He Deceived Me So I Destroyed His Family’s Legacy Chapter 14
I rented an old house.
There was an apple tree in the yard.
When Lily woke, sunlight was streaming through the shutters.
She stared at it for a long time before asking suddenly,
“Nora, where are we?”
I sat beside her.
“Home.”
She froze.
“Julian won’t come here?”
“He won’t.”
Her lashes trembled, as if she didn’t dare believe it.
After a long moment, she slowly buried her face in the blanket.
I thought she was crying.
But all she said, in a tiny voice, was,
“Then today… can I not smile?”
That one question pierced my heart.
I bent down and held her, my tears falling into her hair.
“Yes.”
“Lily, from now on, yes.”
“If you don’t want to smile, you don’t have to.”
“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.”
“If you don’t want to see anyone, you don’t have to see anyone.”
She remained stiff in my arms for a long time before finally lifting a hand and clutching weakly at my shirt.
In that moment, I knew she was still alive.
Truly alive—and willing to come back to this world.
For many days after, she still slept badly.
Anytime the wind rattled the door at night, she would wake up and curl into a ball in the corner of the bed, shaking.
So I left a lamp on and sat beside her, telling her over and over,
“I’m here.”