Page 157 of I Replaced His Husband

1 YEAR LATER

RAIN

The promenade along the seashore was long and almost empty. The sun was already lowering toward the horizon, and a pleasant breeze carried the scent of seaweed and warm sand.

Kay pushed a stroller with our three-month-old son, Light, while I pushed an empty stroller because Ray didn't want to sit in it anymore. He toddled next to us on his chubby legs, getting better at walking every day. You could see he had a knack for physical activity; he was incredibly tireless.

Ray made squeaky sounds of joy every time he saw a seagull perched at the edge of the promenade. "Be-be-be!" he called, probably his way of saying "bird" or maybe a thousand other things.

His raven-black hair blew in the wind. Ray Nolan was a real bundle of energy and our greatest joy. He had inherited Kay's looks, along with his navy-blue eyes and very fair skin, but he carried my surname, just as Kay wanted.

And yet, I couldn't fully enjoy the pleasant family seaside outing because I knew what was about to happen. I took a deep breath and extended one hand toward Kay. Now we were both pushing the strollers with just one hand each.

"There's something you need to know, Kay. Because I couldn't live with the knowledge that I discovered something and didn't share it with you, allowing this deception to continue. I don't want even a single lie between us; there's no place for lies in love."

Kay raised his eyebrows, but his face remained calm. I sensed through our Bond his trust, which made me even more confident in the rightness of my decision.

"I feel like I've waited long enough, maybe for my own sake. But you deserve to know the truth, because even though it will be difficult, I believe you're strong enough to hear it."

His navy-blue eyes calmly locked on mine. "What truth do you want to tell me, Rain?"

"Well, it's not up to me to tell you this truth, but someone else."

We stopped, and I nodded slightly.

From behind a small booth selling cotton candy and waffles, a solitary figure emerged and walked toward us. Kay blinked, seeing that I was looking off to the side, and then turned his head to see who I was pointing at.

Silence fell. I watched Kay's face intently, my fingers tightly gripping his hand.

Maurice slowly approached and stood in front of us, his gray eyes resting on Kay's face.

They just looked at each other for a moment; there was a strange, almost palpable silence. And I watched them as if in some weird dream. To think that once Kay was Maurice's and Maurice was Kay's… but that belonged to the past, as distant as faded slides.

Now they stood facing each other, after everything that had happened a few years ago. The wind was still warm and smelled of the sea, blowing small golden clouds across the sky, and the sun shone carefree as if nothing had happened.

As if the world hadn't stopped for a moment.

Our whole life began with one lie, the one Maurice decided on back then. Now was the moment of truth, and the future was a mystery.

"You know, Rain," Kay's voice was completely calm as he slowly turned to face me, looking at me with a smooth and almost serene expression.

There was an inner peace radiating from him, an acceptance of what had been.

"I never told you about a conversation I had with mylatehusband years ago. We talked about what would happen if either of us met our True Mate. I chose a certain scenario back then that I called the ‘Clean Cut’ rule. Even though he protested, I insisted. I told him I'd rather hediethan look me in the eyes and say he's leaving me for someone else. I remembered that conversation the day after the Dawsons invaded our home. I'veknownit since that day, Rain. And I've made peace with it. Because I also know it was me who chose this, after all."

Feeling an immense relief, I smiled gently and squeezed his hand tighter. Kay responded in kind.

"My first husband ‘died’ because that was my choice. But people don't come back from the dead, Rain. Life goes on. With aclean cut."

The breeze on my skin smelled of sun and freedom, bringing us a sense of closure. Truly final this time.

"A new chapter?" I whispered.

"A new chapter," Kay nodded, smiling brightly.

And then he simply walked past the motionless Maurice, ignoring him like a ghost he was for Kay, and we continued along the promenade toward the setting sun.

The path ahead of us was clear, bright, and straightforward. No lies, no secrets, no hesitation.

All the people had disappeared from the promenade; it was just the two of us and our children. And our shared future.

THE END