Chapter 17 – A Choice Between Hearts
LYNN
Nora‘ s voice echoed through the house as she was escorted out, her screams and curses growing faint as the door slammed behind her.
“This isn’t over, Lynn! You’ll regret this!” she shouted, her words sharp with venom, but I didn‘ t flinch.
The sound of her fading tantrum barely registered. I had won, and the peace that settled over me felt almost surreal after
everything I had endured. The lies, the manipulation… it was all exposed. She was
gone.
Turning to face the room, I saw Ethan‘ s parents standing there, their expressions a
mixture of disbelief and relief.
Barbara looked at me with something akin to gratitude in her eyes. “Lynn,” she
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Chapter 17 – A Choice Between Hearts
began, her voice soft yet sincere, “thank you. For rooting out that… person. You‘ ve spared us all a great deal of pain.”
It wasn’t about gratitude, not for me. It was about doing what was right, but hearing those words from Barbara made it all feel like it was worth it.
I glanced at Ethan, who gave me a small, supportive smile. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something that made my stomach twist.
Javier.
He was standing in the doorway, watching me with wide, desperate eyes. And before I could react, he fell to his knees in front of me. The suddenness of it caught everyone off guard.
“Lynn,” he pleaded, his voice low and shaky. “Please, take me back. I love you. I never meant for any of this to happen. Nora… she tricked me. She manipulated me into believing her lies. I’ve been a
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fool, and I see that now.” His hands trembled as he reached out toward me, as if he were willing to beg for whatever scraps of affection I could offer.
I stood there, frozen. His words hung in the air, as if time itself had paused for a moment, forcing me to take it all in. The man who had been a part of my past, the man who had betrayed my trust, was now on his knees, asking for forgiveness.
“I only wanted to help,” Javier continued, his voice cracking. “I thought I was doing the right thing, but I see it now. You‘ ve always been the one for me, Lynn. Please, give me another chance.”
I felt a pang in my chest. My past with Javier was complicated–full of moments of warmth and heartache–but I couldn‘ t forget how easily he had hurt me. The betrayal felt too fresh, and his words, no matter how sincere they seemed, didn’t erase the wounds he had left behind. Yet there was something about his
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Chapter 17
-A Choice Between Hearts
vulnerability in that moment that made me question everything.
“I’ll give you time to think,” Javier added, standing slowly, his expression full of hope. “You don‘ t have to decide now. But I’ll be waiting.”
And just like that, he was gone, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, more conflicted than I had ever been.
I excused myself from the living room, needing some air, needing to be alone with my thoughts. I made my way upstairs and into the bedroom, my mind racing with emotions I wasn’t sure I was ready to confront.
Ethan was already there, sitting on the edge of the bed, his gaze steady as he watched me enter. He didn’t say anything at first–just let me gather myself.
Finally, I sat down beside him, the silence stretching between us.
“Lynn,” Ethan said softly, his voice
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Chapter 17–A Choice Between Hearts
uncharacteristically serious, “whatever decision you make, it’s okay with me.”
I turned to look at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “I know things between us started… awkwardly. We didn’t exactly plan for this, did we?” He gave me a small, rueful smile. “But as time’s gone on, I’ve started feeling something more. I can’t deny that. I care about you, Lynn. More than I expected, more than I’ve let on.”
I blinked, taken aback by his confession.
“Ethan… I-”
“I’m not asking for anything,” he interrupted, his gaze steady. “If you want to be with Javier, if that’s your choice, I’ll respect it. But I just wanted you to know that I care about you, and I want to explore whatever this… whatever this is, between us. We can take it slow, figure things out.”
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Chapter 17 A Choice Between Hearts
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t expected this–didn’t know how to process the sincerity in his voice. He was giving me the space to make my own choice, with no pressure, no hidden agenda.
“But if you choose him,” Ethan continued, his voice quieter now, “then I will respect that. I’ll divorce you, and we’ll go our separate ways. No hard feelings. You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as his honesty overwhelmed me.
“I don’t know what to say,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “You‘ re giving me too much.”
Ethan looked at me, his gaze soft. “I don‘ t think it’s too much, Lynn. I just want you to be happy.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, wiping away a tear. “For being so honest with me.”
