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Chapter 57
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-10 16:51:32
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After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 58
Emily's POVDamian’s gaze flickered toward me, his expression unreadable as he lifted the phone to his ear. I braced myself, instinctively holding my breath. The moment his grandfather’s voice crackled through the speaker, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A cold authority filled the air, his words sharp and commanding.“Damian, what exactly do you think you’re doing?” The question was laced with disdain, as if my mere presence in Damian’s life was an unforgivable offense.Damian remained calm, his fingers idly tracing patterns on the table as he listened. “I’m having dinner,” he said simply, his voice level.His grandfather scoffed. “Dinner? Is that what you call this reckless display? Associating with that woman—Emily—like this? Have you lost all sense of responsibility? Have you even considered what this means for our family?”I stiffened, my nails digging into my palms. That woman. As if I were some nameless mistake, an inconvenience to be swept away.Damian, however, didn’t wav
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-11After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 59
Emily's POVMorning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the sheets. I stirred, feeling warmth at my side, and when I opened my eyes, I found Damian watching me. His gaze was soft yet intent, as if he were memorizing every detail of my face. A lazy smile tugged at his lips, and my breath hitched at how effortlessly handsome he looked in the morning light.“Good morning,” he murmured, his fingers tracing a slow, delicate path along my arm.I sighed, stretching slightly before turning onto my side to face him. “Morning,” I whispered. For a fleeting moment, I let myself sink into the quiet comfort of his presence.But reality, cruel as always, came rushing back.I had to go home. I had to face my parents.Damian seemed to sense the shift in my mood because he sat up, brushing my hair behind my ear. “I’ll go with you,” he said firmly. “We need to talk to them. Get their blessing.”I hesitated. My parents had already been wary of my relationship with Damia
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-11After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 60
Emily's POVThe night was thick with a quiet tension I couldn’t shake, and as I lay in bed, I couldn’t help but replay Damian’s words over and over in my head. His tone had been so calm, so assured, as if sleeping in separate rooms was the only rational decision. He had been so gentle with me; careful to respect my space, my well-being, and yet, a part of me couldn’t ignore the hollow feeling that spread across my chest. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand; I did. But somehow, something about his restraint made me ache in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge. He was trying to do the right thing, but in doing so, he was pulling away, just when I needed him most.I had spent the rest of the evening talking with Emma. She was thrilled for me, as expected. Her excitement practically radiated through the phone, and I smiled at her enthusiastic congratulations. “You deserve all the happiness, Em,” she said, her voice brimming with pure joy. “You’ve been through so much; this is your time.”Her
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 61
Emily's POVMinutes passed like hours. His focus remained unbroken, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he scrolled through what looked like investment reports. Of all the things I had imagined him doing in the late hours of the night, like writing patient prescriptions, reading medical journals, was nothing compared to this… this was a world apart from that. Financial data. Business strategies. The thought seemed so foreign to me, so far removed from the compassionate, healing hands that had cared for me. It didn’t sit right with me.Just as I was about to quietly slip away, my heart pounding in my chest as I second-guessed myself for being so curious, Damian’s voice broke through the silence, cutting through my thoughts like a knife.“Emily? Still awake?”My breath caught in my throat. There was no hiding now. He had known I was there all along. I hesitated for a brief moment, trying to find my bearings, before I finally pushed myself into the room. I leaned against the doorfr
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 62
Emily's POVThe morning light spilled through the kitchen window, casting a soft glow across the countertops as I stood by the stove, preparing the day’s breakfast. My mind was preoccupied, a flurry of thoughts about the meals I’d been researching ever since Damian’s suggestion to focus on healthier, more nourishing recipes. It had seemed like a simple idea at first, meal plans designed to help me feel better, to align with his own health-conscious habits. But then, things had taken a serious turn.Damian had recently admitted a patient to his clinic with binge-eating disorder. The patient was struggling, trying to manage a condition that was far more than just an unhealthy relationship with food. It was a war within the mind, a storm that had to be calmed by both psychological support and careful dietary adjustments. I had never been asked to help in this capacity before. But Damian, always the calm, level-headed doctor—had asked for my advice on creating meal plans for this patient.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-14After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 63
Emily's POVWithout a word, I stepped into her car. The leather seats were cool and polished, and the air inside the vehicle smelled faintly of jasmine and vanilla. Lyla didn’t follow me in immediately; instead, she lingered at the door for a moment, adjusting her scarf as if to assert some final command. When she finally slid into the driver’s seat, the silence between us was almost suffocating.The car rolled onto the smooth streets, the sound of the tires humming on the pavement filling the space that seemed far too big for just the two of us. I couldn’t help but notice how quiet Lyla was, her face a perfect mask of serene control. The way she held herself, the way she breathed—it was all so measured, like every movement had been rehearsed. Her hands were steady on the wheel, and though she was focused on the road, I could sense her eyes flicking occasionally toward me, her assessment never ceasing.It wasn’t long before she spoke, her voice breaking the silence, a soft melody desi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-14After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 64
Damian's POVGrandfather sat on the living room sofa, his posture as poised as ever, even in something as unassuming as his home attire. His glasses perched delicately on the bridge of his nose, the lenses catching the light as he methodically flipped through the newspaper, his movements precise and unhurried. He looked like a seasoned professor, someone who had spent his entire life absorbing knowledge and wielding it like a weapon. But I knew better. I knew that behind that air of effortless composure lay a mind as sharp as a blade, always calculating, always watching.Emily, ever the gentle soul, was the first to step forward. She approached him with a kind of delicate warmth that only she could muster, her voice soft but clear as she inquired about his health. Her concern was genuine, I could hear it in her tone, see it in the slight furrow of her brow. But I also knew the truth. Grandfather’s supposed “discomfort” was nothing more than a well-crafted excuse, a subtle maneuver des
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 65
Damian's POVThe conference room was filled with the subtle hum of murmured conversations, the tension so thick it practically pulsed through the air. Rows of shareholders sat around the polished mahogany table, their expressions varying between forced neutrality and thinly veiled calculation. I had known this moment was coming. Grandfather had known as well. Yet, neither of us had spoken about it beforehand because the outcome was inevitable.Charles had been playing his little game for weeks, whispering in the ears of those who had always harbored quiet ambitions of shifting the power structure. His strategy was clever, I would give him that. Instead of a direct assault, he had chipped away at the foundation, sowing doubts, buying loyalty with carefully placed promises, all while maintaining an air of feigned professionalism.Grandfather sat at the head of the table, his presence alone enough to command silence when he finally spoke. "I understand that concerns have been raised rega
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
Bab terbaru
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 130
Madelin’s POVThe restaurant was dimly lit, all shadows and soft music, the kind of place where lovers leaned in too close and secrets were whispered into wine glasses. I sat in the farthest booth, hidden beneath the brim of a wide hat and a veil that shimmered like mist. The staff didn’t question me. Money has a way of silencing curiosity. I had slipped out of the estate days ago, or was it longer? Time meant very little to me now. The days bled together, foggy and slow, like honey dripping from a broken jar. No one noticed I was gone. Or perhaps they did, and they just didn’t care.Then, through the clink of glasses and the low hum of conversation, I saw them. Charles, Maya, and Lyla. The triumvirate of my former life, sitting under golden lights like a scene from a dream I’d never been invited into. Maya was radiant, her hand protectively resting over her rounded stomach, smiling, laughing, receiving every doting glance from Charles like she had earned them. Lyla looked different—w
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 129
Maya’s POVThe day was warm and beautiful, and the sun was casting soft shadows across the polished table where I sat across from my mother. Lyla. My mother, my enigma, my constant contradiction. She looked so elegant in that pale lilac silk blouse, her wrists adorned with delicate bangles that clinked gently every time she lifted her wine glass. Her hair was swept back with effortless grace, a loose bun that framed her face with that familiar softness I remembered from childhood. There was something different about her that afternoon. She looked… peaceful, resolved. It unnerved me.I had just finished opening the latest round of extravagant gifts that had arrived since my induction into The Salvare Society. A Baccarat crystal rattle. A limited-edition baby carriage from some obscure Italian designer. Tiny hand-stitched gowns made of French lace. Silver spoons with my child’s initials already engraved. The rich did not simply give—they performed. And I had become their stage."Can you
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 128
Barrett’s POVThe car was silent, tense like a drawn wire ready to snap. I sat between Maya and Charlotte, a wall of expensive cologne, perfume, and pride keeping us all in separate orbits. Neither of them looked at each other, and frankly, I preferred it that way. Maya, in a sleek dark emerald gown, her baby bump delicately concealed but not hidden, stared out the window with a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes. Charlotte, resplendent in a tailored navy-blue suit dress that reeked of polished ambition, kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, her jaw tight, her fingers twisting the strap of her clutch. I could feel it—the storm of resentment between them swirling like a hurricane against the glass. But I said nothing.They were going to be introduced to the Salvare Society tonight whether they liked it or not. It had taken long enough. My hand tightened around the handle of my cane. This wasn’t about who deserved it more. It wasn’t even about them. It was about legacy. It was about preserv
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 127
Charles’s POVI stepped out of the car, cane in hand, my breath fogging in the cool air. The facility was just as pristine and peaceful as always, with its manicured gardens and soft music playing behind the glass walls. A place designed for tranquility. For forgetting. For hiding people too delicate for the real world. I paid for that illusion, month after month. My name on the donation plaques ensured discretion, ensured comfort. But it could never bring back time.I walked slowly, every step measured, every inhale deliberate. I had postponed this visit for weeks, maybe months if I were honest. There was always a reason not to come. A meeting. A dinner. A fabricated emergency. I had buried myself in the rituals of my empire, pretending I had no ghosts left to face. But they lived here. She lived here. And I was out of excuses.The nurse greeted me at the door. A young girl with a polite smile and eyes that were far too curious for my liking.“She’s in the solarium,” she said, motion
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 126
Barrett's POVI had heard the shouting. Not unusual in this house, no. Emotions ran high, and the Barrett mansion had always been a place where drama echoed off the marble floors like thunder. But this—this was different. This wasn’t the irritated bickering of cooks or the clipped tones of Charlotte talking on the phone. This was raw. Violent. Human. I sat up straighter in my chair, the fine wood creaking beneath me, and tilted my head, trying to catch more. But by the time I reached the hallway, adjusting my robe and gripping my cane with one steady hand, everything had fallen silent.The lights down the corridor flickered briefly as I stepped into the hallway. And then I saw Alfred, the butler, coming up from the west wing, his face pale, his hands shaking slightly in their white gloves.“Where is Charles?” I asked sharply, my voice cutting through the silence.“Gone, sir,” Alfred said quickly. “He rushed Mrs. Lyla to the hospital. She… there was an accident. She fell. She hit her h
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 125
Charles’s POVLyla’s voice sliced through the stillness of our bedroom like a jagged piece of glass, sharp and trembling, trembling not just with rage but with years of swallowed tears and disappointment. I could barely look at her, but I couldn’t look away either. Her eyes, red-rimmed and glistening, stared straight into me, as though she could see the rot beneath my composed surface. My tablet was still in my hands, but my fingers had gone numb, and the glowing screen now felt obscene in the face of her heartbreak.“I just want my daughter to live with dignity!” she cried out, each word unraveling like a stitch pulled too tight. “Without guilt, without feeling like she doesn’t belong!”I flinched. There it was. The thing I had been pretending didn’t exist for years now. The truth. Ugly, bleeding, and long overdue. I stared at her, silent, pinned to the mattress by the weight of my own cowardice. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. How could it? I didn’t have the right to defend m
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 124
Lyla’s POVMaya turned, holding a plush white bear with a satin bow. “Still nothing?”“No,” I said, blinking back the sting in my eyes. “It’s fine. He’s probably just busy.”“With what?” she snapped. “Charlotte’s endless parade of guilt? That woman could turn a sunny day into a funeral. I swear, if she says one more thing about how he ruined her childhood, I will personally frame every photo of you raising Damian and make her eat them.”I laughed, despite the tightness in my chest. “She just misses her mother. And Charles... he carries that guilt like a stone.”“He uses it as a shield,” Maya muttered. “To push you out.”We went back to the mansion just before five. Maya excused herself for a nap, her hand resting protectively over her belly. I watched her walk away down the long corridor, her robe trailing like a queen’s train, and I felt a sudden ache so deep I nearly staggered. I had done everything for this family. I had been the glue, the thread, the silence between their shouts.
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 123
Lyla’s POVThe moment the doors closed, Maya turned on me like a storm. “I hate seeing you like this—like some kind of servant in the Barretts' house. You do things out of kindness, and they just don’t get it. They don’t see you. And let’s be honest, you don’t even have a place there—not officially.”The words hit me like a slap. My hands trembled, and before I could stop it, the tears came. Hot, humiliating, relentless tears. I didn’t even wipe them away. I just stood there, crying, whispering, “I’m sorry, Maya. I’m so sorry,” again and again like a broken record.Maya’s anger faltered. Her expression cracked, and she stepped forward, her voice softer now. “Hey. No. No, no, no.” She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close, one hand stroking my hair the way she used to when I was the strong one and she was just a frightened little girl.“It’s not your fault,” she whispered. “But you can’t keep living like this.”I sobbed into her shoulder, my fingers clutching at the fabric of
After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 122
Lyla’s POVThe morning sun filtered through the gauzy curtains of the garden canopy, spilling soft light across the freshly trimmed hedges and carefully positioned wrought-iron furniture. The air smelled faintly of lilacs and expensive fertilizer, the kind that came in black-and-gold packaging and boasted European soil enhancements. I sat quietly across from Maya at the little round table near the fountain, my hands cupped around a delicate porcelain coffee mug, steam curling into the spring air like the ghosts of my intentions. Maya looked stunning, of course, as she always did—even with her pregnancy making her visibly rounder. She wore that expensive silk robe I had given her, pale blue with gold piping, and her skin glowed like she had been kissed by candlelight. I couldn’t stop staring at her, not because I was jealous, but because she had everything I had once dreamed I’d give to a daughter of my own.“Coffee is perfect today,” she murmured, taking a sip, her voice casual but cl
