I Heard His Heart But Lost Mine Chapter 09

I Heard His Heart But Lost Mine Chapter 09

“No. That’s impossible…” The words came out hollow. His face had gone blank with shock. 

“Audrey wouldn’t 

she promised. She promised she’d always stay. She wouldn’t just accept a transfer. She told you to say that, didn’t she? Tell her to come out right now. If she doesn’t explain herself – I swear I will never forgive her.” 

The receptionist stared at him like he’d lost his mind. 

“No wonder she didn’t tell you. Her husband can’t even be happy for her – all you can say is you won’t forgive her? Forgive her for what, exactly? What did she do wrong?” 

The words landed like a slap. Julian felt the sting all the way deep into his chest. 

And worse 

– 

it forced him to face something he’d been 

avoiding. The receptionist might be right. 

He thought back. Before the family dinner, Audrey had seemed 

distracted — not herself. 

When he’d asked what was wrong, she’d said she’d tell him at dinner. That they could talk about it together. 

But he’d shown up with Chloe. Let her take Audrey’s seat. And 

whatever Audrey had wanted to tell him – she never got the 

chance. 

So she left. She walked away from him – from everything. 

Julian’s vision blurred with tears he had no idea how to shed. 

For the first time in his life, he understood what regret actually felt like. 

“Where is she? Where did she go?” 

The receptionist gave him a polite, professional smile. “I’m sorry, but that’s Audrey’s personal information. We can’t share it. You’re her husband – you should ask her yourself.” 

Julian stood there, completely hollowed out. 

His phone rang. His mother – voice shaking. 

“Julian… what happened between you two? A courier just dropped off a stack of documents – from Audrey.” 

Julian was out the door before she finished. He drove to his 

parents‘ house with no memory of the drive. 

He burst through the front door. 

Both his parents were sitting on the couch, silent, faces grim. 

Julian crossed the room. “What did she send?” 

His mother opened her mouth, closed it, and slid the papers across the coffee table instead. “See for yourself.” 

Julian picked them up. The words stamped across the top slammed into him. Divorce Settlement Agreement. 

His hands shook as he flipped through the pages. She’d had a lawyer draft them before she left for the airport. 

The terms were simple. She was waiving her right to any alimony or marital assets – all of it – to cover the four million for the bracelet. She wanted nothing. Just his signature. 

Julian ripped the papers in half. 

“No. I’m not signing this. I’m not divorcing her!” 

He was shaking – chest heaving, hands trembling around the 

torn pages. 

“She said she’d love me forever. She promised. She’s a liar 

she’s a liar! I don’t want anyone else. She’s it. Audrey’s it – 

she’s the only one I’ve ever wanted!” 

His father kept smoking in silence. 

His mother looked at him with something between pity and exhaustion. “Julian, if you don’t want to lose Audrey – then what was Chloe? Why any of it?” 

“Marriage means choosing the same person every day. You know that, don’t you?” 

“We thought you were done with her. That you resented her for not being able to have children. That Chloe was your way out. So what is it, Julian? What do you actually want?” 

Julian pressed his palms against his skull like he was trying to hold himself together. 

“I just wanted a reaction. When she got jealous – when she fought for me – it made me feel like I mattered. Like she couldn’t let me go. I was so scared she’d leave that I tried to make her afraid too. I thought if she felt threatened enough, she’d hold on tighter. But I-” 

He hadn’t imagined it would push her away for good. 

His mother grabbed him by the collar, her voice breaking. “You idiot. You absolute fool. Love isn’t infinite, Julian. She gave you everything she had. And you just took and took and took. What did you think would happen when there was nothing left to give?” 

Julian’s face crumpled. 

“When did either of you ever teach me how to properly love someone? Ten years I’ve been like this – ten years – and not once did either of you step in and tell me to stop. If just one of 

you had said something, do you think it would’ve gotten this far?” 

His mother’s lips trembled. She had nothing left to say. They both knew he was right. They had failed him. And they had 

failed Audrey. 

When Julian was young, they’d been too consumed with their careers to watch him closely. He had been kidnapped as a child because no one was watching. The trauma from that had never fully healed. 

And when someone finally came along who loved him unconditionally – they’d watched her bleed herself dry and done nothing. 

“I’m going to find her. I’ll bring her home — I’ll fix this.” 

His mother’s eyes were hollow with exhaustion. 

His father — quiet until now — crushed his cigarette into the ashtray and let out a long, heavy breath. 

“Julian. Let her go.” 

“What?” Julian’s voice splintered. “What do you mean, let her go? I need her. I can’t—” 

His father reached for the table and pulled out a second document. “Audrey tucked this inside the divorce papers. Read 

it.” 

Julian’s hands were shaking when he took it. A medical report. 

Bloodwork and an ultrasound. 

ER Discharge Summary. Diagnosis: Complete miscarriage.