Lila woke to the sound of voices in the living room, sharp and accusatory. Her heart sank as she recognized one of them: Elaine Pierce, Rowan’s mother. Memories of the night before, of Rowan’s icy demeanor and cutting words, surfaced, making her chest tighten.
Pulling on a sweater, Lila stepped into the living room. She froze at the sight in front of her.
Elaine stood near the center of the room, her posture rigid, her face set in a disapproving scowl. Beside her was Serena Hayes, Rowan’s ex-girlfriend and the woman Elaine had always wanted for her son. Serena was stunning as ever, dressed in a tailored jumpsuit that hugged her athletic figure. Her perfectly styled hair and confident smile were designed to make an impression, and they did.
“Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” Elaine said, her tone dripping with disdain. “Good morning, Lila. Or should I say, good-bye?”
Serena stood silently, but the faint smirk on her lips spoke volumes.
“What is this?” Lila asked, her voice steady despite the nervous knot forming in her stomach.
Elaine folded her arms across her chest. “This is me protecting my son. You’ve done enough damage to him. It’s time you packed your things and left.”
Lila’s eyes flicked to Rowan, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed. He looked tired, his expression unreadable.
“Rowan,” she said softly, pleading for him to intervene.
He didn’t move. “Just let her finish, Lila.”
Elaine’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Thank you, dear,” she said to Rowan before turning back to Lila. “You’ve been lying to my son for years, haven’t you? Showing up with expensive gifts, disappearing for hours. What are we supposed to think? That you’re just misunderstood?”
“That’s exactly what you’re supposed to think,” Lila snapped. “Because I’ve done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment.”
Elaine let out a sharp laugh. “Oh, please. The only thing you deserve is a swift exit from this family. Someone like Serena—” She gestured toward the woman beside her. “—is the kind of partner Rowan needs. Honest, respectable, someone who won’t make him a laughingstock.”Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Serena finally spoke, her voice soft but calculated. “I’m just here to support Rowan, Lila. I’ve always wanted what’s best for him.”
Lila’s fists clenched. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here, pretending like this is your business.”
“It is my business,” Serena said, her smile widening. “I was his fiancée before you came along. I could’ve been his wife if you hadn’t…”
“Enough!” Rowan’s voice cut through the room, startling them all. He stepped forward, glaring at both women. “This isn’t about you, Serena, and it’s not about you, Mom. This is between me and Lila.”
Elaine rolled her eyes. “Oh, Rowan, stop trying to be noble. You know she doesn’t belong here.”
Rowan’s jaw tightened. “Maybe she doesn’t,” he said quietly, his words like a knife to Lila’s chest.
---
Lila packed her things in silence, her hands trembling as she folded her clothes into a suitcase. She couldn’t cry anymore; her tears had dried up somewhere between Elaine’s cruelty and Rowan’s indifference.
A knock at the door startled her. Rowan entered, a checkbook in hand.
“What now?” she asked, her voice tired.
“I don’t want you thinking I owe you anything,” he said flatly. He scribbled onto the check and tore it out, holding it toward her. “This is two times every penny I’ve ever spent on you since the day we met. Take it.”
Lila stared at the check, the blood rushing to her ears. She didn’t take it. Instead, she reached for the envelope she had tucked into her suitcase.
“You don’t need to give me anything,” she said, handing the envelope to him.
“What’s this?” Rowan asked, frowning as he opened it.
“Everything I’ve saved for you since the day we got married,” she said, her voice trembling. “Every birthday gift, every dinner you paid for, every expense. I put it into investments with my brother’s help. I doubled it, Rowan. Because I wanted you to have a safety net, in case your business ever hit a rough patch. That’s how much I believed in you.”
Rowan froze, the weight of her words sinking in as he pulled out a stack of financial documents from the envelope.
“I didn’t need your money then and I don''t need it now,” Lila continued, her voice cracking. “I just needed your trust. But I guess that was asking too much.”
Rowan looked up at her, his expression unreadable. But it was too late.
She pulled out her phone and made a single call.
---
Twenty minutes later, the low rumble of engines filled the air. Elaine and Serena stared, dumbfounded, as a fleet of black SUVs arrived in front of the apartment building. Private security guards stepped out, moving with quiet efficiency as they began loading Lila’s bags into the vehicles.
Elaine’s mouth fell open. “What… What is this?”
Lila didn’t answer. She simply walked to the door, her head held high, her steps steady. She stopped in front of Rowan, her eyes meeting his for what felt like the last time.
“I loved you,” she said quietly. “I still do. But love without trust isn’t enough. I hope one day you realize what you lost.”
For a moment, Rowan looked like he might say something, but the words never came.
Lila turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her.
---
When Lila arrived at the Harper estate, her father was waiting at the grand entrance. He opened his arms, and she stepped into his embrace, her resolve breaking as tears spilled down her cheeks.
“You’re home,” James Harper said softly. “You’re safe now.”
But as Lila stepped inside, the weight of what she had lost remained heavy on her shoulders.
---
Rowan sat in the empty apartment, staring at the stack of documents she had left behind. The reality of what she had done—the sacrifices she had made for him—hit him like a freight train.
He reached for the torn check on the table, his hands trembling. For the first time, doubt crept into his mind, followed by guilt so sharp it left him breathless.
And for
the first time, Rowan Pierce wondered if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.