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Chapter 191

Penulis: Samuel Chikwado
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-07 22:51:12

By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, I already felt like I was carrying the weight of the week in my chest. The meetings, Adrian’s cold stares, the spreadsheets I could almost hear them mocking me as I left the office.

But more than anything, my parents’ voices had been a drumbeat in my mind ever since that morning call. “You’re not getting any younger.” “A good man, a family of your own.” “Don’t forget life happens outside your office walls.”

I hated how much those words lingered, like smoke in a room I couldn’t open a window for. And yet, somewhere deep down, I could feel a part of me leaning into them.

By the time I pulled up in front of my parents’ house that evening, my hands were clammy, my stomach tight with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The front door swung open before I could even knock.

“Camilla!” Mom’s arms were outstretched before I could protest, and I found myself engulfed in a warm, tight hug. Her perfume was still the same, comforting and overwhelming at o
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  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   Chapter 194

    I watched her walk away, the slam of the door echoing in my ears long after she was gone. The sound felt like a verdict, final and cold, and it cut deeper than I thought possible. I stood there for a moment, rooted to the spot, trying to collect myself, but the sting in my chest wouldn’t subside.I had expected anger. I had expected tears. I had even expected her to push me away physically but the sheer finality of her walking away left me breathless. My hand hovered where I’d tried to kiss her, where her palm had slapped me twice, and I could still feel the sting, the sharp reminder of how far I’d been from her, and how far I still was.I should have left, driven away, let her calm down and breathe. But I didn’t. I stayed frozen in the doorway, replaying every word, every glance, every moment we had together her anger, her tears, the way she had looked at me as if I were a stranger who had the audacity to demand her attention after months of absence.I couldn’t stop thinking about h

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   Chapter 193

    I froze when I saw him at my doorstep. Adrian. My heart started hammering in my chest, and I had to swallow hard to keep my voice steady.“What are you doing here?” I asked, my hands gripping the edge of the doorframe as if I could somehow anchor myself to reality.He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me, that familiar intense gaze that always seemed to pierce straight through me. I could feel it cutting through every carefully constructed wall I’d built around myself. My stomach twisted.“I need to talk to you,” he said, stepping closer, closing the distance between us. His presence was suffocating, magnetic, and I hated how my body responded to it despite my better judgment.“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “Now’s not the time. You left, Adrian. You can’t just…”Before I could finish, he reached for me. I wanted to pull away, I really did, but he was faster, stronger. His hands cupped my face gently, almost reverently, and before I could stop him, his lips were on mi

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   Chapter 192

    I should have been focusing on work. I should have been reviewing files, planning the next move, or at least trying to keep my mind from spiraling into thoughts that had no place in a professional office. But all I could think about was her. Camilla.Her name haunted me like a private curse, a secret no one else would ever understand. I’d been careful, disciplined, cold even, trying to maintain the barrier between boss and employee. But tonight, standing outside her apartment building, I realized how weak that control really was.I had seen Ethan leave earlier, noticed the way he looked at her the easy intimacy, the familiarity. And my chest had tightened in a way that made me furious with myself. I wanted to hate him, wanted to tell myself it didn’t matter. But it did.The elevator doors in my building had felt impossibly slow, dragging each floor into eternity. I kept imagining her face, the way she had smiled at Ethan, the way her hands had brushed his without hesitation. That smil

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   Chapter 191

    By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, I already felt like I was carrying the weight of the week in my chest. The meetings, Adrian’s cold stares, the spreadsheets I could almost hear them mocking me as I left the office. But more than anything, my parents’ voices had been a drumbeat in my mind ever since that morning call. “You’re not getting any younger.” “A good man, a family of your own.” “Don’t forget life happens outside your office walls.”I hated how much those words lingered, like smoke in a room I couldn’t open a window for. And yet, somewhere deep down, I could feel a part of me leaning into them.By the time I pulled up in front of my parents’ house that evening, my hands were clammy, my stomach tight with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The front door swung open before I could even knock.“Camilla!” Mom’s arms were outstretched before I could protest, and I found myself engulfed in a warm, tight hug. Her perfume was still the same, comforting and overwhelming at o

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   Chapter 190

    The sound of my phone buzzing in the middle of a meeting made me jump. I had been trying so hard to focus on my work today, on the endless spreadsheets and budget forecasts, but my parents’ voices kept creeping into my mind like ghosts I couldn’t shake.“Camilla, you’re not getting any younger,” my mother had said over the phone that morning, her tone clipped with worry. “It’s time you start thinking about settling down. We want to see you happy with a husband, and maybe… grandchildren someday.”I had laughed nervously, shifting in my chair as if that could somehow move the words away. “Mom, I’m fine. Really. I’ve got work, and things are busy.”“Busy won’t keep you company forever, darling,” she had replied, the words almost bitter, heavy with expectation. “You need to think long term. You can’t just work all your life and expect happiness to find you.”And then Dad had jumped in, more practical than warm. “We aren’t asking for much. A good man, someone reliable. We just want to kno

  • STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA   Chapter 189

    Adrain’s PovFriday evening came with a quiet I hadn’t anticipated. The office had emptied faster than usual, the hum of activity replaced by the soft whir of cleaning machines and the occasional shuffle of papers. My assistant had left, locking up with a cheerful, “See you Monday!” that felt far too carefree. The lights were dimmed, the scent of the building subtly changing as silence filled the corners. Camilla.The thought of her being elsewhere, somewhere safe but beyond my reach, gnawed at me. I tried to shove it down, focusing on my laptop, emails, operational plans but my fingers hesitated over the keyboard, attention fractured.I hated feeling unsettled. Hated it.I poured myself a drink, pacing the office like a caged predator. The amber liquid burned going down, but it did little to erase the thought of her. Every corner of the office seemed to echo with her absence. Her chair, perfectly pushed in at her desk. Her notepad, stacked neatly, the pen still lying across the top

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