Another Home Another Love Novel by lisa _ Novel




Another Home Another Love Chapter 01

Three years in a long-distance relationship, and my boyfriend, Carlton Leblanc, never once let me visit him.
I'd throw tantrums, cry, scream—but he'd just sigh and say, "Lori, it's for your own good."
I could never argue with that.
Because it was true.
The first year we were apart, I kept trying to go see him.
The first time, I left home and forgot to turn off the gas. The whole place went up in flames.
The second time, the elevator I took malfunctioned. I was trapped for nearly a day, almost losing consciousness from lack of oxygen.
The third time, I was determined to go—surely nothing would go wrong this time. But I got into a car accident on the way to the airport and ended up in the ICU for three days.
After that, it was always Carlton flying to me.
Until this time. My company was sending me on a business trip to Washington, D.C., where Carlton lived.
I didn't tell him, hoping that luck would finally be on my side.
I guessed my prayers worked. The plane landed smoothly.
Thrilled, I was about to text Carlton.
As I turned around, I spotted him in the crowd at arrivals, holding a bouquet of red roses.
Maybe we were just in sync. Maybe one of my friends had tipped him off.
I was about to walk over when I saw him pull another woman into his arms and kiss her, both of them beaming.
--
I tightened my grip on my phone.
The unsent message still sat on the screen, not a single word changed.
Yet as I stood there, a chill shot through me.
My colleague, Hannah Spence, tapped my shoulder. "Lauren? You OK?"
My mind was a blur.
She looked around and spotted Carlton, too. Her eyes lit up. "Hey, isn't that Mr. Leblanc, the tech partner from the company we're working with? And that's his wife next to him! Three years ago, when I came here for a business trip, they'd just gotten married—they even gave me a box of chocolates!"
"They were married ... three years ago?" I murmured.
Then what did that make my three years of long-distance and eight-year relationship?
I blinked, trying to hold back the tears burning in my eyes.
Hannah didn't notice anything off about me. With a smile, she said, "That's right. Mrs. Leblanc is his secretary—they work side by side every day. He's buried in work, but he still made time to pick her up. So enviable."
Another colleague leaned in. "Oh, you don't even know the half of it. Mr. Leblanc is crazy about her. When they got married, he planned everything—the dresses, the rings, the venue, everything. Eighteen different wedding photo sets, and he didn't complain once."
I listened in a daze, my gaze fixed on the two not far away, wrapped in each other's arms.
The scene cut deep, leaving a hollow ache in my heart.
I knew how busy Carlton was.
We'd spent three years apart.
He was in D.C., I was in Seattle—nearly 4,000 kilometers between us.
I couldn't go to D.C. because of all those unlucky accidents.
So he always soothed me, comforted me, with patience that never seemed to run dry—even as dark circles gathered under his eyes.
"Be good for me, OK, Lori? As soon as work lets up, I'm all yours."
And he kept his word.
Plane tickets from D.C. to Seattle piled up higher and higher. He always came to me, never complaining.
Once, after working overtime every night for a week straight, he still flew over for my birthday.
In the flickering candlelight, his eyes sparkled like stars. "Lori, happy birthday."
Back then, I had been so sincere, praying with all my heart that the long-distance would end soon, that we'd finally get married.
But every time I brought it up, Carlton would say, his tone serious, "Be patient, Lori. Let my career get more stable first. I want us to have a solid foundation."
So I waited. For three years.
After my car accident, I was hospitalized, but Carlton couldn't take care of me—he was too caught up with work.
I told myself he was just busy building our future together. Once I recovered, I threw myself back into work.
I never even got the chance to tell him about the baby I lost in that crash.
All of it—for the future we were supposed to build together.
I never imagined he'd already built that future with someone else.
And no matter how busy he was, he never forgot to bring flowers for his wife.
After gushing over Carlton's happy marriage, Hannah turned her attention to me. "Lauren, your boyfriend's here in D.C., right? Maybe we'll get our chocolates this year."
I forced a tight smile and turned away, trying to steady my breathing. "Maybe..."
Just then, I saw Carlton and the woman get into a car. I said quickly, "Hannah, I need to take care of something. You guys head to the branch. I'll catch up with you later."
Before she could respond, I ran out of the airport.
The moment I stepped outside, the D.C. wind hit me hard, mixed with snow.
It was bone-chilling.
I was frozen solid.
Only when I got into the taxi did I notice my collar was drenched. I'd been crying without even feeling it.
I heard my own voice, hoarser than I'd ever heard it. "Sir, please follow that car up ahead."
Outside the window, the snow fell harder.
Enjoying snow with Carlton used to be one of my biggest dreams. Now, I just kept my gaze fixed ahead.
Tears blurred my vision.
I refused to blink, having only one thought in my mind—I needed an answer from Carlton.

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