The System Admitted Its Mistake—So I Offered Him a Divorce Chapter 07

“It’s fine.”

I smiled as I spoke to my assistant on the phone.

“Ryan’s a dumb pig. All he can do is run his mouth.”

“Rachel, I’m not eight anymore. I stopped being afraid of him a long time ago.”

My assistant was quiet for a moment, then laughed, too. “Okay. I understand.”

I put away my phone.

I pushed all those ugly memories out of my head.

Then I drove to the office.

I had just arrived at the office.

Rachel came in with a tablet.

I glanced at my schedule.

The last item was dinner with a representative from a friend’s company, a client of ours.

I didn’t think much of it.

After work, I went straight to the restaurant Rachel booked.

The client’s representative was someone I never expected.

He was a childhood friend I used to play with in the country.

We hadn’t seen each other in years.

The pale, chubby little boy I remembered was now a poised, refined man.

People always said chubby kids could have amazing glow-ups.

For once, the internet wasn’t lying.

He smiled at me, wearing a gray overcoat. He was tall and slender, with a cool, reserved air.

The resemblance was so strong that, for a second, I thought Julian was standing there.

Then his voice pulled me back.

“Lil. It’s been a long time.

I came to my senses and quickly shook his hand. “Luke, it’s been forever. You… you’ve changed

so much.”

He smiled, his gaze warm on my face. He spoke with the easy, indulgent familiarity of an old

friend.

“Have I? You’re just like you were as a kid, Lil. Just as pretty. Just as impressive.”

I sat across from him and smiled. “Luke, stop teasing me.”

He kept smiling, his eyes never leaving me.

We were grown now, but our personalities were the same. We hit it off right away.

Luke brought me home.

By then, it was past ten.

I said goodbye.

Then I opened the door and went inside.

The house was empty.

Julian was efficient.

Not a trace of him remained anywhere in the huge house.

It was as though he had never lived there.

The System was gone, too.

It all felt like a dream that made no sense.

Now I was awake.

And I was Lily Bennett again, all alone.

Maybe it was the alcohol I drank that evening.

-I collapsed onto the bed, drowsy.

Exhaustion came crashing over me.

It almost swallowed me whole.

The next day was Saturday.

I didn’t have to go to the office.

For once, I slept until noon.

When I checked my phone, I found more than a dozen missed calls from Rachel, along with

several messages.

[Lily, Lily! This is bad! Someone took pictures of you having dinner with Luke Foster and posted them online.]

[Now everyone’s wondering if you’re getting divorced. He looks a little like Julian Hayes from behind, so they’re saying Julian dumped you and you found a look-alike replacement.]

[They’re saying all kinds of things, and none of it makes you look good. Lily, stop sleeping. Wake up!]

I sat up.

I rubbed my throbbing temples.

Then I found Rachel’s number.

I was just about to call her.

My phone rang first.

It was Julian.

I thought I was hallucinating.

The ringing grew louder and louder.

Only then did I snap out of it and answer.

My voice was still rough from sleep.

“Hello?”

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then Julian’s icy voice came through.

“It’s me.”

“I know. What do you want?”

Julian started, “I…”

He hadn’t finished speaking.

Behind me, something glass toppled over with a clatter.

I looked back.

One of the cats was ravenous.

It knocked over the vase on the floor.

Julian’s voice abruptly tightened.

“Is someone there with you?”

I turned back, ready to say no.

Julian spoke again.

His tone was even colder.

“Lily, need I remind you we’re still married? Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself?”