After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 652

"Harold, Isabella is still my wife. I want you to keep your distance."

Harold let out a sigh. "I’m not trying to get close to her on purpose. We just happen to run into each other. We all live in the same neighborhood, you know."

Ethan looked at him, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "You’ve had your sights set on Isabella all along, haven’t you? Everywhere I buy a house, you end up with one nearby. Don’t tell me that’s just a coincidence. You bought those houses just to be close to her."

It was only now that Ethan realized every time he moved, Harold was never far behind. Their homes were always just a street or two apart.

"Ethan, you’re seriously getting it wrong. I picked those places because you always go for the best locations. It’s just a smart move to follow you when you invest. Jesse did the same. Honestly, when I bought those properties, I hadn’t even met Isabella. I only saw her after you started dating her." Harold paused, finally admitting, "Yeah, I like Isabella. But it wasn’t some long-term plan. I didn’t even notice it happening. The more I saw her, the more I got to know her, the more I started to care."

Jesse had warned him over and over not to get too close to Isabella, that it would look bad, since she was Ethan’s wife, at least on paper. After hearing it so many times, Harold finally had to face how he really felt. He realized he was falling for her.

Ethan rubbed his face, regret in his voice. "So I was the one who introduced you two. If I’d known you’d end up trying to steal my wife, I never would have let you meet her."

"You don’t love Isabella," Harold shot back. "You told us the truth when you married her. We tried to talk you out of it, but you wouldn’t listen. I always thought you were making her miserable."

Ethan’s voice softened, just a little. "Maybe that’s why. I always felt bad for her. And then... I guess that’s how I fell for her."

Ethan’s face clouded over. "Isabella will be happy with me. I’m trying to change. If she gives me another chance, if she marries me again, I’ll treat her right. We’ll have a good life together. I know we will."

He clenched his fists. "I’m not letting go. When Jordan confessed to Natalie, I just stood there and kept my mouth shut. I lost my chance with her. I’m not making that mistake again with Isabella."

"You think you’re any better, Harold? You think your family will ever accept her? At least my family does now. They won’t interfere anymore."

His mom had finally come around. She said Isabella might not have Natalie's background, but her character was a hundred times better. Now, she just wanted Ethan and Isabella to spend their lives together.