Rebirth After Being Betrayed by My Husband by Isabella Reed

hapter 78

Finished

When Ethan arrived at his apartment, he rushed inside, his heart pounding. He found Mia anxiously knocking on

the bedroom door, repeatedly calling our Lily's name. Her face lit up with relief as soon as she saw him.

“Ethan, thank goodness you're here,” Mia said, stepping aside. “Lily she won't open the door. I've been trying for

so long”

Ethan nodded quickly, barely pausing to listen. “Lethandle it,” he said, his breath coming in short gasps as

he approached the door. He knocked gently. “Lily, it’s me. Please, open the door, love.”

Silence.

He tried again, softening his tone further. “Lily, baby... please open the door for me.”

Still, there was no response. The eerie quiet on the other side of the door filled Ethan with a sense of dread. His

chest tightened, and his mind raced. The longer the silence dragged on, the more suffocating his worry

became.

“Lily!” he called, his voice trembling with urgency. “Please, open the door!”

Mia, observing the scene, suggested hesitantly, “Ethan, do you have a spare key?”

Ethan blinked, mentally chastising himself for not thinking of it sooner. “A spare key... Yes!” he muttered, rushing

to a nearby bookshelf. He grabbed the spare key, his hands trembling slightly as he fumbled to unlock the door.

When the door swung open, Ethan froze. The room was pitch dark, the curtains drawn tightly shut, -blocking out

any sunlight. He quickly flipped on the light switch, his eyes scanning the room. His gaze

landed on Lily sitting on the floor beside the bed. She was curled up tightly, her knees hugged to her chest, and

her face buried in her lap.

Relief washed over him when he saw that she was physically unharmed. He exhaled shakily, the weight on his

chest easing just a little. “Sister Mia,” he said softly, turning to her, “I'd like to talk to her alone.”

Understanding the sensitivity of the situation, Mia gave him a reassuring nod. “Of course,” she replied, stepping

out of the room and closing the door behind her to give them privacy.

Ethan offered a faint smile of gratitude before turning his full attention back to Lily. He approached her carefully,

lowering himself to the floor to sit in front of her. “Lily,” he called gently, his voice tender.

She didn’t respond, her small frtrembling slightly. Ethan moved closer, his heart aching at the sight.

Reaching out, he lightly placed a hand on her head, his fingers brushing through her hair. “Lily, it's me,” he

whispered.

At his touch, Lily startled, jerking her head up in alarm. When her tear-filled eyes met his, Ethan felt a sharp

pang in his chest. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen, and an unmistakable fear lingered

in her expression.

Blinking rapidly. Lily finally recognized him. “Ethan...” she stammered, her voice shaky and broken. In an instant,

she launched herself into his arms, clinging to him like he was her lifeline.

The sudden movement nearly sent Ethan toppling backward, but he caught himself, bracing one hand against

the bed for support while his other arm wrapped securely around her waist. He held her tightly, his

Tmnt breaking at the sight of her en vulnerable and afraid

Chapter 78

“It’s okay,” he murmured, his voice stenly despite the turmoil he felt insile. “Tin here now, Lily. I've got

you”

Adjusting her gently on his lap to ensure they wouldn't ropple over, Ethan softly patted her head. His voice was

filled with worry as he asked. “Lily what's wrong, sweetheart? You frightenedso much. If you're afraid of for

your could have told them to cancel the scene. No one would have blamed you. Are you okay

Her body trembled as she clung tighter to him, burying her face in his chest Shaking her head, her voice came

out broken and fearful. “N-No. 1-than you don’t understand. They'll killagain.

His heart sank at her words, confusion clouding his mind. Kill her again? Who? Why?

“I-I don’t want to go back there the fire that huge fire. No, | can’t go back. They'll killagain. 1-1 don’t want to

die.. Her voice cracked as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Ethan’s mind raced as he tried to piece together what she was saying, Who were “they” What had happened to

her? Keeping his voice steady, he gently stroked her back. “Lily, who are they? Who is trying to hurt you?”

“They are horrible. I-I loved them, but they killed me,” she whimpered, her grip tightening around him. “They

didn’t care about me... | was nothing but a tool to them. They controlledlike a puppet, made ine work like a

slave...

Her pain was palpable, and Ethan's chest tightened with every word she spoke. “I gave them everything. |

trusted them blindly, without question. But what did | do wrong? Why did they kill me? Why did they burn me

alive? Ethan. am I so unlovable?”

“No, Lily! Don’t ever think that,” Ethan interrupted firmly, his voice filled with emotion. “You are not unlovable. If

you were, | wouldn't have fallen in love with you. You mean everything to me. | swear to you, no one will ever

hurt you again. You'll alwaveby your side.”

Her tear-filled eyes lifted to meet his, filled with doubt and pain. “Really?” she whispered, her voice fragile, like a

child seeking reassurance.

Ethan's heart ached as he nodded earnestly. Her eyes reflected years of loneliness, fear, and betrayal, and he

wished he could take all of it away.

“Promise me,” she pleaded, her voice trembling. “Promiseyou'll never use me, never betray me... promise