Chapter 2

บทล่าสุด

• He Chose Them, Not Us   Chapter 10

  Tony lost it."If you hadn't been begging for dresses nonstop—and your damn kid stealing cash for toys—I wouldn't be in this mess. You burn through money like it's nothing. I bust my ass all day and still come home to cook and do your laundry. I'm done, Pauline!"The middle-aged guy recoiled. "You have a kid?"He yanked his hand back and walked off without looking back.***Watching them, it all clicked.Back then, my paycheck kept things afloat while Tony blew his cash on Pauline—he even gave her the meat I bought.Now? He was stuck supporting her and Ryan on his own, and she wasn't doing squat. Just mooching and making it worse. No wonder he snapped.Honestly, if she'd been decent, he probably wouldn't regret a thing.Guys like Tony only ever love themselves.When they started shoving each other, I grabbed Luca and left with William.Outside the door, I thanked William. He met my eyes, steady and serious."If I could, I'd play this part forever."It hit me a second late.

• He Chose Them, Not Us   Chapter 9

  This time, Tony wasn't all smug. His eyes begged as he looked at me and Luca."Zoe, Luca, come back with me, please? I'm selling the motorcycle—gonna save up for a bigger place!"My mind flashed to the flood. It was coming this fall."Leave. Don't come near us again.""Zoe, you can't let Luca grow up without a dad!""So what? He's got a mom—that's more than enough. I already changed his last name. He's Luca Zander now."Tony just stared at me, hands tightening around his bag.Back when we signed the custody papers, he'd been too busy calling Pauline to notice anything else."Zoe, we said the divorce was just for show...""We also said we'd save for a house. But your money? Gone. You didn't chip in a dime, and you blew my savings on a motorcycle. Was it really for Pauline's commute, or just your excuse to be near her? Honestly, just looking at you makes me sick."Tony started to panic. "Let me explain."It's true—I couldn't let go of Pauline at first. I wasn't willing to acce

• He Chose Them, Not Us   Chapter 8

  He chased after us. "When are you coming back with me?"I stopped, turned, and gave him a sharp look. "Back? To remarry you? Thought you and Pauline just had a big, fancy wedding."Tony dropped his gaze. Guilt flashed across his face. "I only did that to help her get a job, I—""To help her get a job, you had to help her into bed too?" I cut in, ice-cold, and walked off. He stood there frozen.In my rush, I bumped into someone just outside the shopping complex."Sorry, I—William?""Zoe! What a coincidence. Just got back and ran into you. Talk about timing."He pulled a dress and a model toy car out of his case, handing them to me and Luca."Picked these up in Luxoria—hope you like them. Oh, and there's something else for you two."***He handed me a small, flat box.Godiva chocolates?I blinked. Those were imported—and pricey.I waved him off fast. "That's way too much. We can't take them. It means a lot, really—but take them back."All those gifts together probably cost

• He Chose Them, Not Us   Chapter 7

  At dinner, Luca dug in with this big, glowing smile. It had been ages since I'd seen him eat like that—carefree and happy.Back then, anytime I made something good, Tony would swoop in first. Most of it never even hit the table.Ribs? Forget it. Tony always said Pauline loved them, so every time we bought some, he'd take them straight to her."Mom, this smells amazing!"I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Eat all you want. These are ours."He paused, that bright smile dimming. "Mom... Dad won't give our stuff to other people anymore, right?"I forced a nod, swallowing the sting in my throat. "He won't. We're not going back."Seeing him that happy only made it hurt more.He didn't get what marriage or divorce really meant. All he knew was his dad didn't want him.But me? I was done looking back.***After Luca started school, I dove headfirst into work at the factory.The place was brand-new, barely staffed, and hardly anyone knew the tech side—so yeah, I was slammed.But it pa

• He Chose Them, Not Us   Chapter 6

  "How was I supposed to know if you didn't tell me? And because of Luca, Pauline's leg is still hurt. Here's the deal—take Luca back tonight and apologize to her. From now on, just move back home. What kind of image are you giving, staying out like this every day?"I actually laughed. Cold."We're divorced, Tony. What right do I have to live there?"He looked down, muttering, "We'll just say you're someone I hired to take care of Pauline."So that was the game. He wanted me to play maid for Pauline and Ryan."No thanks. The dorm's just fine. Beats living with certain eyesores.""Zoe, you better never come back!" he yelled, storming off.He still thought I'd crawl back, begging for another chance.Too bad for him—I was done. The second I took the job in Avenville, I cut that chapter for good.Once I wrapped up everything at work, Luca and I boarded a train. Avenville was fresh, full of possibility. I believed I could give him the life he deserved.Waiting for us was William Sau

• He Chose Them, Not Us   Chapter 5

  I stood frozen, just staring at Tony, completely speechless.He frowned, already annoyed. "Zoe, I'm doing this to help Pauline get a job. Why are you being so petty? You never used to be like this."Was it me who changed? Or was it always him?I looked up and smiled. "Sure. Nine tomorrow. I'll go with you."He blinked, stunned I agreed that fast."If there's nothing else, you should go. I've got work."His face twisted into something I couldn't read. We used to be so busy, I'd beg for time together. Now, I was sending him off without a second thought.Didn't matter. I turned and walked away.The next morning, we signed the divorce papers.When we first talked marriage, Tony didn't even want to register it. Said having a wedding made us a couple—paper or not.It took serious pushing to get him to finally sign.Back then, I thought he just hated red tape. But now? It was always about Pauline.After we finalized the divorce, I turned to leave—but Tony stopped me.He pulled so