Chapter 70 Unfinished Business
DAVID
The word "divorce" fell from her lips like a sharp blade, cutting through the room. My breath hitched, but I kept my expression stoic. Divorce? She had no idea what she was asking for. No idea what we’d been through to get here. Her memories were gone, sure, but that didn’t make her any less my wife or the mother of the child growing inside her.
As she backed away from me, her arms crossed over her chest, I noticed the way her lips trembled, the anger barely masking her confusion. She didn’t trust me. I couldn’t blame her. I’d failed her before, and the damage Lizzy caused was now etched into the cracks of our fragile life.
But I wasn’t about to let her walk away. Not now. Not ever.
“You’re pregnant,” I said, my voice calm but firm, watching as her wide eyes darted to mine, a mixture of shock and disbelief flashing across her face.
“What?” she whispered, backing up until her legs hit the edge of the couch.
I stayed where I was, giving her space. “You’re carrying my child. That’s why I can’t let you go.”
She let out a humorless laugh, pressing her hands against her flat stomach. “I don’t even remember my own name half the time. How am I supposed to take care of a baby?”
Her voice cracked at the end, and I could see the cracks in her armor widening. But before I could step closer, she surged forward, her fists pounding against my chest like a flurry of angry raindrops.
“You’re a pervert!” she shouted, her cheeks flushed. “I’m eighteen! Eighteen! How could you how could I…”
I grabbed her wrists gently, holding her hands still against me. Her eyes blazed with fury, but beneath the anger, there was something else fear.
“It’s not wrong for a husband and wife to have children,” I said softly, loosening my grip on her wrists.
She wrenched her hands away, glaring up at me. “I don’t care if we’re married. I don’t like you. I don’t want you. Let me go!”
The words stung more than they should have, but I swallowed the pain, keeping my composure. Instead of arguing, I leaned closer, brushing my thumb over her cheek.
“Are you sure about that?” I murmured. “A lot of women would die to be in your place.”
She recoiled as if I’d burned her. “I’m not one of those women,” she snapped, her voice venomous. “You can go to them for all I care.”
Her words were a knife to the chest, but her defiance was... intoxicating. This new version of Bella was unpredictable, fiery, and completely unfiltered.
I opened my mouth to respond when another voice cut through the tension like a whip.
“You should divorce him,” the voice said smoothly. “I can find you someone better.”
I turned sharply to see Janet, my cousin, standing in the doorway with her usual smug expression. Of all the times she could’ve chosen to barge in, it had to be now?
“Janet,” I growled, pinching the bridge of my nose. “What are you doing here?”
She smirked, ignoring me entirely as she walked over to Bella. “You don’t have to stay with him, you know. There are plenty of men who’d treat you better.”
Bella turned to her, her eyes lighting up with hope. “Really? You think so?”
“Don’t encourage her!” I snapped, stepping between them.
Janet arched a brow, crossing her arms. “Why not? She called you a pervert, by the way. What did you do this time?”
“I didn’t….” I stopped myself, realizing how pointless it was to argue with her. “Janet, this is none of your business.”
“Oh, it’s absolutely my business,” she said, her grin widening. “Especially when my brother is walking around with a bitten lip. Did you try to kiss her?”
Bella jumped in before I could answer. “He did! And I bit him!”
Janet laughed, her shoulders shaking as she glanced between us. “Wow, I like her already. She’s got guts.”
“Enough,” I said, grabbing Janet by the arm and dragging her toward the door. “Stay out of it, Janet. You’re only making things worse.”
Fine, fine,” she said, holding up her hands in surrender.
“Why are you back?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
Janet’s eyes flicked to my lips, and she smirked. “Your lip looks bitten. Don’t tell me you actually tried to kiss her?”
I clenched my jaw, ignoring her attempt to sidetrack me. “I’m serious, Janet.”
Her smile faded as she crossed her arms. “I told you to be careful with her. I know Lizzy better than you do. You think you’ve gotten rid of her, but that woman doesn’t just disappear. And now, because of her, your wife has lost her memory.” She glanced toward Bella, who was sitting on the couch, looking utterly lost.
“I know I’ve made a mess,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m doing everything I can to fix it.”
“Where’s Lizzy now?” she asked, her tone unreadable.
“I had my bodyguards escort her out of the house. I don’t know where she went after that,” I said.
Janet let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. “You don’t know where she is? After all these years, you still don’t understand how dangerous she can be? Lizzy’s not the type to walk away quietly, David. She’s spent years with you she’s planning something big, and when she strikes, it won’t just be about you.”
Her gaze shifted to Bella, and her expression darkened. “She’ll go after everything you care about including her.”
I stiffened, her words settling heavily in my chest. “I can handle Lizzy,” I said, my voice firm, though the sinking feeling in my stomach betrayed me.
“Can you?” Janet tilted her head, her sharp eyes boring into mine. “Because when Lizzy comes back and she will you’d better be ready for the hell she’s about to unleash.”
Her warning lingered like a shadow even after she walked away. I turned toward Bella, who was obliviously fiddling with a loose thread on her dress, unaware of the storm brewing around her.
Lizzy wasn’t gone. Not really. And deep down, I knew Janet was right. She’d be back, and when she returned, she’d come for everything I had left.