His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 231: No Easy Choice

Iris stared at her phone for a moment before finally typing back.

"I'm sorry, Zoe. That's on me."

The reply came almost instantly.

"Sorry doesn't fix this. I'm actually mad this time."

Iris let out a quiet breath, leaning back slightly as she continued typing, choosing her words more carefully this time.

"I owed Brandon a favor, and he's been curious about you. I shouldn't have let him use me to get close."

A pause.

Then another message popped up.

"If you'd told me there was a guy there, and that he was my doctor, I wouldn't have gone. Not happening."

"I know," Iris replied. "I'm sorry."

This time the pause was longer.

When Zoe answered again, the tone hadn't softened much.

"Forget it. We're not talking for five hundred years."

Iris almost smiled despite herself. "Can we shorten that? Maybe drop a few zeros?"

"Five years minimum."

"Five days."

"Depends on my mood."

"Deal. Just don't stay mad too long. It's bad for your skin."

No reply came this time.

Iris lowered her phone and finally let out the breath she had been holding. Based on everything she knew about Zoe, this would blow over within a day.

Beside her, Brandon was already pulling out his keys. "I'll drive. I can take you home."

"Thanks," Iris said, following him to the car.

The city stretched out in a wash of neon and headlights, traffic moving in steady streams as the night settled in. For a while, neither of them spoke, the quiet filled only by the low hum of the engine.

Then Brandon glanced at her, his tone casual but curious. "You're pregnant?"

The question hit so suddenly that Iris turned to him, caught completely off guard. "How did you figure that out?"

He kept his eyes on the road, one hand resting lightly on the wheel. "Zoe asked me if I'd be okay dating someone who's been married and has a kid. Didn't take much to connect the dots."

Iris pressed her lips together, something bitter flickering across her expression before she turned back to the window. She didn't confirm it, didn't deny it, just let the silence settle as the city lights blurred past.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up outside her apartment building.

"Thanks for the ride," she said as she got out, lifting a hand in a small wave. "See you."

She had barely turned when her steps slowed.

Julian was standing just outside the entrance.

Brandon didn't leave. He stepped out of the car as well, leaning casually against it, his gaze settling on Julian from a distance.

Iris stood there for a second, steadying herself, then took a breath and walked forward.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone calm but distant. "Shouldn't you be with your fiancée?"

Julian's eyes locked onto her immediately, something heavy in his gaze. "Iris, we need to talk."

She lowered her eyes, avoiding him. "There's nothing left to say."

He didn't move.

The silence stretched until she finally looked up again, her patience thinning. "What is it?"

Julian hesitated, then said quietly, "Lily... she's paralyzed. From the waist down."

Iris didn't react the way he expected. Her expression stayed steady, almost detached. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said evenly. "But she made her choices. I can't feel sorry for her."

"I don't love her," Julian said quickly, the words coming out with urgency as he reached toward her. "The person I love is—"

Iris stepped back before he could touch her, cutting him off. "I get it," she said, her voice steady. "If it were my brother threatening his life, I might make the same choice. But Julian, you need to understand something. Between me and Lily, you only get to choose one. Otherwise, you're hurting both of us."

"I've already made that choice," Julian said without hesitation. "I've always chosen you."

A faint, almost sad smile crossed Iris's lips as she shook her head. "No, you haven't." Her voice stayed calm, but there was no softness left in it. "Can you tell Lily you're here right now? And when she calls, are you really going to ignore it?"

Julian didn't answer.

For a moment, he just stood there, silent, his hand running through his hair as he exhaled sharply.

Iris let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "You don't want her to die. That's the truth. And she knows it." She looked at him steadily. "That's your weakness, and she's using it."

His voice dropped, strained. "Iris, once she gets better, once she's stable—"

"Why should I wait?" Iris cut in, the edge in her voice sharper now. "Why should I put my life on hold for her?"

The streetlights cast long shadows around them, the air thick with tension.

Julian's expression tightened, something bitter slipping through as he let out a short laugh. "So that's it. I don't matter to you. I'm optional."

"Yes," Iris said, the word clean and decisive, even as something twisted painfully inside her.

Julian lowered his head, his shoulders sinking slightly under the weight of it.

After a long silence, he looked up again, his eyes rimmed red, his voice quieter now. "If I cut her off completely... if I stop caring about whether she lives or dies... would you come back to me?"

Iris held his gaze for a moment, then shook her head. "You can't do that," she said softly but firmly. "And I'm not going to be the reason you turn into someone like that."

She stepped past him.

Julian caught her arm, his voice tightening. "Iris, don't do this. Don't be so cold."

She pulled free, frustration finally breaking through. "I'm not being cold. I just don't want to compete with her for a man." Her breathing grew uneven. "I want a normal life. I don't want this constant stress, this drama, this feeling like everything could fall apart at any moment."

Before Julian could respond, Brandon stepped forward.

He moved between them without hesitation, placing himself in front of Iris.