He Told Me to Wait While He Was With His Cheating Ex — I Sold Our Home That Night Chapter 04

He Told Me to Wait While He Was With His Cheating Ex — I Sold Our Home That Night Chapter 04

Julian called almost immediately.

I did not answer.

Messages began appearing one after another.

Julian: [Who gave you the right to sell the condo?]

Julian: [Wasn’t that supposed to be the place where we built our life together?]

I stared at the words “our life together” for a long time.

Me: [You never even agreed to marry me.]

I kept staring at the screen until the words blurred, but no reply ever came.

In the end, Julian and Sabrina found somewhere else to stay.

That afternoon, the buyer pushed to finalize the closing.

At the title company, the closing agent watched me sign and asked, “Are you sure you want to go through with the sale?”

I tightened my grip on the pen.

“I’m sure.”

After I signed my name one last time, my phone rang.

It was one of our mutual friends.

“Chloe, everyone’s getting together tonight. You should come.”

I was about to refuse when I glanced down and saw the ring box and Julian’s car keys inside my purse.

I needed to return them eventually.

By the time I arrived at the restaurant’s private room that evening, everyone was already there.

Sabrina sat beside Julian with a glass of warm water in front of her. A woman’s coat lay within easy reach at his side.

The moment he saw me, he stood and came over.

“Chloe, you came.”

I walked to the table and placed the car keys in front of him.

“These are yours.”

Someone nearby smiled, clearly eager to watch the drama unfold.

“Chloe, we heard you sold the condo.”

“Wasn’t that the place you and Julian were supposed to settle down together?”

Sabrina cradled her glass and gave a soft laugh.

“Settle down? Julian never even proposed.”

A few quiet laughs rippled through the room.

I placed the ring box on the table as well.

“This is yours too.”

Julian’s expression changed.

“Do you have to do this in front of everyone?”

I looked at him, my expression hardening.

“Julian, I’m only returning what belongs to you.”

Sabrina picked up the ring box.

Julian reached out to stop her, but he was too late.

She opened it, and the diamond caught the light.

Sabrina blinked.

“So you really were going to propose to him.”

She turned the open box toward the others.

“You two were together for seven years, right?”

Someone else chimed in, “Hasn’t Chloe tried proposing more than once?”

“I think it was three times.”

“Julian, that’s brutal.”

Julian said nothing, his expression grim.

When he did not respond, the others laughed more freely.

Sabrina closed the box and tapped one fingertip against the lid.

“Want to make another bet?”

She looked at Julian.

“She loves you so much that I bet she’ll still leave with you tonight.”

Julian finally turned back to Sabrina and said reproachfully, “Sabrina, can you stop messing around?”

She leaned back with a smile.

“See? You still can’t bring yourself to be mean to me.”

Someone laughed again.

Standing beside the table, I suddenly remembered our anniversary dinner.

That night, too, there had been a room full of people and the same ring box.

Pain twisted through my chest. I adjusted the strap of my purse on my shoulder.

“I’ve returned everything. I’m leaving.”

Julian got up and followed me into the hallway.

The lights overhead were harsh and white.

He stepped in front of me.

“I’ll take you home.”

“I don’t have a home with you anymore.”

His hand stopped in midair.

“Chloe, what exactly do you want?”

“I want this to be over.”

He stared at me for a long time before letting out a humorless laugh.

“Can you really walk away from me?”

I looked at him and gave a bitter smile.

Even now, Julian still believed that all he had to do was soften his voice and coax me a little, and I would come back.

How many times over those seven years had I taught him that he could always count on that?

When Julian saw me smile, some of the chill left his face.

He rubbed the spot between his brows, and his tone softened as well.

“All right. You’re upset tonight, so I’m not going to argue with you.”

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside.

Julian remained in the hallway, looking as though he could finally relax.

“Take some time to calm down too, Chloe.”

“I’ll come get you in a couple of days.”

He paused, then added, “I’ll make it up to you with a proper anniversary celebration.”

“Just the two of us.”

I smiled and waved.

But in my heart, I knew there would never be an us again.

Julian smiled back.

“Good girl.”

He was still standing there, smiling and waving, when the elevator doors closed.

The following morning, Julian went to the condo.

He entered the code into the keypad.

It beeped, and [Incorrect code] appeared on the display.

He tried again.

The same message appeared.

Then he heard footsteps inside.

Julian’s face lit up.

“Chloe, I knew you couldn’t leave me.”

“I know I was wrong!”

The door opened a moment later.

A man Julian had never seen before stood on the other side.

“Can I help you?”