I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 39

Steven was gone, but I remained where I was, my face pale, my lips pressed into a thin line. In my past life, I had destroyed myself for that hopeless love, making his life my life, his dreams my dreams, until I had nothing left of myself. Now, on the brink of divorce, his harsh words still stung, but I also felt a sense of relief. At long last, this toxic relationship was coming to an end.

I gathered my things, intending to check on Verna. After all, I was the one who had burned her. But after a few steps, I stopped. Steven had just warned me to stay away from her. And Jacob was her boyfriend; he would take good care of her. I decided not to intrude.

I took out my phone and sent Jacob a message, along with a payment to cover any medical costs and a separate payment for Verna as an apology. I didn’t wait to see if he accepted it. Putting my phone away, I headed to Uncle Julian’s room.

When I entered, he was sitting up in bed, his hospital gown hanging loosely on his frame. With his scruffy beard, he looked like a homeless man in his forties. He was staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

“Uncle Julian,” I called out.

His eyes, once as still as a dead lake, instantly rippled with life. He sat up straighter, as if he had been waiting for me. “You’re here.” His voice held a note of eagerness. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? You can eat with me.”

He gestured toward a nearby table. I followed his gaze, and my eyes widened in disbelief. The table was laden with king crab, jumbo shrimp—a whole seafood feast.

“Uncle Julian...” And it was all my favorite food.

He was a man of few words. He picked up a large shrimp and began to peel it. “Yes. Better.”

Sensing he didn’t feel like talking, I fell silent and began to eat. Just as I was about to grab a shrimp for myself, he placed a perfectly peeled one in my bowl. I looked up in surprise. He was already focused on peeling another one. He placed it in my bowl as well. “Eat.”

A wave of warmth spread through my chest. In my past life, besides my mother and Steven’s grandfather, I had almost no family who cared for me. At home, everything revolved around Antonia. After I got married, everything revolved around Steven. No one ever remembered what I liked to eat, and certainly no one had ever peeled shrimp for me. I was like a weed, overlooked and unloved. But now, my uncle had not only prepared all my favorite foods but was even peeling shrimp for me, taking care of me in his own quiet way. How could I not be moved?