Too Late to Hold Her, Too Late to Love Her

For two years, I stayed by his side, tending to his needs, accompanying him through endless treatments, and enduring the weight of his unpredictable moods.

Under my careful devotion, he slowly regained his strength. Not only did he stand on his own again, but he also began rebuilding his career, achieving small successes one step at a time.

Then, one day, he proposed.

The system declared that I had fulfilled my mission. I could return to my original world, healthy, whole, alive.

But I hesitated.

Somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with Hugo. The thought of leaving him shattered me more than the illness that once consumed me.

In the end, I chose to stay.

For a time, life was sweet. We were deeply in love, inseparable.

When Jasper was born, our little family felt complete.

Hugo was the perfect husband; he handed over all his assets without hesitation, planned romantic surprises to see me smile, and left work early to cook by my side. When I was wheeled into surgery for a C-section, he wept uncontrollably, unable to bear seeing me in pain.

Jasper was just as extraordinary. Even as a child, he was mature beyond his years, a prodigy in every sense. He excelled in Go, programming, and music theory and collected awards like they were mere stepping stones beneath his feet.

But more than anything, father and son adored me. Cherished me. Made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Then, Ava returned.

She found Hugo, her face streaked with tears as she sobbed, claiming she had never truly abandoned him and that she had been powerless. That her parents had threatened their own lives, forcing her to leave.

And just like that, everything changed.

She claimed that she had never forgotten him, even after leaving for the UK. No matter how hard life had been, she had held onto the dream of reuniting with him.

And Hugo softened.

Seeing that she had nowhere to go, he welcomed her into our home without hesitation, discussion, or even looking at me.

Like that, my husband's ex-girlfriend walked through our doors as if she belonged.

I could only watch as Ava effortlessly wove herself into our lives, winning over both my husband and son with alarming ease.

Hugo had always had a heavy smoking habit, one we fought over time and time again. But ever since Ava arrived, the scent of cigarettes disappeared as if it had never existed.

Always buried in his studies, Jasper had never spared a moment for household chores. He had never even boiled a pot of noodles for me. Yet now, to impress Ava, he pored over cookbooks like a devoted student.

The love that had once belonged to me alone was now split in two. But worse than that, Ava was given privileges I had never known.

I had done nothing wrong, nothing at all. But in the end, it was simply human nature to grow weary of the old and chase after the new.

If that was the case, then there was no need to hold on.

The moment I decided to sever ties with Hugo and Jasper, a strange sense of relief washed over me, light, unfamiliar, yet liberating.

I barely even noticed when Ava strutted in, arrogance laced in every step.

She had the face of innocence, delicate features, big watery eyes brimming with feigned purity. In her hand, she held a white diamond bracelet.

At the sight of it, my brows instinctively furrowed.

That bracelet had been a gift from my in-laws when I first met them, something I had always kept safe in my dressing table’s jewelry box, rarely taking it out.

Instinctively, my gaze flickered toward the dressing table. Sure enough, the drawer that had been closed was now ajar, and the jewelry box lay empty.

How shameless. Taking something without permission wasn’t borrowing; it was stealing. Did she even understand basic manners as a guest?

Before I could react, Ava suddenly lowered her head, covering her mouth as a soft, amused laugh slipped past her lips.

"Audrey, do you think this bracelet suits me?"

Suppressing the surge of disgust rising in my throat, I extended my hand.

"Whether it suits you or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that it isn’t yours. Return it to me."

But Ava had no intention of giving it back. She twirled the bracelet between her fingers, admiring its luster before, with a slow, deliberate smile, slipping it onto her wrist.

"Audrey, I really love this bracelet. Why don’t you just let me have it?"

My jaw tightened. That bracelet was precious, so valuable that even I had rarely worn it. And yet, here she was, boldly claiming it as her own.