Halfway through, the man on top of me went still.
I opened my eyes. Ellis was looking down at his phone, at an iMessage.
It was from Tessa. Again. It was two in the morning, and she’d sent a message saying she had a sudden craving for bagels from a specific shop.
“Sorry. I just really want one right now. You bought me those rainbow bagels before—can you send me the name of that shop?”
The warmth in him evaporated. He rolled off me and immediately started typing a reply.
This had become a pattern over the three years we’d been together.
We’d once made plans to see a movie, but he didn’t show up until it was nearly over because Tessa had a craving for the clam chowder he made.
The first time he officially met my parents, he was supposed to stay for dinner but left halfway through to bring Tessa an oat milk latte—the same kind they’d had on their first date.
On Christmas Eve, when he was supposed to be decorating our tree with me, he’d shown up at Tessa’s place instead, making her favorite roast turkey and cranberry sauce from scratch.
He was so focused on his phone that he didn’t look up until I reminded him, for the third time, that we were supposed to go to the County Clerk’s office next week to file our marriage paperwork.
“Let’s talk about it another day. Work’s been insane. Go to sleep. I need to go to my office and handle something.”
Ten minutes after he left, I opened Instagram on my burner account.
He’d posted on his Close Friends story: a photo of him holding a bag of bagels.
The caption read: Had to make sure someone got fed, even in this rain.
I stared at the photo for a long time. All I felt was exhaustion.
Ellis Lombardi, if getting married is such a hassle for you, then I won’t ask again.
If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 28 Ellis was ordered to compensate me for all related damages and to issue a formal written apology for the violation of my privacy. It was raining when we left the courthouse. Ellis followed us out. Lucian opened an umbrella over my head
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 27 Ellis lowered his head as a tear hit the table in front of him. His lawyer still tried to argue that the person who actually uploaded the video was Tessa. Our lawyer simply displayed the text message from Ellis on the courtroom
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 26 On the day the civil case went to trial, my mother insisted on coming with me. Her condition had stabilized, though her face was still a little pale. Before we entered the courthouse, she gripped my hand. “Coralie, if I hadn’t started
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 25 “Okay.” “Then find your own job. And pay me back for the rent and medical bills, just like you wanted.” “But there’s one thing I’m insisting on.” I looked at him warily. “What?” “Text me when each interview is over.” “I won’t
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 24 Across the office, a few heads lifted. The woman who had been the first to clap for me spoke up. “Coralie’s right. She’s not the one who should have to hide.” The HR manager looked awkward but didn’t press the issue. I
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 23 The day I went back to my old office to submit my resignation, the place was unusually quiet. Tessa’s workstation was empty. The woman who had once sat in the supervisor’s chair barking orders was gone, leaving nothing but a bare desk.
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 22 The last trace of color drained from Ellis’s face. He wanted to argue, but no words came. The hospital had records. His phone had call logs and messages. I didn’t have to say a thing. The appeal was denied. The original sentence
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 21 “Now that she doesn’t want you, you’re trying to pin all the blame on me?” The judge rapped the gavel, ordering her to be quiet. But it was as if Tessa had finally ripped off her mask for good. “I didn’t send
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 20 When Tessa appeared in court for her appeal, the fragile, helpless act was gone. She stared at Ellis from the defendant’s stand. “He gave me the account password.” “His work verifications, his Uber Eats, his cloud drive—we always shared everything.” Ellis’s voice
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If Your Heart Doesn’t Lean Towards Me I Don’t Want It Chapter 19 “You still don’t get it.” “I’m not suing you for hush money.” “The court can decide the compensation. As for starting over… that’s impossible.” The last flicker of hope in Ellis’s eyes died. His lawyer cleared his throat, attempting to bring up
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