Chapter 4: The Final Goodbye

But halfway there, I unexpectedly ran into Ethan. My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach dropped.

He stood by the entrance, blocking my path. My pulse picked up, and I felt my jaw tighten.

He wore a pale suit, looking as polished and charming as the girls on Main Street always said. His hair was perfect, his smile practiced.

He always knew how to dress for an occasion, how to make an impression. I almost laughed at how bitter that made me feel.

But as soon as I remembered his affair with Elise, my stomach turned. My hands curled into fists.

He stepped in front of me, his expression calm, almost casual. My back stiffened, and I clenched my teeth.

“Savannah, I came with my sister-in-law to pray. But there aren’t any spare rooms left at the church. Could you let my sister-in-law rest in Mrs. Lane’s room?”

“No.” I shot back before I could even think.

But Ethan looked at me in surprise, like he’d just heard the best news. His eyes lit up, and for a second, I felt a shiver of dread.

A chill ran through me. I sidestepped him, determined not to let him see me rattled.

After a few steps, I heard Ethan call out again: “Sweetpea.” My shoulders tensed, and my breath caught.

The nickname hit me like a punch to the gut. My stomach clenched, my heart stuttered in my chest.

I froze. My mind went blank, just a wall of emotion.

Ethan only ever called me that after we got married. Hearing it now, in this life, was like being yanked back into a nightmare I’d tried to bury.

He really has been reborn, too. My skin prickled, and my heart thudded.

Ethan’s voice picked up, excited: “I knew it, you came back too. Sweetpea, your dad said he’d ask your opinion. As soon as you agree, we can be together.”

My eyes narrowed, my jaw set. I wasn’t letting him get away with this. Not again.

“Before today, you and I were strangers. Mr. Whitmore, please have some respect.”

Ethan’s smile faltered for a moment. His shoulders slumped, and for once, he looked unsure.

He paused, then shook his head, that confident smile back on his face: “You can’t fool me. You’ve always been gentle and kind, especially toward my sister-in-law. If I hadn’t insisted on having Julian adopted by her, you wouldn’t have held it against me. Don’t worry—this time, I’ll make sure Julian stays by your side and is raised by you.”

When I didn’t say anything, Ethan’s voice softened: “My sister-in-law didn’t come today. I was just testing you.”

I was stunned. My hands shook a little, and I felt the blood rush from my face.

This Ethan felt like someone else entirely. It was unnerving, almost surreal.

Back then, when I cried to him about Julian refusing to call me Mom, he never said anything like this.

He’d brushed me off, told me to get over it. My chest tightened at the memory.

Back then, he was impatient: “I told you to let Julian be adopted by my sister-in-law, but you wouldn’t agree. Now he doesn’t recognize you—what’s the point in clinging to him?”

His words had cut me to the bone. I felt the sting even now.

I opened my mouth but couldn’t get a word out. My throat was tight, and my lips trembled.

Julian was barely a month old when Ethan said I needed to recover and took him to Elise’s room.

I remembered the emptiness of the nursery, the way my arms ached to hold my son. The loneliness in that room was crushing.

If Elise hadn’t manipulated things, how could Julian refuse to call me ‘Mom’? Bitterness rose up, sharp and sour.

Later, Julian even told me, “Uncle has no kids. If you won’t let me be adopted, then let Dad marry someone else so Aunt Elise can have a family.”

His words had been so matter-of-fact, so cold. The hurt was almost too much to bear.

At the time, I didn’t know they already had an affair. I didn’t know I’d never have another child. After a lot of thought, I finally agreed to the adoption.

I’d convinced myself it was the right thing to do. I didn’t realize I was signing away my own happiness, my own future.

It wasn’t until right before I died that I learned Elise had bribed the help to put something in my food to keep me from having kids.

The betrayal was total, absolute. My heart thudded with the memory.

Thinking of that, I didn’t care why Ethan had changed his mind. I was done with his promises. Done.

Bottom line—in this life, I want nothing to do with him.

I’d made up my mind. I wasn’t backing down. Not this time.

I just smiled. “Mr. Whitmore, I have no idea what you’re talking about. To be honest, I’m already discussing marriage with someone else. My dad said he’d ask my opinion, but he was just being polite.”

At that, Ethan’s confident smile just fell apart.

He looked lost, wounded. For a second, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

I turned away, ready to start a new chapter—one that didn’t include him.

And for once, I meant it.