MasukShare
Chapter 96
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-29 23:29:52
Bab terkait
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 97
Lucas’s POVThe steady clicking of my keyboard filled the otherwise silent office. The city lights flickered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, but I barely noticed. My focus was on the reports in front of me, the numbers blurring together as I forced myself to keep working.Work was the only thing keeping my mind from spiraling.I rubbed my temples, exhaling heavily. My body ached from the lack of sleep, but stopping meant thinking, and I couldn’t afford that. Not now.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.Before I could respond, my secretary, Chloe stepped in, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe."Lucas, you need to take a break.""I'm fine," I said flatly, not looking up.She sighed, walking further into the office. "No, you're not. You've been working tirelessly for days. You barely eat. You barely sleep. And you sure as hell haven't left this office unless absolutely necessary."I kept typing, ignoring the concern in her voice.Chloe placed a hand on
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 98
Olivia’s POVI sat in front of the grand mirror, my reflection staring back at me like a stranger. The heavy fabric of my wedding gown felt suffocating, its intricate lace clinging to my skin as if it were trying to trap me in this moment. The veil, delicately pinned into my hair, was a cruel reminder of the vows I was supposed to say today—to a man I didn’t love.God.I exhaled sharply, gripping the edges of the vanity table in front of me. This is really happening.In just an hour, I would walk down that aisle. I would take Ryan’s hand. I would say vows that meant nothing to me.I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the rising panic away.How had it come to this?I had fought so hard for my freedom, clawed my way through the ruins of my past, only to find myself right back where I started—trapped.My chest tightened as I forced myself to breathe. Maybe someone would burst through the doors and stop this. Maybe someone—anyone—would tell me I didn’t have to go through with it.But no one wa
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 99
Olivia’s POV“What?” The word barely escaped my lips, my voice coming out as a whisper. My mind couldn’t process what Ethan had just said. It felt surreal, like a dream I was on the verge of waking up from."Ryan? Dead?"Ethan’s expression remained serious, his gaze unwavering. “I didn’t believe it either at first,” he admitted, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something else—relief, maybe. “But then I got this.”He pulled out his phone and held it up for me to see.I leaned in, my stomach twisting into knots as my eyes landed on the image displayed on the screen.Ryan. Lying on the ground. Motionless. Lifeless.There was no mistaking it—the blood pooling beneath his head, the unnatural stillness of his body.I swallowed hard. “This… this isn’t some kind of sick joke, right?” My voice wavered slightly.Ethan shook his head, his expression solemn. “I swear it’s not.”Silence stretched between us for a beat. Then, as the weight of his words sank in, something unexpected
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 100
Olivia’s POV“What do we do?” Ethan’s voice was sharp, slicing through the charged silence of the room. He wasn’t panicked—Ethan rarely was—but there was a tightness to his expression that told me he understood the weight of the situation as much as I did.I exhaled slowly, pressing my fingers against my temples. The air in the room, once buzzing with my exhilaration, now felt heavy.“Olivia, this is bad.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair, glancing toward the door as if expecting our father to storm in any second. “Dad is not going to take this well.”I straightened my back and met his gaze with unwavering determination. “It’s not my fault, Ethan. I didn’t kill him.”His lips pressed into a thin line, but I could see the storm of thoughts racing behind his eyes. “Do you really think that’s going to matter?” He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “You know how he operates. Do you think he’ll let you keep the company after this? He’s going to take it back the second he finds anothe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 101
Olivia’s POVThe door clicked shut behind Ethan, leaving me alone with Austin. The weight of everything that had happened today should have sent me spiraling into panic, but for some reason, standing here with him, I felt an odd sense of calm. Maybe it was the absurdity of it all, or maybe it was because Austin had always been the one person who never expected anything from me—except to just be myself.I turned to him, studying his face. “Why are you being so nice to me?”Austin gave me a small smile, the kind that reached his eyes but carried a weight I couldn’t quite decipher. “Maybe because I cherish you so much, and I don’t know where to draw the line.”A lump formed in my throat at his words. “Why do you cherish me?”He exhaled, his gaze growing distant, as if he were looking at something only he could see. “Because the memory of our childhood is one of the best memories I have.”I felt my chest tighten. There was something about the way he said it—so soft, so sure—that made me r
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 102
Lucas's povI had no idea what to expect when I stepped into the ceremony, but nothing could have prepared me for this.The sight of Olivia in a wedding gown, standing at the altar with another man, sent a sharp pain through my chest. The world around me blurred, the murmurs of guests fading into white noise. My pulse thundered in my ears.I took a step forward, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. And then—Austin kissed her.A wave of heat surged through me, a mix of anger, confusion, and something I wasn’t ready to name. Without even thinking, I called out her name, my voice cutting through the silence that had settled over the room.She turned toward me, her eyes widening in shock, but before she could say anything, a furious voice interrupted.“Security!”Mr. Richard’s booming command rang through the hall, and in an instant, two men in black suits rushed toward me.“Hold him down,” he ordered. “I will not let him ruin my daughter’s wedding.”His daughter’s wedding.The wor
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 103
Lucas's POV I stared at Olivia, my mind racing, trying to make sense of the words that had just left her lips. "As I said, I had to protect my company."That was all she had to say?I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I tried to suppress the frustration boiling inside me. My chest heaved, my breath uneven as I struggled to comprehend how the woman I once loved—the woman I still loved—could stand before me so unaffected, so cold, as if I was just another mistake she had moved past."You refused to call what you did to me a lie," I said, my voice rough with anger and disbelief.She didn’t respond, just stared at me, her expression unreadable.I scoffed and took a step closer. "So what do you call it then?" My voice was sharp, demanding answers.She inhaled deeply, tilting her chin up slightly. "Whatever you call tricking me into falling in love with you and marrying you, only for you to break my heart and cheat on me." Her words were steady, but there was an edge to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 104
Lucas's povThe phone felt heavy in my hand, my fingers clenching it tighter than necessary. The moment the words left my mouth, I almost wished I could take them back."Let's get married."There was a long pause on the other end of the line. I could hear Amelia's breath hitch before she exhaled shakily. Then, in a voice laced with disbelief and hesitant excitement, she asked, "Lucas, are you serious?"I swallowed, my throat dry. "Yeah. I'm serious."Another pause. Then a soft, almost disbelieving laugh. "I... I didn’t think you’d actually—""Don't overthink it, Amelia." My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn't help it. "I'm doing this for the baby."Silence. Then, finally, a quiet, "Okay."I didn't wait for her to say anything else. I ended the call and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My head fell back against the couch, exhaustion weighing me down like a ton of bricks.Before I could even process what I’d just done, I heard footsteps approaching. A
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-30
Bab terbaru
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 144
Olivia's POV A week had passed since I’d seen Lucas’s text, its words—“Please visit again. I have something for you”—etched into my heart, a constant ache I fought to ignore. Each day was a battle to keep my resolve, to stay away from him, to honor the promise I’d made to Austin and myself to let Lucas go. The decision to cut personal ties, to limit our interactions to business, was a wound that hadn’t healed, a choice driven by the reality of Amelia’s pregnancy and his mother’s hatred, but it tore at me, a longing for his voice, his touch, that lingered like a ghost. My chest ached with the effort to move forward, my heart torn between love and duty, and I threw myself into distractions to keep the pain at bay. Austin, bless him, was my anchor, filling our days with outings and adventures—hiking trails, art galleries, quiet dinners—that brought a fleeting joy, his laughter a balm to my fractured spirit.That morning, I woke to the scent of coffee and pancakes, my eyes fluttering
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 143
Lucas's POV The hospital walls of the hospital room wall a prison, its sterile walls and incessant beeping a constant reminder of my fragility, my confinement. Over a week had passed since I texted Olivia—“Please visit again. I have something for you”—and the silence that followed was a weight crushing my chest. Each day without her reply deepened the ache, a mix of worry, longing, and confusion that gnawed at me. What was going through her mind? Had she given up on us, pushed away by Amelia’s pregnancy, my mother’s venom, or the chaos that seemed to follow me? My heart clung to the memory of our reunion—her tears, her hands steadying me, the warmth of her presence—but the lack of response felt like a door slamming shut, leaving me to wonder if I’d lost her for good. My body was healing, the fractures in my spine and shoulder less agonizing, the concussion’s fog lifting, but my spirit was battered, trapped in this room with the two women who made every moment a trial: my mother
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 142
Olivia's POV The kitchen was a quiet haven after Dad’s departure, the clink of dishes was a gentle rhythm as Austin and I stood side by side at the sink. My hands moved mechanically, scrubbing plates, rinsing mugs, but my heart was a storm of emotions—gratitude for Austin’s steady presence, guilt for the unanswered question about our marriage, and the raw ache of letting Lucas go. Dad’s directive to cut ties with Lucas echoed in my mind, a confirmation of my own resolve, but it didn’t ease the pain, the longing for a love now out of reach. Austin’s stunned reaction to Dad’s mention of meeting his father lingered, a puzzle I couldn’t solve, stirring an unease that gnawed at me. My chest tightened, my breath shallow as I focused on the dishes, hoping the task would anchor me against the turmoil threatening to spill over.Austin’s voice broke the silence, soft but piercing, catching me off guard. “Olivia,” he said, his tone cautious, his hands pausing in the soapy water, “why do yo
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 141
Olivia's POV The morning light filtered through the kitchen windows, casting a soft glow over the counter where I stood, the scent of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee filling the air. My hands moved with purpose, cracking eggs, flipping pancakes, arranging fruit on a plate, but my heart was a tangle of resolve and lingering pain. Last night’s decision to let go of Lucas weighed heavy, a choice that felt both necessary and devastating, like severing a piece of my soul. His face—his desperate hug, his whispered relief in the hospital—haunted me, but so did the reality of Amelia’s pregnancy, his mother’s hatred, the family he was building without me. I couldn’t be the mistress, the shadow in his child’s story, and that truth had solidified my resolve to step back, to protect my heart, to honor the marriage I’d made with Austin, even if it was born of convenience. My throat tightened, my chest aching as I stirred the eggs, the clatter of the spatula a distraction from the tears threa
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
