I Saw The Comments Predicting My Divorce And Fired The Cause First Chapter 05

I Saw The Comments Predicting My Divorce And Fired The Cause First Chapter 05

Mrs. Thorne froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. Mr. Thorne’s brow furrowed.

Julian set down his glass and stood.

“Mr. Sterling, there’s no need for a scene.”

His voice was steady. “I hired Harper to photograph my parents’ 50th anniversary. Tonight is the first time we’ve sat down together.”

“Miles.”

I stood up.

“Let’s talk outside.”

I gave Julian an apologetic look. He nodded before I could say a word.

Mrs. Thorne caught my hand on the way out and squeezed it.

“Honey, whatever this is, don’t let anyone push you around.”

Miles and I walked out. The corridor ended at a fire exit.

The stairwell door clicked shut behind us and the motion light flickered on, washing his face in cold white light.

Under that light, I could see it clearly. His eyes were red-rimmed.

“Miles, there’s nothing between me and Julian.”

“The divorce is my decision. It has nothing to do with him.”

“Then why?” He grabbed my wrist. “Because I didn’t fire Willow? I transferred her. She’s gone. What more do you want from me?”

I didn’t pull away. I didn’t flinch.

“The northern lights in Frosthaven. Were they beautiful?”

His grip went slack.

The motion light clicked off.

In the dark, all I could hear was his breathing, ragged and too fast.

“How did you…”

“It doesn’t matter how I know.”

“What matters is what you promised me.”

Back in that basement apartment, crammed together with nothing, he’d held my hand and told me,

Harper, when I make it big, we’re going to see the northern lights.

They mean forever.

I waited for years.

He took someone else.

The light clicked back on.

Miles looked gutted. The fluorescent light carved every line on his face.

“It was a business trip.” His voice sounded broken. “The Frosthaven client was overseas. Willow went as the marketing liaison.”

“The aurora, that was the last night, after everything wrapped. The whole team went. It wasn’t just us.”

“You don’t have to explain.” I eased his fingers off my wrist. “I sent you the agreement. Read it and get back to me.”

I turned to go.

“Harper.”

I stopped. I didn’t turn around.

“You told me I was the only one. That it would always be me.”

I closed my eyes.

“Yeah, Miles. So did you.”

I pushed through the door and didn’t look back.

No footsteps followed.

I took a breath outside the dining room door before walking back in. I apologized to Julian and his parents.

Mrs. Thorne brushed it off, “Don’t you worry about a thing, sweetheart,” and Mr. Thorne quietly refilled my glass.

Julian didn’t ask a single question. He just slid the menu across the table.

“We never finished ordering. Anything look good?”

I stared down at the menu, and my eyes started to sting.

Not because of Miles.

Because someone had just handed me simple kindness, and I’d almost forgotten what that felt like.

Julian drove me back to the hotel. Once he pulled up, he sat there for a moment, hands still on the wheel. “Harper, this might be overstepping, but I want to say it anyway.”

“Go ahead.”

“Sometimes the only way to find where you fit is to walk away from where you don’t.”

I didn’t answer.

But back in my room, I opened my phone to a photo from Miles.

The two of us, back in our old apartment in college.

I was drowning in one of his T-shirts, hair a wreck, grinning so wide my eyes were practically shut.

He had his arms around me, chin on top of my head, wearing the same dumb, happy grin.

Underneath, just one line.

“Come home. Let’s start over.”

I stared at that photo until the screen went dim.

Then I turned off my phone.

Comments drifted past, slow and weightless…

[Oh no oh no, the ML’s pulling the nostalgia card.]

[DO NOT give in!! He took Willow to see the northern lights!!]

[Okay but that photo is actually devastating?? I’m crying.]

[Sweet?? How does he explain the northern lights then??]

[He literally said it was a work trip did you not read??]

[Since when does a “work trip” include a private aurora viewing?? Stop making excuses for him.]

I put my phone facedown on the nightstand and closed my eyes.

Miles.

It’s too late.