After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 24

Harold had never liked Jordan Lane. He always thought Jordan was the kind of guy who looked friendly on the outside but was anything but on the inside. Fake, through and through.

He stared at Ethan across the table and said, “You and Isabella are married now. You have the certificate and everything. She’s your wife, at least on paper.”

Harold leaned in, his voice a little softer. “Look, Ethan, I’m just saying, maybe you should try giving things a real shot with Isabella. Let Natalie go. I know you won’t want to hear it, but honestly, I never thought Natalie was right for you.”

To Harold, Natalie Gates and Jordan Lane were the same. Both of them acted sweet, but you couldn’t trust a word they said. No wonder Natalie ended up with Jordan. Birds of a feather, really.

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Harold, I asked you out for a drink, not to listen to you talk trash about Natalie. Say one more bad thing about her and I’m done with you.”

Jesse Mason, sitting on Ethan’s right, jumped in before things got worse. He grabbed Harold’s arm and gave him a warning look. Then he turned to Ethan with a forced smile. “Harold means well. He just says things without thinking. Don’t let it get to you. Come on, let’s just drink.”

Harold lifted his glass and clinked it against Jesse’s, but he refused to toast with Ethan. He just couldn’t get behind what Ethan was doing to Isabella. Dragging an innocent girl into his mess? It wasn’t right. Isabella was pure, loved her life, worked hard, and all she wanted was some peace. Instead, Ethan used her, married her without love, and left her trapped and lonely. Harold couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

After a few more rounds, Ethan’s voice dropped, cold and rough around the edges. “My heart belongs to Natalie. That’s never going to change.”

He let out a heavy sigh. “I know I can’t have her. But if I can just see her, make sure she’s happy, that’s enough for me.”

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