Chapter 104 No Turning Back
<i>If </i><i>he </i><b><i>had </i></b><i>said </i><i>this a </i><i>few </i><i>months </i>ago–talking <i>about </i><i>getting </i><i>married</i><i>–</i><i>I </i><i>probably </i><i>would’ve </i>been <b>over </b><b>the </b><b>moon </b>
But now? All <i>that </i><i>disappointment </i><i>has </i><i>numbed </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>
<i>When </i><i>I </i><i>saw </i><i>his </i>message, <i>all </i><i>I </i><i>could </i><i>feel </i><i>was </i><i>irony</i>.
<i>Before </i><i>we </i><i>broke </i><i>up</i><i>, </i>I <i>showed </i><i>up </i><i>at </i><i>the </i><i>City </i><i>Hall </i><i>right </i><i>on </i>time, <i>excited </i><i>and </i><i>hopeful</i>, just like we’d agreed… <b>and </b><b>he </b><i>ghosted </i><i>me</i>.
Even <i>when </i>we <i>scheduled </i>engagement <i>photos</i>, <i>he </i><i>ghosted </i><i>me </i><i>again</i>.
<i>After </i><i>getting </i><i>stood </i><i>up </i><i>so </i><i>many </i><i>times</i><i>, </i><i>how </i><i>could </i><i>I </i><i>still </i><i>expect </i><i>anything </i><i>different </i><i>from </i>him<i>? </i>
Lily was just about to reply and tell him to stop bothering her when another message popped up on her
screen.
This one was from Elsa.
It was a photo.
There was a timestamp on it–past 1 a.m.st night.
Elsa was wearing nothing but a sheer silk nightgown, draped all over him with a look that screamed seduction.
His lips were on her chest, full of lust and intimacy..
Lily’s lips curled in a cold smile.
<i>Maybe </i><i>John </i><i>really </i><i>does </i><i>care </i><i>about </i><i>me</i><i>. </i><i>Maybe </i><i>he </i><i>truly </i><i>wants </i><i>to </i><i>marry </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>
<i>But </i><i>clearly</i><i>, </i><i>that </i><i>doesn’t </i><i>stop </i><i>him </i><i>from </i><i>rolling </i><i>around </i><i>with </i><i>Elsa </i><i>like </i><i>they’re </i><i>soulmates</i>.
It’s <i>disgusting</i>.
She was about to screenshot the picture and send it back to John with a message telling him to quit pretending to be some heartbroken romantic, but Elsa beat her to it and deleted the photo.
“Oops, sorry, wrong send.”
<i>God</i><i>, </i><i>she’s </i><b><i>so </i></b>vile.
As <i>if </i><i>anyone </i><i>would </i><i>believe </i><i>that </i><i>was </i><i>an </i><i>ident</i>.
<i>Still</i><i>, </i><i>her </i><i>little </i><i>stunt </i><i>reminded </i><i>me </i><i>of </i><i>something</i>–<i>I </i><i>never </i><i>actually </i><i>blocked </i><i>her </i><i>on </i><i>WhatsApp</i>.
<i>Fixed </i><i>that </i><i>real </i><i>quick</i>.
Blocked<i>. </i><i>Forever</i><i>. </i>
Then she sent a message to John.
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Chapter <b>104 </b>No Turning Back
“Let me remind you one more time. I’m married.I really don’t appreciate being harassed <b>by </b><b>my </b>ex <b>John </b><b>let’s </b><b>never </b>talk again.”
Right after hitting send, she blocked his number too.
“Good morning, Le.”
Originally, she’d woken up in such a foul mood thanks to those two idiots.
But the moment she saw Elias’s message–even just a simple good morning–her whole vibe shifted.
She couldn’t help but vent to him.
“My ex is insane. We broke up over a month ago, and now he’s texting me asking if I want to go and <b>get </b><b>the </b>marriage certificate with him today. I mean, is he mentally okay?”
James had already left for the office.
He had been loungingzily on the couch before reading my text, but the moment he saw it, his whole demeanor changed.
He sat up straight, stiff as a board. His usually calm, sharp features now looked tense.
He typed furiously.
“You can’t marry that guy. Men who cheat can never be trusted. Don’t fall for his sweet talk.”
Even through the screen, Lily could feel his urgency.
<i>In </i><i>all </i><i>the </i><i>time </i><i>I’ve </i>known <i>Elias</i><i>, </i><i>he’s </i><i>always </i><i>been </i><iposed</i><i>–</i><i>like </i><i>nothing </i><i>in </i><i>the </i>world <i>could </i><i>shake him</i>.
<i>I </i><i>didn’t </i><i>expect </i><i>someone </i><i>like </i><i>him </i><i>to </i><i>get </i>so <i>worked </i><i>up </i><i>over </i><i>my </i><i>rtionship</i>.
It warmed her heart.
<i>He’s </i><i>someone </i><i>who </i><i>doesn’t </i><i>even </i><i>want </i><i>to </i><i>get </i><i>married </i><i>himself</i><i>, </i><i>yet </i><i>he’s </i>still worrying <i>about </i><i>my </i><i>love </i><i>life</i><i>. </i>
<i>That’s </i><i>the </i><i>kind </i><i>of </i><i>friend </i><i>anyone </i><i>would </i><i>be </i><i>lucky </i><i>to </i><i>have</i><i>. </i>
I <i>knew </i><i>he </i><i>was </i><i>just </i><i>afraid </i><i>I’d </i><i>get </i><i>hurt </i><i>again</i>.
She quickly typed back.
“I’m not going to marry him. A smart girl no looking back after a breakup.”
“Good.”
James finally rxed a little.
He felt like our values aligned perfectly.
<i>I </i><i>hated </i><i>looking </i><i>back </i><i>just </i><i>as </i><i>much </i><i>as </i><i>she </i><i>did</i>.
go back to an ex. Life’s about moving forward. There’s
Chapter 104 No Turning Back
<i>Whether </i><i>it’s </i><i>love </i>or marriage, once <i>it’s </i><i>over</i>, <i>it </i><i>should </i><i>stay </i><i>that </i><i>way</i><i>. </i>
Like the divorce between me and <i>Lily</i><i>–</i><i>I </i><i>will </i><i>never </i><i>regret </i><i>it</i>.
I knew she meant it when <i>she </i><i>said </i><i>she </i><i>wasn’t </i><i>going </i><i>back</i>.
<i>But </i>I also knew <i>how </i><i>easily </i><i>smooth</i>–<i>talking </i><i>jerks </i><i>could </i><i>trick </i><i>girls </i><i>into </i><i>giving </i><i>second </i><i>chances</i>.
James was still worried.
After a pause, he typed again.
“A guy who still can’t let go of his ‘first love‘ is not someone you can count on.”
“Exactly. Two–timers are the worst.”
Lily fired back immediately.
“If I ever date again, it’ll only be with someone who’s 100 percent into me.”
Though <i>honestly</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>was </i><i>really </i><i>enjoying </i><i>the </i><i>single </i><i>life</i>.
James wanted to say more.
+5 <b>Free </b>Coins
But technically, he was still married. Saying too much would make him sound like he was ying both sides.
So he kept his mouth shut.
Still, a little regret crept in.
I <i>should’ve </i><i>asked </i><i>Lily </i><i>to </i>sign <i>the </i><i>actual </i><i>divorce </i><i>papers </i><i>instead </i><i>of </i><i>that </i><i>temporary </i><i>agreement</i>.
<i>I </i><i>need </i><i>to </i><i>find </i><i>the </i><i>right </i><i>moment </i><i>to </i><i>make </i><i>it </i><i>official</i><i>–</i><i>soon</i>.
“Elias, don’t worry. I’m not the type to fall for a few sweet words. That guy and his little ‘first love‘ deserve each other.“–
“Good.”
James’s lips tugged into a soft smile.
After a moment, he added one more line.
“If he keeps bothering you, let me know. I’ll take care of it.”
A tiny chill ran down my spine.
<i>I </i><i>couldn’t </i><i>drag </i><i>Elias </i>into <i>this</i><i>. </i>
<i>He </i><i>gave </i><i>off </i><i>serious </i><i>rule</i><i>–</i><i>follower </i><i>energy</i>–<i>probably </i><i>just </i><i>a mid</i><i>–</i><i>level </i><i>employee </i><i>at </i><i>some </i><i>corporate </i><i>job</i>.
<i>Maybe </i><i>a </i><i>junior </i><i>manager </i><i>at </i><i>best</i><i>. </i>