If Not Mine, Then No One’s

Chapter 8

Narias Pov

Everything seemed to stop for a moment.

There she was, standing before me, looking straight into my eyes, and it felt like she could kill me with just that gaze. She had never looked more beautiful.

Oh God, I had never felt like this in my life. Seeing her here, after all these years, it was as if I was being born a second time. She sat across from me, and I… I didn’t know what to think, what to say, or what to do. She was my weakness, and here she was, in front of me, like a living memory I couldn’t escape.

I couldn’t bear it. I rose abruptly from the table and walked out.

I headed straight to the bathroom, loosened my shirt, took deep breaths, and wiped my eyes. And… damn it! I had never cried like this before. I quickly tried to erase the tears just as Dante entered.

“What happened? Why did you leave like that?” he asked.

“Get out!” Narias shouted.

“What happened?” Dante pressed.

“I said—GET OUT!” Narias barked again.

Dante left.

Atalanta Pov

I was holding myself back, trying not to cry. But the moment he left, I couldn’t control it anymore. I stepped out, and Sara came right after me.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” she asked, concerned.

“He…” I whispered.

“You… do you know him? Because when he saw you, it seemed like—”

I could only nod, tears streaming down my face. Words failed me.

“Who is he? Why are you crying like this? Why?” Sara asked, alarmed.

“He’s my ex-husband,” I admitted.

For a few seconds, Sara was speechless, utterly stunned.

“What?? Oh my God!” she exclaimed.

“I… I was in that state last night because I saw him,” I confessed.

“But how? Nowhere in the documents did it say he was married!”

“He managed to keep it hidden… or maybe I just didn’t notice,” I said quietly.

“Oh God… how is this even possible? How did you meet him?”

Sara guided me to sit down. “Come, sit here. Don’t cry. Calm down, and tell me everything.”

I wiped my tears, drew in a deep breath, and began my story.

“He lived in the Netherlands. We met there, in high school, and that’s where our love began. He was kind, gentle—he never hurt anyone. After finishing school, I enrolled in college, and he proposed to me. We got married, and I decided to take a break from school. I dedicated three years entirely to him.”

“But how did he end up like this? What happened between you two?” Sara asked, her eyes searching mine.

“He…” I hesitated, my throat tightening as I prepared to reveal the rest.