CHAPTER 130
LILY’S POV
~ “You know what?… Just leave. I’ve had about enough of you invading into my life like a damn shadow, lurking where you don’t belong. I refuse to believe what you just said because I know it’s a lie, a manipulation tactic to disorient and make me ease up to you. But it won’t work. You can’t deceive me again.”
“I’m not lying Lily…” ~
“I don’t want to hear it,” I brought my hand forward to stop him. “That’s how you lied to their teacher about you and I being separated and sharing custody of the kids. I never thought you’d stoop so low just to get your way. Don’t you think that’s embarrassing for someone who once thought he could get anything he wanted with the snap of his finger?” I asked with a condescending sneer.
“That was different, Lily…”
“Why don’t you stop being an asshole and leave like she told you to?” Noah fumed from behind me, clearly annoyed and fed up with Robert’s persistence.
“Did the Chihuahua finally find its voice?” Robert sneered at Noah, glaring at him with a hint of cold mockery. “Why don’t you just stay out of this and go back to being the quiet, obedient little puppy you were just a moment ago?”
“Why don’t you make me?” Noah challenged with a smug smirk. “You know for someone of your status, I must say you’re unbelievably dumb. How could you not have seen her worth?” He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Anyone who owns a company will notice even on her first day at work. You left her to rot in prison while she was pregnant and even hired a bunch of lawyers to get her the death penalty. These past years, she’d fought to rebuild her life and raise her kids only for you to show up out of nowhere to do what exactly? For her to take you back? To play the devoted father and husband? You’re a joke, a disgrace, a shameless idiot. If you have any shred of dignity left, you’ll leave and never show your stupid face here again.”
Noah was becoming vicious, his temper flaring. His clenched jaw was quivering. His fists were balled, the veins of his arms branching out like lightning streaks across a stormy sky as his brutal gaze burned into Robert’s. I could even feel the heat of his anger from where I was a few inches in front of him as it hung in the air like a thick mist.
I appreciated that he was standing up for me, but his words towards Robert dripped with so much hatred and fury it made it seem like he had a longstanding vendetta against him. I have been noticing how angry and defensive he got whenever it had to do with Robert. I understand he was taking my side and all but at times he went overboard with it, making me think there might just be something more.
“Noah, please,” I said, closing the gap between us, trying to calm him because he was like a troubled storm on the verge of breaking loose. If I didn’t do anything to calm him, coupled with Robert’s simmering anger, then this place would become a war zone. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but please, let me handle this myself. I don’t want it escalating into something else.”
“No, Lily,” he said in a distinct way that made it clear he wouldn’t back down. “I have stayed silent for long now. I won’t keep sitting on the sidelines and watch him mess with you. If he doesn’t leave now then I’ll kick him out myself. I’ll make sure he never bothers you and the kids again…”
A sudden, brutal punch from nowhere interrupted him, startling me as I flinched, instinctively stepping aside. Robert’s fist had connected with his right cheek, the impact making his face whip sharply to the side as a spray of saliva flew out in slow motion.
“Stop getting close to her,” Robert roared like an enraged beast.
Noah had crashed into the nearby table but regained his footing almost quickly like the punch never even happened.
“You don’t deserve her,” with a frustrated growl, he lunged at Robert, grabbing him by his midsection. He shoved Robert back, slamming him on the wall before swinging his arms to deliver a few blows to Robert’s side.
Noah’s back was exposed, so Robert stomped him there with the back of his elbow, stopping his blows to his side. Noah held back a deep groan like a wounded beast. Mustering as much strength as he could, he managed to shove Robert away from him. Robert crashed into one of the dining table chairs, breaking it in the process.
I knew I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. Only screaming at them to stop won’t help matters because it seemed like I was talking to myself. If they continued fighting, not only would they destroy my home but might end up injuring one another. That is if one of them doesn’t kill the other first. This was the more reason I wanted to handle this matter alone to prevent things such as this from happening.
Robert, despite sustaining a few cuts due to splinters from the broken wood, gathered himself up. He had this gruesome expression on his face like he wanted to fight to the end. Just as he prepared to lunge at Noah again, I stepped between them, blocking his path.
“That’s enough!” I said with dead seriousness. “My home isn’t a wrestling ring. I won’t let you two destroy it and kill each other in the process.”
“But he started it,” Noah said accusingly, scowling at him.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, glancing at him before returning my gaze to Robert and saying with a fierce intensity. “Leave!”
“But Lily, if you can just…”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I cut him off harshly, looking away defiantly. “You have already caused too much damage. So leave and never show your face here again.”
He sighed defeatedly, grabbed his suit jacket from where he hung it on top of one of the dining chairs and started making his way to the door. He kept glancing back to look at me. Almost as if hoping I’ll change my mind. But he was a fool to think that. No way I’ll ask him to stay after what he just did.
I didn’t bother looking back at him until I heard the door shut. Suddenly, I felt this sharp pang of pain in my chest as if someone had pierced my heart with something sharp and pointy. I placed my palm against my chest to soothe the area, a painful trickle of tears running down my cheek.
Noah was mumbling something, obviously cursing at Robert but I couldn’t focus on any word that came out of his mouth. I held the top of one of the dining chairs to support myself because my legs were weak, making me feel like I was going to crumple at any moment.
Everything that happened today replayed in my head and for a moment, I felt like I had overreacted, making the wrong choice. I shouldn’t have done that to the toys Robert bought for the kids and frightened them. I shouldn’t have talked to Nana Mae like that. With her gone, I knew it would be difficult to handle the kids and everything there is to do in the house alone.
And worse, I shouldn’t have sent Robert away in his injured state. The caring spirit inside me was tormenting me for that. While in prison, I was the one who cleaned and tended to the injuries of my cellmates after they got back from a fight or intense situation. Why did I have to yell at him to go with all that blood dripping from his arms? Why did today have to be such a bad day for me?
The weight of all that happened pressed down on me like a collapsing wall, squashing me to a pulp. My chest tightened, making breathing difficult. My skin reddened deeply and more uncontrollable tears streamed down my cheeks. Suddenly, I felt Noah’s comforting hand hold me from behind.
“Don’t cry,” he soothed, bringing my face to his chest and caressing my hair. “You made the right choice.”
I needed someone to say that so I could stop feeling this miserable. Melting into his touch, I buried my face in the depth of his chest, sobbing heavily as my sharp intact of breath filled the room the only sound breaking the eerie quietness around us.