My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 375

He opened his mouth, but before he could even respond, she scoffed lightly and turned toward the passenger seat.

“There’s no way,” she said, clearly annoyed now. She opened the car door and got in.

“Don’t play with me. I don’t believe you forgot something like that. Not when she is… important to you.”

Jabco stiffened.

He walked around the car slowly and sat in the driver’s seat, but he didn’t start the engine. He turned toward her instead.

“What are you saying?” he asked quietly.

She met his gaze without hesitation.

“I’m saying you can’t forget the birthday of the most important woman in your life,” she said simply, as if stating an obvious fact.

The words hung between them.

The air shifted.

Jabco’s expression changed completely.

She continued. “Even if the whole world came and told me you forgot her birthday, I wouldn’t believe it. You’re not the type who forgets things like that.”

Jabco’s jaw tightened.

He leaned closer without thinking, gently catching her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.

“Riyana,” he said softly.

She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her go. His other hand came up to her face, warm and steady.

And then, without planning it, he kissed her.

Not rushed.

Not forceful.

Just quiet and full of everything he had been holding inside.

Riyana froze at first, as always.

Her mind went blank.

Her heartbeat raced.

Her fingers curled into his shirt without permission from her brain.

He pulled back only when he felt her breath falter, his forehead resting lightly against hers. Both of them were breathing heavier now.

“You misunderstand something,” he said quietly, his voice low and steady.

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked at him, confused, caught between emotion and logic.

“No,” she said softly. “You always told me I was good at reading people.”

“Yes,” he replied, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek. “You are. Just not when it comes to me.”

She frowned slightly. “What does that even mean?”

He studied her face for a long moment, like he was making a decision he could not take back.

“Today,” he said quietly, his voice low but steady, “I want to clear something between us.”

“Lily was never my future,” he said quietly. “She was just someone who passed through my life. That’s all.”

He paused for a second, as if choosing the right words. This was not easy for him. Talking about feelings never was.

“I never imagined a future with her,” he said. “Not even once. She never gave me that space. She never gave me hope. It was always… shallow. Calm. Controlled.”

Riyana’s fingers curled slightly. She did not look away, her heart began to beat faster without asking her permission.

“She was the kind of woman people admire,” Jabco went on. “Successful. Quiet. Well-mannered. The kind many men would proudly take home. If you give her a little attention, she will obey you. She will adjust. She will stay within limits.”

His jaw tightened.

“But that kind of life… it was never for me. And she was never strong enough for someone like me.”

Riyana swallowed. His words felt heavy, not cruel, but honest. Too honest.

“She wanted comfort,” he said. “A stable life. Safety. And there is nothing wrong with that. But that was all she wanted.”

Then his voice softened.

“But you,” he said, turning fully toward Riyana now, “you are different.”

Riyana’s chest rose slowly.

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