Chapter 22 Crossroads of the heart
Chapter 21
PAST
Victoria's POV
"You are married to me. Why do you keep putting a watch on Julian?" Ethan burst out.
"What do you mean? I never did," I replied defensively.
"Then what's this?" He thrust a picture of Julian into my hands. I hadn’t seen this before. The person I had asked to keep an eye on Julian must have sent it, but why was he so careless? Couldn't he have made sure it reached me personally?
"I... just...was..." I stuttered, grasping for words.
"See? You don't know what to say. Let's get a divorce." He handed me the divorce papers, his expression cold and unyielding.
I felt my heart drop. I can't lose Ethan; I love him. But I don’t want to lose Julian either. He’s mine, even if I don’t love him the way I love Ethan.
"Ethan, when did you start planning this?" I asked, trying to regain some composure and look him in the eye.
"You don’t need to know. Just sign it!" he snapped.
"No, Ethan, I can't. Not after four years of marriage." I shook my head, feeling desperation clawing at my insides. I can’t lose Ethan. Never!
"Do you hear yourself, Sophie? Four years? And you’re still thinking about that bastard? Do you know the pressure my parents have been putting on me? They want a grandchild, and you’re not delivering!"
His words struck deep. No wonder he’d kept his family away from our lives, never allowing me to attend their gatherings.
"Ethan, I’m not the one creating children," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Maybe the child you aborted was your only chance. Do you know that?" He glared at me, his eyes filled with accusation.
It’s true; I had aborted a child. But I had done it for him, for us. I thought it was the right choice at the time, a way to protect our future together.
"Ethan, I did it for you! For us! You wanted to focus on—"
"Stop making excuses!" he cut me off, his voice rising. "You think that justifies everything?"
I felt my throat tighten. "I thought we were on the same page. I thought we were building a life together."
"Building? This isn't a life, Sophie; it's a prison!" he shouted, his frustration palpable. "You claimed you love me, but you control me!"
I took a breath, trying to calm the storm brewing between us. "What do you want from me? I love you, Ethan. I don’t want to lose you."
"But what about Julian? You keep saying you love him too. What am I supposed to think?" His voice softened slightly, but the hurt was still there.
"I love you differently," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "Julian is complicated, but you… you are my heart."
Ethan looked at me, a mixture of anger and sorrow on his face. "And yet, here we are. Sign the divorce paper."
He threw the paper at me and left.
Ethan's words echoed in the silence of the room as he threw the divorce papers at me and stormed out. I stood frozen, the weight of the moment pressing down on me like a heavy fog. My mind raced, heart pounding with the realization of what had just happened.
I picked up the papers from the floor, my hands trembling. The sight of them felt like a betrayal of everything we had built over the last four years. I wanted to scream, cry, to chase after him, and beg him to reconsider, but my feet felt glued to the floor.
Why did it have to come to this?
I sank onto the couch, my mind whirling. I had thought we were happy, or at least on the right path. But in Ethan’s eyes, there was now only resentment.
PRESENT
"So, you really came back to New york to meet Julian." Ethan said, taking his seat on the cushion, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
I met his gaze, trying to maintain my composure. “No, I came for a business deal,” I replied, sitting opposite him, the cushion sinking beneath my weight. The air between us felt charged, as if the memories of our past lingered like ghosts.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, skepticism written across his face. “Well... I also came for business here, so I decided to check on you. And I see you are doing well.” He stood up, the movement abrupt, as if he couldn’t wait to distance himself from me.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, rising from the cushion as well.“You’re leaving already?”
"Yes, I don't think it's appropriate for me to be with someone I divorced few months ago."
He turned to face me. "Victoria, I know what you can do. I heard that Julian got married, and I’m pretty sure that was the main reason you came back here. Don’t try anything funny."
I felt a rush of defensiveness. "Ahh, what do you mean? I am not planning to do anything." I attempted to sound casual.
Ethan leaned closer, invading my personal space, and my heart raced as I tried to steady my breath. "I know you too well, Victoria. I remember what you did to a high school friend when you saw her hug me. The girl just got discharged last week."
"Oh! She’s discharged? And the doctor said then that she will take at least a year to recover." I said, the memories flooding back.
I had saw her hugged Ethan, and I had gotten jealous. I set up some guys to beat her mercilessly and she was lucky to survive but had been in coma for three months before she finally woke up.
“Listen to yourself, Victoria,” he replied, his tone firm with disgust. “What’s the difference between a year and nine months?”
“Three months difference,” I shot back, my voice rising defensively. “And Ethan, I’m a changed person now, I promise.” I could feel the desperation creeping into my words, hoping he could see the fake sincerity in my eyes.
“Change indeed,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Julian was my friend for ten years, so I know he’s not to be messed with. I know what he can do.” His voice was grave, almost pleading.
I swallowed hard, the weight of his warning pressing down on me. “Ethan, you’re overreacting. I’m not that person anymore. I’ve moved on. I want to build something new, not destroy it.”
He studied me for a moment, searching for the truth behind my words. “You might think you’ve changed, but some parts of you will always remain the same. Be careful, Victoria.”
As he turned to leave, I called after him, “Ethan, wait!” But he paused only for a moment, glancing back over his shoulder.
“Just think about what I said,” he replied, before walking out the door, leaving me standing there, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.
Jaxon walked in shortly. "When am I free tomorrow?" I asked, turning to me.
"Tomorrow evening ma'am." he said.
"I will be meeting Alex tomorrow." I said, looking into space.