Chapter 73

Kiara's heart pounded as she stared at the hospital entrance. She had avoided Lucas for almost a year after their bitter divorce, but now she was forced to face him again.

Lucas had been diagnosed with a serious illness, and Martha and even Harry had begged Kiara to visit him. She knew it would be difficult, but she couldn't refuse her friends plea.

Taking a deep breath, Kiara stepped inside the hospital. She tried to keep her emotions in check as she followed the signs to Lucas's room. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she hoped he was at least conscious.

As she entered the room, Kiara saw Lucas lying in the bed, looking frail and weak. The sight of him like that made her heart ache, even though she still harbored resentment towards him.

Lucas turned his head and saw Kiara. "Hey," he said weakly.

Kiara forced a smile. "Hey," she replied.

There was an awkward silence between them. Kiara wasn't sure what to say, but she knew she had to put her feelings aside for the sake of their children.

"I'm sorry you're going through this," she finally said.

Lucas looked at her with surprise. "Thanks," he said softly.

Kiara sat down in the chair next to the bed. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Kiara's mind wandered back to their past. She remembered the fights, the hurtful words, and the pain they had caused each other.

But now, in that hospital room, it all seemed trivial. They had to put their differences aside and focus on what was important.

"I know we didn't end things well," Kiara said, breaking the silence. "But we have to be there for our kids."

Lucas nodded. "I agree," he said.

They talked for a little while longer, about their kids, their lives since the divorce, and even about Lucas's illness. Kiara was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him when they weren't fighting.

When it was time to leave, Kiara stood up and said goodbye. As she walked out of the room, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Seeing Lucas again had been difficult, but it had also given her some closure.

She knew that their relationship would never be the same, but maybe they could at least be civil for the sake of their friends sake. Later on, Kiara had to leave the hopsital to get some food for him. She felt guilty for leaving him alone in the hospital, but she knew he needed something to eat. As she drove down the street, her thoughts were consumed with worry for Lucas.

Suddenly, she saw Liam, walking down the street with another girl. Her heart sank as she watched them embrace and kiss. Kiara pulled over to the side of the road, trying to process what she had just seen.

She felt a surge of anger and betrayal. How could Liam do this to her? They had been together for six months, and she had trusted him completely. But now, it felt like everything had been a lie.

As she sat in her car, Kiara couldn't help but wonder what else Liam had been hiding from her. Was this just a one-time thing, or had he been seeing this girl behind her back for weeks?

Kiara realized that she had to confront Liam. She couldn't let him get away with cheating on her. She drove over to where he was standing and got out of her car.

"Liam, what the hell is going on?" she yelled.

Liam turned around, clearly surprised to see her. "Kiara, I can explain," he said, his voice trembling.

Kiara shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to hear your excuses. How could you do this to me? We were supposed to be in this together."

Liam tried to reach out to her, but Kiara pulled away. "Don't touch me," she said, her voice cold and angry.

She got back into her car and drove away, feeling numb and broken. She couldn't believe that Liam had betrayed her like this. As she drove back to the hospital, Kiara knew that everything had changed. Her relationship with Liam was over, and she had no idea what the future held. But for now, all she could do was focus on being there for Lucas, the one person who still needed her.

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Kiara sat on her bed, her mind racing with thoughts about Liam. She had caught him cheating on her, and she couldn't believe it. She had been with him for two years and thought they had a good thing going. But now, she felt hurt, angry, and betrayed.

Her phone started ringing, and she knew it was Liam. She looked at the caller ID and then hit the ignore button. She couldn't bring herself to talk to him right now. She wasn't ready to hear his excuses or try to make things right.

After a few minutes, Liam's text messages started coming in. She could see from the notifications that he was desperate to talk to her. But Kiara didn't respond. She knew that she needed some space to process everything that had happened.

As the day went on, Liam's calls and texts continued. But Kiara remained silent. She spent the day reading, watching TV, and trying to distract herself from thinking about Liam.

In the evening, Kiara's phone rang again. This time, it was her best friend, Sarah. Sarah had been there for Kiara through thick and thin, and Kiara knew that she could talk to her about anything.

"Hey, Kiara," Sarah said when she answered the phone. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Kiara replied, her voice quiet.

"Listen, I know what happened with Liam," Sarah said. "And I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I'm here."

Tears welled up in Kiara's eyes as she heard Sarah's kind words. She knew that she was lucky to have a friend like Sarah.

"Thank you," Kiara said, her voice shaking. "I just don't know what to do."

"Take your time," Sarah said. "You don't have to decide anything right now. Just take some time to think about what you want and need."

Kiara felt a sense of relief wash over her as she listened to Sarah's advice. She knew that she didn't have to rush into anything. She could take her time and make the right decision for herself.

As Kiara hung up the phone, she realized that she hadn't heard from Liam in a while. She looked at her phone and saw that he had stopped calling and texting. For the first time since she caught him cheating, Kiara felt a sense of peace. She knew that she didn't have to talk to him until she was ready, and that was a powerful feeling.