His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 249: A Different Side

The moment Jenny pushed back, the room didn't side with her. Instead, the older relatives moved almost instinctively to shield Lily, their voices overlapping in soft but unmistakably biased defense.

"Jenny, honey, Lily would never want you hurt. If she knew Celeste was being careless, she wouldn't have let you go out with her."

"Exactly. This isn't really on Lily."

They spoke as if the conclusion was obvious, as if responsibility could be redirected just by agreeing on it. Jenny stood there, still shaken from what had happened, but what hit her harder was how quickly everyone dismissed it. The frustration that had been building finally surfaced, her voice tightening as she looked around the room.

"I'm the one who got hurt," she said, unable to hold it back anymore. "So why is everyone defending her?"

The shift in atmosphere was immediate. The air turned sharp, conversations stalled, and the tension settled in like something heavy pressing down on everyone present.

Iris had no intention of staying in the middle of it. She rose from her seat, her tone calm but distant, already stepping away from the conflict. "If everything's been cleared up, I'll head out."

Frederick didn't bother responding with words. He flicked his hand in dismissal, his expression cold, making it clear she was no longer part of the conversation.

Before Iris could take another step, Jenny suddenly turned, her entire demeanor softening in a way that felt almost unfamiliar. She nudged Luke lightly, her voice carrying a warmth no one in the room expected.

"Can you give Iris a ride home?"

Luke stood without hesitation. "Yeah, I've got it. I'll be back soon."

Iris paused mid-step.

It wasn't just the offer. It was the tone.

Jenny had never spoken to her like that before.

For a brief moment, it threw her off balance. People didn't usually change overnight.

"Iris," Jenny added, more gently this time, "just let him take you."

That was enough to make Iris uneasy.

This doesn't feel like her.

She shook her head lightly. "It's fine. I'll just call a ride."

Jenny frowned immediately, concern flashing across her face without any hesitation. "No, you're not going home alone this late. You know how things are out there. What if someone follows you?"

The protectiveness came so naturally it almost felt rehearsed, and that only made Iris more uncomfortable.

Across the room, Lily's expression darkened further, while the rest of the family looked just as confused as Iris felt.

Luke stepped in to smooth things over, his tone easygoing but firm. "Let me take you. If anything happens, she's going to blame me for the rest of my life."

From her seat, Beatrice added gently, "Go with him. It's safer."

Iris hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. She didn't want to drag this out any longer. "Alright. Thank you."

She turned to leave, but Jenny stopped her again.

"Iris, wait."

That single sentence drew every eye back to her.

Jenny looked at her mother this time, her expression firm, almost stubborn. "Mom, you misunderstood her earlier. You should apologize."

Gloria stared at her, genuinely caught off guard. "You want me to apologize to her?"

"Yes," Jenny said without wavering. "You should."

The silence that followed stretched just long enough to feel uncomfortable. Gloria's expression shifted slightly, the earlier confidence replaced by something more restrained as she finally looked at Iris.

"I misjudged you," she admitted, her tone softer now. "I'm sorry... and thank you for helping my daughter."

Iris accepted it without hesitation, her posture composed, her voice even. "There's no need to thank me."

She turned to Beatrice, reaching out to hold her hand briefly. "I'll come see you again when I have time."

Beatrice smiled, warmth filling her eyes. "I'll be waiting."

With that, Iris left with Luke.

As they stepped out, Beatrice called after them, "Drive safe."

"Always do," Luke replied with a grin.

The city stretched out beneath the night sky, headlights threading through traffic in steady streams as they drove.

Inside the car, Luke stole a glance at Iris through the rearview mirror more than once before finally speaking, his tone carrying a sincerity that felt unforced.

"I really owe you," he said. "After the way Jenny treated you before, I didn't expect you to step in and help her like that."

Iris leaned back slightly, her voice calm and measured. "Anyone would've done the same if they could."

Luke let out a quiet breath, as if something had finally clicked. "Now I get it. Why Julian never let go."

The name settled between them, and with it, a subtle shift in the air.

Iris turned her gaze toward the window, watching the reflections of passing lights blur together, her mood dipping despite herself.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Luke broke the silence again, curiosity slipping into his voice. "There's something I don't understand. You and Julian go way back, right? But when I mentioned his first love before, you looked completely lost."

Iris gave a faint, almost self-aware smile. "He's known me for over ten years. I've only known him for less than three."

Luke frowned, confusion deepening. "That doesn't make sense. I've seen the things he keeps. I always thought they were from his first love."

Iris turned slightly, her interest piqued despite herself. "What things?"

"Small stuff," Luke said, thinking it through. "Hair clips, old notebooks, assignments, those little memory books people pass around in school. Random pens, little trinkets... things you'd expect from a teenage girl. He keeps all of it like it matters."

Iris went quiet.

A slow realization settled in, catching her off guard in a way she didn't expect.

Back in high school, she had written in countless classmates' memory books. As for everything else, hair clips, pens, little things, she had lost them without a second thought.

She had never imagined someone would keep them.

Luke continued, still piecing it together. "There's more. Back in college, he spent almost a week making the warm drink. Said it was for his first love. If that wasn't you... then who was he giving it to?"

That made Iris pause.

Back then, people were always trying to give her things, snacks, breakfast, flowers, anything to get her attention.

She never accepted any of it.