For 25 Years He Ignored Me, Now He’ll Never Find Me Again novel
I was still clinging to that fragile illusion the morning I turned fifty.
Rain whispered against the windows as I cleaned the closet, dust settling on my arms like powdered regret. I wasnt expecting anything. Id long trained myself not to. But tucked behind neatly stacked sweaters was a velvet box elegant, secret, deliberate.
My breath caught. My fingers trembled.
Inside, nestled in satin, lay a sapphire necklace deep, royal blue, the kind once admired on Princess Diana. I had mentioned years ago how lovely such a piece was, back when Adrian still pretended I mattered.
For a ridiculous heartbeat, I let myself believe someone had remembered me. I fastened the necklace around my throat, the cool stones resting against my skin like a promise. In the mirror, a tired woman stared back hair frayed, dress faded, eyes dimmed from years of trying. But beneath the exhaustion, something fragile flickered: hope.
I smoothed my dress, as though preparing myself to be seen.
Hours later, Adrian arrived, shoulders dusted with rain, shoes tracking mud. I waited for him in the foyer like a girl expecting kindness, foolish and nervous.
He didnt greet me. His gaze zeroed in on the necklace like it was filth.
What is that on your neck? he demanded, voice sharp enough to cut.
I touched the chain instinctively. I found it in the closet. I thought perhaps it was for my birthday.
His jaw clenched. In one vicious motion, he seized the chain and tore it from me. It snapped with a metallic scream, scraping my skin. Warmth slid down my collarbone blood or humiliation, I couldnt tell.
You really are delusional, he spat. That piece is for Sabrina.
The world tilted. My half-sister. The woman he praised endlessly. The one who replaced me without shame, without effort, without even having to try.
Its my birthday as well, I whispered, unable to stop myself.
He laughed not with humor, but with cruelty sharpened over years.
Why would I waste something so priceless on someone like you? Look at you you look ready for a nursing home. Youd tarnish the jewels.
My throat tight, I murmured, We once planned to travel. Japan cherry blossoms. You promised.
His scoff was immediate. Travel? You do nothing. Sabrina works, contributes, deserves a life. You just exist.
Before I could reply, footsteps thundered from upstairs.
Julian stormed down, eyes narrowed. My son the child I had carried, nurtured, stayed awake for through fevered nights looked at me like I was a burden hed been forced to drag through life.
You forgot Noah, he snapped. He waited for hours. The school called. How could you be so careless?
I didnt know
So now its everyone elses fault youre useless? he shouted.
Adrian crossed his arms, satisfied. Go get my grandson.
No coat. No umbrella. No concern.
Just command, like I was a servant.
Outside, rain pummeled the world. I walked through the storm, cold sinking into my bones. Water clung to my face, disguising the tears I refused to shed.
At the school, the receptionist blinked in confusion.
Oh Noah already left. Sabrina picked him up.
Of course she had.
By the time I returned, soaked and trembling, laughter echoed inside. Sabrina stood radiant in the warm glow of the entryway, Noah cradled comfortably in her arms. And there, shining proudly against her perfect skin, was the sapphire necklace my one moment of hope stolen so effortlessly.
She smiled sweetly. Oops. I forgot to tell you I got him.
The room swayed. The cut on my neck pulsed. And as her voice drifted away, that necklace sparkled like a cruel crown a reminder of everything I had lost simply by loving the wrong people.
The floor rushed up. Darkness claimed me.
When awareness returned, it felt like waking beneath a mountain every breath thick, my limbs weighted, my skin burning as though fever and exhaustion were wrestling inside me. The tiles beneath me were still unforgivingly cold, my clothes soaked and clinging like a second skin. Every joint screamed.
I tried lifting my body, but my palms slipped, arms trembling until I collapsed again. A fiery sting crawled down my spine, and swallowing felt like dragging sandpaper through my throat.
Im sick The thought drifted through me, too faint and too small for what my body felt like like something inside me was failing, shutting down.
JoCAdrian The whisper scraped out, raw and broken. Please help me
Silence answered at first. I forced my voice louder, desperate, until footsteps finally approached. Soft. Confident. Sabrina.
Oh? Youre awake now, she said, a cheerful lilt masking the pleasure dancing beneath it. Should we take her to the hospital? Poor thing looks like shes burning up. Rain does awful things to the weak.
Then his voice cut through the air like ice. Adrian. Dont bother. Shes exaggerating. This is her consequence for yesterday abandoning Noah so Sabrina had to step in again.
A rustle. A scuff of his shoe. Then something sharp collided with my ribs. Pain exploded through my side, forcing a choked cry from my lungs.
Get up, he snarled. Clean the water you dragged in. Noah could slip. And wheres lunch? Lying there wont cook it.
My fingers clawed at the floor, trying again to rise. My vision swam, my elbows buckled. I I cant Im sick please
Pathetic, Adrian spat. You were supposed to make this house easier to run not become dead weight.
Sabrinas perfume hit me before her voice did. Maybe I should take her place for now, she offered sweetly, voice dipped in artificial pity. She really does look unwell.
He snapped instantly. No. You dont do chores. Thats her duty. She wants to call herself wife? Then she should act like one, not lie around.
Footsteps approached. Julian. My son. His voice as bitter and sharp as theirs. Can we eat already? Im starving. She cant even handle meals anymore. Whats the point of her?
Their laughter rolled over me especially Sabrinas tinkling, poisonous giggle before they walked away, dismissing me like trash.
When they were out of sight, Sabrina returned. She crouched beside me, nails tracing my shoulder like a threat dressed as concern. Ill bring you something later, she whispered, breath brushing my ear. Rest, okay?
Then, in a tone soft and venomous, You dont belong here. Why keep clinging? People like you should disappear quietly.
I opened my mouth but only a thin breath escaped. She stood, smoothed her dress, and left as if she hadnt just carved those words into me.
I lay unmoving, time stretching like eternity. It felt like lying at my own grave.
Eventually, I forced my body forward dragging myself inch by inch toward my room. My knees burned against the floor, arms quivering with each push. When I finally reached my bed, I collapsed, drenched and shaking, letting sleep swallow me whole.
Silence greeted me when I awoke next. Silence and pain. My throat was a desert, my bones screaming. I reached for my phone, hands trembling.
The screen lit up and there it was.
A post from Julian.
A photo: Adrian, Julian, Sabrina, and little Noah arms linked, smiles beaming, a Ferris wheel glowing behind them. Warm lights. Happy faces. My family.
The caption:
Best day with real family. Nothing beats this.
Real family. Not me. Not even a memory of me.
My vision blurred. Then a knock.
I dragged myself to the door. A delivery man handed me a slim envelope, uninterested in the wreck I must have looked like.
I slid down to the floor, ripping it open with shaky hands.
Inside glossy papers.
Luxury travel itinerary.
First-class seats.
Five-star accommodations.
Cherry blossom tour routes.
Their names.
Adrian. Julian. Sabrina. Noah.
Mine nowhere.
I stared and stared, tears cooling against my cheeks until they dried. Then came stillness a strange, deep calm settling into my bones.
I lifted my phone. Scrolled for a number dusted in years of silence. When the line connected, my voice was steady firm, carved from finality.
Hello. This is Samantha Villaruel, I said clearly. Id like to start divorce proceedings. Immediately.
Im ending this marriage. Effective now.
My declaration floated through the stillness between me and the attorney on the other end of the line a stillness that, oddly enough, weighed heavier than the quarter-century Id spent suffocating in that household.
He exhaled slowly. Mrs. Villaruel are you completely certain? A twenty-five-year union isnt something people just walk out of.
My eyelids lowered, and memories surged like poison. Adrians hand yanking a necklace from my throat, warm blood sliding down my skin. Sabrinas honey-sweet voice hiding venom. Julians cold gaze. The cheerful amusement-park photo my family smiling without me and that taunting travel itinerary promising cherry blossoms I was never meant to witness.
Yes, I replied, voice steady as steel. Prepare the documents. Email them. Ill handle getting his signature.
His tone softened. Understood. Ill set everything up immediately.
When the call ended, the houses silence didnt comfort it pressed, curled, whispered like every humiliation I ever swallowed was crowding the walls. I walked into the living room and toward the worn cabinet where I kept the relics of a life I tried too hard to preserve albums, wilted wedding pictures, brittle birthday cards, anniversary messages that once felt holy.
I gathered every fragile memory and carried them to the backyard.
Cold wind brushed my cheeks as I knelt before a metal bin. One picture at a time, I fed the fire our wedding photo, Sabrinas face peeking from the edge even then; baby Julian cradled in my arms during a time he still loved me; our early holidays; the letter promising someday wed stroll beneath cherry blossoms in Kyoto.
My hands trembled, but I never paused. Flames crackled, chewing through glossy lies and vows never meant for me.
Back then, I believed Id married someone who would shelter me from loneliness. Sabrina had flown away to chase her ambitions, leaving Adrian wounded and abandoned. I stepped in the quiet sibling always living in her shadow and when he offered marriage, I foolishly thought Id been chosen.
And for a decade, I convinced myself happiness was real until Sabrina returned, trailing perfume and betrayal. Their secret smiles, shared whispers, business trips they insisted required them both. The way conversations died when I entered.
And worse Julian turning, as though I were the stain ruining their perfect world.
A tear slid off my chin into the flames. No more, I breathed, barely audible.
I was still staring into the dying fire when the front door burst open laughter, rustling bags, Sabrinas sugary giggle, Julian grumbling about traffic, Adrians arrogant voice boasting about something meaningless.
I entered the house with the heat of burning memories still clinging to my skin.
Adrians brows shot up when he saw the smoke drifting from the backyard. What did you set on fire?
Just the past, I said plainly.
Sabrina blinked with feigned concern, placing her shopping bags down. Your memories? Samantha, sweetheart, are you okay? You look tired. Here. She pulled out a container and held it out delicately. I brought you something to eat.
Inside stale rice, scraps of bone, bits of leftover meat barely clinging to cartilage. Food unfit for a stray cat, let alone a wife.
I forced a thin smile. Thats alright. Im okay.
Julian scoffed, irritation sharp. Mom, seriously? Aunt Sabrina gave you food out of kindness. You could at least appreciate it.
I curled my fingers around the container. Thank you.
Adrian chuckled cruelly. Good. Thats all youre good for taking leftovers.
Then his gaze caught the opened envelope on the table. He stiffened. Did you touch this?
I swallowed hard. It had my name. I thought
He snatched the papers from my grasp. You dont think. This is for our trip. Our Japan trip.
My voice slipped out before I could stop it na?ve, hopeful, foolish. Could I come?
Sabrinas laugh rang sharp and tinkling. Oh, silly me I forgot to switch the name. It was my booking. You could join if you want but youd have to pay for your flight and accommodations, of course. Its mostly for work.
Adrian barked a laugh. As if she has money. Shes been a useless lump here forever.
Julian smirked. Just stay behind, Mom. Someone has to watch the house. You wouldn't know what to do on a business trip anyway.
Sabrina tilted her head, pity shining like polished glass. Dont worry. Well bring you something cute from Japan.
I didnt argue. I didnt break. I simply clutched the cold food container, knuckles white.
Its fine, I whispered. Ill start packing your things.
I turned away before the mask on my face could crack.
Upstairs, I reached for my phone for the number that never changed, never disappeared, even when I disappeared from myself.
He answered on the second ring.
Dad My voice shook this time. Its me.
Samantha? Whats wrong?
Im done. With Adrian. With this house. With all of it. My breath hitched. I want to come home. Will you come get me?
There was the soft sound of a breath full of ache, but also relief.
Of course, he said, voice firm with love. Come home, sweetheart. Well leave this place behind. Wherever you want to go we go.
A tear trailed down, warmer than before not from pain, but release. I still want to see cherry blossoms, Dad. I always did. Please pick me up.
Three more days.
Counting down felt like clinging to a lifeline three sunrises until my father arrived; three more days of pretending the house wasnt a battlefield; three more days of smiling while the storm inside me kept raging, the same storm Id shouldered for half my life.
It struck me as absurd that after all this time, it was still my father who would rescue me. Age had creased him, years had hollowed parts of him, but he had not forgotten the little girl taken from him when my mother remarried. He remembered me when others chose to look away.
As a child Id loathed him, fed lies by my mother about his failures that he ruined our family, that hed denied me what I deserved, that hed been selfish and weak. Only later did the truth surface: he didnt walk away she did. She cheated, abandoned him, and dragged me into a life that never truly accepted me.
When she had Sabrina the shining child, the second chance I became the background, the shadow tucked into corners. Sabrina perfected the smile that hid a blade. Whenever my mother flew into a rage over something I supposedly did, it was usually Sabrina who had planted the seed. I was the mistake, the leftover piece. Sabrina made sure I never forgot that.
And nothing had changed. I remained the afterthought the one who only got in the way.
My thoughts shattered at the sound of a familiar voice downstairs.
My mother home after weeks away.
I moved slowly into the living room. Gift bags spilled across the floor like a small, bright forest; boxes and ribbons littered the coffee table. Adrian lounged nearby with a glass of wine. Julian flicked through his phone. Sabrina unpacked presents with all the practiced gentleness of a daughter who had earned every sparkle.
For me nothing.
Again.
Sabrina, theatrical as ever, glanced toward me and purred, Mom, what about Samantha?
My mother didnt bother to look up. Oh, I forgot she exists. She never leaves the house anyway. What could I possibly buy her?
Then, with that same long-practiced look she reserved for me, she added, Since youre standing there, make us lunch. Were hungry.
I nodded and retreated to the kitchen, tasting blood from holding my tongue too hard.
I kept my hands moving chopping, stirring, covering the silence with motion hoping the rhythm would steady whatever was collapsing inside me.
Sabrina swept in as if she had the right to be near every surface. Ill help, she chimed, overly bright. Wouldnt want you to hog all the attention.
Ive got it, I muttered, barely looking her way.
She leaned close enough that her breath tickled my cheek. When are you finally going to leave us? she asked, silk laced with venom.
Soon, I said without blinking. Dont worry.
Perfect, she trilled. We really dont have room for you anymore. By the way, well be moving your things to the storage room for a while renovations, you understand?
My spine stiffened. Excuse me?
She raised her voice so everyone could hear. Well need to move her things to storage temporarily. Renovations, you know. Hope thats alright.
Is something happening? Adrian called from the living room.
Sabrina made a wounded face. Samantha got angry when I asked her to move her things. She refuses to cooperate.
Adrians reply was immediate and merciless. This isnt your home, Samantha. You dont get a say.
Julian didnt even glance up from his phone. You dont pay the bills. Were generous to let you stay at all. You should be grateful for a storage room.
Sabrina sighed in exaggerated sympathy. Sorry, but theyre right. Ill buy you a mattress. Youll manage.
I could not speak. I left the kitchen before the words could break me open.
Hes ignoring us now? Adrian barked. Say something, Samantha! Cat got your tongue?
I paused on the stairs, turned, and smiled at him a cold, small smile.
You disappoint me, Adrian.
His expression twisted. What do you mean by that?
Enough, Sabrina said quickly, moving between us with feigned concern. Lets not argue.
Of course they rallied around her; they always did. I climbed the stairs, each step heavier than the last, until I reached my door and nearly screamed.
Noah sat on the floor, toys and paints scattered like a riot of color. His tiny palms were stamped in red, blue, and green.
My paintings.
Id started painting again in secret a quiet way to earn my own money, to buy myself something without begging for it. This canvas was almost sold; a client had finally seen the worth Id been denying myself.
Now it was smeared, ruined.
Noah! I shouted, voice breaking. What are you doing?
He looked at me, eyes wide and innocent, the bright smears on his hands smudging down his wrists. I was coloring! Aunt Sabrina told me to!
Thats not coloring! I cried, grabbing the canvas and seeing my colors streaked and blended into chaos. Thats my work!
He began to wail, a high, cutting cry. Youre mean! Youre a bad grandma! he screamed, and hurled a cup of paint at me. The lid popped off; a burst of yellow splattered across my dress, my hair, my face.
Something inside me, already raw from years of small violences, finally shattered.
I slapped him.
The second my palm touched Noahs cheek, the world seemed to explode.
His wail pierced the air, shrill and sharp, and he stumbled backward before bolting for the door. Aunt Sabrina! She hit me! he screeched as he ran. His little feet pounded down the hallway and thensilence, replaced by my own heartbeat thundering in my ears.
I stood there in the chaos paint splattered across the floor, a ruined canvas at my feet, and a wave of sickening guilt rising inside me. My fingers trembled; my breath came in short, shaking bursts. I moved toward the doorway, ready to call after him, to explain but heavy steps thundered up the stairs.
Julian barged in first, face twisted in fury. What did you do? he roared. You hit my son?
He destroyed my painting, I choked out, voice cracking. I I lost control. I shouldnt have, but
Painting? Dont make me laugh, Julian snapped. You dont have clients. Youre not an artist. Who would pay for your childish scribbles?
I
Shes just making excuses, Adrians voice cut in like a blade as he entered behind him, fury radiating from his eyes. How dare you touch my grandson? Hes a child!
Sabrina stepped in next, a mask of concern covering the delight shining in her eyes. She slapped him. But maybe she didnt mean to? It mustve been an accident right?
I swallowed hard. I didnt mean to hurt him. I just
No one cared.
Adrian stormed forward, and before I could move, his hand cracked across my face.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The slaps kept coming. Not just punishment retribution. Every blow felt like it carried every year I sacrificed, every humiliation I stayed silent through, every dream I buried for him.
Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.
Pain seared through my skull. My legs shook. The world blurred.
Sabrina lifted her voice dramatically, but her smile lingered beneath it. Stop, please! Shes learned her lesson it was only a painting!
But Adrian didnt stop.
Thirty. Thirty-five. Forty.
And then everything went black.
---
I didnt know how long I was unconscious. When my eyes opened, I was in the kitchen, lying flat against the cold tile. Dried blood stiffened the corner of my mouth. A deep throb pulsed across my cheek and ribs. From the living room floated the sound of laughter, casual conversation like nothing had happened at all.
My hand moved on instinct, reaching for my phone. My fingers shook as I unlocked the screen.
A message from my father lit up:
Dad:
Everythings prepared. Your flight to Japan is confirmed. Sunday morning. Well see the cherry blossoms like you always dreamed. The lawyer sent over the divorce papers. Print them and get his signature. Then come home, sweetheart.
Tears blurred my vision not from pain, but from relief. From hope.
Slowly, I pulled myself up, using the counter for support. Every breath ached, but a smile small and stubborn tugged at my lips.
I printed the divorce papers in silence, placed them neatly in a folder, then looked into the bathroom mirror. The reflection that stared back was bruised, exhausted, and cracked. But under all that she was alive. She had fire again.
She was done breaking.
---
Downstairs, they lounged in comfort and laughter. Sabrina poured wine, Julian scrolled on his phone while Noah played with toy trains. My mother and Adrian browsed travel itineraries both planning to enjoy the trip, cherry blossoms and all.
Kyoto on day three, Adrian said smugly. Thats when the sakura will be at their peak.
Sabrina beamed. You treat me too well.
I stepped into the doorway. No one looked up.
Adrian, I said calmly, I need your signature. These are for property and billing files.
He waved a dismissive hand without lifting his gaze. Leave it. Ill sign later.
No, I replied, stepping closer. Its urgent. Please sign now.
He groaned, irritated, and snatched the pen. Without reading a single line, he scribbled his signature wherever I pointed.
There, he grunted. Satisfied?
Completely, I whispered.
I gathered the folder gently, as if it held my very freedom. When I turned to head upstairs again, Julian finally looked up.
Where are you going?
To finish packing your luggage, I replied. I'm not done yet.
He nodded absently, attention already returning to his phone. Laughter bubbled around the room again. Plans continued. Their world spun on untouched, unaware.
And in that instant, clarity settled inside me like peace.
I could vanish from their lives and they wouldnt realize it until much later days, weeks, maybe months. I had given them years. They never gave me a moment.
But none of that mattered now.
I wasnt staying to be noticed.
I was leaving to finally live.
The morning they were set to fly out, the house buzzed like a hive bags thumping, zippers rasping open and closed, voices overlapping, and little Noah shrieking as he raced through the hallway like a spark on legs, high on excitement and sweets.
I drifted quietly between rooms, folding clothes neatly, matching socks, handing Julian the shoe hed misplaced, packing snacks so Noah wouldnt get hungry mid-flight. Moving like air present but unseen.
Noah plopped onto the sofa, arms folded tight. His small face pinched with hatred far too heavy for a child to carry. I dont like you! he screamed. Youre mean! I want Aunt Sabrina to be my grandma! Not you!
The scarf he threw fluttered down at my feet like a final insult. My chest tightened, but I stayed silent. Sabrina leaned over and stroked his hair, voice dripping sweetness. Hush now, Noah. She tries in her own way. Grandma just struggles.
Adrian didnt even look up while organizing travel papers, but his voice sliced through the room. Dont baby her, Sabrina. Shes never been good for anything. If I had a chance to redo my life He paused, eyes lingering on Sabrina with something frighteningly tender. Id pick someone like you instead.
His words stung, a deep internal bruise but they didnt break me this time.
Julian chuckled, stretching lazily. For real, Mom. Aunt Sabrinas basically the mom I deserved. You should thank her for being patient with you.
I kept my gaze on the luggage, tugging the zipper closed. My silence felt like armor.
Adrian pointed toward the hall. And remember the renovation guys come today. Tidy up the place before they arrive. And stay put while were gone. Dont touch anything and ruin it.
Yes, I murmured.
He didnt bother acknowledging me. Instead, he kissed Sabrinas cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world. Noah grabbed her sleeve, completely ignoring me as they all stepped outside chatting about cherry blossoms, hotel breakfasts, and window seats on the plane.
I stayed still until their voices dissolved into distance.
The stillness that followed wasnt suffocating like before. It felt clean. Open. Like the air just shifted and made room for me.
I didnt pick up their mess. I didnt straighten a pillow. Instead, I headed upstairs to the tiny room they wanted to shove me out of and sat on the edge of the bed, inhaling deeply.
Then I rose, pulled out my old, small suitcase, and slowly packed the clothes that actually belonged to me. No rush each fold was deliberate, calm. I rolled up the remaining paintings Id managed to protect into a tube and sealed it with tape. My art. My proof that I still existed.
When the suitcase clicked shut, I glanced around the room cracked mirror, worn blanket, chipped mug. A life of shrinking, contained within four walls that never felt like mine.
Footsteps sounded downstairs, followed by a gentle knock. My fathers driver stepped in polite, composed, eyes soft with understanding.
Maam, he greeted quietly. The car is ready.
I nodded, lifted my suitcase, and left the house without so much as a backward glance.
---
At the airport, sunlight streaked across the runway as planes glided like silver birds ready to pierce new skies. I sat near the window, hands in my lap, heart strangely light.
My phone buzzed. Once. Twice. Again. Relentless.
Finally, I checked.
Adrian: Where are you? Renovation team is here. No ones answering. The place looks disgusting. Get back here now.
Another message followed immediately:
If this house isnt spotless when I return, youll regret it. Start cleaning. And answer me!
His entitlement read almost comical now. I inhaled slowly and typed, my hands steady, my pulse calm.
I think its you who will regret this, Adrian. Im finished serving you. And Im finished being your wife. Enjoy your happy little family without me.
I hit send, then blocked his number, watching his name disappear. A weight fell away like a chain breaking link by link.
When the attendant announced boarding, I rose. My suitcase wheels hummed across the floor as I walked toward the gate. As I stepped onto the bridge, a single tear slid down my cheek.
It wasnt grief not anymore.
It was farewell.
To the woman who kept waiting to be seen.
And hello to the woman finally choosing herself.
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