My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 381

After dinner, Jabco excused himself and stood up. “I’ll be back,” he said, heading toward the bathroom.

As he walked away, the tension shifted but did not disappear.

David leaned back in his chair, relaxed, as if he hadn’t just stirred something dangerous. Lily glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

“You enjoy this,” she said quietly.

“Enjoy what?” David asked.

“Provoking people,” she replied. “Especially him.”

David looked at her properly then. “I don’t provoke,” he said. “I only say what I hear.”

She let out a humorless laugh. “That’s not true.”

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But I don’t apologize for it.”

This time, his eyes shifted to Riyana.

He knew he was making her uncomfortable. He knew it very well. But he also knew Jabco hadn’t told anyone about his relationship with her. And David had seen how worried Lily was for Riyana.

In his own twisted way, he thought he was doing this for Lily.

Riyana met his gaze and gave him a faint, unreadable smile.

David looked away first. He turned to Lily. “I’ll be back,” he said, standing up.

Lily nodded silently as he walked out toward the bathroom.

“Let’s go,” Lily said softly to Riyana after a moment.

Riyana nodded.

“Sweetheart, come on. Mommy’s birthday is finished,” Lily said gently, ruffling her son’s hair.

Danish giggled as he slid off the chair and took Lily’s hand.

David walked into the bathroom with steady steps.

The moment the door closed behind him, the noise from the private room faded, replaced by the quiet hum of lights and the soft echo of running water.

The bathroom was spacious and clean, smelling faintly of disinfectant and expensive soap. Large mirrors lined the wall, reflecting the cold white light that made everything look sharper than it really was.

Jabco was already there.

He stood in front of the sink, his sleeves rolled up slightly, water running over his hands. He washed them slowly, almost mechanically, as if his mind was somewhere else. Droplets slid down his fingers and splashed into the basin, the sound steady and controlled. But his jaw was tight, and his shoulders were stiff.

He knew David was behind him even before he saw him in the mirror.

David laughed.

It wasn’t warm or amused. It was sharp, almost mocking, echoing slightly in the tiled room.

“Are you sure?” David asked, shaking his head slowly. “Sometimes I think you really admire me.” His lips curved into a cruel smile. “You follow my footsteps too well.”

He took a step back, giving Jabco a full look, as if assessing him. “You ran behind Lily for seven years. Seven.” He raised a finger.

“And when you couldn’t have her, you forced your secretary to marry you.”

The words hit harder than Jabco expected.

“And now look at you,” David continued, his tone calm but cutting. “You don’t even have the courage to make her public. You can’t even introduce her to your family.”

That was it.

That struck directly at Jabco’s ego.

His teeth ground together, and his eyes darkened. “You don’t get to compare me to you,” he said through clenched teeth. “You hurt Lily. You used her.” He took a sharp breath. “I married Riyana. I cherish her.”

His voice rose slightly, emotion bleeding through despite his effort to control it. “I haven’t introduced her to my family because the time isn’t right. Not because I’m ashamed.” He stepped closer again. “And I will never choose anyone over her. She knows that.”

His eyes burned. “She’s happy with me. She’s not going to leave me the way Lily left you.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Even now, your relationship is unstable. And you think you have the right to lecture me?”