Chapter 130
The moment I stepped back into the city, it felt different. It felt lighter. It was as if all the chains that had once held me here had rusted and snapped in my absence. I had spent a week rediscovering who I was, breathing in a world without Jairus’s shadow looming over me. And I had no intention of letting that go.N
So when I walked into my building and found him waiting for me in the lobby with his posture tense and desperate gaze, I felt nothing.
Jairus had always been composed. He was always the man with the perfect façade. But not now. Not when he was standing in front of me with pleading eyes. His expensive suit was also slightly disheveled as if he had been too restless to sit still.
“Vanessa,” he breathed the moment he saw me, taking a step forward. “You’re back.”
I didn’t slow my strid. I barely glanced at him as I walked past. “Yes. And I’m very busy.“}
“Wait.” He reached out and brushed against my wrist. I stopped. Not because I wanted to. But because I wanted to see what excuse he had prepared for me this time.
Slowly, I turned. “What do you want, Jairus?”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed. He was clenching his hands at his sides. “I–I need to talk to you.“}
I raised a brow. “About what? How you refused to sign the divorce papers? Or how you’re suddenly regretting everything now that I’ve left?” I crossed my arms. “Because if it’s either of those, you’re wasting your time.“}
His jaw tightened. But I could see the flicker of panic behind his eyes. “I just… I don’t understand how you can just walk away like this. You were my wife, Vanessa. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
I let out a breathless laugh as I shook my head. “That’s rich coming from you. You treated me like an afterthought for years, Jairus. You let another woman humiliate me, let me believe I was broken, let our marriage rot while you entertained your little obsession with Katie. Now, suddenly, I’m supposed to care?“}
He flinched. “It wasn’t like that.”
I arched a brow. “Wasn’t it? Then tell me. What was it like? Because from where I stood, it looked exactly like that.”
He exhaled sharply. Then he ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. “Katie’s been… excited ever since she found out you resigned. She’s been going on and on about how I should’ve done this sooner, how it’s finally our time. And she… she’s been spending. A lot.“}]
I blinked. “Spending?“}
He let out a humorless chuckle. “Preparing for our wedding.“}
That caught me off guard. I stared at him for a beat. Then he let out a laugh so sudden, so sharp that it echoed through the lobby. “Your wedding?”
Jairus’s expression darkened. “I never proposed.“}
My laughter only grew. “And yet, here she is, picking out a dress, planning a venue, and spending your money as if she already has your last name. Tell me, Jairus, how does it feel? How does it feel to realize the woman you spent years chasing was never actually chasing you back… just your wallet?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. And I saw how his clenched fists tightened. “I never thought she-“}
“Oh, but I did,” I interrupted. Then I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye from laughing too hard. “I saw it from the very beginning. Everyone did. Everyone except you. Because you were too busy indulging her every whim, too busy ignoring what was right in front of you.”
His silence was deafening. He knew I was right. He just didn’t want to admit it.)
I stepped closer and lowered my voice just enough for only him to hear. “You chose her, Jairus. You fought for her. You destroyed your marriage for her. And now, she’s got exactly what she wanted. Access to everything you own. So why are you standing here, looking at me like I can fix this?”
His throat bobbed again. But he had no answer.
I shook my head. “You should start preparing that proposal, Jairus. After all, she’s been waiting for this moment for years.”
And with that, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him standing there. Alone. Just like he had left me so many times before.”
