My Secret Lover of 10 Years Had a Heart Rate of 70 for Me—But It Hit 175 for His Ex Chapter 09

My Secret Lover of 10 Years Had a Heart Rate of 70 for Me—But It Hit 175 for His Ex Chapter 09

[@Audrey, your turn.]

In the usually noisy group chat that stayed active even at midnight, no one dared to say a word.

So Gabriel kept tagging me again and again.

From four in the morning until seven. A full three hours.

[Answer me, Audrey. You said you’d love me forever.]

[Then let me love you instead. Please, just come back. Don’t leave me.]

Mike sent another message.

[Wait-you two were actually a thing?]

I told him the truth.

[We were. For ten years. In secret. It’s over now.]

Mike paused for a moment.

[That explains a lot.]

[I’ve been going over to his place lately. Every time, he’s passed out drunk in the garage.]

[I was starting to think he’s losing his mind.]

I replied: [Just leave him be.]

After sending that message, I turned off my phone.

That relationship he once looked down on, even disdained, had ended up being exposed by him in the most

embarrassing way.

But it was already over.

He had brought it on himself.

After work that day, I saw Gabriel standing across the street.

In just two weeks, he’d lost so much weight he barely looked like himself. His suit hung off him-like it was

empty.

I was going to ignore him.

But Gabriel suddenly climbed over the railing and walked straight into the road.

It was rush hour. Cars whizzed past in an endless stream.

He just stared at me, unmoving, while cars brushed past him at terrifying closeness, drawing curses from drivers

Mike was right. Gabriel really had gone crazy. Crazy enough to not care about his own life.

He walked up to me and tried to pull my sleeve, but stopped just before touching me and curled his fingers

back.

“I don’t want you to hate me…” His voice was barely a whisper. “Audrey, what should I do…”

I didn’t catch that. “What?”

Gabriel looked up and forced a small smile. “Nothing.”

“Audrey, can you cook me a meal?”

I didn’t want to make a scene. So I brought him back to my rental and made him a plain pasta.

“Eat. Then go.”

He held the plate in both hands and ate as if it were something sacred.

Tears fell one drop at a time into the food. Becoming the only salt in it.

I used to cook for him all the time. I’d make whatever he liked, always switching things up.

When he was in a good mood, he could eat a lot.

When he wasn’t, he wouldn’t even look at it.

He would let the food go cold without a single glance.

Back then, if I’d made him something this plain, he would’ve been mad at me for days.

Yet now. He finished every bite.

How ironic. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Only regret it once you’ve lost it.

“I tried everything…” Gabriel said through broken breaths. “Audrey, I tried to forget you…”

“But I can’t… I really can’t…” He broke down completely.

“I tried drowning myself in alcohol. Passed out drunk-and still saw you in my dreams…”

“Audrey, tell me what I should do… What am I supposed to do…”

I dropped my gaze and didn’t look at him.

“What if I begged you to stay?”

Gabriel’s voice cracked. He sank heavily onto the couch and buried his face in his hands for a moment

before looking up at me again.

Then he reached for my hand with trembling fingers and pressed it gently against his cheek.

“Please don’t leave me.”

“Why won’t you look at me…”

“Audrey, just touch me… say something… please… I’m losing my mind.”

I closed my eyes. Took a slow breath. And pulled my hand free.

“Love isn’t about forcing someone.”

“Gabriel, you should have seen this coming a long time ago.”

“The moment you started hiding things from me and stopped being honest, something between us broke.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered if we got married, had kids, or spent the rest of our lives together.”

“Once I learned the truth, I still would’ve left.”

“Don’t cry a few tears and try to play the victim.”

“You had everything you wanted. Now you want pity, too? That’s not how life works.”

“Take care of yourself.”