Lilia’s POV
The plane was filled with the usual hum of engines and the soft murmur of passengers, but all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart. The tension between Damien and me was thick, suffocating like a fog that neither of us dared to break. He had no reply to my question, and now, sitting across from each other in the first-class cabin, the silence grew louder.
Damien kept his eyes on the window, his jaw set in that familiar tightness I had come to know so well. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind—whether he was going to say something, anything, to make this situation better. But I knew better. Damien rarely opened up when it mattered most.
I stared at my lap, gripping the edge of the armrest. The weight of the past few weeks—the lies, the hurt, the betrayal—hung heavily on my chest. My fingers trembled slightly as I tried to steady my breathing. I wasn’t ready to talk. Not yet. Not until I could figure out how to untangle the mess that had become my life.
We didn’t exchange a single word during the flight. I didn’t even look at him again until the plane touched down. The city skyline greeted me through the window, but it didn’t feel like home anymore. Damien’s presence, the way he had always been my anchor, now felt like a distant memory, one I was struggling to hold on to.
When the plane finally landed, I collected my belongings in silence. Damien followed me off the jet bridge, the cold air of the airport hitting me as we walked through the terminal. My heart was racing, but not because of excitement—no, this was fear. Fear of what I was about to do.
I had made up my mind. I needed time away. Time away from Damien, from his world, from everything that had become so suffocating. I couldn’t keep living in this toxic cycle, pretending everything was fine when it was falling apart.
When we finally got home, I moved quickly. I didn’t bother to explain myself to him. Damien stood in the doorway of the living room, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and anger.
“I’m going to my parents’ house,” I said, my voice steady, but there was a sharpness to it. “I need some time off, Damien. I need to think.”
“Lilia, don’t do this,” he said, stepping into the room, his voice low and pleading. “We can talk. I can explain everything. Just don’t leave. Not like this.”
I shook my head, packing my things into a small suitcase. “No, Damien. I’m not doing this with you anymore. I can’t keep pretending everything’s fine when it’s not.”
His expression faltered, the usual control slipping as he took a step closer to me. “I don’t understand. You think that by leaving, it’s going to fix things? You think running away will solve all of this?”
I paused, my hands stilling for a moment before I zipped up my bag. “It’s not about fixing things anymore. It’s about me finding myself again. I’ve lost who I am in this mess with you.”
Damien’s face twisted in frustration, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. But I wasn’t going to let him sway me. I had made up my mind, and nothing was going to change it.
“I need time,” I repeated, my voice firmer this time. “I need to breathe. I’m leaving, Damien.”
The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating. Damien’s gaze softened, but there was nothing left to say. He opened his mouth, but the words never came. Instead, he watched as I turned and walked out of the apartment.
Dinner at my parents’ house felt like a welcome escape. The warmth of the familiar surroundings, the smell of my mother’s cooking, and the comforting chatter of my parents made me feel at peace for the first time in days.
“Lilia, it’s good to have you back,” my mother said, her eyes full of love as she served me a heaping plate of food. “You’ve been so busy lately. I hope you’ve come to stay for a while.”
I smiled softly, grateful for their unconditional love. “I’m staying for as long as I need, Mom. I’ve got a lot to think about.”
My father raised an eyebrow. “Everything alright? You’re not usually this quiet.”
I shrugged, pushing the food around on my plate. “Just… need some time to myself. That’s all.”
The doorbell rang just as we were finishing dinner, and I glanced up in surprise. Who could be visiting at this hour?
My mother’s eyes lit up as she walked toward the door. “Maybe it’s your husband, Damien?”
Damien. Of course. I hadn’t expected him to come here, but somehow, I wasn’t surprised. He always had a way of finding me, even when I didn’t want him to.
I stood from the table just as the door opened, and there he was—Damien, standing in the doorway.
