After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 502

Laura was up at the crack of dawn, moving quietly around the kitchen as the sun barely peeked over the rooftops. She’d spent the whole morning putting together a healthy breakfast for Isabella, making sure each bite was nutritious and comforting. After packing everything carefully into a thermal container, she sat down for a quick meal herself, then grabbed her laptop and the breakfast to-go. Her plan was simple: write a few thousand words at the hospital while keeping Isabella company, then swing by the shop in the afternoon to get ready for their grand opening.

The store was supposed to open in the next couple of days. Originally, Isabella had said Laura could handle things on her own, but Laura didn’t like that idea at all. They were partners. Opening day was a big deal, and she wanted both of them there together. So she pushed the date back a bit, deciding the third day after Isabella got out of the hospital would be their day.

She didn’t pick the very next day after Isabella’s discharge because she knew Isabella would be busy with her divorce from Ethan. Laura wanted to give her friend a little space to handle her own life. Isabella had waited so long for this moment. She deserved at least a day to focus on herself.

Laura opened her front door and nearly jumped. Jesse was standing right there outside, looking a little out of place but completely at ease in a crisp white suit. He looked so put together, gentle and handsome, like he belonged in a magazine ad. In his hands, he held a bright bouquet of red roses.

Laura had no idea how long he’d been waiting. When she pulled open the door, Jesse looked surprised at first, almost nervous, but then he gave her the kind of smile that felt like a warm breeze in early spring. His eyes were so kind it almost made her forget to breathe.

“Good morning, Laura.”

He had actually been standing there for a while, maybe ten minutes or so. He hadn’t wanted to knock in case she was still sleeping. He knew she’d been updating her novel late at night, sometimes after eleven, which probably meant she was exhausted during the day. He wanted her to rest if she could.

So he just waited quietly, not knocking, not calling, hoping she’d come out soon.

“Jesse, good morning. Have you really been waiting out here long?”

Laura hesitated, not reaching for the flowers right away. She looked Jesse in the eyes and said softly, “You really don’t have to do this. We’re not going to work out. I’ve told you before, there’s just too much of a gap between us. Marriages between people from such different backgrounds almost never end well. There’s too much pressure.”

She thought of Isabella, how she’d wanted out of her marriage almost as soon as it began. Even though Ethan was the one at fault, his family still acted like Isabella was the problem, like she was never good enough for them. They were all for the divorce.

“And I can’t really do anything for you. If you were with me, people would just laugh at you in your world. I don’t fit in with high society, and honestly, I don’t want to. Even if I tried, I’d always feel out of place.”

Jesse didn’t back down. “Don’t put yourself down like that. We come from the same world, Laura. There’s no such thing as someone being good enough or not good enough.”