Chapter 104 Deadbeat


    Kelly didn''t return to her apartment.


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    Instead, she walked slowly to the building where Zev had arranged for her to meet with his therapist.


    The door opened to a quiet, tastefully furnished office. Samuel Kingsley, the therapist, greeted her with a warm smile. His calm presence immediately put her at case. He poured her a cup of coffee and gestured toward a chair. "I''ve heard things have been tough. Are you feeling better?"


    "It''s been sorted," Kelly said, her voice steady, though her eyes betrayed the storm she tried to hide.


    Samuel raised an eyebrow, his smile fading slightly. "Zev didn''te with you? He left you to handle this alone?"


    Kelly paused, her fingers tightening around the edges of the cup. "Zev ... he''s gone. Disappeared."


    Samuel''s smile faltered for just a second before returning. "Don''t worry. That boy''s tougher than anyone gives him credit for. He''s always running off. The longest he''s been gone was five years. He alwayses back."


    Kelly blinked, allowing the words to sink in.


    Zev was tough.


    He woulde back.


    But right now, her heart felt heavier than it had in a long time.


    "Doctor... I got divorced today. I signed the papers."


    Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to speak.


    She told Samuel she could talk again. On the day she left the hospital.


    Samuel leaned forward, his eyes soft. "You''re not broken, Kelly. You''re still whole. Your body, your mind- they''re intact. What you need now is strength. You''ve been through something hard, but you''re still standing."


    "Once you get in your head that no one will be there for you forever, you''ll learn how to guard yourself."


    Kelly clenched her hands tightly together, then slowly rxed them. "I don''t know how to move on. Everything I believed in everything I thought I knew about myself, it''s all shattered."


    ...


    She exhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. "My parents are gone. My teachers, the ones who shaped me -they aren''t here anymore. And Eric ... the person who used to keep me grounded... he''s gone too. He''s fallen apart. Her voice cracked on thest word.


    "Don''t wait for someone to save you," Samuel said, his tone sharp but kind. "Don''t expect your happiness toe from anyone else. People change. People disappoint. And even when they love you, you might not be able to love them back the same way. You understand that, don''t you?" His wordsnded hard. Kelly''s eyes lowered, and she nodded slowly. "Zev loves you," Samuel continued, his voice gentle. "But you didn''t. return that love in the way he deserved. That''s something to remember."


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    Chapter 104 Deadbeat


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    happiness. You need to live for yourself, Kelly. You cant rely on anyone else to do that for you."


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    Kelly felt the weight of his words, and the tears began to fall, one by one, hitting the floor with soft thuds.


    Samuel didn''t say anything more. He sat beside her in silence, letting her feel whatever it was she needed to feel.


    Sometimes, there was nothing to say.


    Sometimes, the best thing you could do was sit and let the tears flow.


    "Life gives us chances," Samuel said after a long silence, his voice soft but strong. "No one gets it perfect. No one knows everything from the start. Love, friendship, family... they''re all messy. People make mistakes, hearts change. So why hold on to things that were never meant tost?"


    He let that sink in, then added, "Appreciate the people who are there for you. Cherish the ones who love you. Take in every moment, because that''s all we really have in the end."


    By the time Kelly stepped out of the therapist''s office, night had already fallen. The streetlights of Seaville casta soft glow over the empty sidewalks, and the evening air was cool against her skin.


    It was already 8 PM, and the wind, sharp with the scent of the ocean, tugged at


    her hair as she walked slowly down the familiar old street.


    She hadn''t expected this-the solitude, the quiet. When she first joined the peacekeeping force, she never


    tought she''d find herself here, on her own, carrying the weight of so many unspoken words.


    Kelly


    She looked up. Melody and Oscar were waiting downstairs, their faces rxing when they saw her. The tension in her chest eased a little as they smiled at her, their presence a smallfort. "We got you some dimmen Melody said, handing her a small bag.


    "Thanks." Kelly replied, her smile fragile but real. She wasn''t alone. She still had them, the ones who had fought by her side, who knew the battles that no one else could understand.


    "Congrattions, Kelly," Melody added, pulling her into a hug.


    Oscar grinned and held up a small cake. "A little something to mark the new beginning," he said, the warmth in his vouce easing the heaviness in the air.


    Kelly nodded, but her thoughts wandered. She couldn''t help but ask, "How''s Zev?"


    Oscar''s smile softened his eyes searching hers with a quiet understanding. "He''s fine. No news is the best news, right?" His words were meant to soothe, but they didn''t quite reach the worry gnawing at her insides.


    Kelly nodded again, though the uncertainty still lingered, like a shadow she couldn''t shake. She appreciated their kindness. Ens in wasn''t enough to fill the hollow feeling in her chest. She followed Melody up the stairs, trying to push the worries aside."


    At the top, they stopped. There ju butside her door,tood Eric,


    Her stomach tightened. Why was bit bere? What more did he want?


    Chapter 104 Deadbeat


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    "What are you doing here?" Melody''s voice was sharp, her anger barely contained. "You and Kelly are divorced now. You need to leave."


    Eric stood still, holding a bag of food. His face was softer than she expected, as if


    he was trying to make amends, but Kelly wasn''t fooled.


    "I''ve been waiting for hours... Kelly, please. Just cat something," he said, his voice quiet, almost pleading.


    Kelly stared at him, her mind racing. She didn''t understand his motives, didn''t trust his words. What was he trying to do now? "Kelly..." Eric''s voice faltered, and he stepped closer. "Even though we''re divorced, I told you, my feelings haven''t changed."


    Melody exploded, her voice full of fury. "You have no shame! After everything you''ve done-pushing Kelly into a mental hospital, nearly killing her-and now you stand here talking like nothing happened?"


    Eric''s eyes reddened, his gaze locking with Kelly''s. His voice was barely a whisper now. "Kelly, there''s 45 grand in this card. The PIN is your birthday."


    Kelly took a step forward, reaching for the card. She nced at it, holding it between her fingers. "Forty-five grand?" Her voice was icy. "That''s nothing. Barely a fraction of what I deserve. You think you can buy me off with this?" Eric''s expression faltered, and he rushed to exin. "I''ll work for it, Kelly. I''ll spend my whole life paying you back. I swear."


    Her eyes narrowed. She wasn''t fooled by his empty promises. He wasn''t going to liquidate his assets, wasn''t going to make any real effort. It was just words, just another way to avoid facing what he had done.


    She sighed, her patience running thin. "You''ve got a month," she said, her tone final. She slipped the card into her pocket and opened the door.


    "Come on," she motioned to Melody and Oscar. "Let''s go inside."


    This was her money. She had earned every bit of it.


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