My Ex- Husband Wants A Second Chance

"Sorry, Sophie. Duty calls," Maya murmured, grabbing for her phone. "I've got to go. But assure me you'll think about what I said. Ethan may be worth the risk."

I nodded, throwing her a faint grin. "Yeah, absolutely. I'll think about it."

Maya gave me a short embrace, her eyes begging. "Please do. And call me later, okay? No matter what you decide, I want to know about it."

"I will," I vowed.

With Maya gone, I felt the weight of my anguish return, crushing down on me like a thick shroud.

The exhibition space appeared to get darker, the paintings blurring before my eyes.

I staggered aimlessly into the corridor, yearning for a way out, for a moment of calm.

The lights appeared to flicker, the voices echoing like the moans of ghosts.

I was sinking, suffocated under the weight of my memories, of my grief.

In my rush, I bumped with a person, too engrossed in my own thoughts to notice.

"Hey, take it easy," the deep voice urged, immediately unmistakable.

My head sprang up, my eyes catching his.

"I'm so sorry," I muttered, my pulse beating as I raised my head and there, it seemed like the world stopped.

It felt like my eyes were deceived but then I looked again, no.

My breath froze in my throat as our eyes connected.

Liam.

No way.

He stood before me, towering and handsome as ever, his eyes searing into my soul.

I took my time to observe him. He looked different.

The strong angles of his face were softened by something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

His outfit was finely fitted, as usual, but there was a subtle difference in his attitude.. a looseness in his stance, a kindness in his gaze.

The cold, aloof guy I had formerly known appeared to have been replaced by someone… warmer.

The sight of him standing there, so serene and confident, aroused a combination of feelings I wasn’t prepared for.

I pushed myself to turn aside, thinking the moment would pass, but I could still feel his eyes searing into me.

I diverted my focus back to an attendant walking by, my heart racing in my chest.

I needed a drink, something to steady my nerves. As I grabbed for a glass of champagne, a voice from behind me made my blood run cold.

“Sophia.”

His voice was like a whisper of the past, familiar but distant.

I hadn’t heard him mention my name in over a year, and suddenly, just one phrase had the capacity to ruin all I had fought so hard to repair.

“Liam,” I said, keeping my voice firm, though it was the last thing I felt.

For a minute, none of us spoke.

The silence between us was thick, packed with a thousand unsaid messages.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more, terrified that if I did, the dam would collapse, and everything I had been keeping back would come gushing out.

“You look… well,” he eventually said, his voice laced with something that nearly sounded like remorse.

I faked a smile, one that didn’t reach my eyes. “You too.”

Another silence.

The courteous, detached kind that people use when they don’t know what else to say.

I despised it, hated that we had become strangers, tiptoeing around one other as if we hadn’t ever shared everything.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he lied, shattering the silence that had fallen between us..

He didn't expect to see me in my dad's gallery??

“Neither did I,” I acknowledged, taking a drink of my champagne. “I’m here for work.”

He nodded, his gaze wandering to the glass in my palm before meeting my eyes again. “You’re doing well then? With the gallery?”

“It’s been… good. Busy.” I kept my responses brief, not wanting to offer him more than necessary.

The less I talked, the safer I felt.

Liam appeared to detect my uncertainty, and for a second, I feared he may walk away. But instead, he took a step closer, his voice falling to a tone that made my pulse skip a beat.

“Sophie.. I’ve been thinking… I’d want to talk. Really talk.”

I tensed, the words hanging in the air between us.

It was the last thing I wanted, to speak to him.

Even though running into him now, I couldn't articulate my sentiments.. anger, hatred, relief, delight, I simply couldn't place it.

Still, the part of me that had loved him started to wonder what he had to say.

My voice barely above a whisper, I said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

He looked down, as if giving his next words much thought.

When he spoke again, there was a warmth in his tone that threw me off guard.

“I know I hurt you, Soph. I know I wasn’t the spouse you deserved. But things… they’re different today. I understand if you never want to forgive me. But can we at least attempt to speak things through? Just this once?"

I wanted to believe him, wanted to hope he had changed, just maybe.

But it was impossible to overlook the recollections of our last days together, that coldness in his eyes as he handed me the papers.

"I've moved on, Liam," I said, more for my own benefit than his. "You should too."

He opened his mouth as if insisting, but I cut him short.

"Please, do not do this. Not Here." I said

Though I remained fast, his frantic look almost brought me down.

Not after everything. No. I cannot let him back in.

I turned and left without waiting for his response.. my heels clicked on the marble floor and I could hear it.

I stopped only when I went outside, the clean night air slapped my face like a kick.

My heart was racing, my thoughts racing in a tempest of feeling.

Seeing Liam once again and hearing him speak those things was like dragging out an old wound.. one that never really healed.

Leaning on the railing, I tried to breathe.

Tears welled in my eyes, so the city lights blurred, but I blinked them away.

I wouldn’t allow him see me cry. Not again.

But as much as I wanted to forget, to bury the past where it belonged, I couldn’t escape the sensation that this wasn’t the last time I would see Liam.

And it frightened me more than anything.