He Left Me Waiting for Three Years. So I Left Him Forever Chapter 06

He Left Me Waiting for Three Years. So I Left Him Forever Chapter 06

It was Ethan.

“Claire, are you really leaving?”

That was the first thing he said after throwing himself in front of my RV.

The second was, “Why?”

His hair clung to his forehead, soaked with sweat, and his eyes were red with panic.

I climbed out of the driver’s seat.

“If I hadn’t stopped in time, you could’ve died.”

“Why are you leaving?”

“How did you even know I was here?”

“Your mom told me.”

“Then you already know what I’m doing. Get out of the way.”

“Claire, why?” His voice broke. “We were fine.”

I laughed.

“Then why did you leave three years ago?”

“My mother was sick…”

“Your mother died on May 28, 2021. Are you really going to keep lying to me?”

His expression went blank.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

His voice turned hoarse.

“Serena and I are only friends. Besides, I’m home now. I’m not leaving again.”

He was home now, so was I supposed to erase the last three years as though they had never happened?

He hadn’t slept with Serena, so did that mean I was making a big deal out of nothing?

He had decided to stay, so was I expected to swallow every disappointment and humiliation he had put me

through?

Even that morning, he had abandoned me in the middle of planting the flower to leave with Serena.

He had promised to plant the flower with me.

He had asked me to give him an answer.

Yet none of his promises had ever meant anything.

“Ethan, we’re already divorced.”

“No.”

The denial came without hesitation.

“That’s impossible. I never signed any divorce papers.”

“We had lived apart for three years. The court authorized service by publication, and when you failed to appear, the judge granted the divorce by default.”

The color drained from his face. His lips moved, but no words came out.

Only then did I really look at him.

His gray lounge set was from this season’s newest collection. I hadn’t bought it.

His black sneakers had been one of the most popular styles the year before. I hadn’t bought those either.

Everything he wore carried traces of the life he had built with Serena.

I turned away, but Ethan caught my arm.

“You still owe me an answer.”

“My answer is no.”

His eyes grew even redder.

“What about the flower? You don’t want to plant it anymore?”

“No.”

“Is this because of those three years?”

“What?”

“If I waited at home for you for three years, would you come back to me?”

My fingers trembled as I pulled my arm free.

“Claire, when your mom told me you were leaving, my mind went completely blank.”

“I left Serena in the middle of her follow–up appointment and raced here as fast as I could.”

“I thought about a lot on the way here. We hadn’t seen each other in three years, and all I brought you was

that pathetic little seedling”

I laughed bitterly

None of that matters anymore”

“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt? If you’d said something, I would’ve listened

“Listened to what? You telling me how many meals you cooked for Serena? Or how sick she was and how badly she needed you?”

“Claire, that isn’t what I meant.”

“Ethan, I simply don’t want to wait for you anymore.”

“Then let me wait for you.”

His voice caught in his throat.

“If one year isn’t enough, I’ll wait two. If three years aren’t enough, I’ll wait three more.”

I’ll stay home and wait for you this time. Please.”

I love you. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

The clouds turned amber as evening faded.

I checked the time.

“It’s getting late. Driving after dark won’t be safe.”

Ethan froze for several seconds, but he remained stubbornly planted in front of the RV

“Don’t make me hate you.”

His eyes filled with tears.

At last, he stepped aside.

“Claire, I’ll stay here and wait for you to come home.”

“Okay?”

The engine roared to life.

In the rearview mirror, his figure grew smaller and smaller until he disappeared completely.

During the past three years, I had asked him to come home when I needed surgery, but he had dodged the

request.

When Grandma became seriously ill, he told me I was there to handle everything, and he never came back.

Even when I filed for divorce and the court published notice for sixty days, he still didn’t return.

None of it had mattered enough to him.

Not when Serena needed him.

The light ahead turned red, and I brought the RV to a stop.

I picked up my phone, intending to send him a message telling him I would never come back.

Then I remembered that I had already deleted his contact and blocked his number.

I set the phone down again.

A moment later, it rang.

It was Mom.

“Claire, did you see Ethan?”

“Yes.”

“He said he regrets everything. Couldn’t you give him one more chance?”

“Mom, during the last three years, did he call you even once to ask how you were doing?”

She fell silent.

I let out a quiet laugh.

“Mom, tell him to stop waiting.”