His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex Wife novel Chapter 385

His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex–Wife

Chapter 385 A Brother’s Regret

62

Finished

Zoe continued to stare blankly out the window, her jaw set. “I don’t want to hear it. Are you finished? Let’s just go.”

Sally’s face was streaked with tears. She reached for Zoe’s hand, her voice trembling. “Zoe, he’s still your brother. Yes, he’s done terrible things, but the law has dealt with him. We only have five minutes left. Please–just go hear what he has to say. I’m begging you.”

Zoe’s heart felt like stone. “Mom, you begged me to hire a lawyer for him, and I did. An eight- year sentence–that’s what his attorney managed to get, and that was only because Iris showed mercy. I’ve done everything you asked, more than I should have.”

Sobbing, Sally started to sink to her knees. “I’m on my knees, begging you.”

Zoe quickly caught her arm, holding her up. “Mom, I’m your daughter. Are you really trying to shorten my life with this?”

“Your brother just wants to tell you one thing. Four minutes left, then visiting hours are over…”

With an angry tug, Zoe freed her hand, walked past her mother, and sank into the chair. She picked up the receiver and held it to her ear, her gaze icy as it met Arthur’s through the thick glass.

“I’m sorry, Zoe.” Arthur spoke first, his voice thick with guilt.

Zoe’s tone was sharp. “You don’t owe me an apology. You owe Mom. You owe yourself. And most of all, you owe Iris and Julian.”

Arthur nodded slowly. “You’re right. I owe them.”

A cold, humorless laugh escaped Zoe. She fell silent, shaking her head slightly.

Arthur’s eyes were red, glistening with unshed tears. “Mom told me… Iris lent you the money. You paid Dad the two hundred thousand so Mom could finally get the divorce. The attorney fees came from Iris. Even the down payment for the condo–that was Iris too.”

Zoe’s eyes burned. The more he spoke, the heavier the weight in her chest grew. She snapped into the phone, “So tell me, does any of that make you feel human for what you did to her? Hell, even I don’t feel like much of a person anymore.”

“I regret it, Zoe. I know I was wrong.” Arthur removed his glasses, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I was so desperate to make it big, to be successful overnight. I thought clinging to Lily would give me a leg up, that I could lift our family out of everything. That’s why I turned my back on everyone, why I helped Lily and hurt Iris the way I did.”

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15:27 Thu, Jun 25

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Chapter 385 A Brother’s Regret

Finished

By the end, his head dropped, his voice choking. “Iris helped me with my graduate thesis. That’s the only reason I got into that overseas program. She set me up for everything good in my career. I was just… greedy. I deserve this. I live with the regret every single day.”

Tears traced down Zoe’s pale cheeks. She glared at him, her voice trembling with pain and anger. “You know what I hate the most? That you used my friendship with Iris against her. Those three years she was gone, Julian and I both blamed her for leaving without a word. I blamed her for shutting me out. And even when she finally reached out again, she never said one bad thing about you. She was so afraid I’d feel guilty that she never told me I was part of the reason she almost lost her baby.”

Zoe swiped at her tears roughly, her voice hoarse and broken. “If Julian hadn’t dug into everything later and come to ask me what really happened, I’d still be in the dark. I never imagined you could sink so low. You took my phone and texted her pretending to be me to lure her out. You helped Lily try to kill her baby when she was over seven months pregnant. Do you have any idea how much I hate you for that? If it weren’t for Mom, I’d let you rot in here. I wouldn’t lift a finger for you again.

“When you get out, stay away from me. I don’t have a brother anymore. We’re done.”

Arthur nodded, accepting every word. He couldn’t face her anyway.

“Zoe…” he said, remorse thick in his voice. “After I married Lily, I made some money through side deals. I stashed it away quietly. Take it–you and Mom keep half. Give the other half to Iris for me.”

Zoe let out a bitter scoff. “That’s marital assets. It belongs to both you and Lily.”

“Her sentence is longer than mine. And we’re already divorced. Everything was split in the settlement.”

Zoe went still.

“The money’s in that lost Wells Fargo account under Mom’s name.” Arthur glanced at the dwindling time and spoke faster. “Use Mom’s ID to get a new card at the bank. The PIN is your birthday. There’s over five million in there… Keep half for yourselves. Please, give the rest to Iris.”

The call cut off abruptly as the time expired.

A guard stepped in and said something Zoe couldn’t hear. Inside, she watched Arthur place his hands behind his head, rise from the seat, and crouch in the corner, waiting for the other inmates to file in.

Zoe stood up slowly.

Through the glass, Arthur mouthed silently. “Give Iris the money. I’m sorry, Zoe. Sorry… Zoe.”

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15:27 Thu, Jun 25

Chapter 385 A Brother’s Regret

62

ཟེེ

Finished

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