Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

Chapter 11 П LILY I felt a sense of relief witnessing Mason's ability to provide a response to Liam's question, a rare occurrence given that my sons seldom seek their father's presence. I've been devotedly filling every emotional void in their hearts, inadvertently leaving no space for him. This unexpected inquiry from Mason cnightoff-guard, exposing a gap I hadn't known existed, A gentle breeze brushed againstas I leisurely ambled down the street, holding an ice cream cone. Becky insisted I carve out tfor myself. urgingto enjoy a carefree stroll without the constant worry about my kids. She perceives my life as stress-laden, woven around their needs, suggesting that in their absence, I feel somewhat lost and uncertain about how to live and what to do with my existence. Undeniably, she speaks the truil. My sons currently constitute the very essence of my existence, and envisioning a life devoid of their presence rendersadrift in uncertainty, Abruptly halting in the midst of the walkway, a sudden realization compelledto turn on my heels, intending to retreat to the house because this wasn't working. My mind keeps going back to them, so there is no need to try to spend stalone. Just as I poised to retreat, my attention was arrested by a sleek black car parked along the roadside, triggering unwelcrecollections. The vehicle stirred memories of someone I'd rather keep at bay. In an almost ironic twist, the car door swing open, and to my displeasure, one of the individuals I harbored disdain for emerged. Stephenie, wearing a smile that seemed forced, stepped out with a greeting. "I thought that was you," she remarked, approachingwith an aura of familiarity that I would rather avoid. Unwilling to feign civility for the sake of onlookers, I attempted to walk away, but Stephenie intercepted my escape by swiftly seizing my hand, causing an immediate tensing of my entire body. "Letgo, I hissed, forcefully wrenching my hand from her grip with obvious frustration. Undeterred, she circled around to stand directly in front of me, raising her hand in a mock gesture of surrender. "I am sorry if I offended you," she lied again, her words wrapped in a thin veil of insincerity, "that wasn't my intention." Realizing that she wouldn't relent unni she has said what she wants to say, I confronted her with an exasperated tone, "What do you want, Stephenie?" Maintaining her disingenuous smile, she casually shrugged. "Nothing serious," she replied, taking an audacious step closer. "Having spotted you from my car, I simply wished to extend a casual greeting. How have you been? Do you need a ride!" Her persistent smile seemed to taunt me, intensifying my internal struggle to resist the urge to wipe it off her face. In response to the offer of a ride, a scoff escaped my lips as I candidly remarked, "Let's do away with the illusion of friendship. Stephenie. The truth is, you and I share no fondness for each other, so kindly remove yourself from my personal space." Undeterred by my straightforwardness, she questioned, "Why can't we be friends? Is it because of Ryan?" Folding my arms. I met her gaze with a stoic aloofness. Undaunted, she continued, "Don't harbor resentment because I reclaimed him from your grasp. From a technical standpoint. I merely retrieved what you had taken from me. He was initially mine, and following a minor disagreement, you entered the picture. I returned only to reclaim what rightfully belonged to me." Upon reflection. I acknowledged my mistake in getting entangled with him so soon after his heartbreak with Stephanie. It dawned onthat I should have allowed him the space to grapple with his pain and go through the healing process independently. The more I scrutinized the past, the more I convinced myself that, in essence, I was merely a rebound in his journey to overcthe residual pain and heartbreak of his previous relationship. As my eyes leisurely trailed the contours of Stephenie's form, my gaze lingered momentarily on her finger, and with a tone of mocking amusement, I vocalized a pointed observation, "No ring yet! It's been, what, almost six years, and there's still no glimmer of commitment from him to you?" In a reflexive response, Stephenie lifted her finger, studying it with a hint of defensive scrutiny. "Don't entertain the notion that my finger lacks a ring because Ryan hasn't presented one," she retorted, adding a subtle lick to her lip. With a gesture, she extended her hand, fixating on her fingers. and candidly declared, "This is by choice; I made it clear to him that I harbor no desire for marriage. She is lying. Her eyes say it all. I have gotten a lot better at reading people's emotions after dealing with Georgina's in-laws. Shaking my head in amusement. I took a step towards. "I have two theorics going on in my head, and I think it is either of the two or both" Stephanie's features contorted into a frown as she questioned, "What are you talking about?" Ryan, and I maintained a composed demeanor, explaining further. "You haven't crossed paths withor witnessed my life since the divorce from suddenly, my reappearance has stirred unease within you. It's as if you fear I might disrupt whatever you have going on with Ryan. The second theory is you've spent six years with him and have yet to secure a proposal Now, you're curious about how I managed to ger a ring within just onse year. So, which one is it?" Anxiety crept into response as as she stammered, "You've lost your mind," 11:30 AM Chapter II Taking a moment to observe her, I couldn't help but burst into laughter, throwing my head back. "Are you kiddingright now? The answer is both, isn't it? You're here for both reasons, 1 declared with a knowing smirk. Despite her feigned indifference, Stephanie's attempt to dip her hands into her jacket betrayed woeful failure to conceal the unease that my observations had stirred within her. "I am living a perfect life with Ryan," she insisted, but the tone in her voice carried an undertone of defensiveness, resembling more of an argument than a confident proclamation. "Everything I desire is at my beck and call, unlike someone I know who seems to be wallowing in poverty, trekking down the streets due to an apparent inability to afford a taxi fare." Her accusation of financial hardship triggered an unexpected response from me. My head involuntarily tilted backward as laughter, genuine and unrestrained, echoed through the air. "Wallowing in poverty just because you sawwalking down the streets? I responded incredulously, finding the absurdity of her assumption too amusing to ignore. It dawned onthat she might be oblivious to my profession. "Feel free to harbor whatever thoughts you want, but never again haltto subjectto your baseless judgments," I declared firmly, refusing to allow her attempts at belittlement to sway my sense of self-worth. The blaring honk of a car diverted both our attention, and as the window rolled down, Mason's voice resonated from inside. "What's going on?" In an attempt to glean more clarity on what was really going on, he emerged from the car and approached us, coming to a halt right besidewith a protective hand dr@ped across my shoulder. "Is everything alright here?" Stephanie's smile widened as she spoke, "For a moment, I thought he was your man, but then I realized he looked very familiar. Shifting her focus to Mason, she continued, "Aren't you that man who was always with that woman who thought it was okay to harassevery tour paths crossed? The revelation leftboth confused and curious about what she meant. Iturned to Mason, raising a quizzical brow. It had never been disclosed tothat Becky had been fighting forhere in New York. Stephanie pressed on with her assumptions, asserting, I get it now. They are your friends, right? You sent them after me, didn't you?" II| Scoffing, I replied, "Looking back, I wish I had. Con, Mason, let's go." With that, he steeredtowards the waiting car, skillfully opening the door forbefore rushing to secure the driver's seat. As we drove away, Stephanie lingered by the walkway, her gaze tracking our departure. I was certain about something, she wasn't likely to disclose our encounter to Ryan. It appeared she perceivedas a potential threat to whatever that was going on between them. I wish I could say I wish them the best of happiness, but that is far from the truth.

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