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Chapter 40
Last Updated:
2025-02-09 23:59:14
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DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 41
Olivia’s POVDinner was warm, lively, and exactly what I needed. Sitting at the table with Vivian and Aiden filled the emptiness that had been lingering in my house for weeks. It had been so long since I felt this kind of joy—simple, uncomplicated happiness. Watching Aiden’s tiny hands struggle to cut his food while Vivian helped him, laughing at his exaggerated expressions, made me realize how much I missed moments like this.“You’ve barely touched your food,” Vivian pointed out, eyeing me as she fed Aiden a piece of chicken. “Are you okay?”I blinked, realizing I had been lost in thought. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... happy you’re both here.”Vivian smiled warmly. “We’re happy to be here too, right Aiden?”Aiden nodded enthusiastically, his cheeks stuffed with food. “Mhm! Aunty Liv, your food is the best!”I chuckled, reaching over to ruffle his curls. “I’m glad you like it.”Just as we finished dinner, Vivian’s iPad rang from the table. The screen lit up with Marcus Calling. Befo
Last Updated : 2025-02-10DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 42
Olivia The air in Robert Miller’s office was heavy with anticipation. I had spent the morning going over every possible scenario, rehearsing my pitch, and convincing myself that I was ready for this. Nexus needed this deal, and after everything that had happened, I needed a win. I stepped out of the elevator, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor as Robert’s assistant greeted me with a polite smile. “Mr. Miller is expecting you, Ms. Smith. Please, follow me.” Ms. Smith. It was the name I had chosen to use professionally—the name I had taken from my mother. But as I walked into the spacious office, and saw the infamous Robert Miller sitting confidently behind his massive desk, I had the unsettling feeling that it was going to be a long day of negotiations. “Olivia,” he greeted me warmly, standing up and extending a hand. “It’s been a long time.” I hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand. “Mr. Miller, thank you for meeting with me.” “Robert, please,
Last Updated : 2025-02-13DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 43
OliviaThe moment Robert left the room, silence settled between me and Preston like an unspoken challenge. The weight of the past, the shock of the present, and the uncertainty of the future pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.I clenched my hands in my lap, willing myself to stay composed. I wouldn’t let him see how much his presence unsettled me. Not here. Not in a professional setting.“So…” His voice was lower than I remembered, steady but cautious. “How have you been?”I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze. “Busy.” My response was clipped, but I had no energy for small talk.His lips pressed into a thin line, as if he expected my reaction but still found it disappointing. He exhaled slowly. “I figured.”Silence again. A heavy, suffocating kind of silence.He shifted, adjusting his cufflinks, and I caught the subtle movement of his throat as he swallowed. The sight of it irritated me. I didn’t want to notice these small things about him. I didn’t want to be here, sit
Last Updated : 2025-02-14DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 44
OliviaI inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself. The encounter with Preston had left me shaken, and my hands still gripped the contract a little too tightly. I had spent months avoiding him, and now, in one afternoon, I had been forced to sit across from him, listen to him speak, and acknowledge that our lives would be entangled again—at least professionally.I exhaled and walked toward my car, my heels clicking against the pavement. I needed to get out of here, away from the weight of his presence, away from the suffocating reality that we would be working together again.I slid into the driver’s seat and inserted the key into the ignition. I turned it. Nothing.Frowning, I tried again. The engine gave a pathetic sputter before falling silent. My heart sank. Not now. Not here.“Great,” I muttered under my breath, slumping against the seat.A soft knock on my window made me stiffen. I turned my head, already knowing who it was.Preston stood outside, hands in his pockets, watc
Last Updated : 2025-02-16DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 45
Olivia’s POVThe hospital smelled like antiseptic and uncertainty. The overhead lights buzzed faintly, their artificial glow casting pale shadows against the white walls. I sat in the waiting area outside the emergency room, my fingers curled tightly around my phone. My heart hadn’t stopped pounding since Vivian’s panicked call.Lucas sat beside me, silent but alert. He hadn’t left since we arrived, even though he had no reason to stay. I had barely spoken to him on the drive here. My mind had been too consumed with worry for Aiden.Vivian had rushed past us the second we arrived, disappearing with the nurses behind the heavy double doors. I had wanted to go with her, but the staff insisted she be alone with Aiden while they assessed his condition. Now, all I could do was wait.I swallowed hard, gripping my phone tighter as if it would somehow tether me to reality. “He’s just a kid,” I whispered. “He shouldn’t have to go through this.”Lucas shifted beside me. “He’ll be okay.” His
Last Updated : 2025-02-17DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 46
OliviaThe hospital air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and something else—something heavier. Fear. Worry. It clung to me, seeped into my skin, and settled in my chest like a weight I couldn't shake.Aiden was inside, and we had no idea what was happening to him. Vivian had been with the doctor for what felt like forever, and I couldn’t sit still. My legs bounced restlessly, my fingers clenching and unclenching around my phone. I had texted her twice. No response.Lucas sat a few seats away, his posture relaxed, but I wasn’t fooled. His fingers tapped against his knee in an uneven rhythm, and he kept glancing at the doors like he expected someone to burst through them at any second.The silence between us stretched, uncomfortable but familiar. We had shared too many moments like this before—waiting rooms, tense breaths, uncertain futures.I didn’t want to think about that.The doors finally opened, and Vivian stepped out. Her face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed. She looked sm
Last Updated : 2025-02-18DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 47
Olivia’s POV The past two days had drained me. Between sleepless nights, endless worry over Aiden’s condition, and trying to keep my business running smoothly, I felt like I was barely holding myself together. I had buried myself in work, hoping it would be a distraction. But no matter how much I tried to focus, my thoughts kept drifting—back to the hospital, to Vivian’s exhausted face, to Lucas’s unreadable expression when he had driven me there without hesitation. And now, sitting in my office, my body ached with exhaustion, my mind fogged from too little sleep. I rubbed my temples, forcing myself to concentrate on the contract in front of me. The Nexus deal was at a crucial stage, and I couldn’t afford to let anything slip. But even as I tried to refocus, I couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I barely looked up before Natalya, my secretary, stepped inside. "Ms. Smith," she said, her voice professional ye
Last Updated : 2025-02-19DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 48
Olivia’s POVMorning came too soon. My head ached from the restless night, and the influence of exhaustion pressed against my body as I forced myself out of bed. The past few days had drained me completely—Aiden’s condition, Vivian’s struggles, and Lucas’s unexpected presence in my life again.I sighed, rubbing my temples as I pulled my blazer over my shoulders. I barely had the energy to go to work, but I didn’t have the luxury of taking a break. The deal with Preston Robotics was at a crucial stage, and I needed to stay focused. I headed to the hospital to check up on Aiden before going to the office.I walked down the hallway of the hospital with the heels of my shoes clicking against the tiled floor as I approached Aiden’s room. It had been two days since he was admitted, and though his condition had stabilized, the fear still clung to me like a second skin.Pushing open the door, I found Vivian sitting beside Aiden’s bed, her fingers gently brushing over his forehead as he sle
Last Updated : 2025-02-20
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DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 140
Olivia's POV The car was a pressure cooker, the air thick with tension, Austin’s words—“You’ll end up a mistress, a second woman”—still burning in my ears, fueling a rage that pulsed through me like wildfire. My hands shook, my chest heaving with a mix of anger and hurt, my tears streaming down my cheeks as I glared at him, his profile rigid against the city lights blurring past. His accusation had struck a nerve, igniting a fury I hadn’t expected, a defiance against the idea that my love for Lucas could be reduced to something so degrading, so small. But beneath the anger was a gnawing fear, a whisper that he might be right, that my place in Lucas’s life was precarious, shadowed by Amelia’s pregnancy and his mother’s hatred. My throat tightened, my heart aching.The guilt of hurting Austin, and the stubborn love for Lucas that refused to let go.Austin’s hands gripped the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, but his voice broke the silence, low and sharp, pushing the tension higher.
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 139
Olivia's POV My heart pounded, my breath shallow, my eyes fixed on Amelia, crumpled on the floor, her hands curled around her belly, her sharp cry echoing in the sterile corridor. Lucas was on his knees beside her, his face pale with guilt and panic, his trembling hands reaching to lift her despite his own weakness, the IV line swaying precariously. My chest ached, torn between the love that had surged during our brief, stolen moment—his arms around me, his lips on my forehead—and the crushing guilt of witnessing this fallout, the chaos my presence seemed to ignite. My throat tightened, tears stinging my eyes as I stepped forward, instinct driving me to help Lucas, to steady him as he struggled.“Lucas,” I said, my voice trembling, my hands gripping his arm, supporting his weight as he tried again to lift Amelia, his breath ragged, his eyes wild with fear. But Victoria’s hand shot out, shoving me back with a force that made me stumble, her glare venomous. “Stay away!” she spat,
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 138
Lucas's POV “She’s a married woman, she doesn’t belong to you”His statement hung in the air, a cold reminder of the boundaries I’d crossed. My chest tightened, a mix of embarrassment and defiance flooding me as I realized the scene we’d made, my arms around Olivia, my lips on her forehead, all under the hospital’s fluorescent glare. Faces turned our way—nurses, visitors, their eyes curious, judgmental—and I felt heat rise to my cheeks, a flicker of shame for letting my emotions override caution. My body ached, the IV line tugging at my hand, the pain in my spine and shoulder a constant throb, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart, the desperate need to hold onto Olivia, to keep her close after nearly losing her.I pulled back, my hands dropping from her face, my voice low, apologetic. “I’m sorry,” I said, my eyes flicking to Austin, then back to Olivia, my throat tight with regret. “I didn’t mean to… I just—I thought you were gone, and I couldn’t—” My words falter
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 137
Lucas's POVThe hospital room felt like a cage, its sterile walls closing in, the incessant beep of the heart monitor a mocking reminder of my fragility. My body ached—my spine and shoulder throbbed with every breath, my head pounded with the lingering fog of the concussion—but the real pain was in my chest, a raw, searing ache that came from Amelia’s words: “Olivia’s dead. She died in the explosion.” The memory of her venomous lie, the way it had shattered me before I lost consciousness, haunted me, a wound that refused to heal. I lay propped against the pillows, my hands clenched, my heart a battlefield of grief, doubt, and a stubborn flicker of hope that Olivia was still out there, alive, despite Amelia’s cruelty. The room was a prison, and the two people in it—Amelia and my mother—were the most unbearable company I could imagine, their presence a suffocating weight that made me dread every moment.Amelia sat in a chair by the window, her arms crossed, her face a mask of sullen
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 136
Olivia's POV The hospital lobby was a crucible of judgment, every pair of eyes boring into me like a spotlight, their stares heavy with suspicion and curiosity. Victoria stood before me, her face twisted with grief and rage, her voice still ringing in my ears—“Murderer!”—a word that branded me, searing into my heart. My chest heaved, my breath shallow, my legs trembling as I stood frozen. My throat tightened, tears stinging my eyes as guilt and fear churned within me, a relentless storm that whispered I was to blame, that my presence was a curse, dragging death and destruction to everyone I loved. The whispers of onlookers—nurses, visitors, staff—grew louder, a chorus of judgment that made my skin crawl, my heart pounding with a panic I couldn’t quell.Austin’s hand was on my arm, his presence a steady anchor, but before he could speak, a commotion broke through the crowd. Two police officers pushed their way toward us, their faces stern, their steps purposeful, led by an older
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 135
Olivia's PovThe morning sun casted soft shadows across the hardwood floor, but its warmth did little to ease the chill that had settled deep in my bones. I’d chosen to stay home today, my heart and body too heavy to face the world beyond these walls. The past days had been a relentless storm—Lucas’s injuries, the explosion that obliterated my car, Richard’s chilling admission that it was meant for me, and Amelia’s venomous accusations at the hospital. My chest was a tight knot of worry, fear, and guilt, each emotion a weight that anchored me to the sofa, my knees drawn to my chest, a blanket draped over my shoulders like a fragile shield. The news, always ravenous for scandal, seemed to stalk me, my name or my company’s splashed across headlines month after month, a cycle of exposure that left me feeling raw, vulnerable, a target in a game I couldn’t decipher. My throat tightened, my breath shallow as I stared blankly at the wall, my thoughts a tangled mess of dread and despair.
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 134
Lucas's povThe world was a haze of white light and muffled sounds when I first opened my eyes, my lids heavy, each blink a struggle against the fog that clouded my mind. Pain throbbed in my skull, a dull, relentless pulse that radiated through my body, my spine and shoulder aching with a sharpness that made my breath catch. The sterile scent of antiseptic stung my nose, the beep of machines a distant rhythm that grounded me, even as my thoughts swirled, disjointed and fleeting. Where was I? A hospital, I realized, the realization slow, like wading through molasses. My chest tightened, a flicker of fear sparking as fragments of memory surfaced—the explosion, the heat, the force that had thrown me against the stairs, Olivia’s car in flames. My heart lurched, a single name cutting through the haze, sharp and urgent: Olivia.“Olivia,” I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely audible, scratching against my dry throat. My eyes darted around the room, searching for her, for her familiar
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 133
Olivia's POV The doctor’s words—“Mr. Preston has some brain injuries”—hung in the hospital waiting room like a dark cloud, each syllable a fresh wound that tore at my heart. My breath caught, my chest tightening with a fear so raw it threatened to choke me. Lucas, with brain injuries—my mind reeled, conjuring images of him lying still, his vibrant strength reduced to a fragile thread, his life hanging in a balance I couldn’t reach. My hands trembled, my eyes burning with tears I fought to hold back, as I stood frozen, my gaze locked on the doctor, desperate for more, for hope, for anything to ease the terror gripping me. Amelia’s presence, her earlier outburst, Austin’s steady hand on my shoulder—they faded to a distant hum, my world narrowing to the doctor’s next words, to the fate of the man I still loved, despite everything.The doctor, a woman with tired eyes and a calm demeanor, continued, her voice clinical but not unkind, grounding me even as it delivered more blows. “He a
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 132
Olivia's POV The office was quiet, the hum of the day winding down as I stood at my desk, stacking files and shutting down my laptop. My heart was a tangle of guilt, longing, and a fragile hope I couldn’t name, caught between Lucas’s pull and Austin’s steady care within the past few weeks.I rubbed my eyes, exhaustion seeping into my bones, when my phone buzzed, Austin’s name lighting up the screen. A small smile tugged at my lips, his reliability a quiet comfort in the chaos.“Hey,” I answered, my voice soft, tinged with weariness but warmed by his call. “You checking up on me again?”His chuckle was low, grounding, a sound that eased the knot in my chest. “Always,” he said, his tone light but laced with concern. “You done? Ready to head home? I can swing by.”I glanced at the clock—nearly five, the office emptying out—and nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, I’m just finishing up,” I said, my voice steadier now, a flicker of relief at the thought of him waiting for
