After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 246

“Ethan, do you really think I’m a bad person?”

Ethan shook his head.

No, she wasn’t bad. The woman she used to be was actually innocent and kind. The woman standing here now had attitude, maybe even a little edge, but that just meant she was finally being herself. Back when she lived with the Lane family, she’d always felt out of place, always wearing a mask just to get by.

“If I’m not some terrible person, why do you always act like I’m out to get your precious Natalie?”

“I’d be grateful if she stopped messing with me for once.”

“Whatever, this is pointless. You never believe me anyway. As soon as Natalie comes up, you’re always on her side. Even if she bullied me right in front of you, you’d come up with a hundred excuses for her.”

That’s what happens when someone loves you and someone doesn’t.

He loved Natalie. No matter what she did, he’d forgive her. She could do no wrong.

He didn’t love her. Even if she did nothing, he still watched her like she was the villain, always afraid she might hurt Natalie.

“Isabella, I… I’m not blind to right and wrong.”

“No, you’re just blind to everything.”

Ethan’s face darkened, but after a long pause, he pulled himself together and finally said what he came to say. “Natalie’s pregnant. She’s been feeling sick, and she keeps saying she really wants your BBQ ribs. She says nobody gets the sweet and sour just right like you do.”

“Jordan called me and asked if I could get you to come back and cook for her. Natalie wants them tonight.”

Isabella just shrugged. “All that talking just for one tiny favor. You could have saved both of us the trouble and just said it. What a waste of words… and my time.”

Ethan thought her calm meant she’d agreed. “Can you go now? I’ll go with you.”

“Even if I don’t do anything, all she has to do is eat my ribs, fake a stomachache, and then if something goes wrong with the baby, everyone will blame me. They’ll say I did it on purpose.”

She still remembered everything from her last life. After Natalie got pregnant, Isabella went back to visit. Natalie called her upstairs, picked a fight, and Isabella fell for it. They argued. Then Natalie threw herself down the stairs, just as Jordan and Ethan walked in.

Of course, everyone thought Isabella pushed her. There was no way to explain, no way to clear her name. Natalie was rushed to the hospital, but she lost the baby. She bled badly, suffered through the whole thing.

Funny thing was, in her last life, Natalie hadn’t even gotten pregnant until two years later. Now, after coming back, Natalie was already pregnant.

Things were different. She had to protect herself. She’d avoid the Lane family house as much as possible. If her mom wanted to see her, she could come by the studio. They could grab tea or a meal anywhere. There was no law saying she had to go back to that place.

“Ethan, you can’t ever be too careful with people, but you should never hurt them either.”

“And honestly, if a pregnant woman craves your food, it’s okay to say no. Don’t feel guilty about it.”