All Chapters of Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

LAURA’S POV I slammed the front door so hard the wall shook. “That bitch,” I muttered under my breath, heels stabbing the marble floor as I stormed through the house. “That goddamn bitch.” Steph trailed behind me, quiet as usual. We had just gotten back from the red carpet. She didn’t say a word. She never did when I was like this. She knew better. My hands were still shaking. I had spent weeks on that dress. Custom fabric. Hand-beaded. Endless fittings. I even kissed her assistant’s ass – that glorified gatekeeper – just to make sure Sienna Rae would wear my dress. And what happened? She showed up in Ava’s dress. Ava’s. The one woman I couldn’t stand to see win. Not tonight. Not ever. But somehow, once again… she did. I kicked off my heels and flung my clutch across the room. It hit the wall with a thud and fell to the floor. Not satisfying enough. I grabbed the lamp from the end table and threw it. Glass exploded across the tile. “She wasn’t even there!” I screamed

AVA’S POV I looked away the moment Alex stood up and began walking toward us, after saying a few words to the woman he was dining with – probably asking her to excuse him for a moment. Sally had just taken another bite of her food when she noticed the change in my expression. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to. She’d been my friend for so long that she could read me like the back of her hand. She knew when something was off with me. A few seconds later, Alex was at our table. “Hey ladies,” he said, his voice even, but his eyes flickered from me to Sally and back again. “Didn’t expect to see you both here.” I gave him a polite smile. “You too.” “I can see you’re here with a lady,” Sally winked at him, her lips curled in a smirk. "She's pretty." Alex cleared his throat slightly. “It’s not what you think, Sally. And yes, I’m here with a friend,” he said. “She just got back into the country, so I decided to give her a treat. You know, help her settle in." I nodded once

AVA'S POV I got home earlier than usual that evening. Work was still piled up, but my head wasn’t in it today. Not after that call from Alex. He’d said he was planning to take Emma and Mason to the amusement park tomorrow. Then he’d asked, casually, if I wanted to come too. I said no before I even thought it through. I wasn’t trying to spend a day riding rollercoasters with Alex pretending things were fine. But Emma somehow knew about it. I didn't know how. I was in the kitchen, pouring a glass of water, when she walked in with her bunny tucked under her arm. “Why aren’t you going?” she asked, her little voice full of disappointment. I froze. “Going where?""To the amusement park with me, Mason, and Uncle Alex tomorrow." She replied, pouting.I let out a deep breath. "Sweetheart, I just have work..." “I want you to come too,” she said, her face scrunching up the way it always did when she was about to cry. “It won’t be fun without you.” And just like that, my heart melt

AVA’S POV The sun was already warming up the day, so we found a quiet spot near the edge of the park, shaded by tall trees. A few picnic tables were scattered beneath them, and we claimed one. The breeze made the leaves sway, casting shifting shadows across the bench. I sat first, setting Emma down beside me. She wasted no time cracking open her little lunchbox, digging through it like it was a treasure. Her curls, packed into a ponytail, bounced as she hummed a tune, entirely in her own world. I smiled and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Jason came over with a sandwich in one hand, clearly planning to sit next to me. I didn’t say a word – I just shifted slightly and tapped the bench on the other side of Emma. “Sit here, sweetheart,” I said softly, nudging her toward me. Jason hesitated, sandwich mid-air, then gave this lazy little chuckle like nothing had happened. “Guess I would be standing,” he said. Emma giggled, not catching the subtext. “You can sit o

AVA’S POV I watched Alex walk into the sitting room. He looked tired like he had a lot on his mind, but he still managed a small smile. I followed him, and we both sat down on the couch. For a few seconds, it was quiet between us. Just the soft hum of the fridge in the kitchen and the voice of a man speaking on the television. Then he turned his head to look at me. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. I blinked. “Yeah… why?” He gave a small shrug. “I don’t know. You’ve just been… different lately.” I tilted my head. “Different how?” I asked, even though I already knew what he meant. “You’re uncomfortable,” he said simply, looking me in the eyes. “With me.” I opened my mouth to deny it, but I hesitated. He looked serious. Like he’d been thinking about this for a while. “I’m not uncomfortable,” I said, even though my voice sounded unsure. “Ava,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I know you. You can say whatever you want, but I can feel it. You’ve been pulling back ever