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Chapter 66
Last Updated:
2025-03-17 13:18:05
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After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 67
Emily's POVThe garden was breathtaking, a sprawling landscape of perfectly maintained flora, untouched by the tension that poisoned the air inside the mansion. The scent of blooming jasmine and fresh earth mixed with the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. Sunlight filtered through the towering oaks, casting golden patterns on the stone pathway where Damian and I strolled.His voice was calm as he pointed out various plants, his fingers trailing over their leaves with an almost reverent touch. "This one," he said, gesturing toward a delicate purple flower, "is foxglove. Beautiful, but incredibly poisonous. A single dose can stop a heart in seconds."I arched a brow at him. "Is that supposed to be a metaphor?"He smirked. "Merely a fact. Though, I suppose beauty and danger often go hand in hand."I let my fingers brush against a cluster of herbs, their fragrance rising in the warm air. “This place is wonderful,” I murmured, taking in the sheer abundance of the garden. “Some of these
Last Updated : 2025-03-17After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 68
Damian's POVThe moment was perfect. The golden glow of the sunset bathed the garden in soft hues, the scent of blooming roses mingling with the crisp evening air. Emily stood before me, her eyes holding that rare, unguarded softness I had come to crave. I had returned with the dessert, intending to hand it to her, but suddenly, all I could think about was closing the distance between us.She tilted her head slightly, a silent question in her gaze. I stepped closer, my fingers grazing her wrist as I reached for her, the air between us thick with unspoken words. Just as I was about to kiss her, just as her lips parted ever so slightly, the distant sound of an approaching car shattered the moment.I stiffened, my expression darkening as I caught sight of the sleek, black luxury sedan rolling slowly up the driveway. Charles.A wave of irritation crashed over me. Of course, he would arrive at the most inconvenient time possible.Emily, sensing the shift in my mood, followed my gaze. “Your
Last Updated : 2025-03-21After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 69
Damian's POVThe rest of the meal passed in excruciating slowness. Every second felt stretched, every bite of food from those around me an irritation. When the plates were finally cleared and everyone began to rise from their seats, I stood without a word, walking toward the study without waiting for an invitation.Charles arrived a moment later, closing the door behind him with deliberate slowness. The sound of it latching echoed through the room, the final barrier between us and the rest of the world.I remained standing.Charles moved to sit behind his desk, the grand mahogany structure acting as a throne from which he ruled this house. He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.Then he spoke.“Damian, I let Lyla move in because I wanted to make up for the past.”I laughed, the sound sharp and humorless. “Is that what you call it?”His eyes darkened slightly, but he remained composed.“When I broke up with her, I didn’t know she was pregnant with Maya,” he continue
Last Updated : 2025-03-21After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 70
Emily's POVThe tension in the dining room was unbearable, the weight of unspoken grievances pressing against my chest like a suffocating fog. I sat stiffly in my seat, forcing myself to focus on the silverware in front of me, the polished surface of my fork gleaming under the chandelier’s glow. Damian had been called away to speak with his father, leaving me alone to endure the suffocating company of people who barely concealed their contempt for me.I was accustomed to it.Still, I had hoped for at least a moment of peace.That hope was shattered the moment Louis turned his gaze toward me.“Emily,” he said, his voice smooth, yet dripping with venom.I barely acknowledged him. I didn’t want to.But he didn’t care.He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his piercing eyes locked onto mine. “Tell me, what exactly are you trying to accomplish by being with Damian?”I inhaled sharply but refused to respond. I would not give him the satisfaction.Louis, however, took my silenc
Last Updated : 2025-03-21After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 71
Emily's POVCharlotte tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Who’s to say they don’t have an ulterior motive?”Maya’s face stiffened.Lyla’s fingers twitched slightly against the tablecloth.And Charles, despite his carefully maintained composure, looked rattled.It was Louis who spoke first.“That’s enough.”But Charlotte merely raised an eyebrow, unaffected by his demand.Then Charles finally spoke, his voice cold, sharp. “Maya has sacrificed so much for this family.”Charlotte scoffed, her lips curling into something cruel and unamused.“So, you’d rather stand up for Maya than for your own daughter?”The tension in the dining room thickened like a suffocating fog, pressing in from all sides. Charles’s face was rigid with barely contained frustration, his eyes sharp as they locked onto Charlotte. The weight of unspoken resentment hung in the air, heavy and unrelenting.“This isn’t about Maya,” Charles finally snapped, his voice stern, unwavering. “It’s about you.”Charlotte arched an
Last Updated : 2025-03-21After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 72
Emily's POVThe knock at the door came late, just past midnight. The city had settled into a hushed lull, the distant hum of traffic barely audible through the thick walls of Damian’s apartment. I had been curled up on the couch with a book, Damian beside me, his arm draped lazily over my shoulders, his warmth soothing the tension that still lingered from the disastrous dinner at his family’s estate.At first, I thought I had imagined the sound. But then it came again, sharper, more insistent.Damian sighed, untangling himself from me as he stood, his steps heavy with reluctance as he moved toward the door. He didn’t need to check who it was. We both knew.When he pulled it open, Charlotte stood there, arms crossed, chin lifted in that stubborn, unyielding way of hers. She looked just as she had when she stormed out of the estate, furious, exhausted, and wholly unwilling to explain herself.“I’m staying here tonight,” she announced, as if it were an irrefutable fact.Damian didn’t look
Last Updated : 2025-03-24After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 73
Emily's POVI blinked up at Damian, caught off guard by the sudden confession. He didn’t sound hesitant, but there was a certain weight to his words, as though he had been waiting for the right moment to say them.“I thought about it,” I admitted, my voice quiet in the dimly lit room. “It didn’t make sense to me, especially after everything we’ve been through.”His lips twitched with the ghost of a smile, but his eyes remained serious. “It wasn’t about keeping distance, Emily. I never wanted that.” He paused, as if choosing his next words carefully. “I’ve been dealing with my family’s business late at night. I didn’t want to disturb your rest.”Relief flooded through me, washing away the last remnants of doubt I hadn’t even realized I was still holding on to.“You were protecting my sleep?” I asked, a soft laugh escaping me.He smirked, brushing a kiss against my forehead. “I was trying. Though, I have to admit, I missed you more than I expected.”I smiled, my fingers tracing the stro
Last Updated : 2025-03-24After Divorce: Ex-wife Never Turns Back Chapter 74
Louis's POVLately, my life has been a complete mess.I stood in my office, the once-pristine shelves now half-empty, their contents scattered across the desk in various stages of packing. The room, once a symbol of my ambition, now felt suffocating, like a tomb I was sealing shut with every item I placed in the boxes.The decision had been made. I was leaving this company behind, stepping into a new position at Charles’ family business, a move that wasn’t entirely my own.Maya had ensured that.I dragged a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. The very thought of it sent a wave of unease through me, an unshakable heaviness that clung to my chest.My eyes flickered toward the darkened window, and just like that, the past surged forward, an unwelcome ghost clawing its way back into my mind.***Maya sat across from me, draped in silk, her lips curved in a knowing smirk. She held a glass of wine between her fingers, swirling it lazily as she leaned back against the plush couch in our
Last Updated : 2025-03-24
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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
