My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 57

Lily hadn’t realized when exhaustion took over her body. The moment her head touched the pillow, sleep claimed her instantly.

But peace didn’t last long.

Her phone’s sharp ringing jolted her awake. She flinched, heart hammering in her chest as she blinked against the dim light of the bedside lamp she had forgotten to switch off. With sluggish hands, she fumbled around the small table until her fingers brushed against her bag. She pulled out the phone and glanced at the caller ID.

Greenwood Realty.

Her exhaustion lifted a little as she quickly answered.

“Hello, Miss Lily,” came the polite yet hesitant voice of the agent she had dealt with earlier that day.

“Yes?” she asked, sitting up, brushing her messy hair from her face.

“We… we’re sorry, but we can’t proceed with your rental contract. The agreement you signed earlier—unfortunately, we must cancel it.”

Lily’s tired eyes sharpened. “Cancel? What do you mean? We already signed the contract. I paid the deposit. You showed me the apartment. Everything was finalized.”

“I understand,” the agent replied, voice heavy with discomfort. “But… circumstances have changed. We won’t be able to hand the keys over.”

“What circumstances?” Lily pressed, her tone cutting.

There was a long silence on the other side. The kind that told her the agent wanted to say something but couldn’t. Finally, the voice came back, subdued. “I’m sorry, Miss Lily. I… I can’t explain further. Please come to the office tomorrow to collect your deposit.”

Before she could demand more, the line went dead.

Her grip tightened around the phone. “What the hell…?”

Anger surged inside her chest. She had struggled through the day, looking at countless apartments before finally finding one that felt right—a small, sunlit place close to her office, with just enough warmth to let her imagine building a new beginning there. She had dared to dream of peace.

And now, it was snatched away.

Lily sank back onto the bed, her head falling against the pillow. She stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it. For a few moments, her mind spun through confusion. Then, unwilling to give up, she grabbed her laptop and began searching for new listings.

Hours crawled by as she sent emails, filled out inquiries, and called agents one after another. But the responses she got were all the same.

“We’re sorry, Miss Lily. Unfortunately, we can’t proceed with your application.”

“Apologies, your name is flagged in our system. You’re on the blacklist.”

Every call ended the same way. Every polite rejection was another slap across her face.

By the time the sun dipped behind the horizon, her hope had withered into frustration. She slammed her laptop shut and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes.

Blacklist.

“Lily! Finally, you picked up,” Claire's cheerful voice filled her ear. “I was about to give up.”

Lily softened a little, though her exhaustion weighed on her tone. “Sorry… I was busy.”

“Busy brooding?” Claire teased lightly, then didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Listen, I was going to call you anyway. Let’s have dinner tonight. I also want to discuss a client with you—big project, potential new account. It’s important.”

Lily pressed her lips together. Dinner sounded unbearable right now, but she couldn’t refuse. She needed work, needed stability. And perhaps, being around Claire would keep her from sinking too deep into her own frustration.

“Alright,” she said finally. “Tell me the place.”

“Perfect! I’ll text you the address. Don’t be late, hmm?”

The call ended, leaving Lily staring at her reflection in the darkened TV screen across the room. Her face was pale, her eyes shadowed with weariness, but she forced herself to move.

She couldn’t afford to crumble now.

Dragging herself to the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away not just the fatigue but also the bitterness David had left clinging to her skin.

She looked into the mirror, her wet hair sticking to her cheeks, and whispered to herself, “You’re not going to let him win. Not this time.”

With that, she straightened her shoulders, grabbed her bag, and left the room.