Forgotten Wife: My Ex-Husband Regrets It After I Left novel Chapter 46

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Sienna’s POV

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My stomach felt warm and full, the lingering aroma of seafood fried rice still rising from the plate in front of me as I leaned back into the plush seat of the family-style restaurant. The cool air from the AC brushed gently against my face-a welcome contrast after a long, emotionally draining day.

I looked around. The restaurant wasn’t fancy, but it felt comforting. The décor was simple: warm, dim lighting, dark brown leather-covered wooden chairs, and walls painted in earthy tones. A few families sat at nearby tables, children laughing, couples speaking in soft tones with shared smiles. There was life here—a kind of

calm, unrushed life that seemed more certain than mine.

Sienna, you’re okay here, I whispered to myself. At least for tonight.

I leaned back, letting my body relax. The exhaustion wasn’t just physical-it lived in my thoughts, in the

constant reel of memories playing behind my eyes. Noah’s face, his laugh when I’d chase him through the park,

the way his innocent questions always melted me. But with those memories came images of Liam too-his

distant stare, the quiet that had grown between us, the way he had started to feel unreachable.

I stared at the table. Between the scattered cutlery and half-empty plates, I caught a glimpse of my reflection.

My hair was a little messy, my face looked tired. But in my eyes-those same eyes now mirrored in the spoon-

there was something new: courage.

Leaving doesn’t always mean giving up. Sometimes, it’s the only way to survive. I couldn’t keep being the one waiting-waiting to be seen, to be heard, to be loved the way I deserved.

I thought of Sarah, Liliana, and even the strangers who’d brushed past my life in the past week. Each of them

had touched something tender in me, whether through honesty, advice, or just their quiet presence. Through

them, I’d begun to understand something: I didn’t have to do this alone. But I also couldn’t keep hinging my healing on just one name.

Liliana sat across from me, sipping the last of her drink, absently stirring her spoon in the nearly empty plate. We hadn’t said much since dinner ended-maybe because I looked so worn, or maybe she was giving me space. Either way, her presence alone had steadied me.

“I should go,” I said at last, my voice soft but firm.

Liliana looked up quickly, her expression shifting like a child asked to stop playing too soon.

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“I’m coming with you,” she said immediately.

I shook my head with a smile. “No, Liliana. I need to write tonight. My deadline’s in a few days.”

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She pouted the way she always did when she didn’t agree but knew she couldn’t argue. “I’m still worried, Sienna. You’re not fully back yet. You never go off the grid like that without a word.”

I sighed quietly. The guilt pressed against my chest. She was right. I had disappeared without a single

explanation—not even a reply to her messages. But I needed space, and stubborn as she was, Liliana was one of

the few people who understood that without demanding too much.

“I know,” I said gently. “But I’m okay now. I just… need to be alone tonight. To write. Really.”

She studied me for a moment, then finally exhaled and slumped back in her seat.

“Okay,” she said softly, though the worry still lingered in her face. “But promise me we’ll meet again

tomorrow. And you’ll look brighter. Promise.”

I nodded with a small laugh. “Promise.”

Liliana suddenly stood and grabbed her bag. “I’m going to the restroom. Be right back.”

As she walked away, the silence at the table returned. I stared at my half-finished orange juice, watching tiny

bubbles gather on the surface as I tried to quiet the ache in my chest. The gentle clinking of utensils from

nearby tables, laughter from a family in the corner, and the soft hum of acoustic music playing overhead felt

distant-like the rest of the world was moving on, while I was stuck.

I slouched a little deeper into my seat. In the glow of the warm lights, Liam’s image floated back into my mind

-his deep gaze, the way he used to smile, the tenderness in the way he held Noah. The memories came

uninvited. I hated how easily I remembered him. But more than that, I hated how much I still missed him.

I thought leaving would make things easier. That time and distance would clear my mind and help me find the

pieces of myself I’d lost. But the nights were still long. And the mornings still came with the same emptiness.

No matter how hard I tried to focus on writing, my thoughts always drifted back to the small house I left

behind. To one name I could never erase from my heart: Noah.

I wrapped my hands around my wrist atop the table, trying to steady my heartbeat. How is he now? I wondered. Has he stopped crying for me? Or worse… has he started to forget me? The thought sliced deep. I glanced at the restaurant window, my reflection faint in the glass-pale, tired, but still standing.

I looked outside. The streetlamps glowed a muted yellow. A few cars passed slowly. The world felt like it was

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moving slower tonight, and oddly, I didn’t feel as lonely as before.

Maybe it was Liliana.

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Or maybe, just maybe… I was starting to make peace with the loneliness. I wasn’t healed yet. I hadn’t found the

missing spark in my writing. But tonight… I was enough.

I inhaled slowly, steadying my nerves. Liliana still hadn’t returned from the restroom, and I considered going

up to pay the bill. Maybe it was time to head back to the quiet space I now called safety. But just as I began to

rise, the glass door of the restaurant swung open.

In the next second, my heart felt like it dropped.

They walked in together. Liam was in front, gently guiding Noah, who looked half-asleep and half-cranky.

Behind them, Emily stepped lightly, her smile calm-too calm. Too comfortable.

I quickly lowered my head, my hand reaching reflexively for the menu on the table to cover my face. My breath

caught in my throat. Was this real? I blinked, hoping maybe it was just my imagination. But no. Noah’s voice—

so familiar—rang out clearly. His laughter. The way he tugged on Liam’s hand and pointed at something on the

restaurant wall. It was all too real.

I froze in my seat. I couldn’t keep looking at them, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away completely either. Slowly, I

lifted my head just enough to see. And there they were.

Laughing together. Like a complete family that had lost nothing.

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