Chapter 71

• Mia and Lily sat in the car, the cityscape passing by outside as Lily gazed out the window, her eyes lost in thought. Mia broke the silence, her voice soft but laced with concern. "Why, Lily? Why did you do that to Lewis? He's such a nice man. You deserve him. He's a million times better than your ex-husband, Ethan."
• Lily's eyes welled up with tears, and she slowly turned to face Mia. With a shaky hand, she wiped away the tears that had begun to fall. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. "I deserve him, but he doesn't deserve me. I can't ruin his life. He's an amazing man; I know that. But I don't want to use him for my own happiness. I care about him too much to drag him down with me."
• Mia's expression softened. "You shouldn't intentionally break his heart, Lily. He's already invested so much in you." Lily's eyes dropped, and she sighed, her voice tinged with regret. "I know him better than anyone, Mia. If I hadn't done that, he wouldn't leave me alone for a second. I've known him since high school, and I know how he admires me."