My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 317

Riyana honestly didn’t remember how she got home.

The door was closed, her shoes were still on her feet, and her bag slipped from her shoulder and dropped to the floor with a dull sound. She didn’t even look at it. She walked straight to the bed like a machine running on habit, then sat down at the edge.

Her mind was empty.

No thoughts. No plans. Just a heavy weight pressing on her chest.

A few million.

The number echoed again and again.

She didn’t have that kind of money. Not in savings. Not hidden anywhere. She had no friends who could lend that much, no secret account, no miracle waiting for her. For the first time since that restaurant, real panic started crawling into her bones.

Jabco’s face flashed in her mind.

She stiffened and immediately shook her head. No.

She couldn’t go to him. She couldn’t ask him. If she did, he would never let her forget it.

He would use it against her, against her pride, against everything she was trying to protect. She had already given up too much by marrying him. She wouldn’t beg him for money. Never.

Her hands trembled as she reached for her bag. She opened it slowly, pulled out her phone, and stared at the screen for a long moment.

Then she dialed her mother’s number.

It rang only twice.

“Riyana…”

The moment she heard her mother’s voice, something inside her completely broke.

Tears rushed out before she could stop them. Her chest tightened, her breath shook, and she covered her mouth with her hand, but the sob still escaped.

“Sweetheart? What’s wrong?” Her mother’s voice instantly turned sharp with panic. “Why are you crying?”

“Mum…” Riyana whispered, her voice cracking. “I miss you.”

“Oh my god,” her mother said softly. “I miss you too. I keep telling you to come live with me, but you never listen. Now you’re crying like this.”

Her mother paused, then spoke again, slower this time. “But you don’t cry just because you miss me. Tell me. What happened? Why today?”

Riyana squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to tell her. She didn’t want her mother to worry. She didn’t want to drag her back into this nightmare.

“Nothing, mum,” she said quickly, her voice still shaking. “I just… I really miss you.”

Just then, the bedroom door opened.

Riyana didn’t notice at first.

Jabco stepped inside and froze the moment he saw her. She was sitting on the bed, shoulders shaking, head lowered, hair falling over her face. The phone was pressed to her ear. She was wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

His chest tightened.

“Sweetheart?” her mother’s voice came again through the phone.

Jabco moved fast.

He dropped to his knees in front of her and gently but firmly held her face, lifting it up.

Riyana gasped in shock. Her phone almost slipped from her hand. For a split second, fear flashed through her until she realized it was him.

“What’s going on?” Jabco asked, his voice low and tense. “Why are you crying?”

Her eyes were red, swollen, wet. The sight made something dark pass through his gaze.

“Mum, I’ll call you later,” Riyana said hurriedly and ended the call before her mother could say another word.

She knew her mother must have heard Jabco’s voice in the background. She didn’t want questions. Not now.

Riyana whispered, then swallowed. “I was just talking to my mum.”

She pushed his hand away and tried to stand, but he caught her wrist and gently pulled her back down.

Why was he doing this?

Why was he being gentle now, of all times?

“I hate you,” she said suddenly, her voice breaking again as fresh tears fell.

“I know,” Jabco replied quietly.

He stood up from the floor, sat beside her on the bed, and pulled her into his arms. One hand rested on her back, moving slowly, almost awkwardly, like he wasn’t used to comforting someone.

“Then hate me,” he said softly. “But tell me what happened. Who hit you?”

Riyana didn’t answer.

She just cried.

Her sobs grew heavier, deeper, like years of pain were finally spilling out. Her body shook against his chest. Jabco felt his shirt dampen with her tears, but he didn’t move. He held her tighter, his hand steady on her back.

She had never cried like this in front of anyone.

Not even when she was a child. Not even when her father beat her until she couldn’t stand straight. She learned very early how to stay silent, how to swallow pain, how to survive without tears.

Only her mother had ever seen her cry. And even that was rare.

But now, wrapped in Jabco’s arms, something inside her gave up fighting.

And strangely, she didn’t feel embarrassed.

Not right now.

Jabco held her tighter, his arms closing around her like he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.

His jaw was locked, teeth grinding together.

Whoever did this… whoever dared to lay a hand on her… he felt like tearing the entire city apart to find them. He had never felt this kind of rage before. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t explosive. It was deep, burning, controlled, and dangerous.