CHAPTER 112
ROBERT’S POV
~ “Stay away from us and never come back here or else I’ll alert the estate security!” Lily shunned me fiercely.
She didn’t even wait for me to utter a word as she quickly pulled the kids inside and slammed the door in my face, leaving me to stand there in crushing silence, staring at the closed door as the weight of my past mistakes pressed heavily on my chest. ~
“Lily…! Lily…!! Please you can’t be doing this. You can’t keep them away from me…” I kept calling her name but there was no answer. She was ignoring me on purpose.
I wanted to bang at the door, even knock it down if I had to. But I realized doing that would only be to my detriment as it was getting dark and I’ll be drawing the attention of the neighbours, and people passing by the estate road. The estate was very quiet and serene, so any little noise could constitute a nuisance.
I rushed to the windows, desperate for another glimpse of them, but the thick, drawn curtains blocked my view entirely. I called out Lily’s name over and over again to the point my voice box was starting to hurt from the strain, begging for her to let me see them again even if it was for a second. But she didn’t respond. Instead, the lights inside and that of the porch flickered off, and I could hear their footsteps fading into the distance as they walked away, leaving me to rot in the cold, empty darkness.
My fists clenched tightly as a single painful tear threatened to roll down from the corner of my eye, but I tightened my jaw and blinked it away. Backing away from the window, I ran my fingers through my hair, frustration clawing at me like sharp talons.
I couldn’t come up with anything to do to make Lily open the door and let me see my kids. It hit me like a wrecking ball to realize I just might have lost her forever. The Lily I once knew wasn’t in there anymore. The gentle, soft-hearted Lily who blushed easily had been replaced by a woman hardened by betrayal with a heart as hard as a rock. I can’t believe I made her into that.
I guess what they said is true. When someone you love deeply hurts, betrays or rejects you, the pain is comparable to physical pain. It leaves a mark that can never be erased and a weight that can never be lifted, no matter how much time passes. Lily loved me dearly. Even though I didn’t reciprocate, she never gave up on me. She hoped for a brighter future for the two of us but I ruined it without even caring. Now, I was suffering and bearing the brunt of it.
I don’t think I have ever been afraid like I am now. I was afraid all my efforts to win her back would go down the drain. Afraid she’ll never forgive me and let me see my kids. If only I had known, then I would have treated her better. I would have loved her like she deserved and this shit won’t be happening.
I grabbed a fistful of the back of my dishevelled hair. I pulled at it, almost as if to rip it from my scalp, my mind racing with the thought of what to do. My chauffeur was flashing the car headlights, signalling it was getting late and we needed to be on our way. But I didn’t pay attention to him as I was too caught up in my thoughts.
Vividly, I remembered Liam saying, “Mummy, who is this man that isn’t Uncle Noah and why is he kneeling in front of our house?”
If Liam knew his name so well, it could only mean Noah was a regular presence in their lives. He was always coming to the house. That man. For how long has this been happening? I always had a feeling there was more to his relationship with Lily than just being work partners. Something about it didn’t sit right with me.
My initial fears came rushing in like a cold violent wind as it dawned on me that this Noah might just be the one filling my spot and playing the role of a father figure in their lives. Who knows, sooner or later Lily might consider settling down with him seeing how close they were and how great he was with the kids. After all, Jane had told me she was moving on just fine without me, and I couldn’t ignore what I’d seen earlier today-the way Lily held Noah’s hand and how they stared into each other’s eyes in her office. Was this her way of moving on? Her way of replacing me?
No. I won’t let that happen. I won’t sit back and watch Noah or whatever he’s called take what belongs to me. Now that I’m back, I’m staying for good. I have spent millions since I arrived in LA to pay the security guard in her workplace to keep an eye on her, acquire that cutting-edge surveillance equipment, and lodge in a hotel. I even had to cover my chauffeur’s travel expenses and the money he used to buy the car we were using now and other miscellaneous expenses. But I was feeling bothered by all these. Everything I do, I do for Lily. Everything I do, I do for my kids. My family.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make up for the time I lost. I’ll be the husband I should have been to Lily. I’ll be the father my kids deserve. This time, I won’t fail them.
The sudden beep of my phone in my pocket startled me a bit, pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly pulled it out and glanced at the screen to see it was a notification from none other than Martin. After leaving me hanging for hours, he finally responded to my chat, his reply shocking me.