His Belated Love for the Abandoned Ex-Wife Chapter 7: Shotgun Rides and Side-Eye

Julian ignored his brother and reached for the door handle.

"Julian, let me have her," Caleb said, voice softening into a rare plea. "I've liked her ever since the first time you brought her home two years ago. I couldn't take my eyes off her."

Julian froze. His back stiffened, hand still on the handle, the air around him suddenly colder, heavier.

"I've never begged anyone for anything in my life," Caleb continued as he stood, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "But I'm begging you now, Julian."

They'd always had a good relationship, and the way Caleb said "Julian" carried a familiar affection, twisted with quiet desperation.

Julian's voice was cold but steady. "You can have anything else, but not her."

With that, he opened the door and walked out.

Behind him, Caleb snapped, rage cutting through his voice. "Fine! Then you better hold onto her for the rest of your d*mn life. You're not the only man out there, and with how little you care, we'll see how long you can keep her."

Julian didn't break stride, but Caleb's words followed him like thorns.

Inside the living room, the sudden tension made the relatives stand up in alarm. "What happened? What's going on?"

Julian walked straight past them without a word and slammed the bedroom door behind him.

After some discussion, Martin and Gloria stayed behind to keep Beatrice company in the countryside. The others returned to the city for work.

By the afternoon, most of the luxury cars parked outside the estate had already pulled out.

Iris had finished packing. She said goodbye to Beatrice, then stepped out of the house, a travel bag in hand.

Across the yard, under the big oak tree, Linda was huddled with a few neighborhood women, sipping iced tea and whispering back and forth. Their eyes kept flicking toward Iris as she walked by.

She walked to Julian's car.

Through the windshield, she could already see Lily sitting comfortably in the front passenger seat.

Iris popped the trunk, tossed in her bag, then shut it.

She went to open the rear door, but before she could get in, Jenny shot her a cold glance and said, annoyed, "Sit on the other side."

Iris didn't argue. She closed the door and walked around to the opposite side, getting in without a word.

She fastened her seatbelt and stared silently out the window. Julian started the car and pulled onto the road.

The wind stirred the green fields outside, the golden hour sun painting the sky in soft reds and oranges. It was beautiful out, but her heart felt heavy, like a storm was looming just for her.

"Let's put on some music," Lily chirped, tapping the car's touchscreen like it was her own. "Jenny, what do you wanna hear?"

"Something with a beat," Jenny grinned, already bobbing in her seat. "Let's hype it up!"

"You got it." Lily pulled up a popular club remix.

Bass thumped through the car, shaking the windows. The two of them started singing and dancing along in their seats, practically bouncing with excitement.

To Iris, it was unbearable.

Her head throbbed. The music was deafening. She could feel her pulse stuttering in her chest, like even her heart couldn't handle the noise.

She leaned against the window and closed her eyes.

Julian reached forward and tapped the screen.

Silence. Lily glanced at his cold profile, taken aback.

Jenny leaned in toward the front, frowning at him. "Julian, why'd you turn it off?"

Lily stole a quick glance at Iris, then offered a fake understanding smile. "Jenny, Julian doesn't like loud music when he drives. It distracts him."

Jenny groaned. "It's a four-hour drive! We're gonna die of boredom. A little music makes it go by faster."

Lily, now acting like she owned the place, patted Jenny's head like a patient older sister. "Be good. Let Julian focus on driving."

"Hmph." Jenny sulked and stared out the window.

Lily smirked, throwing Iris a quick, sharp side glance before turning forward, keeping her tone casual. "Julian, isn't there a product launch event tonight? Are you still going?"

"Yeah."

"I was thinking of coming along," she said sweetly. "Wanna bring me?"

"Sure."

She giggled. "If it's a big event, should I wear a gown?"

"Whatever you want."

The rest of the ride was quiet. Julian answered her questions with as few words as possible.

For Iris, the four-hour trip felt like an eternity.

By the time they reached the city, night had fallen. Neon lights blanketed the skyline, making everything look vivid and alive.

Julian pulled up to her building. Iris was the first to get out.

She shut the door slowly, drained and quiet, as if the ride had taken something out of her. She didn't say goodbye. She didn't even grab her bag from the trunk.

Head down, she walked into the complex like she had lead in her shoes. The security guard greeted her. She forced a smile and nodded.

She exhaled deeply, tilting her head back to stare up at the towering luxury condos.

So many lights in so many windows. Families must be happy in homes like these, right? Why wasn't hers?

Julian's car hadn't moved. He stared out the window, watching until her silhouette disappeared behind the building.

Lily looked at him, jaw tight.

Jenny groaned. "Julian, what are you looking at? Let's go! You still gotta take me home!"

Lily smiled lightly. "Yeah, and you've got that product launch tonight, remember?"

Julian turned the wheel without a word. The car pulled away.

Iris unlocked her door, turned on the lights, and slipped off her shoes, placing them neatly in the cabinet.

She closed the door, walked to the couch, and collapsed sideways onto the cushions.

For a moment, she didn't move. Then the tears came. Quiet, uninvited. They slipped from the corners of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks into the fabric of the couch.

The whole apartment felt too big, too quiet.

Her phone rang. She sat up slowly, wiped her face, and pulled the phone from her pocket.

The name on the screen made her heart sink. It's her Mom.

She swallowed, picked up. "Hi, Mom."

"I heard your husband's grandfather died?"

"Yeah. It happened a few days ago."

"Why didn't you tell us? We're family! We had a right to be there, to pay our respects!"

"I handled it for you," Iris said quickly. She didn't want them getting involved.

She barely got any respect in that house. If her parents showed up, it would only make things worse.

She could handle the humiliation. She didn't want them to feel it too.

There was a pause. Then her mother's voice sharpened. "You haven't sent this month's money yet."

"I gave you ten thousand last month."

"That was last month. This is this month. Don't try to act like that covers both."

Her mother only ever called for one reason—money. It didn't matter how much she sent. It was never enough.

Iris leaned back on the couch, exhausted. "Mom, I told you. That ten thousand was all I had. Business is slow. My research needs funding too..."

"If it weren't for you, do you think we'd be living like this? Your brother had so much potential. If not for you, he wouldn't be this poor, struggling to feed his wife and kid. You've ruined our lives!"

The screaming turned shrill, almost tearful.