Chapter 2: The Breaking Point

Lila sits on her living room sofa, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her chest feels heavy, the weight of the article and her mother’s message pressing down on her. She dials her best friend, Claire, her only source of solace.

“Lila?” Claire’s warm voice fills the line almost immediately. “What’s wrong? You sound… off.”

“Can you come over?” Lila whispers, her voice cracking.

“I’ll be there in twenty.”

Claire arrives as promised, her sharp eyes scanning Lila’s face the moment she steps inside. “You look awful. What happened?”

Lila says nothing at first. Instead, she hands Claire her phone, open to the article. Claire’s expression hardens as she reads, her jaw tightening.

“That bastard,” she mutters, setting the phone down. “Tell me everything.”

Lila recounts the events of the last 24 hours, her voice trembling as she reaches the part where Adrian asked for a divorce. By the time she’s done, her cheeks are streaked with tears.

Claire sits beside her, pulling her into a firm embrace. “You don’t deserve this, Lila. You’ve done nothing but love him, and this is how he repays you?”

Lila shakes her head, her voice barely a whisper. “I thought I could make him love me. I thought… I thought he’d see me eventually.”

Claire pulls back, her hands gripping Lila’s shoulders. “Lila, listen to me. Adrian doesn’t deserve you. You gave him everything, and he gave you scraps. You deserve someone who treats you with respect, someone who doesn’t run back to his ex the moment she snaps her fingers.”

Lila’s lip trembles. “But I love him. I… I wanted this to work.”

Claire sighs, her expression softening. “I know. But you can’t keep hurting yourself like this.”

After a moment, Claire hesitates, then says, “I didn’t want to tell you this, but… I have a friend who lives overseas. She saw Adrian with Kristina months ago. He was visiting her. Their relationship never really ended. He just waited for her to come back.”

The words hit Lila like a slap. She stiffens, her heart sinking deeper. “Months ago?”

Claire nods. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but maybe it’s time you confront him. You deserve answers, even if they’re painful.”

Lila takes a shaky breath. “You’re right. I need to talk to him.”

Lila steps into the grand lobby of Adrian’s office building, her hands trembling. She’s holding the ultrasound photos in her bag, unsure if she’ll even get the chance to share them.

When she reaches his floor, the sight through the glass doors stops her in her tracks. Adrian is seated at the lounge area, Kristina beside him. They’re laughing, his head tilted back in a way she hasn’t seen in years.

Her heart clenches. She can’t remember the last time Adrian had looked at her like that, so carefree and alive. For three years, she had tried to bring him happiness, but she never could.

Summoning her courage, she pushes the door open and steps inside.

Adrian notices her immediately. His smile fades, replaced by a look of surprise. Kristina follows his gaze, her own expression cool and unreadable.

“Lila,” Adrian says, standing. His voice is polite, almost detached. He turns to Kristina. “Can you give us a moment? We’ll talk later.”

Kristina hesitates but nods, standing gracefully. She offers Lila a fleeting glance before leaving the room.

Once the door closes, Adrian crosses his arms. “What are you doing here?”

Lila doesn’t answer immediately. She takes a step closer, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “Do you love me, Adrian?”

He blinks, startled. “What?”

“Do you love me?” she repeats, her tone firm. “Even just a little? At any point in our marriage, did you love me?”

Adrian opens his mouth but says nothing. The silence stretches between them, sharp and suffocating.

Lila swallows hard, her chest tightening as she watches his face. His hesitation, his inability to answer, speaks louder than any words could.

“I see,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I understand now.”

Adrian’s brow furrows. “Lila, it’s not that simple—”

“No, Adrian,” she cuts him off, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “It’s very simple. You never loved me. I just wanted to hear you say it.”

Adrian takes a step forward, his hand half-reaching out, but Lila lifts her palm to stop him. Her eyes, glistening with unshed tears, lock onto his. There’s no anger, no bitterness—only an aching finality that makes him falter.

“I’ll agree to the divorce,” Lila says, her voice steady despite the cracks threatening to break it apart. “I’ll wait for the papers at home. You don’t have to come with me.”

She inhales deeply, her hands trembling at her sides. “Thank you, Adrian,” she continues, her tone soft but weighted. “Thank you for letting me borrow three years of your life. They weren’t the happiest years for you, I know. But for me… they were some of the happiest.”

Her lips twitch into a bittersweet smile. “Even if you didn’t love me, even if it was all one-sided… I loved you with everything I had. And I’ll always treasure the moments we shared, even if they were never enough for you.”

Adrian stiffens, his throat working as if to speak, but nothing comes out.

“Take care of yourself, Adrian,” Lila finishes, her voice barely above a whisper. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

She turns on her heel, her steps resolute as she moves toward the door. Adrian feels the weight of her departure in every movement she makes. His chest tightens, an unfamiliar pang of something he can’t quite name. He takes another step, his mouth opening.

“Lila—”

“Adrian.”

Kristina’s voice cuts through the moment like a blade. She steps into his path, her expression calm but firm.

“She’s made her decision,” Kristina says, her gaze steady as she looks at him. “Let her go.”

Adrian’s jaw clenches. His hands ball into fists at his sides as he watches Lila disappear through the door, her figure growing smaller with every passing second. The sound of her fading footsteps feels like the closing of a chapter he didn’t realize was ending until now.

“She’ll be fine,” Kristina adds, her tone softening.

Adrian doesn’t reply. He turns away, but his gaze lingers on the door long after Lila has gone, a flicker of unease settling in his chest. For the first time, the quiet doesn’t feel like a relief. It feels like a loss.