Chapter 8

“Mom! Enough!” Lennox cut in, his voice sharp with anger.

Just then, my neighbor—thankfully the one who always had my back—pushed her way through the crowd. She raised her voice, not backing down. “Kelly’s never been the one chasing after your son! It’s him who’s been stalking her!”

She wasn’t done. “While she was gone the past few days, your son’s been acting crazy, hanging around her door every day. He kept asking me about her, but never once mentioned that they’d broken up. I have security cameras at my door. If you don’t believe me, I can show you the footage.”

Her words hit like a thunderclap. Those who had been side-eyeing me quickly looked away, their guilt written all over their faces. Even Lennox’s smooth-talking mom had nothing to say.

Lennox didn’t get defensive. Instead, he took a deep breath and calmly admitted, “Yeah, she never clung to me. I was the one chasing her all along.”

There was something raw in his voice, a mix of regret and helplessness. His eyes locked with mine, as if hoping I’d see the truth in them.

His mother, furious, let out a cold snort before storming off.

Lennox seemed to want to say something more, but before he could get another word out, I cut him off, my voice steady. “What I said earlier still stands. I don’t want to see you again. Please, stop looking for me.”

Without giving him the chance to respond, I turned and stepped inside, shutting the door firmly behind me. I didn’t look back.

Later that evening, as I was winding down after a long day of work, my phone buzzed with notifications from shopping apps. I figured it was just another random update until one caught my attention.

I opened the notification, and my stomach dropped. There were several recent orders—baby products.

I’d completely forgotten that Lennox and I had linked our accounts a long time ago. So anything either of us bought would pop up in the other’s history.

Seeing those baby items—coupled with everything that had happened—made me feel sick to my stomach. The irony was unbearable.

I didn’t waste another second. I opened the app, unlinked our accounts, and double-checked my phone to make sure nothing about Lennox remained. It felt like I was finally erasing him from my life.

The weekend came, and my neighbor invited me out to the mall. She didn’t want me to stay cooped up, dwelling on everything.

At the mall, she waved her hand in front of me. “What kind of milk tea do you want? It’s my treat today!”

We’d done this countless times, so I let her order for me without a second thought.

While we waited for our drinks, something caught my eye. I squinted, trying to get a better look, and sure enough, there was a woman who looked strikingly like Anne. But she wasn’t alone. She was with a man I didn’t recognize.

Before I could get a clear look, they disappeared into a hotel across the street.

“What are you looking at?” my neighbor asked, noticing me staring.

“Nothing,” I said quickly. I reminded myself that whether it was Anne or not, it was no longer my problem. I wasn’t going to waste my energy on it.

Later that night, just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone rang. The number was unfamiliar.

I answered, and the first thing I heard was a woman crying hysterically. “Kelly! You heartless woman! How could you just stand by and let someone hurt my daughter-in-law and grandson? Give me back my grandson’s life!”

I was completely stunned, unable to process what she was saying.

Before I could respond, Lennox’s voice came through, hoarse and frantic. “Anne’s been hurt. She’s lost a lot of blood and they rushed her to the hospital. As they wheeled her into surgery, she kept calling for you.”

The absurdity of it all hit me like a slap to the face. I could only laugh—bitter and full of anger.