---- Chapter 170 Liam's calm voice, paired with the soft hum of the radio, settled something in Wendy's chest. She turned to look at him, hands on the wheel, focused on the road. Knowing he was there somehow gave her a strange sense of strength. "Alright," she replied. She pulled out her phone and texted Zelda quickly , asking if Ethan was afraid of the thunderstorm . The reply came back almost instantly. "Mr. Frank is not scared at all. He's playing with his toys right now.

I'll get him washed up in about 30 minutes and tuck him in after that." Wendy glanced at the message and finally felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders . She let out a sigh of relief, and the tension on her face eased noticeably. She glanced over at Liam. "You know, sometimes I wonder... how someone out there could understand me this well." He smiled faintly. "Are you talking about me?" She nodded. "Yeah.

Now that I think about it, even back in Veloria , you used to say things that steered me in the right direction." "Did I?" His expression was unreadable. "All I remember is we stopped talking for over six years." Wendy's breath hitched, and she looked down. "I'm sorry for making the decision to get married back then-" ---- Before she could finish, Liam cut in. "It's in the past now. Just promise me you won't make the same mistake again." Wendy gave a small smile but didn't say anything.

Since Liam's return, it felt like someone had reached into her world and yanked her back to the surface. Everything suddenly felt a little less overwhelming. "Don't worry," she said softly, looking out the window. "The day I chose to divorce James, I swore I'd never bend over backward for anyone ever again." 'The mood in the car had shifted since they left the hospital - it was lighter now. Once they got home, Wendy even offered to help Liam prep dinner in the kitchen.

When she lived in the Frank residence, she had to juggle work and time things just right to prepare Ethan's kid-friendly meals. For six years straight, she barely had a breath to herself. But at that point, things were different. She had a friend by her side. She could focus on her work, be herself, and stop worrying about pleasing anyone else. Outside, the storm raged on. But inside, the house was warm and full of quiet laughter, completely untouched by the thunder and rain.

Downstairs , parked in his car, James sat staring at a stack of photos, creased and warped from how tightly he'd been ---- gripping them. Still, he couldn't stop flipping through them one by one. It stung more than he expected when he saw Wendy and Liam. together like that -at the hospital and so at ease with each other. They worked in the same room, ate meals together, went grocery shopping, and did everything together. She clearly didn't care what he thought anymore.

His fingers clenched tighter around the photos. Then, he tossed them onto the passenger seat and closed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. Why hadn't it ever bothered him before when she stood next to another man? Why did this feel like such a punch to the gut? It could be because Liam actually meant something to Wendy. That was why he couldn't stand it. James drew a sharp breath and rolled down the window. He didn't seem to notice even as rainwater spilled into the car.

He just lit a cigarette in the dark. He hadn't smoked in years, not since Ethan was born. But when he saw the warm light glowing from the window above, James couldn't take it anymore. He started the engine and drove off. All that remained was the half-smoked cigarette on the ground, its last ember snuffed out by the rain. ---- Back at the Sanders residence, Jenna lay sprawled on the couch, complaining to Mary. "T swear, I'm going crazy.

Ethan keeps dragging me into his little toy adventures every five minutes! It's beyond boring, and I never get a chance to be alone with James. She pouted dramatically. "And Zelda? I swear she's spying on me for Wendy. She watches everything I do. [hate it there, but Ican't just come back here either. If do, James might think I gave up." Mary gently massaged her shoulders. "You poor thing. It's all Wendy's fault. If she were still living in the Frank residence , you wouldn't have to deal with any of this."