After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 810

“You just don’t get it. If you really respected her, would you have kissed her without asking? Relationships are supposed to be mutual, both people wanting it. That’s how it should happen, naturally, when the feelings are right.”

Ethan’s face darkened.

He wanted things with Isabella to be mutual, too. But by the time he truly wanted to be her husband, she was already slipping away. She had started pushing him away, shutting him out, only focused on one thing: divorce.

He couldn’t actually force himself on her. If he ever did that, she’d never forgive him, not in this lifetime.

Sometimes, when jealousy and anger ate at him, he had thought about just taking her, keeping her by his side, even if it meant they’d both be miserable forever. At least she wouldn’t leave him.

But in the end, he always let those thoughts go. He couldn’t cross that line.

“Grandma, please, help me. How do I make Isabella fall in love with me again? How do I get her back? Every day I see her with Harold, being so warm and kind to him, and then there’s me. She’s ice cold to me. I can’t take it. It’s driving me crazy, I swear, I’m losing my mind!”

The more Ethan spoke, the more desperate he sounded. By the end, he was almost yelling, his frustration spilling over.

His anxiety was written all over his face.

Stephanie said, “I’m going to ask Jeremy to bring my things over. I’ll move in and keep an eye on you. From now on, do exactly as I say. Stop panicking. Getting all worked up will only make things worse. When you’re desperate, you try to force things, and that only makes Isabella hate you more. It’ll just push her closer to Harold.”

“You can still go after Isabella, but you have to respect her. If she turns you down, if she’s cold or ignores you, don’t get angry. If she tells you to leave, just leave. Don’t cling to her. That kind of persistence doesn’t work for you anymore.”

“Maybe Harold’s dad won’t be happy, but he doesn’t spend much time with Isabella anyway, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Harold seems gentle, but he can be stubborn when it matters. Once he decides on something, no one can really change his mind, especially about his own future.”

“All the other heirs in your circle have said the same thing. They want to choose their own partners. They’re not letting their families dictate their marriages anymore.”

“They can’t stand the idea of marrying without love, just for some family deal. Their families are strong enough now. They don’t need arranged marriages.”

“If you really love Isabella, you should want her to be happy, even if that happiness isn’t with you. That’s what real love is.”