He Never Loved Me, Until I Left by Joy Brown Chapter 08

He Never Loved Me, Until I Left by Joy Brown Chapter 08

Nicholas s voice was rough with exhaustion and anxiety.

‘What are you doing here?’ I tried to stay calm, not wanting to get hurt again.

“We need to talk.” He stepped closer. “About the divorce papers-

‘Didn’t you already sign them?” I cut him off.

Nicholas went pale. “Back then, I-*

‘I don’t care what happened before. All I want now is custody of Joseph. I don’t want your money-the papers make that clear.”

Nicholas froze. “Isabella, I won’t agree to a divorce.”

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I’d figured he wouldn’t let me move on peacefully.

He’d always enjoyed making me suffer.

Fine. I can wait. It’ll happen eventually. The court will decide fairly.”

Nicholas looked stricken, then said painfully, “Why do you have to leave? I’m sorry now. Can’t you give me another chance? You’re the one who seduced me that night. How can you just walk away like it meant nothing?”

I seduced him?

The words hit me like a slap. It was almost funny.

So this is what Nicholas had thought of me all this time.

‘Right, in your mind I’m just some shameless woman-no self-respect, no feelings, plotting against you. No wonder you changed after that night. This is what you really think of me.”

My heart ached with disappointment, but I also felt strangely relieved.

At least now I understood what had been eating at me all these years.

It wasn’t my fault after all. Just this stupid misunderstanding. But the realization left me feeling hollow and bitter.

“I thought I’d done something wrong. I kept trying to fix things. Now I get it-you’ve hated me this whole time.”

That’s why you hurt me.

Looked down on me.

Even treated Joseph the same way.

“Nicholas, I didn’t seduce you that night. You got drunk and forced yourself on me.”

I fought back and screamed, but you wouldn’t stop.

I never wanted my first time with someone I loved to happen like that-with him barely conscious.

Id imagined it would be perfect, when we both wanted it.

Afterward, I tried to tell myself it was okay. I loved Nicholas, so I could accept it.

Then the next day you acted like nothing happened and started treating me like dirt.

I didn’t understand why, but when I got pregnant, we ended up married anyway.

Nicholas stared at me in shock.

“That’s impossible. It couldn’t have been… I wouldn’t have…”

But he knew I had no reason to lie now. He could see I was telling the truth.

After a long silence:

“I’m sorry…” His voice cracked, and tears started falling right there on the street.

Nicholas, who used to command boardrooms, broke down completely.

But I felt nothing.

“It’s too late for sorry.” I turned to go. “Just leave me alone now, Nicholas.”

“Stop punishing me.”

‘Stop making my life hell.”

“Even if I was wrong before, haven’t I suffered enough these past few years?”

I think my biggest mistake was ever meeting him.

And then loving him so desperately it nearly destroyed me.

Three months later.

I got a job at an international consulting firm in Harmony City.

During the interview, the HR manager studied my resume with raised eyebrows. “Your track record in Eldoria is impressive. Why leave?”

I wanted something better,’ I said simply.

My first week, they gave me a nightmare project-helping an Eldoria client break into the Lumaria market.

“Ms. Taylor, three other teams have crashed and burned on this one,” the project manager warned me.

Then I’ll either be the fourth crash,” I said, opening the files, or the first success.”

A month later, we closed the deal.

At the celebration dinner, the client pumped my hand. “Ms. Taylor, you’re incredible.

Joseph was thriving at his new school too.

“Mom! My teacher loyed my drawing today!” He burst through the door, bouncing with excitement. ‘I drew our new house!”

In the picture, there were just two stick figures-Mom and Joseph.

He’d stopped waiting for anyone else to show up.

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On the weekend, a nice guy from work asked me to a concert.

“Ms. Taylor, would you maybe want to go?” He looked nervous.

His eyes were kind and honest. I smiled. “I’d like that.”

My first real date since the divorce.

Everything felt like it was falling into place.

At the concert, when the violins started playing, I thought about how Nicholas used to say he loved classical music.

But who cares?

He’s ancient history now.

I should have moved on years ago.

Time to let the world surprise me again.

(The End)