“What?”

The news was so abrupt that Amara was momentarily at a loss.

Elysia continued, “I’m going to have the procedure first. Afterwards, I might end up with Lucian.”

There was so much packed into that statement, it took Amara several seconds to fully process.

She muttered, “Why so sudden? Weren’t you out to dinner with Lucian last night? Did something happen between you two?”

Elysia rested her chin on her hand, eyes narrowed in contentment. “Honestly, nothing much happened at first. We just had dinner and talked for a while. Then, he told me again how he feels about me…”

“But that’s not really the point. The point is, I was just so happy in that moment. So, so happy. I felt like I’d returned to who I was before I met Dorian.”

“Even though I had a lot of happy moments after meeting Dorian, all these years of going back and forth with him have worn me out. I know I haven’t been as happy as I used to be, but yesterday, for the first time in ages, I really felt like my old self again.”

“When I’m with Lucian, I just feel happy and at ease. I’m not even sure if I actually love him—maybe a little-but the most important thing is how happy I am when we’re together. I realized he can bring me happiness, so I want to be with him.”

The seriousness in Elysia’s tone was unmistakable. As Amara listened, her initial shock gradually gave way to understanding, and she genuinely felt happy for her friend.

“As long as you’re happy, that’s what matters,” she said softly.

“The ultimate purpose of being in a relationship or getting married is to find happiness. If a relationship makes you feel relaxed and content, you should keep it.

If it just leaves you feeling exhausted, you should let it go.”

Not too long ago, Elysia had been in a terrible place. The woman who was once so vibrant and strong-willed had become listless and pale; everyone who knew her had been shocked, and seeing her like that had made Amara ache for her.

Now, thanks to Lucian, Elysia was herself again-lively and capable. Amara was truly glad for her.

“So, when are you having the procedure?” Amara asked.

“I’ve scheduled it for Friday,” Elysia replied. “Thankfully, I found out about the pregnancy pretty early, so I haven’t formed any real

Res

attachment want to get it over with as soon as possible.”

Amara nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Elysia was making the right choice: take care of the pregnancy, then get divorced from Dorian, and finally enjoy the life she deserved.

Amara was genuinely happy for her. The two of them chatted for a while longer, and after leaving the coffee shop, Amara’s thoughts turned inward.

Elysia was always a decisive person. Except when it came to Dorian, she’d always been efficient and straightforward in everything she did.

Now that she was finally making a clean break from Dorian, she didn’t hesitate at all —in just one night, she decided to end the pregnancy and embrace a new life.

Unconsciously, Amara began to measure herself by Elysia’s standard.

Was she just as resolute with Finnian?

To outsiders, it looked like she no longer had feelings for Finnian and had no intention of remarrying him. Finnkan himself thought she was being a bit cold. But Amara knew that wasn’t really true.

Over the past while, she and Finnian had been getting closer, especially after he

learned the truth about her pregnancy and became even more attentive toward her.

Although Amara resisted getting

involved with Finnian, and never

gave him any official status, he kept

appearing at her side. Once she

realized she couldn’t get him to

leave, she just let him stay by default.

But how could that be right?

She had clearly decided long ago to cut things off completely with Finnian.