After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage novel Chapter 81

Pax Brown came as suddenly as he left.

One moment, he was here—his presence unsettling the entire lab, turning heads, lowering voices into hushed whispers.

The next, he was gone.

No explanations. No drawn-out goodbyes.

The others didn't understand.

I let out a slow breath, feeling the weight lift from my chest.

Beside me, Erike lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes trembling ever so slightly.

But his expression remained unreadable.

"So that's him?" he asked, his voice quiet. "The ex-boyfriend who pretended to be poor?"

I nodded.

Outside, winter had settled in fully.

Thick snowflakes drifted past the frosted windowpanes, blanketing the city in silver and white.

The wind howled, slipping through the narrow cracks, sending an icy chill through the room.

I curled my fingers, trying to shake off the numbness.

Erike moved first.

Without a word, he stepped forward and shut the window, sealing out the cold.

And just as the last breath of frigid air slipped through, his voice followed—soft, deliberate, unmistakable.

"Can't you pretend… that it was for me?"

I stilled.

For a second, the words didn't register.

Then, realization dawned.

He was echoing Pax's words."What are you looking at?"

He didn't react.

Didn't argue.

He had probably expected my answer.

Outside, the snow kept falling—endless, silent, indifferent.

And deep inside, I knew—

There would be no more detours.

No more hesitation.

The road ahead was mine alone to walk and I had already chosen.

I wasn't here to linger in love stories.

I was here to live my own life