Dear Wife, I Hate You (by Josephine Mbanefo) novel Chapter 58

Killian’s Pov

I buttoned up my shirt, the last piece of my morning routine, and for whatever damn reason, my thoughts drifted–again- to Lilith.

She didn’t come home last night. Maybe she slept at her place. Maybe not. I don’t know. And truthfully? I shouldn’t care.

This is someone who barely flinched at her mother’s death. So why should I bother worrying about where she lays her head?

I brushed it off, grabbed a bite downstairs, then headed straight to the office.

As usual, my day was packed–meetings, documents, calls. We’re expanding, so I had to sit through interviews. Tedious, but necessary.

It was halfway through the day when I paused.

Something in me–call it curiosity, call it madness–made me reach for my phone.

But I didn’t call her. Of course not. That would send the wrong message. That I care.

And I don’t.

I called her father instead.

He answered. Dry pleasantries. I said sorry–again–for the loss. Then I got to the point.

“Is Lilith with you?”

Silence. Then he said, “I’ve disowned her. I don’t think I’d appreciate you calling me about her.”

Huh. That’s new.

I ended the call. My chest felt tight. I told myself it was just frustration.

If she didn’t sleep at home, and she’s not with her father… where did she sleep?

Again–not my business.

Still, just to tick a box in my mind, I called her. First ring–no answer. Second–no answer.

I typed: Where are you?

She read it.

Started typing.

Stopped.

Left me on read.

I stared at the screen.

Did this little girl just ignore me?

Me

I dropped the phone and tried to continue working, but I found myself glancing at it every few minutes.

Still no reply.

What the hell is wrong with her? Who does she think she is?

She’s just 20. Does she really think she can play this kind of game with me?

Is she out there sleeping with someone else? Is that the kind of woman she is?

Why am I even angry? Why is this burning under my skin?

I clenched my fists, forced myself to finish up, packed everything and told my driver to take me home.

We were almost there. I was on my phone again, checking for nothing.

Then something–something told me to look up.

And I did.

Through the window, I saw her.

Back turned to me, sitting outside a café. That was her. I didn’t even need to see her face. I knew her. Every angle. Every curve. I knew her.

“Stop the car,” I told the driver.

Then: “Reverse.”

He did. Slowly.

And there she was.

Lilith.

With a man.

I stepped out of the car. My jaw clenched. My blood? Boiling.

She was laughing.

Talking with another man.

A plain–looking guy. Ordinary.

I should’ve known.

She played the role so well–acting distant, acting like she didn’t care. While I respected her enough to sneak around carefully…

And she? She’s right here, bold–faced, sitting in public with some guy.

I walked into the café. Not even fast. Calm. Straight. Rage measured.

And when I reached them, I didn’t smile. I didn’t greet. I just said it, cool and low:

“Well, I see you’ve been busy. Care to introduce me to your new man? Or should I say… your boyfriend? Or maybe the person you’re cheating on me with?”

Lilith looked up at me and said, “Killian, you don’t have to do this here.”

Oh. I don’t have to do this here?

I scoffed. “Are you trying to walk me away from your boyfriend?”

Then I turned to the guy sitting beside her. Calmly. Coldly.

“Who the hell are you, and what are you doing with my wife?”

The guy stood up, flustered. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry for the confusion,” he said. He actually stretched out his hand to shake me.

The audacity.

I looked at his hand like it was dirt.

“What the hell are you doing with my wife?” I asked again, slowly.

He pulled his hand back, clearly getting the message. “I see you’re not here for pleasantries,” he said. “Well, I’m sorry if this came off wrong, but I’m just here with my sister.”

Sister? What sort of rubbish excuse is that?

I looked at him again. Then looked at Lilith.

He kept talking. “Yeah, Lilith just found out she has a stepbrother. I texted her. Told her we should meet up, get acquainted…”

Lilith cut in. “Zack, you don’t have to explain to him. You don’t owe him anything.”

Oh. He doesn’t owe me anything.

I turned back to her. “That’s what you’re saying to me? Your husband? You don’t come home, you sleep out, God knows where, and you have the guts to stand here and say that to me?”

She stood up. Sharp. Fierce. “Why do you care?” she fired. “You think only you can talk down on me, insult me, hurt me? You don’t control my life, Killian!”

I stepped forward. My voice was low, but my eyes–burning.

“I own you,” I said. “You are my wife. You will listen to anything I tell you.”

Lilith didn’t even flinch. She stepped forward too. “You don’t own me,” she said. “I own myself. And if you’ve forgotten what I told you the other day, I’ll remind you. Clearly. Right now.”

She took a breath.

“You didn’t wait for any explanation. You jumped to conclusions. You called him my boyfriend without asking me. You don’t own me. Just go home, Killian. I know you’re tired. Work must be exhausting.”

I clenched my jaw. “This nonsense you two are doing–this stepbrother story–I don’t care. It ends now. You’re coming home with me.”

She shook her head. “Nope. I won’t. I’ll come back when I feel like it.”

She looked me dead in the eye. “And oh, now you call it home? It was never home for either of us. So why is it home now?”

I couldn’t even speak. I looked down at her. Small but full of fire.

“I can see you’re growing nerves, Lilith,” I muttered. “I don’t have time for this.”

She smirked. “If you don’t have time, then leave. No one’s stopping you.”

I turned to the so–called Zack. “You need to teach your sister–if she really is your sister–how to behave in a marriage.”

Lilith snapped, “Coming from you? You don’t get to do that, husband. You don’t get to.”

I turned to her again. “You don’t tell me what to say. What to do. Or how to act.”

She crossed her arms. “Then don’t tell me how to act either. We’re even.”

I stared at her for a second. My jaw tight. My hand twitching. I didn’t come here to fight, but somehow, everything burns when we talk.

“Fine,” I said. “I’m not going to waste my time. Not with you. I have better things to do.”

“You should go, I’m not the one standing here,” she said. Calm. Unbothered.

Her calmness, her coolness…was killing me and making me so furious on the inside.

I stepped close. Real close. Leaned down so only she could hear me.

“One thing, Lilith,” I said, voice sharp like a blade. “Don’t you ever try to disgrace me in public Or you will regret it.