Page 203 of My Ruthless Husband

Summer

Iexhale, the air leaving me in a shaky rush, my throat raw and tight from voicing out the memories I’d buried so deeply. It feels like I’ve scraped open an old wound, one I thought had scarred over long ago.

Across from me, River slumps into a chair, her expression stricken, her hands trembling as she presses them to her mouth, taking in the weight of the past I’ve just placed in her lap.

Archer pulls a chair close to me, gently pressing down on my shoulders as he guides me to sit. My legs give in, grateful, and he hands me a glass of chilled wine. I grasp it as if it’s a lifeline, gulping down the cold liquid, hoping it might dull the sting coating my throat.

After a few swallows, I set the glass down, my gaze shifting back to him. Damian.

He’s right there. In front of my eyes. At my engagement party. And yet, in all these years, he never showed up, never once came back or reached out. Fate really has a twisted way of weavingpaths back together. In this vast world, of all people,heis my best friend’s husband.

This man, who once filled the hollow corners of my childhood, who was my shelter, my savior is now… a stranger. He stands by River, his face as unreadable as ever, that same shadowed intensity in his gaze, but now colder, more distant.

The pang in my chest sharpens as I think of all the years that passed without a single word from him. It was as if we’d been cast aside, left to survive without the one person I thought would always come back for us.

But Damian vanished as if he never existed in our lives. And now here he is… Standing right in front of me, yet somehow, he feels like he’s a world away.

Even back then, he wasn’t the typical boy; he had the intensity that made him seem far older than his twelve years. But now, after over twenty years, that intense edge has grown into something far more lethal.

And tonight, I discovered he is River’s husband. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagineDamianto be River’s husband. I can’t believe we met on the New Year’s Eve and still couldn’t recognize each other.

The ache spreads through me, tightening my chest. I realize now how foolish I was, carrying the fragments of those memories, thinking they still meant something. They did to us. They shaped us, carved us into who we are today.

But to Damian?

He forgot about us even when he said he wouldn’t. Even when I begged him not to.

I choke back my tears, swallowing the lump that threatens to suffocate me. “We waited and waited for him, every single day, hoping that Damian would walk through that door or at least send us some sign that he hadn’t forgotten about us. But there were no letters. No Damian. Just this endless, aching silence.”I pause, fighting the tremor in my voice. “And with him gone… Caleb’s cruelty returned, only, it was much worse. Every ounce of rage and bitterness he’d saved up over the year, he unleashed on us. Damian wasn’t there to protect us anymore, and Caleb made sure to take advantage of it.”

River’s hands cover mine on the table. Her gaze filled with an ache that mirrors my own. “God, Summer... I’m so sorry,” she whispers. Her soft voice breaks. “No one deserves to go through that, least of all you. I can’t believe you survived so much pain.”

I give her a sad, faint smile. “Having Raleigh with me was the only thing that kept me going. He took the worst of it—he always did. Whenever Caleb’s torture got ugly, Raleigh would throw himself between us and that cost him.” My eyes drift over to Damian, wincing at the sight of his swollen lip, then back to River. I remember the way she leapt between them, her bravery shining as she tried to shield her husband. She’s got that same fire, that fierce protectiveness Damian once had for us. “Raleigh was furious when he saw Damian today,” I say softly. “Please, don’t hold it against him.”

River shakes her head frantically, her eyes softening with understanding while Damian’s gaze is fixed somewhere in the distance, hands buried deep in his pockets, his jaw clenched hard.

“Damian,” I say, fighting back the tide of anger and heartbreak rising inside me. “Raleigh didn’t lash out at you because of what happened after you were adopted. We never blamed you for what that monster and his family did to us.” My voice cracks. “The reason he lost control, the reason I broke down on my special day, is because seeing you tore open old wounds. You broke our hearts, Damian. You promised to stay in touch, but you didn’t. You left and never looked back. You never… we loved you!” I break down, burying my face againstArcher, sobbing as the dam bursts open. His arms wrap around me instantly.

The memories, every ugly, jagged one, rush back and tear through me like shattered glass.

Archer doesn’t speak, just lifts me up, settling into the chair before laying me across his lap, pulling me close. He holds me while I let it all out, his hand moving gently over my back. He smooths his hand over my head and his soothing touch helps me find my breath again.

“It’s better if I call Raleigh,” Archer says, cradling the back of my head. “You guys need to work this out privately, not in front of an audience.”

“Thank—” River starts but Archer interrupts.

“No need to thank me,” Archer says. “I’m doing this for Summer. And only for Summer.”

A few minutes pass before Archer gently lifts me and helps me back into the chair reluctantly. “I need to speak with my parents. They look worried.”

I try to rise, desperate to follow him, but before I can move, Archer’s hand is on my shoulder, pressing me back into the chair. His gaze is sharp. “Stay,” he orders, his voice low.

River steps in immediately, asking him to go while she stays with me. Archer watches us, hesitating for a beat before he finally pulls himself away.

She presses some appetizers into my hand, encouraging me to eat something to regain my strength. Then she replaces the wine glass with a chilled glass of water.

I nibble on them obediently. Archer, meanwhile, strides purposefully across the room. I watch as he speaks quietly to his parents. Then, he approaches a few acquaintances, likely asking them to pass along the news that the party is being cut short.

When he returns, his expression softens again upon seeing me, the familiar warmth in his eyes calming the storm still churning in my heart.

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