The Last Goodbye

Lilith narrating...

That same day, I left that house.

The house where I buried all my dreams.

Where I loved alone.

Where I cried in secret.

Where I watched my daughter wither away waiting for a father who never came.

I slowly climbed the stairs to Victoria's room. The moment I opened the door, my legs nearly gave out.

Everything was still exactly the same.

The toys scattered across the rug.

The crooked drawings pinned to the wall.

The tiny clothes carefully folded in the closet.

And her scent…

My God.

My daughter's scent was still there.

I felt my chest tighten so hard I had to lean against the doorframe to keep from falling.

I went in slowly.

As if she were still sleeping in that room.

I knelt beside the small bed and ran my hand over the pink sheets.

The silence was cruel.

Because before, that room had been full of laughter.

Now it felt like a tomb.

My eyes landed on the small blue stuffed rabbit that Victoria carried everywhere.

She slept with it.

Ate holding it.

Watched cartoons hugging it.

I smiled through my tears remembering her saying:

"Mommy, Flopsy protects my dreams."

I picked up the little rabbit with trembling hands and pressed it against my chest.

It was all I had left of her.

Everything.

After that, I started packing my things.

I didn't take much.

Some clothes.

Documents.

Personal belongings.

The rest I left behind.

Because that house no longer meant anything to me.

Every wall carried pain.

Every corner held a memory of my daughter.

And I knew that if I stayed there, I would slowly die too.

I went to the Vanderbilt mansion that same night. Mr. Christopher had insisted.

He looked years older since Victoria's death.

His hair was grayer.

His eyes tired.

And guilt was etched across his face.

Guilt for having forced me to marry Liam.

Guilt for not having been able to save his own granddaughter.

The divorce papers were ready quickly.

Christopher made Liam sign without argument.

One month after my baby's death…

I was finally free of him.

Free on paper.

Because the scars Liam left on me would never disappear.

The next morning, I made my decision.

I was leaving.

Far away.

Without looking back.

Without goodbyes.

Without return.

Italy would be my fresh start.

A place where no one knew my story.

Where I wouldn't walk through the places I'd been to with my daughter.

Where I wouldn't hear anyone asking about her.

Christopher called me into his study shortly before my trip.

As soon as I entered, he placed an envelope on the desk.

"This is yours, Lilith."

I frowned.

"I don't want money."

He sighed deeply.

"You're entitled to it. You were my son's wife for years."

I pushed the envelope back.

"I didn't stay with Liam for money."

"I know that," he answered, his voice weary. "And that's exactly why you deserve more than anyone in that family."

I stayed silent.

Christopher slowly stood and stopped in front of me.

"Consider it help to start over… and maybe a useless attempt to ease my conscience."

My eyes burned.

In the end, I accepted.

It wasn't an absurd fortune, but it would be enough for me to start a new life until I could get on my feet in Italy.

I spent the rest of the day organizing my luggage.

Each piece of clothing placed in it seemed to close out a part of my old life.

At the bottom of the bag, I carefully placed Victoria's blue rabbit.

My most precious possession.

My last piece of her.

It was already getting dark when I heard soft knocks on the bedroom door.

I thought it was Michele.

"Come in."

But my entire body froze when I saw Liam walk in.

He looked destroyed.

Red eyes.

Haggard face.

Unshaven.

For the first time since I'd known him, Liam Vanderbilt looked like a broken man.

I immediately closed off my expression.

"Can we talk, Lilith?"

My voice came out cold.

"We don't have anything left to talk about, Liam."

He swallowed hard.

"Please… just hear me out."

I crossed my arms without responding.

Then he began.

"I know nothing I say will bring our daughter back… and nothing will erase my part in all of this…"

His voice cracked.

"But I need you to know that I'm sorry, Lilith. I really did love our daughter, and—"

I cut him off immediately.

"People who love don't abandon, Liam."

He shut his eyes tightly.

And that made me even angrier.

Because now it was easy to suffer.

Now it was easy to cry.

Our daughter was dead.

"You know what my daughter said before she died?" I asked, feeling the tears burn my eyes. "She asked why her daddy didn't love her."

Liam bowed his head as if he'd been punched.

But I kept going.

Because for years I had swallowed my pain in silence.

And now he would hear every word.

"The mistake was mine, Liam. I should never have married you."

He looked up quickly.

"Don't say that—"

"It's the truth!" My voice came out louder. "I should've raised my daughter alone and let you live your great love story with Emma!"

Silence took over the room.

But I couldn't stop.

All the pain I'd kept bottled up for years was finally pouring out.

"You deceived me… humiliated me… destroyed me… despised me every single day of our life together."

Liam began crying in silence.

But in that moment, I felt no pity for him.

Only emptiness.

"And then you did the worst thing of all," I continued, my voice breaking. "You despised our daughter until she died calling for you."

He buried his face in his hands.

"Stop… please…"

"No! You're going to listen! Because I heard my daughter asking why her daddy didn't love her! I heard her calling for you while she was dying!"

Liam fell to his knees before me.

And that scene should have destroyed me.

Years ago, maybe it would have.

But now…

Now I didn't feel love anymore.

Only bitterness.

Contempt.

Pain.

"This, Liam… I'm never going to forgive you."

He was crying desperately.

"I'd give my life to go back and change things…"

"But you can't go back," I answered coldly. "So go back to your woman and your daughter. Because they're your real family."

My voice began to falter.

"And leave me alone with my grief."

Liam slowly raised his eyes.

He looked desperate.

Lost.

"You're really leaving?"

I took a deep breath before answering:

"Tomorrow I'm leaving and I'm never coming back."

He went pale.

"Lilith…"

"And I want you to forget you ever knew me. Because that's exactly what I'm going to do with you."

That seemed to destroy him completely.

We stayed in silence for a few seconds.

Then I noticed tears running down his face.

And in that moment, I realized something.

The love I had once felt for Liam Vanderbilt had died alongside my daughter.

What remained was just an empty hole inside my chest.

He slowly got to his feet.

He seemed to want to say something.

But he didn't.

Maybe because he had finally understood that there were no more words capable of fixing this.

Liam walked slowly to the door.

And before leaving, he looked at me one last time.

But I didn't look away.

I didn't cry.

I didn't run after him.

Because that night…

I finally let Liam go.

He left the room in silence.

And the moment the door closed behind him, I realized that the most painful chapter of my life had come to an end.

The cycle was over.

And for the first time in many years…

I was completely alone in the world.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***