Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Chapter 71

Chapter 71

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Chapter 71

Meanwhile, Lily was struggling at work. Over the past few days, Xavier's work had been disrupting her focus.

She wore a scarf to cover the hickeys, but every time she looked down, it felt tight and uncomfortable-yet she couldn't take it off. By Friday evening, the hickeys had faded enough that she finally removed the scarf. Nadia decided to accompany her to take the measurements for Sarah, worried that sending her alone might look bad. Since Lily didn't have a car, Nadia drove. Sarah had sent the address directly to Nadia's WhatsApp.

Nadia didn't like Lily, and Lily had no intention of breaking the silence, so the atmosphere in the car was icy. She sat in the back, opening Hazel's WhatsApp messages from the past few days. "Lily, how can you not let your father lecture you? He was furious with me and blamed me for not raising you right. You were never truly welcomed in the Joyner family. I pitied you, spoiled you, and now it's my fault you've turned out this way..."

could sense Hazel's guilt, which left a chill in her heart.

"Lily, you must be good so your father and grandmother will like

listen, and don't

you don't do this,

voice messages and calls, which Lily had missed due to her phone being on

disappointed in

sent around midnight, was brief but stung her deeply. Yet she still chose not to

with Xavier, forever playing the role of his lowly, humiliated

fingertips to her forehead, she let herself process

her parents had left her disillusioned, she still had Hayden; she didn't want to cut them off completely. But if she had given in before her divorce from Xavier was final, things would only have been messier. Yet, despite her

realize

Nadia muttered, unbuckling her seatbelt

by the time Lily snapped out of her thoughts, she was alone in the car. Quickly, she grabbed her bag and electronic measuring tool and

steps ahead. Lily hurried to catch up, only to freeze when she saw the grand