Dear Wife, I Hate You (by Josephine Mbanefo) novel Chapter 73

Lilith’s Pov

As Killian walked into the house and left me behind, I stood there, staring at the door like I’d just been slapped. This did not just happen. I couldn’t believe it. We didn’t even go all the way, and yet he was acting like I had begged him for something. Like I had thrown myself at him. Like I meant nothing.

I felt stupid. Used. And worst of all, hurt.

I should have known better. I should have kept my guard up. But I let it down, I let him in, and now I was paying for it. I could already feel the tears threatening my eyes, but no–this wasn’t the time to cry. Not here. Not now.

Killian was messing with my feelings, twisting me up so bad that I couldn’t even understand what I was feeling anymore. Confused. Angry. Sad. Embarrassed. All of it, all at once. I needed advice. I needed someone who knew him deeply. Maybe… maybe his mom could help. She was the only person I felt I could trust right now. Maybe even Emily. But first, I needed to clean up, take a breath, just gather myself.

I walked into the house slowly and headed upstairs. As I reached the landing, the first person I saw was Nolan. He was standing near my room, probably heading there for something. He looked up when he saw me.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked. “How are you doing? How was your time with Killian?”

I forced a small smile. “You know how your brother can be,” I said, trying to brush it off. “But… it was fine.”

But Nolan didn’t miss a thing. His eyes scanned my face, the shift in my mood, the way my shoulders were slumped. “Did he hurt you? Did he do anything to you?”

“No,” I said quickly. “He didn’t hurt me. I just let my guard down again.”

He stepped closer, his voice soft. “Lilith, I’m always here if you need to talk.”

 “I know. Thank you, Nolan. Really. I just… I want to be alone right now.”

oked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he nodded and said, “Alright. I’ll be in Killian’s room if you need anything.”

“Okay,” I replied, then continued down the hallway.

When I opened the door to my room, I wasn’t expecting to see Emily sitting there. She looked up immediately.

“Damn, I’m shocked to see you here,” I said.

Emily grinned. “What? You don’t miss me?”

She was trying to lighten the mood, trying to be funny, but I couldn’t even smile back. I was too drained. She noticed quickly.

“Hey,” she said, her voice softening. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

I walked past her and sat down heavily on the bed. “Nothing much happened,” I muttered. “I just… I don’t even know what to say.”

Emily’s expression changed. “Did Killian hurt you?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “He didn’t hurt me. I just let myself get used… and now I feel like a fool.”

“You’re not a fool,” Emily said firmly. “No matter what happened. Just talk to me, Lili. Tell me everything.”

So I did.

I told her how it all unfolded, how we touched, how close it got, how real it felt for a second, and then how it all changed. I told her we didn’t even have sex, but it felt just as deep, just as raw.

She listened quietly, her expression unreadable.

When I finished, she took a deep breath and said, “I don’t even know what to say right now. But one thing I do know is that Killian is a son of a bitch. He doesn’t know how to take accountability, and he’s acting like a coward. He’s angry… not at you, but at himself. Because he’s attracted to you. And he can’t deal with it.”

I looked at her. “So what do I do?”

Emily gave me a small, mischievous smirk. “Push him. Push his buttons. Make him confront those feelings he’s trying to bury. Let him know you’re not someone he can play games with.”

I sighed. “I don’t know, Em. I think I need to talk to his mom first. Maybe she’ll help me make sense of all this.”

“She might,” Emily agreed. “But you better hurry. They’re planning to leave soon. If you want to talk to her, now’s the time.”

“Alright.” I said, standing. “Let me freshen up quickly.”

After freshening up, I dressed quickly, trying not to overthink the conversation I was about to have. My heart was still heavy, and my mind was spinning, but I needed clarity. I needed someone who understood Killian better than anyone else, his mother.

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