After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 675

Even though Ethan was trying to move on from Natalie, it wasn’t easy to let go of feelings he’d held onto for more than ten years. These things don’t just disappear overnight. He needed space, and a little time to sort himself out. For now, he was doing his best not to think about Natalie, and he tried to avoid running into her whenever he could.

“Ethan, if you don’t take these, it means you’re still mad at me. I’m not leaving until you do,” Natalie insisted, pushing the shopping bag toward him.

She sighed. “You’re upset with me, aren’t you? You think I’m the one who taught Sophia to dislike Isabella, but it wasn’t me. Sophia just never liked Isabella in the first place.”

Natalie kept going, her voice soft but determined. “Honestly, Ethan, I don’t want you tangled up with Isabella anymore. She’s not yours, not really. Her heart isn’t with you. You need to let her go. Look at yourself. You’re always carrying the weight of the world because of her. You’ve gotten so thin. Has she even noticed? The only people who really worry about you are the ones who actually care.”

She gave a weak smile. “You’re amazing, Ethan. If you wanted to, you could get married again, and again, and still find someone a hundred times better than Isabella. You deserve someone who cares.”

Ethan kept his eyes down, his tone distant. “Natalie, whatever’s going on between me and Isabella, I’ll deal with it myself. You don’t need to worry. I don’t need a new watch or tie. Give them to Jordan instead. And from now on, please don’t buy me anything. I only want gifts from Isabella or family. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.”

He took a breath, his voice even but firm. “Even after the divorce, I said I’d win her back. One day, she’ll come back to me, and it’ll be her choice. This time, I’ll treat her right. We’ll have a real life together.”

Ethan finally looked up, meeting Natalie’s gaze. For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Then he spoke, quietly. “Natalie, I used to love you. I never said anything because Jordan confessed first. I didn’t want to compete with him.”

Still, he wasn’t giving up. No matter how hard it got, he was determined to spend the rest of his life making it up to Isabella, loving her the way she deserved.

And if, in the end, Isabella chose someone else, if she found happiness with Harold, Ethan would accept it. He knew Harold was a good man. As much as it hurt, Ethan had to admit Isabella would be happy with him.

But deep down, Ethan hoped she’d come back. Maybe, just maybe, she’d fall for him again. He’d love her, for real this time. He’d learned from his mistakes. He wasn’t going to make the same one twice.

If he wanted to let go of Natalie, he had to keep his distance. No more giving in, no more helping her just because it was easy. It was time to finally put the past behind him.