. In. Out. I hated seeing her like this. She looked so small and broken. I wondered what had happened in there to make her cry this hard. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I wanted to help her more. I wanted to fix whatever caused this pain. But I did not ask. I just stayed there and held her hand until her breathing became normal.Then she started crying. I pulled her into my arms. She cried against my shirt. Big sobs that shook her whole body. I rubbed her back slowly and whispered that I was right there. I did not need to know the details. I just wanted to be someone she could lean on.

ISABELLA’S POVThree weeks had passed since my family left. The house now felt quiet again and I was glad for it. I needed the silence. The constant questions and noise had been too much. Especially from Aunt Marisol. I am glad she is out of my hair now so I could breathe a little easier. But the silence also brought back the heavy thoughts I tried to push away every day.One night I kept tossing and turning in bed as sleep would not come. My mind would not rest. The first person I thought about was Ethan. I wanted to call him. Just to hear his voice. But I quickly shoved the thought away. I could not start depending on him like that. I got up and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. The house was dark and still. I opened the cabinet to put the glass away and saw the flour, sugar, and other baking things my mother kept there.I stood there for a moment. Then I made up my mind. I could not sleep anyway. I might as well do something useful. I started pulling out bowls and measurin