I Heard His Heart But Lost Mine Chapter 02

I Heard His Heart But Lost Mine Chapter 02

Julian’s lips trembled slightly, but I felt nothing.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

His parents called after me, but I didn’t stop. I turned on my heel and headed for the door.

A hand suddenly clamped around my wrist and jerked me back.

[Are you really mad? I’m scared. Please don’t stop wanting me.]

[I’ll die if you leave. I’ll die.]

[Please don’t leave me.]

His panicked inner voice crashed over me in waves. I turned, startled, and met his eyes. They were rimmed red.

For a split second, something in my chest cracked.

Then Julian opened his mouth, and his icy facade snapped right back into place.

“Go ahead and leave. But take off those shoes first. I paid for them.”

I went still. My gaze dropped to the flats on my feet — worn soft and faded from years of careful cleaning.

Julian had bought them for me for our wedding. He’d just left them in the living room without a word.

But from the bedroom, his inner voice had completely given him away.

[Did you see them? Come ask me. Ask me if they’re for you.]

[I had them custom-made. Tell me I did good, baby. Please.]

[I want you to be the happiest bride in the world.]

For six years, I’d never been able to let go of those shoes. Not just because Julian had given them to me — but because they were proof. Proof that somewhere underneath everything, his love was real.

But now…

My hands were numb as I crouched down and slipped the shoes off. “Here. They’re yours.”

Julian’s expression hardened. But his eyes grew redder, like he was barely holding himself together.

His mother rushed between us. “Audrey, you’ve been with him for ten years. You know he doesn’t mean it. He’d never actually let you walk out of here barefoot — this is just his way of begging you to stay.”

Before she could even finish, Julian snatched the shoes off the floor and hurled them into the fireplace.

“Six years of your filth on them. You think I want them back? Disgusting.”

He said it so casually, but the words landed like a physical blow.

I watched the flames swallow them whole, the air completely leaving my lungs.

For six years I’d treasured those shoes. To Julian, they were just kindling.

He must have seen my eyes filling with tears, because his inner voice flooded my mind again.

[She’s crying. She still cares. She still cares about me, right?]

[Just take it back. Say it was all a joke and I’ll buy you a hundred pairs. I’ll fill your whole closet.]

[Any pair you want. Every pair you want.]

I heard every single word. None of it mattered anymore. My heart had gone completely numb — dead and cold.

It didn’t matter how many new pairs he bought. None of them would be the ones I’d cherished.

What Julian and I had was ending the exact same way — burning down to ashes, with nothing left to salvage.

I walked out the door, barefoot. No one came after me.

Only Chloe spoke.

“You’re really not going after her? She looked pretty upset, Mr. Sterling.”

Julian scoffed. “Why would I? She’ll be back in half an hour, begging to make up with me. She always does.”

He didn’t know that this time, I was already gone for good.

I’d already accepted a transfer to the company’s branch office. My flight was leaving tomorrow.