After Eight Years, He Walked Away Like I Was Nothing - Chapter 33: Chapter 33
You are reading After Eight Years, He Walked Away Like I Was Nothing, Chapter 33: Chapter 33. Read more chapters of After Eight Years, He Walked Away Like I Was Nothing.
Lachlan’s POV
‘But why? Why can’t Chantelle be like other women?’
‘In our circle, guys with money cheats all the time. No one bats an eye.’
‘And I’m just anyone anymore. For Pete’s sake, I’m the fucking CEO of a publicly listed company!’
‘From the outside, everyone thinks I’m being loyal. Just Chantelle and Kirsten by my side. People practically call me a good man.’
‘So why can’t Chantelle be more understanding?’
While I sat there, waiting for any kind of news about her, those thoughts just kept looping in my head.
I didn’t get why she left, but trying to understand her decision didn’t matter anymore—I’d already decided.
‘I’m going to find her, no matter what!’
We’d been together for seven years. That kind of relationship had stayed deep into my bones.
I couldn’t even picture life without her anymore.
Three days later, Jules finally came back with something.
He stood in front of my desk, looking anywhere but at me, and quietly set a stack of documents down.
“Sir, this is what we found about Madam Chantelle.
“On the day she left, she submitted both a resignation letter and a divorce agreement. Both had your signature.
“Which means… we can’t file a missing person report under your name anymore. Your marriage has been officially dissolved.”
His voice dropped to almost a whisper by the end.
I looked up at him, completely thrown. “What the hell are you talking about?
“Yeah, I signed Chantelle’s resignation—but I never signed any damn divorce papers!
“This is the best your investigation can give me?”
My anger flared. I grabbed the documents and chucked them at him.
Jules winced and tried to explain.
“Sir, we didn’t think you’d actually sign it either. That’s why we ordered a handwriting verification. The results confirmed it’s your signature. Same day as the resignation.”
He hesitated before adding, “Also… Ma’am Chantelle’s mother passed away. During the investigation, we found out Ms. Horvath was seen at the hospital too. Still not sure how it connects.”
That made my face suddenly go blank.
I remembered now—when Chantelle handed me the resignation stuff, I’d signed twice!
I was so pissed off back then, I didn’t even check what I was signing.
I never thought she’d slipped a divorce agreement in there!
That realization hit me like a fist to the chest.
‘So she already planned to leave me even back then? But why?’
‘Sure, I’d drifted for a while. But did she really have to punish me like this?’
‘Yeah, her mom passed away, but that wasn’t on me!’
‘I never wanted things to turn out like this. She’s got no damn right to pin it all on me!’
I still didn’t get her decision, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to just let her go.
‘We’d made vows. We stood at that altar and swore we’d stay together, in this universe and the other. She doesn’t get to walk away like that.’
I clenched the papers so tight they crumpled into a mess in my fists.
“She’s just confused,” I muttered. “It’s fine. I’ll bring her back.”
Then I looked at Jules. “Keep searching. I don’t care where she’s gone—find her. And dig into everything Kirsten’s been up to lately. If anything seems shady, I want to know. Immediately.”
‘If Kirsten has anything to do with Patrice’s death… I’m going to let that slide. And Chantelle—she doesn’t get to blame me either. Not for this.’
After Jules left, I sank into my chair, completely drained.
‘None of this is what I thought it would be.’
‘I thought she’d left because she was jealous, but now I saw it clearly—there had just been too many things weighing on her. In the end, Chantelle simply broke.’
‘And me? What part did I play in all of that?’
‘How does she see me now?’
‘Does she still love me?’
‘Will she ever forgive me?’
Questions swirled endlessly in my mind, each one turning into a knot of pain that made it hard to breathe.
I grabbed a drink, hoping it would help numb the pain.
But the more I drank, the more I saw her.
Her laugh. Her tears. Her pout. Her strength.
I’d loved her once—I knew that.
I just thought I’d fallen out of love.
But now I realized, ‘The one who can’t let go isn’t her. It’s me…’
That thought alone made me reach for another bottle.
I drank until everything blurred, until I couldn’t even hold the bottle anymore, and finally let it slip from my fingers.
And that’s how I lived for the next few days.
Drunk. Lost. Full of regret.
Kirsten’s POV
Eventually, the housekeeper, clearly worried sick, ended up calling me—hoping I could talk some sense into her boss.
The moment I answered, my heart practically skipped a beat.
‘Finally, my chance to go back to the estate has come!’
Without hesitating, I grabbed my things and rushed over.
‘But why? Why can’t Chantelle be like other women?’
‘In our circle, guys with money cheats all the time. No one bats an eye.’
‘And I’m just anyone anymore. For Pete’s sake, I’m the fucking CEO of a publicly listed company!’
‘From the outside, everyone thinks I’m being loyal. Just Chantelle and Kirsten by my side. People practically call me a good man.’
‘So why can’t Chantelle be more understanding?’
While I sat there, waiting for any kind of news about her, those thoughts just kept looping in my head.
I didn’t get why she left, but trying to understand her decision didn’t matter anymore—I’d already decided.
‘I’m going to find her, no matter what!’
We’d been together for seven years. That kind of relationship had stayed deep into my bones.
I couldn’t even picture life without her anymore.
Three days later, Jules finally came back with something.
He stood in front of my desk, looking anywhere but at me, and quietly set a stack of documents down.
“Sir, this is what we found about Madam Chantelle.
“On the day she left, she submitted both a resignation letter and a divorce agreement. Both had your signature.
“Which means… we can’t file a missing person report under your name anymore. Your marriage has been officially dissolved.”
His voice dropped to almost a whisper by the end.
I looked up at him, completely thrown. “What the hell are you talking about?
“Yeah, I signed Chantelle’s resignation—but I never signed any damn divorce papers!
“This is the best your investigation can give me?”
My anger flared. I grabbed the documents and chucked them at him.
Jules winced and tried to explain.
“Sir, we didn’t think you’d actually sign it either. That’s why we ordered a handwriting verification. The results confirmed it’s your signature. Same day as the resignation.”
He hesitated before adding, “Also… Ma’am Chantelle’s mother passed away. During the investigation, we found out Ms. Horvath was seen at the hospital too. Still not sure how it connects.”
That made my face suddenly go blank.
I remembered now—when Chantelle handed me the resignation stuff, I’d signed twice!
I was so pissed off back then, I didn’t even check what I was signing.
I never thought she’d slipped a divorce agreement in there!
That realization hit me like a fist to the chest.
‘So she already planned to leave me even back then? But why?’
‘Sure, I’d drifted for a while. But did she really have to punish me like this?’
‘Yeah, her mom passed away, but that wasn’t on me!’
‘I never wanted things to turn out like this. She’s got no damn right to pin it all on me!’
I still didn’t get her decision, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to just let her go.
‘We’d made vows. We stood at that altar and swore we’d stay together, in this universe and the other. She doesn’t get to walk away like that.’
I clenched the papers so tight they crumpled into a mess in my fists.
“She’s just confused,” I muttered. “It’s fine. I’ll bring her back.”
Then I looked at Jules. “Keep searching. I don’t care where she’s gone—find her. And dig into everything Kirsten’s been up to lately. If anything seems shady, I want to know. Immediately.”
‘If Kirsten has anything to do with Patrice’s death… I’m going to let that slide. And Chantelle—she doesn’t get to blame me either. Not for this.’
After Jules left, I sank into my chair, completely drained.
‘None of this is what I thought it would be.’
‘I thought she’d left because she was jealous, but now I saw it clearly—there had just been too many things weighing on her. In the end, Chantelle simply broke.’
‘And me? What part did I play in all of that?’
‘How does she see me now?’
‘Does she still love me?’
‘Will she ever forgive me?’
Questions swirled endlessly in my mind, each one turning into a knot of pain that made it hard to breathe.
I grabbed a drink, hoping it would help numb the pain.
But the more I drank, the more I saw her.
Her laugh. Her tears. Her pout. Her strength.
I’d loved her once—I knew that.
I just thought I’d fallen out of love.
But now I realized, ‘The one who can’t let go isn’t her. It’s me…’
That thought alone made me reach for another bottle.
I drank until everything blurred, until I couldn’t even hold the bottle anymore, and finally let it slip from my fingers.
And that’s how I lived for the next few days.
Drunk. Lost. Full of regret.
Kirsten’s POV
Eventually, the housekeeper, clearly worried sick, ended up calling me—hoping I could talk some sense into her boss.
The moment I answered, my heart practically skipped a beat.
‘Finally, my chance to go back to the estate has come!’
Without hesitating, I grabbed my things and rushed over.
End of After Eight Years, He Walked Away Like I Was Nothing Chapter 33. Continue reading Chapter 34 or return to After Eight Years, He Walked Away Like I Was Nothing book page.