The Last Time I Loved Him (Autumn and Ryan)
Chapter 45

Chapter 12 "Why did the baby die?"

"Ophelia was traumatized from the fire, and then her ex-husband took her away when I wasn't watching."

"Didn't her ex have a history of domestic violence?"

"How do you know?" he asked, surprised.

I'd suspected as much when I saw the bruises Ophelia had tried to cover with foundation.

"Stephen, Ophelia's had a rough life, and I'm genuinely sorry for her unfortunate marriage. But as my husband, your choices have truly left me heartbroken."

"Our marriage started out of pity, but I'm exhausted after these three years. Isn't it best for us to end it?"

I felt all my strength drain away, numbly reopening old wounds.

Suddenly, I missed Theodore deeply-the kind of longing where I wanted to see him immediately.

Stephen continued to say it was impossible, that he wouldn't let me leave, but I couldn't bear to listen. So, I called the police.

When they arrived, they took him away, finally giving me a moment of peace.

I knew Stephen had come not out of love but out of pride, unable to accept that I truly wanted a divorce. After all, I'd once adored him, submitting to him completely.

Holding Snowball, I wandered aimlessly along the dark beach. I began to wonder what it was I'd ever loved about Stephen. Was it just that he stood up for me once when people mocked my looks? Or was it that I had envied his glamorous life so much, wanting to be part of it?

I couldn't find an answer, but if someone asked me if I still loved him, I'd know the answer. That love had worn away, slowly eroded during those years when I could never truly reach his heart. Suddenly, a light appeared in the distance, and Snowball leapt down excitedly, dashing toward it.