Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband? novel Chapter 422

She didn’t regret meeting Felicity.

The years she’d spent with the only woman who ever made her feel what it was like to have a mother—those memories were precious beyond words.

She never regretted their paths crossing.

But there was still a lingering ache: how she wished Felicity could have been her real mother.

But life didn’t work that way.

Back in that manor, Mila had been haunted by the rumors about Felicity’s past and those unsettling, suggestive paintings. She could never bring herself to ask about them. The questions stuck in her throat, too painful to voice.

Some wounds were just meant to stay hidden.

So now, hearing that Felicity was ill, Mila’s heart clenched. She glanced up to see Lysander looking at her, then handing her his phone.

“Mom wants to talk to you,” he said quietly.

He hesitated, then added, “She’s been feeling really down, so….” He trailed off, deciding not to say more.

Feeling down?

That didn’t sound good at all.

After a brief pause, Mila accepted the phone. On the other end, Felicity’s familiar, gentle voice came through—soft, but tinged with worry.

“Mila, are you there?”

Mila’s eyes stung. She bit her lip hard, swallowing back the word that wanted to come out, and simply answered, “Yes, I’m here.”

Felicity’s weak tone brightened a little, though there was still a note of caution. “So—so you’re not upset, are you?”

“No,” Mila replied softly. “Why would you think that?”

“Because… because,” Felicity faltered, “I’ve called you so many times lately, and you never picked up. I thought you must be upset with me….”

“I’m not upset. I just lost my phone,” Mila explained gently.

Her phone had been lost when she was taken to the manor. After escaping overseas, there was no way to get a new one. And later, wrapped up in her own conflicted feelings, she hadn’t dared to reach out to Felicity.

“I’m glad you’re not upset.”

Felicity sounded relieved, but the next moment her voice grew heavy again. “Then… why didn’t you tell me when you quit your job? Conrad said you didn’t want me to worry, but it’s alright, really. If you’re unhappy at work, then don’t force yourself. I can take care of you. But why…?”

Her voice faded away.

Mila’s heart skipped a beat.

How did she find out?

Quitting her job hadn’t been a big deal, but she’d used it as an excuse to turn down Felicity’s invitations, trying to sever her ties with the Montgomery family. Now that Felicity knew the truth, she’d also realize Mila had lied to her.

Felicity had always trusted her, always cared for her.

And Mila had lied to her.

He couldn’t help thinking about how gentle Mila had just been. How long had it been since he’d seen that side of her? Honestly, even at her softest with him, she’d never been quite like that. And his mother hadn’t been that warm to him in ages.

He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or jealous—because for Mila, his mother was always the exception. Most of the time, Mila would go out of her way for Felicity.

He sighed inwardly.

Lysander turned off his phone screen, then, after a moment’s thought, said, “You know, you really don’t have to blame yourself. With my mom’s condition, sometimes lying to her is just… a way to protect her.”

Mila froze.

What kind of logic was that? She frowned, not quite agreeing, but she also knew Felicity’s illness made her fragile—sometimes even a few careless words could crush her. So, Mila couldn’t really argue.

In the end, she just said, “She cares so much about me. The least I can do is stop lying to her. No one wants to be lied to. If I really don’t want to talk about something, I can just tell her that—I know she’d understand.”

Lysander stared at her, his grip on the phone tightening.

After a pause, he asked, “And what about you? How much lying could you forgive?”

“Huh?”

Mila stared at him, baffled. “Who feels good about being lied to? Is there even a scale for that? That’s as pointless as ranking kinds of pain. A lie is a lie, pain is pain—they all hurt. Anyone who lies to me on purpose should just get lost.”

She glared at him.

“And if I remember right, you’re the one who’s lied to me the most. So how can you even ask?”

Lysander: “…”