Alle Kapitel von Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please: Kapitel 211 – Kapitel 220

JASON'S POV “Let’s see if Mason still wants to go with you after he learns the truth,” he said, calm as ever. The words hung in the room like a slap. Sharp and final. I turned slowly toward him, my jaw tightened. Truth? What truth? Across the room, Laura froze. Her face went pale, like someone had drained the color straight out of her. Her mouth opened like she had something to say, but nothing came. Then she closed it again, lips trembling. For a moment, she wasn’t the confident, manipulative woman who always managed to find a way to win. She was just… cornered. She looked between Alex and me, searching for something. An escape. A crack in our armor. Some shred of sympathy. She found none. Her fingers clutched the hospital blanket, knuckles white. I saw her blink fast, as if trying to fight back tears or maybe rage. Her throat bobbed, like she was swallowing her pride, and her gaze darted toward me again, pleading but still laced with something darker underneath – Fury, d

AVA'S POVI stared at the video again. It was short – barely thirty seconds. Just long enough to show Laura stepping through the airport terminal, dragging a small suitcase behind her, wearing sunglasses too big for her face, and that same fake calm she always put on when she was trying not to fall apart. The timestamp on the footage said 2:06 PM. Jason had texted me: "She left earlier than planned. She’s gone.” Then sent the clip. I didn’t believe it at first. Not because I didn’t think Laura would run – she was a coward when she had nothing left to manipulate, but because I didn’t think Jason would actually follow through. I’d heard this before while we were married. He’d told me he was done with her. Promised he’d cut her off, swore it was over. And every time, she called, he crawled right back to her. But a part of me had already started to wonder… maybe this time was different. I remembered the call from the afternoon before. His name had popped up on my screen, une

AVA'S POV Emma went back upstairs, probably to go and check on Mason. Even though Julian had been gone for a couple of minutes now, his smell still lingered — cheap cologne mixed with stale cigarettes and something else I couldn’t place. Something rotten. I couldn’t stand it. I needed it gone. I stood up and called out, “Rose?” She stepped out from the hallway, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Yes, ma’am?” “Can you bring the air freshener?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “He left a stench behind, and I want it gone.” Rose didn’t ask who ‘he’ was. She didn’t need to — she already knew. She just gave me that look — the kind people give when they know better than to say anything — then nodded, walked away, grabbed it, and sprayed it everywhere Julian had passed before heading back to the kitchen. I leaned against the door, letting my eyes close for a second. That’s when the bell rang again. I sighed, thinking maybe Julian had come back. My heart tightened. Bu

AVA'S POV The office was quieter than usual after the client left. I closed the door gently behind me and exhaled. The meeting had gone well, but my head was still heavy from last night. I walked to my desk and sat down, resting my elbows on the armrest and staring at nothing for a moment. Julian. The wallet was still in my bag, zipped away like some secret I didn’t want to deal with yet. I rubbed my temples and leaned back. Then I remembered Officer Mike. I had told myself I’d ask him about Laura’s early release. Even if she was already gone, flown out of the country, it still didn’t sit right with me. Something about the whole thing felt… too easy. Too fast. I picked up my phone and searched for his number – the one he gave me the night I was robbed. I hadn’t found a reason to use it until now. I hesitated for a second, then pressed the call button. It didn’t even ring twice. “Ms. Ava?” his deep, sexy voice echoed in my ears. His voice always sounded much older tha

AVA'S POV After lunch, Mike insisted on walking me to my car. He even held the restaurant door open like we were in some black-and-white movie. I smiled, "Thank you,” I said softly. Not just for the gesture, but for coming out to meet me despite his busy schedule. He gave me a small nod, walking beside me as we headed to the parking lot. “I’ll wait till you drive off,” he said. I smiled, even though my thoughts were far from light. “You don’t have to.” “I know,” he said simply. “But I want to.” That made me pause for a second. I looked at him again – not as a cop, not as someone with information – but just as a kind man. I got in my car, waved once before driving off, and watched him in my rearview mirror. He stayed standing there, hands in his pockets, until I turned the corner and he disappeared from sight. I exhaled deeply. I shook my head as I pulled into the company’s underground parking garage. I needed to reset. Think straight. Focus on what mattered. The sec