All Chapters of Too Late to Love me Now: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

My eyes stayed fixed on the papers in front of me for a long time. Then I looked at him again, and for a few seconds, I tried to push everything behind me…“I want to move forward, Ayman. I really want to move forward,” I said, my voice steady.“Yes, Claire. That’s what you need to do. Remember your worth. Remember all the beautiful things life still has waiting for you.”He encouraged me to take that step. But deep inside, I still felt that tight knot in my chest.Suddenly, my eyes filled with tears. And I think he understood why.“Claire, it’s going to be okay. He’ll understand.”And yes… he knew without me saying a word.My father. I had never disappointed him before.What would he say when he found out? Just thinking about it made my throat hurt.You know that feeling that stops you from speaking, from even moving? Just imagining telling them the truth hurt more than anything else…I almost wished we could have divorced peacefully and agreed on how to tell him.But how could I exp

“Ready?”I nodded, a small smile on my lips.“Yes. Let’s go.”In the car, my eyes stayed fixed straight ahead.I had to face what was coming. A new beginning can be scary but it can also save you.Starting over. Questioning yourself. Doubting… then standing firm. All of it matters.If it helps you rebuild, find yourself again, and finally put yourself first—the part of you that you had pushed aside for so long—then it’s necessary.No trial comes for nothing. Believe me.In all that chaos, I saw everything clearly. The masks fell. No more pretending. No more lies. No more confusion. I knew I had to come out of it stronger.For me. For the woman I had silenced for so long. And for the daughter who never wanted to disappoint.Sometimes, when you bend too much for others, you lose yourself. And the version of you that once shined slowly fades away.Just a few more meters…And I felt my heart tighten.When he parked and turned off the engine, it was time.My eyes locked onto the gate in fr

“Lili, what do you mean? What did you see? Tell me!” I shouted, completely shaken.“Claire, Dad… I should have told you earlier. But I thought maybe I was wrong. And since the two of them were so close, I tried to forget about it.”“That’s enough, Lili. Are you going to tell us or not?” I yelled, confused and upset.Slowly, I felt my tension go down. I had promised myself I wouldn’t let this break me again because of them.“I’m sorry…” I said, calming down.“Lili, please… go on.”“Claire… I saw them when you both came here during the first months of your marriage. Natalie and him slipped away to the back of the house. I went to check if everything was okay, and that’s when I saw them hugging… and then… they were getting closer. I really thought they were about to… anyway. I didn’t wait that long. I interrupted them. And they both looked uncomfortable. Jason came up to me and smiled before going back to you. But what Natalie told me later is what really bothered me.”“Lili… please, tel

“Claire, well well!” Lili shouted the moment I walked through the front door.“Lili, what’s gotten into you?”She spun around me with that silly smile on her face.“You love him, don’t you?”I stopped right away, my eyebrows pulling together.“Since when do you know so much about love? Did you hear me say that word?”“Well yeah, you don’t say it. But your actions do, Claire. I’ve never seen you look at someone the way you looked at handsome Ayman.”“Lili! You never stop surprising me,” I cut her off.“Say whatever you want, but we both agree he’s way better than Jason, right?”She laughed and walked off to her room.She wasn’t wrong. Ayman was better than Jason. But…I was confused. Ayman had been a strong support for me. But could I really call that “love”?And when do we truly know that we’re in love with someone?So I went back to my normal life.In my room, I picked up what I had left behind: my studies.With Dad and Lili’s support, I decided to finish my degree in international r

Without adding another word, Ayman took my hand once again and we walked out,heads held high.He looked straight ahead, confident and sure of himself. And me, right beside him, I admired the man he is.He walked me to my car, and I couldn’t just let him leave like that.“Ayman… thank you,” I said.“It makes me happy to see you glowing like this,” he replied.“I’m trying to heal and focus on what matters most—me, my life, and the people I love.”“You’re doing the right thing, Claire. That’s all I wish for you,” he said.For a moment, we just stood there, facing each other. It felt like, for a few seconds, nothing else existed around us.“I… I…” I tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.Suddenly, he smiled.I promise you, that was enough to calm me down.“I think you should go now,” he said softly.“Uh… yes. Yes, I should,” I answered, flustered. I was even losing my words.“Okay. I guess I’ll head out now,” he said.I gave him a small smile as he started to walk away.I don’t kno