His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 33: The Truth Behind the Friendship

Zoe shoved Celeste hard, sending her crashing to the ground. "Celeste, are you out of your mind? There's a limit to how much garbage you can spout. You got some kind of issues?"

Celeste scrambled to her feet, jabbing a finger at Iris. "She's the one with issues! She's been lying to herself this whole time. Julian chased Selena for three years, and Selena turned him down because she cared more about her career. So he married her—someone who looks a lot like Selena. She's nothing but a replacement for Selena!"

Iris fought back the heartbreak, her tear-filled eyes locking onto Celeste's.

Her voice came out hoarse. "Celeste, you say I'm Selena's replacement? Got any proof?"

"Isn't it obvious? What more proof do you need?" Celeste snorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I know you won't buy it. You're so head over heels for him. You love that jerk so bad that you've been waiting around like a fool this whole time. No matter how much he messes around out there, you'll forgive him in a heartbeat as long as he comes back and acts like he cares."

Iris let out a bitter laugh. "If you know how I feel, then why are you so dead set on dragging me to catch him cheating?"

"I..." Celeste's words trailed off—she had no comeback.

Zoe held Iris's arm gently. She respected Iris more than anything. She never stuck her nose in her marriage and never tried to tell her what to do.

Iris spoke to Celeste, each word steady and clear. "This six years of friendship? It's not that you can't let me go. You just want to watch me—the so-called friend who's always outshone you, the so-called goddess everyone gushes about—crash and burn.

"You enjoy seeing my career tank, my marriage fall apart, and my life go to crap. Your 'friendship' was never real. It was all jealousy, no actual care."

Celeste let out a cold laugh, but she had nothing to say back.

Iris took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Sorry to let you down, Celeste. I'm not gonna go catch him cheating, and those photos of them together prove squat. When I've had enough of this garbage, I'll leave him. But I'm not gonna let you ruin my marriage with these petty tricks."

Celeste picked up the photos from the ground, her jaw tight with anger. "You're so damn rational—no wonder your marriage's a train wreck. Keep letting him cheat on you! I'll just sell these photos to the paparazzi and make some cash."

Celeste turned to leave, clutching the photos to her chest.

Iris called out to her. "Celeste."

Celeste froze in her tracks.

Iris stared at her back, tears pooling in her eyes. "We don't have to be enemies just because we're not friends anymore. I hope things get better for you. Love yourself more, and stop living in my shadow."

Celeste went quiet for a second and kept walking, never looking back.

Losing a friendship hurts sometimes worse than losing a love.

Iris stood there, completely zoned out. Tears glistened in her eyes, about to fall. Her heart ached so badly it felt like it was breaking, and her whole body went weak.

The cool night wind brought drizzle, falling silently to the ground.

Zoe stepped in front of her, said nothing, and pulled her into a tight hug.

Iris leaned into her thin shoulder, closed her eyes, and let the tears fall.

Zoe patted her back softly, her voice gentle but firm. "Iris, don't waste your tears. Celeste's not worth it, and neither is Julian. We don't live for anyone but ourselves."

Iris cried silently, her heart feeling like it was splitting in two. Her body trembled, ever so slightly.

The raindrops got heavier. Zoe pulled back slightly, glancing up at the sky. "It's gonna pour. Let's get you home."

Iris shook her head. Cold raindrops hit her skin, sending a chill straight to her bones.

"I wanna stand in the rain for a minute," she mumbled.

Zoe frowned, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the neighborhood. "Cut the crap. If you wanna cry, then cry. I won't laugh at you even if you bawl your eyes out in front of me. But if you make yourself sick over some dumb relationship bullshit, I'm not gonna let you get away with it."

Iris's heart felt a little lighter, like a weight had lifted. She'd always known loving herself was the most important thing.

They headed back to Iris's place.

Iris handed Zoe a new pair of slippers.

Zoe had been here once before, but only to grab something and bolt. She'd never really taken the time to look around.

A heavy rain was coming down outside, but the house was warm and bright. The huge living room was spotless, everything in its place, no clutter anywhere. It had a super modern vibe.

Iris dropped her bag, flopped down on the sofa, and rolled onto her side, totally drained.

Zoe wandered around, whistling softly. "Iris, housing prices in this neighborhood are no joke. How big is this place, anyway?"

"Around 2,200 square feet," Iris said.

"That's way too big for two people," Zoe said, running a hand over the clean TV stand and then the shiny wine cabinet. "I don't know how you do it. You run your own company and do experiments all day—you're swamped. And you still have time to clean? This place must take forever to tidy up."

Iris looked at her, confused. "What do you mean? I use appliances."

"What appliances?"

"A washer and dryer for clothes, a robot vacuum for the floors, a dishwasher for dishes. But I barely have any plates, so I never really use the dishwasher."