He Put Our Love on Pause, Then Married Her Behind My Back Chapter 06

On the day we buried Grandma, the sky stayed gray. I laid her handkerchief beside her hand and set her

reading glasses next to it.

Before they closed the casket, I looked at her one last time. Her eyes were closed, her face peaceful, as if

she were only asleep.

I held back as long as I could, then reached out and touched the back of her hand. Her skin was cold.

“Grandma, I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect you.”

I choked on the words. Maya stood beside me, holding me up, tears running down her face.

After the funeral, I was still staying with Maya. During the day, I sorted through the rest of Grandma’s things. At night, I sent out job applications.

Two days later, Maya handed me her phone.

“Ethan sent me a friend request. He says he wants to see you.”

I looked down. He’d sent a long message offering to set the record straight publicly and help sort things out with my job.

I finished reading and pushed the phone back.

“Tell him to say it publicly.”

That night, Ethan posted a public statement. He admitted he’d gone public with someone else before ending

our five-year relationship. He also admitted he’d gotten married without telling me.

He said I wasn’t the other woman. He’d let people humiliate me at the party.

Soon after the statement went up, the local gossip page that had named me deleted its post and published a correction, HR at my old company also called, offering to talk about my return.

“Just make sure my final pay’s settled,” I said.

“I’m not coming back.”

The family chat had quieted down, too. One by one, they changed their stories, saying Ethan’s post had

misled them as well.

My eyes stung as I read their messages. Not one of them had spoken up for me while Grandma was lying in

that hospital bed. Now she was gone, and all they had to say was that it had been a misunderstanding.

For the first time, I replied in the group chat.

[I asked you not to tell Grandma. Whoever sent her that post knows what they did.]

The chat went silent. No one replied.

A few days later, I went back to the hospital for a few of Grandma’s things that had turned up after I left. I’d just reached the end of the hallway when someone called my name.

“Claire.”

I turned and saw Ethan standing there. Sophie and Luke were with him.

I ignored them and headed toward the elevator, carrying a paper bag. Ethan hurried after me and reached for

“Let me carry that.”

I turned away from his hand.

“Don’t touch it.” My voice was cold.

Luke stood nearby with his head down.

“I’m sorry about what happened that day,” he said, his voice uncertain.

“I won’t say things like that again.”

I stopped and looked at him.

“Now you know when to shut up. What good does that do?”

He opened his mouth, his face tense.

Sophie’s eyes were red, as if she’d been crying for a long time.

“I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days. Every time I close my eyes, I see what happened in that

room.”

I cut her off.

“Then see a doctor. Don’t tell me about it.”

She froze, and the tears started again. This time, Ethan didn’t defend her.

He just stood beside me and asked quietly, “What can I do to make you a little less angry?”

I watched the elevator doors slide open and held the bag tighter.

“I’m not going to forgive you. The only thing you can do is leave me alone.”

I stepped into the elevator. As the doors slowly closed, he stood outside, his hand still half-raised. He didn’t

dare follow.