When My Ex's Worst Enemy Became My Sanctuary novel Chapter 361

Dorothea had always known Elise hadn’t been doing well lately.

She’d split with Layton, and word was even her darling son was ignoring her calls now. The Carter family, the picture-perfect household she used to dream of joining, was just as distant. When everyone else turned away from her, only then did she remember Dorothea—the daughter she’d cut out of her life herself.

Dorothea couldn’t help but find it all a little ironic, though it made perfect sense too. When people have hit rock bottom, they always reach out for whatever is left within their grasp. But she was done being someone’s lifeline. She just wanted to live for herself this time.

Right after she found out she was pregnant, news came that Elise was seriously ill. Of course, Dorothea felt something—some vague ache in her chest. But the real, raw sadness had already been spent over the years, leaving behind a dull echo rather than a wound.

Elise would never know how hard Dorothea had once tried to hold onto her presence, desperate for some sign of care. Back at her grandfather’s old apartment complex, Dorothea used to climb to the roof, sitting there in silence, staring at the endless sea of city lights. She’d get lost in the view, wishing that just one of those warm, glowing windows could be hers. Mostly she just felt foolish.

She had always known that her mother wasn’t the same woman who used to be with her father, the one who treated Dorothea like her whole world. That person was long gone. Elise had a new son, a new daughter, a new husband. Dorothea knew she was just the extra piece that didn’t fit.

She understood her own flaws too. Always trying to keep the peace, please everyone. It just left her exhausted, never quite good enough for anybody.

The first guy she truly liked was Albert. She nursed that secret crush for years, and when it finally became real, she’d thought she’d found love—a new place to belong, something steady she could hold onto. She never imagined he’d be the one to push her right back into the cold.

Maybe that was the moment she started to realize it—no one can be her lifesaver except herself.

Now, as Aldin drove, Latham sat by her side, holding her hand tight.

“It’s alright. I’m here,” he said, simple but sure.

She looked over at him, caught off guard by just how thankful she felt. Latham could be so ridiculous. Sometimes he was full of himself, completely over the top. But still—he was the one bright spot in her darkest days.

He never pushed, just quietly stood by her, step by step, as she figured out how to become the person she wanted to be.

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