I Walked Away And He Fell Apart Chapter 07
“Where… where exactly were you last night?” Nathaniel’s gaze bore into me, his eyes searching for any hint of deception, as if he could unearth the truth buried within the layers of my facade.
I felt a flicker of annoyance at his probing, and instead of offering a detailed explanation, I waved him off with a nonchalant shrug. “I was just hanging out with Mrs. Sheeran and the others.” I tried to sound casual, but the weight of his scrutiny made it difficult.
He regarded me thoughtfully, his expression slightly unfocused, as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle that had lost its shape. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “Lilith, you’re not the same as you used to be.”
His words struck me like a sudden chill, and I blinked in surprise.
It was ironic, really. Not long ago, I had been the one lamenting the changes in him, feeling a sense of loss as the boy who used to peel shrimp for me and carry me over puddles in the rain faded into a distant memory. That boy had been buried under the weight of endless business dinners and the sugary allure of Isabella. Back then, I had clung to a naive hope that if I just tried a little harder, if I could be a bit more patient, I could somehow coax him back to me.
As silence enveloped us, Nathaniel seemed to find his rhythm and began to enumerate my “crimes” with an almost frantic intensity. “You’re so cold to me now! You were never like this before! You used to wait for me to come home with such warmth, asking if I was tired, not like now—staying out all night, and…”
[Don’t listen to him gaslighting you! Why didn’t he think about ‘before’ when he was cheating!]
[Sis, ignore him! He’s trying to brainwash you and make you feel guilty!]
[This scumbag’s face is making me sick!]
The collective outrage of my inner voices surged, more furious than I could muster. To distract myself from Nathaniel’s tirade, they started singing, their voices rising in unison.
[“Let me say thank you, because of you, the four seasons are warm…”]
The sudden shift in atmosphere made me burst into laughter, a sound that rang out like a bell in the tense air.
Nathaniel’s accusations came to an abrupt halt, and he stared at me, disbelief etched across his features. “What are you laughing at?” he asked, bewildered.
Reality crashed back in, and I stifled my laughter, forcing a perfectly measured apology from my lips. “Sorry, I zoned out for a moment and didn’t quite catch what you said. Could you please repeat that?”
My unexpected laughter had shattered his momentum entirely. He stood there, frozen, his complexion draining to a ghostly white, and all the fervor in his voice faded into a whisper that felt almost like a plea. “Can you… can you go back to being the gentle, considerate Lilith you used to be?”
[Sis, I’m begging you, don’t go soft! Let him know why you became like this!]
[Yeah! Throw the blame back at him! Isn’t this all his fault?]
The chorus of inner comments escalated, swirling in my mind so fast that they nearly obscured my vision.
I took a deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs, and allowed my smile to fade as I shook my head, resolute. “Oh, I can’t do that.”
His pupils dilated in shock, his face draining of color as if my words had siphoned away his very strength. He swayed slightly, caught off-balance by the weight of my response.
“I…” He struggled to form the words, his throat constricted, and his voice emerged as a rasp. “I’m sorry… Lilith. I know I was wrong. Just give me one more chance; I’ll definitely make it up to you.”
The sincerity in his eyes seemed genuine, a flicker of remorse that didn’t feel like an act.
A stir of conflicting emotions churned within me, and I found myself questioning silently: [Has he… really had a change of heart?]
