Semua Bab Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please: Bab 151 - Bab 160

AVA'S POV The meeting room was filled with a thick tension the moment I stepped in. Conversations died down, and all eyes turned to me. The public relations and human relations Executives. They were all here, their faces tight with concern, frustration, and something else I didn’t like – doubt. I walked straight to my seat at the head of the table, set my tablet down, and folded my hands. Sally sat beside me, flipping open her notebook, already scanning the room. I let the silence stretch before I spoke. “Talk to me.” Melissa, head of PR, adjusted her glasses, exhaling sharply. “It’s bad.” I raised an eyebrow. “I figured. Be specific.” She pushed a folder toward me. “Social media is still on fire. Every post we take down is being reposted somewhere else. News outlets keep picking up new angles. Now, some of our retailers are taking a step back. They want to see how this plays out before moving forward with us.” I flipped through the folder. Screenshots of headlines, tre

LAURA’S POVI pulled into the school parking lot with one thing on my mind — get Mason and get out. The whole day had already been a mess. My phone had been buzzing nonstop with news about Ava. The gossip was everywhere. Her face is all over the internet. Headlines dragging her down. The press was having a field day. I should’ve been celebrating — finally, the golden girl cracked. But I couldn’t even enjoy it properly. My nerves were shot because Jason had been ignoring my calls. Mason was the only reason I was here. I checked the time. He should’ve been out by now. I stepped out of the car, clutching my purse tight as I walked toward the front gate. Just as I reached into my pocket to call his teacher, something caught my eye, and I froze. I saw a familiar figure — Alex Grey. Standing tall, calm, like he owned the damn world. And my son — my son was right in front of him. Alex was crouched, stroking Mason’s head. Talking to him. Smiling. In a way that made my heartbeat pound lo

AVA’S POV The moment his lips touched mine, my heart… just stopped. Not romantic. More like a sharp, paralyzing panic. I froze. For half a second, I didn’t move. My brain didn’t register what was happening – just the heat of his mouth, the scent of his cologne, and the taste of his lips. Then everything came rushing back – what he did while we were married, what he caused, the hell I’ve been dragged through. Then I snapped back. I shoved him hard with both hands and stepped back. My palm lifted before I even thought about it. Smack. The sound of the slap echoed through the empty garage. My palm stung, but I didn’t care. He didn’t even say anything. Just stood there, stunned, like he was the one who got hurt. I didn’t give him a second glance. I yanked my car door open, slid into the seat, slammed the door shut, and drove off. My vision blurred with angry tears as I sped down the road. Why did he have to come tonight? Why now? When I was finally trying to hold everything to

AVA'S POV I blinked. “A… date?” The word hung in the air like something too fragile to touch. We’d had lunch together. Dinners, coffees, runs, late-night drives. But it was always casual, and friendly. Nothing was ever labeled. Never a “date.” And yet here he was – Alex standing near my window with that serious, steady look on his face, asking me out like it meant something real. I didn’t know what to say. Alex was the kind of guy most women would call a dream. Handsome, wealthy, stable. The way he carried himself, the way he treated me – with respect, kindness, patience. I never had to worry about him stepping over lines or making me feel small. He wasn’t like Jason. Not at all. But I’d never pictured us dating. Not because I wasn’t attracted to him – I was. There were moments, late at night, when I’d catch myself thinking about how safe I felt around him… how his voice calmed my nerves. But love? Did I love him? Did I even know what love was anymore? The silence betwe

AVA'S POV I woke up before my alarm, my eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. My head felt heavy like it had been stuffed with cotton. Last night kept replaying in my mind — Alex’s question, Jason’s kiss, the phone call from Sally, and that headline flashing across my screen like a punch to the gut. I didn’t know which part hurt more. The fact that I couldn’t give Alex an answer… or the fact that everything I built was crumbling in front of me because of baseless rumors. I didn’t even want to get out of bed. But I had to. I pushed the covers off and sat up slowly. My chest felt tight again. I hated waking up like this — with that weight pressing down on me before the day even started. I forced myself up from the bed, dragging my feet to the bathroom. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and barely recognized myself. My eyes were puffy, my skin pale. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would help me feel human again. It didn’t. After bathing, I hurriedly got re