Lahat ng Kabanata ng CUTTING THE CORD: my ex-husband regret : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

The air felt heavier than usual as I walked out of the café, the USB drive tucked tightly in my pocket like a grenade waiting to explode. The consequences of my decision were already unfolding, and I could feel the weight of them pressing on my chest. Daniel trailed behind Oliver and me, keeping his distance but close enough to remind me that he wasn’t entirely out of the picture. I had made the choice to help him, but trust was still a fragile thread between us."Emily, are you sure about this?" Oliver asked, his eyes scanning my face for any signs of doubt. His protective stance reminded me of just how deeply he had become involved in this mess. He had always been there—solid, unwavering—and yet, for the first time, I felt like the ground beneath our feet was beginning to shift.“I don’t have a choice,” I said, my voice firm, though my mind was a swirl of uncertainties. “If we don’t act now, Rachel will take us all down. This is the only way to stop her.”Oliver frowned, glancing ba

The room was tense, thick with the weight of Rachel’s threats and the fear that hung between us. Oliver stood in front of me, running a hand through his hair as he paced the length of his office. His usual calm and calculated demeanor was gone. Now, I could see the cracks—the pressure mounting on him, not just from Rachel but from something else I couldn’t quite place.I watched him silently, the file Rachel had planted against Abby lying open on the table between us. It felt like a ticking time bomb, and we were both too close to ground zero."We need to act fast," I said, breaking the silence. "Rachel won’t hesitate to ruin Abby’s life if it means getting to me."Oliver nodded but didn’t stop pacing. His movements were agitated, like he was carrying the weight of something much heavier than even this current crisis. Something was eating at him, and I could see it in his clenched jaw and the way his hands trembled just slightly when he thought I wasn’t looking."Oliver," I called out

I left for the cabin that afternoon, the weight of my mother’s letter pressing heavily on my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the answers I so desperately needed were just out of reach, hidden beneath layers of secrets and lies. The drive out to the family cabin was long and lonely, the familiar winding roads offering little comfort. It had been years since I’d last visited, and yet the memories flooded back as soon as I caught sight of the towering pine trees and the narrow gravel path leading to the cabin.The caretaker, James, was already waiting for me when I arrived. He greeted me with a nod, his weathered face showing the signs of someone who had spent decades tending to the land. He didn’t ask why I was there, and I didn’t offer an explanation. We both knew that the cabin held memories—some good, some too painful to revisit.“Everything’s as you left it, Ms. Emily,” James said quietly as he handed me the keys. “I’ll be nearby if you need anything.”I thanked him and made

The drive to see my father left me numb. The air outside the car window felt heavy, and the weight of the upcoming reunion pressed against my chest. I had spent years pretending he didn’t exist, pushing away any memories of him. Now, he held the one thing that could either save me or completely unravel everything my mother had fought to protect.Oliver sat beside me in silence, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. The tension in the car was thick, but we both knew there was no turning back. I had to see my father, face whatever truths had been hidden from me, and figure out why he held the key to everything.But before we even made it halfway, my phone buzzed, slicing through the quiet like a knife. I fumbled to pull it out of my pocket, my hands shaking. A message popped up on the screen—one that froze my blood.“We need to talk. Alone. Bring the boy. Or you’ll never see him again. - R"Rachel. My breath caught in my throat as my mind raced. The boy. **Mikey**. I immediately diale

The moment Mikey was pulled from Rachel’s grasp and into the arms of her henchman, my heart raced with hope and fear. Every second felt like an eternity. I had played my cards carefully, but I was still operating on blind faith—the docks, the message, the looming uncertainty. Was I making the right call, or leading myself straight into another of Rachel’s traps?As Mikey was led out of the warehouse, I kept my eyes glued to him. His small body slumped in exhaustion, his clothes tattered and dirty, but at least he was walking. He was alive. "Now, Emily, the contract," Rachel’s cold voice snapped me back to the present. I held the pen in my hand, feeling the weight of the paper beneath it. My mind screamed at me to stall, to keep her focused just a few minutes longer. I couldn’t sign over everything—not now, not after I had come this far. The message in my pocket was a lifeline, a chance I couldn’t ignore."Oliver," I called quietly, barely daring to glance his way, "we have to move n