- 6.
I bought a beachfront house with cash.
Over the years, every time Chad cheated, he’d
given me money, property, something to
make up for it.
Our big, romantic love story had turned into a
pile of ashes, held together by money.
Luckily, I had enough to live comfortably for
the rest of my life.
The day I moved, I ran into Gabe.
He walked over and took my suitcase.
“What a coincidence! You live here too? I’m
right next door. I heard a beautiful woman
was moving in.”
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I was surprised to see him.
Thinking about how I’d just disappeared, I
apologized.
He cursed under his breath, then looked at
me, serious.
“I’ll protect you from now on. If your ex ever
bothers you again, tell me. I won’t let him get
away with it.”
“Thank you.”
I looked at Gabe.
The sun was shining, he was young, and life
was good.
I realized why Chad was so obsessed with
Sierra.
You can’t buy youth.
And I’d wasted my best years on a cheater.
To thank Gabe for everything, I invited him to
dinner.
We started spending a lot of time together.
I realized we had a lot in common.
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He liked orchids, he’d rescued a bunch of
kittens.
He respected me.
He made my dead heart beat again.
He made me feel alive, not like some zombie
who was just going through the motions.
I visited Mom’s grave and told her everything.
Then I turned and saw Chad standing behind
me, silent.
He looked terrible.
His face was gaunt, he hadn’t shaved, his
shirt was wrinkled.
But his eyes lit up when he saw me.
“I finally found you…”
He started crying. “Evie, I didn’t know. Come
home. I was wrong. Let’s start over.”
“I’ll give your mom the funeral she deserves.
I’ll cut ties with those friends. I’ll be yours,
and I’ll never hurt you again.”
Chad sounded sincere, just like he did four
years ago.
I would have been moved, would have cried,
would have run back to him.
But now, I just felt numb.
I said, “Do you even have the right to cry at
her grave?”
Chad froze, confused.
“I’ll change, I swear. Evie, come back to
me…”
I laughed. “Come back? What about Sierra?”
“I, I promise she won’t bother you again… No,
I’ll break up with her. I’ll stay away from all
women.”
Some things never change.
A heartless jerk like Chad will never really
change.
I cleaned Mom’s headstone, not wanting to
say another word.
I’d heard those promises for four years.
His friends had started out hiding their
صنلمحطمييم
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affairs, then they flaunted them, laughed in
my face.
I couldn’t forget those looks.
I couldn’t forget those words.
And I couldn’t forget Mom dying in my arms,
lost and afraid.
Chad grabbed my arm, started dragging me
toward the car.
“I never agreed to the divorce. None of that
counts. Come back with me, I’ll prove I love
you.”
I tried to get away.
Gabe kicked Chad away.
He stood in front of me, glaring at Chad.
“What do you think you’re doing to my
girlfriend?”
