Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

For her own good?

It was the most shameless thing Aubrey had ever heard.

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She yanked Ethan’s hand away, a cold, mocking sneer twisting her lips. “Your ‘selfless intentions‘ were only for Damon to see? Your idea of ‘doing me good‘ was just to make Damon misunderstand me?”

“You and Damon are impossible. What are you still deluding yourself about?” Ethan’s mortification morphed into anger, his tone abruptly shifting to a fervent, almost lecturing plea.“You’re living with him now; you’re only going to fall deeper. In the end, your old feelings will rekindle, and you won’t be able to extinguish them.”

“How am I deluding myself?” Aubrey gritted her teeth, enunciating each word.“I’m fighting so hard to clear my dad’s name precisely so that one day, I can exonerate him of all charges, and I can be with Damon with a clear conscience and no stain on my name.”

Ethan frowned, scoffing dismissively. “Damon hates you so much. You’re dreaming.”

Aubrey’s eyes burned, her fists clenched as she glared fiercely at him.“Yes, he hates me, but he also cares. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been jealous over your social media post. As long as I keep him by my side, when my dad is cleared and walks free from prison, he’ll definitely understand my previous deception and helplessness. He’ll forgive me.”

Ethan Sterling scoffed, his gaze piercing her with pure disdain.“The evidence is undeniable. Who in this world ever manages to overturn something like

that?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Aubrey, you’re falling too hard.”

“Yes, I’m completely gone,” Aubrey admitted, no longer denying it. She warned sharply, “So, don’t you dare try to use dirty tricks to break us up now.”

Ethan gave a bitter laugh.“Does Damon know you still love him?”

Aubrey:“He doesn’t need to know.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in them, and whispered, “Aubrey, I’ve seen how much you suffered after your breakup. I can already predict your

future.”

“You can’t save your dad. And you and Damon will never be together. His family will demand he settles down and gets married before he’s thirty.”

“And you, you’ll drown in this swamp of love, unable to escape, and you’ll die.”

Ethan’s words hung over her like a dark spell, clinging to her thoughts.

A sharp ache pulsed through her chest, a throbbing pain that made tears well in her eyes, blurring her vision. Her voice, though thick with unshed tears, was fiercely resolute:“Then I die. At least I fought for it.”

Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, a knowing smirk playing on his lips, his tone casual, almost dismissive.“I’ll be watching.”

“Unfriend me. And stay out of my sight.”

Aubrey bit out the last words, her tone icy, then strode out of his room.

Leaving the Sterling estate, her heart twisted in agony.

Two decades of best friendship, ending like this… the raw ache of their severance was excruciating.

She knew Ethan played dirty, but she wouldn’t tolerate his dirty tactics being used against her.

This best friend was poison.

Outside, the night was thick and hazy, and a bitter cold had settled over everything.

Aubrey waited for Damon on the living room sofa. Deep into the night, he still hadn’t come home.

She was utterly exhausted, fighting to keep her eyelids from drooping, refusing to fall asleep.

The minutes dragged on.

Finally, too tired to endure the wait any longer, she pulled out her phone and sent Damon a message.

23:42

< Chapter 45

“Are you off work yet?”

“Where are you?”

“What time are you coming home?”

She sent three messages in a row, but he didn’t reply to a single one.

Growing increasingly anxious, she called Ryan.

The phone rang for a long time before Ryan finally answered. “Aubrey, it’s late. Is everything okay?”

Aubrey asked softly, “Is Damon with you?”

No, he’s in the test chamber. Do you need him for something?”

Aubrey blinked, taken aback.“You guys are working overtime?”

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Yeah, the launch mission is in March. We’re going to be really busy these next few months, so working overtime is the norm.”

So, was Damon hiring Brenda to take care of her because he didn’t want to see her? Or was it truly just because he was too busy?

Confusion swirling in her mind, Aubrey asked, “So, are you guys getting off work tonight?”

It’s hard to say. If they run into problems, it could last all night.”

‘Okay, I won’t keep you from your work then.”

Ryan caught the note of dejection in her tone.“Should I tell Damon to call you back?”

No, thank you.”

‘Oh, by the way, Aubrey, there’s something I need to tell you.”

‘What is it?”

Damon is a senior engineer transferred from the New Haven Bureau of Aeronautics. He joined us last March, primarily to assist us in completing this :rucial mission. I’m not at liberty to disclose the specifics to you, but the mission is set to conclude this March. After a successful launch, and once Damon wraps up his work here, he’ll likely return to the New Haven Bureau of Aeronautics by April.”

Aubrey felt her head buzz, her mind going utterly blank.

She said nothing, her heart hollowed out, her body plummeting into a gaping abyss, falling endlessly into impenetrable darkness.

The rent for the apartment, we’ll still keep it at half price for you. For the other room, we might find another female roommate. You don’t mind, do

You?”

I don’t mind.”

‘Alright, I just wanted to give you a heads–up.”

Aubrey didn’t respond. Her fingers grew increasingly weak, and the phone slowly slipped, landing on her lap.

Her hands fell limply too, her body sinking back against the sofa as she stared blankly at the dark night sky outside the window.

Less than four months, and he would be leaving Crestview City. Two thousand miles would be enough to ensure their paths never crossed again.

Was there still a point in showing Damon this video, the one that proved her and Ethan’s innocence?

And could her father’s case really be overturned in such a short four months?

It seemed unlikely.

No matter the outcome, she wouldn’t regret having tried.

Aubrey pulled herself back from her thoughts, picked up her phone, and sent the original video to Damon on a secure Whatsapp.

After sending the video, she didn’t wait any longer. She turned off the light and went to bed.

Caleb’s case officially entered the litigation process.

In the early evening, Madison stopped Aubrey in the neighborhood.

< Chapter 45

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Madison, beaming, held several large gift boxes.“Aubrey! It was all that wretched son of mine’s fault. He was just confused for a moment. Can you please write a letter of support for a reduced sentence for him, just forgive him this one time? I promise you, Aubrey, it won’t happen again.”

With that, Madison thrust the gifts into her hands.

Aubrey pulled back her hand and took a step back.“I won’t forgive him.”

“If only you’d forgive my son, I’ll get down on my knees for you! Your family won’t have to pay for my husband’s hospital bills anymore, and, and…”

Aubrey cut her off, her voice firm. “No matter what you say, I’m not giving you a letter supporting a reduced sentence.”

Seeing that ‘soft‘ tactics weren’t working, Madison’s temper flared. “You young woman, why are you so impossibly stubborn?”

Aubrey had no patience for her nonsense and tried to bypass her.

Madison panicked, rushing forward to block Aubrey’s path, her arms spread wide. She demanded, “Aubrey, what do I have to do for you to forgive my

son?”

Aubrey was always unyielding. The scars on her body were a constant, brutal reminder: if Damon hadn’t arrived in time to save her, Gavin would have already violated her, or she might have died fighting him off.

“Never.”

Madison tossed the gifts she was holding, her hands flying to her hips as she erupted.“You little slut! Who are you trying to fool with this pure act? My son was just playing around with you, but no, you had to send him straight to jail! Were you trying to extort money and failed, so you deliberately set him up?”

Aubrey’s chest constricted, and her hands balled into fists.

Madison shrieked at the top of her lungs.“Come on, neighbors, everyone! Look at this woman! She acts all innocent on the surface, but she’s rotten to the core! My son merely refused her outrageous demands, so she turned around and accused him of hitting her, of raping her!”

More and more neighbors from the complex gathered around, and Madison, fueled by the growing audience, cursed with renewed vigor, weaving elaborate lies.

“Everyone, judge for yourselves! She was the one who lured my son in, claiming she wanted to date him, just to trick him out of ninety thousand dollars to fund her brother’s wedding! When he didn’t agree, she tried to ruin his life! How could anyone be so vindictive? She just wants to extort money from our family! Are you people that desperate for money, stooping to such filthy tricks?”

The neighbors who had gathered around started pointing fingers at Aubrey, their scornful gazes like sharp blades that cut without drawing blood.

The torrent of venomous words threatened to drown her.

Madison was relentless, her insults growing even fouler.“You little slut,” she shrieked, “you’re so malicious, karma will come for you!”

Against such an irrational, vulgar shrew, Aubrey felt utterly defenseless.

She turned and walked away.

Madison caught up, yanking on Aubrey’s arm.’

n.“Don’t you dare leave! If you don’t write that letter of support for a reduced sentence for my son, I’ll pester you every single day. I’ll make sure every one of your relatives, friends, colleagues, and neighbors knows exactly what a shameless piece of work

you are.”

“Let go!” Aubrey snapped, utterly frustrated, shoving Madison’s hand.

Madison’s grip only tightened.

Just then, a whirlwind of motion swept in, shoving Madison aside.

Before Aubrey could even react, a familiar female back appeared, blocking her.

It was her mother, Layla..

In that instant, an unbidden wave of emotion swelled in her chest, and her eyes blurred with tears–tears of hurt, of feeling profoundly wronged.

In her memory, her mother had never protected her. Instead, she only ever shielded her brother, always right in front of her.

Layla shielded her, her voice booming, “Your son, that shameless piece of trash, I thought he was locked up for some serious crime, but it turns out he was just bullying my daughter!”

Madison faltered, her eyes widening as she recognized Layla.

Chapter 45

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Layla jabbed a furious finger at Madison’s nose, unleashing a torrent of abuse. “Your son tried to rape someone and then beat her! You don’t teach your son how to be a decent human being, but you come here to curse my daughter? I think the one who deserves divine retribution is you, you old hag, so blindly protective of your wretched son!”

Madison’s face went crimson with fury, veins popping in her neck. She jabbed a finger back at Layla.“Who are you calling an old hag?”

Layla’s aggressive stance didn’t waver.“You! I’m calling you one! You old hag, who gave birth to a little beast that doesn’t act human and deserves to rot in jail!”

“You old bitch! You gave birth to a little bitch who was born a slut, meant to be used by men, and now you pretend to be a virtuous woman?”

Layla’s fury ignited, and she shoved Madison in the chest. “You’re the bitch! Your whole damn family are bitches! Your whole family gets played by

men…”

Aubrey froze, utterly stunned.

Never in her life had she seen her mother argue with anyone like this, fingers practically jabbing the other woman’s face, even physically pushing someone first. Her mother was a terrifying, unstoppable force.

Madison stumbled back two steps, her own rage instantly escalating, and she lunged right back.

In an instant, they were locked in a brawl, pulling each other’s hair, clawing at each other’s faces, spewing profanities back and forth.

The neighbors were absolutely thrilled, never ones to miss a spectacle, and a growing crowd pressed in.

Aubrey was bewildered and panicked, rushing over to break up the fight.

“Mom, stop fighting!…Let go!” Aubrey pleaded, shielding her mother, desperate to separate them.

But she couldn’t pull them apart.

She had no choice but to discreetly put her weight into it, adding her strength to her mother’s side.

Madison stumbled back, howling in pain.“You bitch! You’re a lawyer, you can’t just go around hitting people!”

Just then, another group of women surged from the crowd.

Suddenly, the wronged wife barked, “That’s Madison! Get that home–wrecker!”

Chaos erupted, and Aubrey instinctively pulled her mother, who looked utterly bewildered and disheveled, back from the fray.

They exchanged a bewildered look, utterly lost.

All they could do was watch as the women swarmed Madison, punching and kicking her, slapping her face, yanking her hair, and tearing at her clothes.

Madison shrieked in pain,“Who are you people?!”

The first wife stood with her hands on her hips, absolutely seething.“You decrepit old whore! Your husband’s a pimp, and you sell yourself! I’ve put up with you for years. Sleeping with my husband was one thing, but now you’re after my family’s money? Today, I’m going to show everyone just how utterly vile and shameless you are, you stinking bitch!”

The scene quickly spiraled out of control, with onlookers recording everything.

Layla gloated, grabbing the things she’d brought and following Aubrey out, muttering, “Haha, karma really is a bitch, isn’t it?”

Aubrey asked curiously, “Who was that woman?”

“Madison’s old flames‘ wives, probably,” Layla replied. “Didn’t you hear what that woman was screaming just now? She said Madison’s husband was a pimp, and she was selling herself…”

Aubrey jolted, a wave of emotion crashing over her. She didn’t hear a single word her mother said after that.

Her mind went to another angle to overturn the case.

The three men who gave false testimonies alongside Madison must have definitely had an affair back then.

Few wives were ever truly oblivious when their husbands had long–term affairs; most women simply chose to endure it.

That included the woman from earlier, who had suffered in silence for years.

She now had a crucial piece of new evidence for overturning the case: the original wives of the witnesses.

Aubrey felt a surprising lightness in her step as she guided her injured mother through the doorway. Inside, she immediately retrieved a fresh pair of

< Chapter 45

slippers for her.

Layla looked around as she slipped off her shoes. “Nice place. Sierra rented it to you?”

Aubrey replied coolly, “Yeah. Come on in, have a seat.”

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Just then, Brenda emerged from the kitchen, a polite smile on her face.“Miss Hayes, dinner’s almost ready. Is this…”

“My mom,” Aubrey interjected, introducing them.“This is Brenda.”

Brenda nodded respectfully. “Hello, ma’am.”

Layla gave a curt nod, then followed Aubrey into the living room, her voice dropping to a whisper.“You hire a housekeeper to cook? On that salary?” Aubrey set her bag on the sofa and turned to face her mother. Her initial impatience faded, replaced by a pang in her chest as she saw the messy, disheveled hair, still pulled from the altercation, and the angry red scratches bleeding faintly on her mother’s face. Her heart softened.

Despite hating her mother’s constant meddling, Aubrey answered softly,“Damon hired her.”

“Oh…” Layla sighed in relief, setting the bag on the coffee table.“These are dried sweet potatoes your uncle’s family sun–dried. He gave me over ten pounds of them, and I brought you three. When you have time, steam them and eat them as a snack. Eat fewer unhealthy potato chips and more healthy snacks like these.”

Aubrey looked at the bag, full of dried sweet potatoes. A wave of warmth spread through her.

For some reason, she was always touched by her mother’s small gestures, yet she couldn’t help but question her motives deep down

Her mother had fought for her, and that fiercely protective stance didn’t seem put on.

Perhaps abuse bred loyalty; she’d been so starved for affection as a child that now she desperately craved even a little bit of her mother’s care.

Even if it was fake, she wanted it.

“Your face is hurt. I’ll go get you some medicine,” Aubrey exhaled softly, and turned to walk into her room.

Layla smiled and nodded, scanning the room before slowly settling onto the sofa.

Aubrey emerged with the ointment. Layla’s voice, sharp with sudden concern, cut through the quiet.“Aubrey, where did Caleb hit you? Are you hurt? Is it serious?”

Aubrey gripped the ointment, her feet rooted to the spot. Her throat tightened, and a hot sting pricked behind her eyes as a dull, aching throb spread through her chest.

Just then, the front door swung open, and Aubrey’s gaze snapped towards the sound.

Damon stepped inside, dropping his car keys onto the console.

He looked up, his gaze meeting Aubrey’s soft, glistening eyes.

Damon froze.

Layla smoothed down her messy hair, standing up excitedly, a beaming smile gracing her lips. “Damon, you’re off work?” Damon startled at the sight of Layla, quickly changing his shoes and stepping inside. He greeted her politely, “Hello, Mrs. Hayes.” Layla flashed Damon a sweet smile.“I haven’t had dinner yet. Why don’t I stay and join you two for dinner?”

Aubrey gaped.

Aubrey wondered if Damon had even seen the video she’d sent him. Their misunderstanding still hadn’t been cleared up.

Maybe Damon still didn’t want to talk to her.

How could her mom be so shameless?

Damon didn’t respond, instead looking up at Aubrey, his eyes subtly asking for her input.