I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 9

Steven was undeniably handsome. His skin was fair and smooth, and his eyes were deep, as if veiled in a permanent, cool mist.

And in my past life, I had loved him for a lifetime, so I hadn’t been lying.

I looked at Rachel and admitted, “Well, everyone’s a little reckless when they’re young. He has someone he loves now, so there’s no point in forcing it anymore.”

Rachel gasped. “What? That bastard cheated on you?”

“He was in love with her before we got married, so it’s not technically cheating,” I explained.

I had just found out about it much later. As far as I knew, he had remained faithful for the first four years of our marriage. The woman he loved was in love with someone else, so even in his possessive pursuit, he had maintained some boundaries. As for the fifth year, things between us had gotten so ugly, and I was so sick, that I really don't know what happened.

Rachel’s face flushed with anger. “That’s even worse! He married you while he was in love with someone else, then spent his marriage pining after another woman! What a bastard! What a top-tier lovesick fool! All lovesick fools should just disappear!”

I winced. "..."

She quickly covered her mouth, her dark eyes darting toward me. “I didn’t mean you. Besides, you said your lovesick brain woke up, right?”

I smiled and leaned against her shoulder. “You’re right. From now on, I’m done trying. The only people who matter are the ones I care about. Everyone else can deal with it.”

People who don't love you will always leave. The ones who do will stay, or even come to you. I would only nurture the relationships that mattered. For everything else, I was checking out.

Rachel patted my head and sighed. “That’s for the best. But really, is that the only reason you’re divorcing him? Is there something else?”

“I just don’t like him anymore,” I said casually.

Rachel snorted. “And which do you think I’m more likely to believe? That, or that I’m going to win ten million dollars in the lottery today?”

I laughed helplessly, but it was the truth.

“I can’t say I’m completely over him—you don’t just forget years of deep love overnight—but my heart doesn’t beat for him anymore.”

“But you threw it all away to hang yourself on that rotten tree named Steven. It was infuriating… Anyway, let’s not talk about that. I actually know someone who’s looking for a person with your exact skills. I’ll take you to meet them tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I agreed happily. I wasn't taking any of Steven’s money—not that he’d likely offer it. Once the divorce was final, my income would be cut off. Finding a job quickly was my top priority.

Rachel and I talked for hours, catching up on everything we had missed in the year we were apart. We ate, drank, and laughed just like we used to, staying up late into the night.

We only stopped because we both had to be up early for my meeting. As we were about to head to our separate rooms, Rachel suddenly asked quietly, “Zephyra, are you still in touch with Horace Spencer?”

The name hit me like a punch to the gut, a heavy weight settling in my chest.

Horace. It had been so, so long since I’d even heard his name.

Rachel sighed. “If it weren’t for him, you never would have been able to marry Steven, and you wouldn’t have been so unhappy. If he knew you were getting a divorce…”