Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 50

Chapter 10

Rhys pressed his hands tightly against his face, tears slipping relentlessly through his fingers. This was unlike anything I’d ever seen — the raw, uncontrollable sobbing that shook his entire body. It was the first time he had cried with such desperate abandon.

His mother stood nearby, frozen in shock, her eyes wide with heartbreak and helplessness. She didn’t know how to comfort him, how to stop the flood of pain pouring out of her son.

“Please… don’t leave me,” Rhys whispered, his voice breaking into a fragile plea. “Without you… I feel like I’ll truly die…”

His words were so humble, so crushed under the weight of his sorrow, it made him look utterly pitiful—like a man stripped bare of all pride and strength.

“Rhys, just let it go,” his mother said softly, though her voice trembled with sorrow. “No one in this world can live completely dependent on someone else.”

“Our relationship ends here,” she added firmly, trying to sound resolute. “Don’t come looking for me anymore. Let’s just be strangers.”

His father, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward. “She’s left you, Rhys. Stop humiliating yourself like this. Come home with us now.”

Together, they reached out and gently but firmly pulled him to his feet. I turned away then, stepping back inside without looking back. I wasn’t sure when he left after that, but when I came out again, the entire family had vanished.

In the days that followed, Rhys did not try to find me again. Time seemed to slip away unnoticed.

Summer was drawing to a close, and Seth was preparing to return to school. His final day at work coincided with my birthday, so I invited him and Stella over for dinner. The three of us shared a warm evening filled with laughter and easy conversation. Inevitably, the topic drifted toward relationships.

“Yolanda, please… give me a chance,” Seth said, his eyes shining with hopeful anticipation, like a loyal golden retriever waiting for a gentle pat.

I sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Rubbing my temples, I replied, “Right now, I’m okay being alone. I’m not ready to rush into anything new.”

“Can I still try to win you over?” Seth asked earnestly.

“Even if you do, I won’t say yes,” I said, shaking my head.

“Then… can I keep pursuing you?”

At that moment, Stella, a little tipsy and mischievous, grabbed my hand and placed it firmly on Seth’s waist.

“Come on, girl! Isn’t a pure-hearted guy like him irresistible? Feel these abs—they’re rock hard!” she teased with a grin.

“Just give in already!” she urged playfully.

I rolled my eyes, pulling my hand away. “Stella…”

“Yolanda…” Seth began softly.

“Enough, stop!” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “Fine, you can keep chasing me if you want, but I’m not agreeing to anything.”

Hearing my reluctant concession, Seth’s face lit up instantly, his dimples deepening in a charming smile. Honestly, it was hard not to find that cute.

From that moment on, my phone finally found peace.

Some time later, when I returned to L.A. to collect my resignation papers, I bumped into a mutual friend of Rhys and me. That’s when I learned Rhys had dropped out of school.

The breakup had taken a serious toll on his mental health. He spent his days in a daze, unable to focus on his studies or care about anything.

Mia stayed by his side, faithfully accompanying him to therapy sessions and caring for him. But Rhys refused to accept her feelings. He said he would keep waiting for me, hoping one day I might change my mind.

I nodded silently, thanking my friend for the update before turning away.

Late love is cheaper than trash.

What was the point of all this pain now?

When he sang “Runaway,” he wasn’t nearly this devoted to me.

Now, this self-inflicted suffering was just a desperate search for peace.

The cool autumn wind brushed past me as I walked toward the airport, ready to leave.

Goodbye, Rhys.