Chapter 6
“Thanks, but no. This is my problem to deal with.”
Other than crying when I first got home, I acted like I had it all together.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
But Mom saw right through me. She took me back to my room–everything was exactly as I’d left it. They had been waiting for me to come home all this time.Il
She pulled me to sit by the bed. “Yvonne, don’t bottle it up. If you’re hurting, talk to me.”
The moment she said that, my eyes burned. Their concern was like a trigger:
“Mom… it hurts. I did so much for Heston, and he still cheated on me with Wendolene.\
“She lived in our place for three years. I treated her so well, and he still ran around behind my back with her. I was a complete fool, playing right into their hands.”
How do you just forget five years of your life like that?
Tears ran down my face as I let it all out.
*I never spent his money carelessly. I never asked for expensive gifts. I knew how hard he worked to start his business, so I always considered him in everything.
“But he he bought gifts for Wendolene on every anniversary, every birthday. And when I found out, he didn’t apologize, didn’t explain–just ignored me, acted like nothing happened, and waited for me to get over it like that would just make it go away.[
“Mom, cheating isn’t some small mistake. I’m not going to keep forgiving him like I have no self–respect.”
Mom gently wiped my tears. “My love, you have nothing to feel bad about. You did the right thing.
“Now that you see who he really is, there’s no need to waste any more of your time on him. My baby girl deserves so much better.”
I knew she was right, but I still couldn’t stop myself from breaking down.
sobs.
Mom stayed with me, comforting me softly, until I was too exhausted to cry anymore. I fell asleep, still choking back
By the time I woke up, it was dark outside.
Dinner was already set on the table, waiting for me.X
I ate in silence.
Dad finally spoke. “Yvie, now that you’re home, just rest. Don’t think too much.”
I poked at my steak with my fork. “VerdantCore Technologies sent me an offer. I start in two days.”
Mom looked surprised. “Didn’t you just resign from Fitz Tech innovations?”
“Their HR has been reaching out to me for a while. I finally decided to take it.”
Falco frowned. “VerdantCore Technologies is FitzTech Innovations’s biggest competitor… Dude, are you sure?” “Of course.“%
This was my decision. I had no regrets.
Joining VerdantCore Technologies meant officially going to war with Heston.
Mom gave me a worried look. “Yvie, are you sure you’re up for it?‘
I never told my family about the miscarriage. They were just worried about me working so soon after the divorce.
But after everything I had been through, I needed to stay busy. I couldn’t afford to sit around with nothing to do. “I can handle it.”
Falco wiggled his eyebrows. “I heard VerdantCore Technologies’s CEO is hella handsome. And more importantly–he’s single.“I
I took another bite of steak. “And?”
“And you should at least enjoy the view. Relax a little, dude. I just want you to be happy.”W
Falco had been secretly keeping tabs on me. He knew how hard my life had been these past few years.
But since I never said I was coming home, he pretended not to know.
“Our family business will always have a place for you,” he said.”
That was his promise as the heir of the family.
My throat tightened. The food in my mouth suddenly tasted bitter.X
I had been so stupid–throwing away my relationship with my family over that piece of shit Heston.
10:35 AM
They loved me so much, and I had let love blind me!
“Thank you… Dad, Mom, Falco.“%
Mom smiled. “Silly girl. No need to thank us. We’re family.”
Dinner passed in a warm, comforting atmosphere.”
When I got back to my room, my phone buzzed with a message.
[Yvonne, can we talk?]
I stared at Heston’s profile picture. It had been so long since we talked, I only just realized he had changed it–to an
ocean view.!
Mine, though, was still the couple avatar we set five years ago.
Maybe I had seen it before, but I never really noticed.
The chat history was mostly polite, empty check–ins.
But the further I scrolled back, the more I could see–the warmth, the love, the excitement.
That old thrill from our conversations was long gone.
I stared at the screen for a long time. Then, just as I was about to close the chat, his avatar changed back to match mine. Without hesitation, I blocked him on every platform.
10:33 AM
