Watching a Grown Man Fall Apart

Maya"Oh. Okay." Olivia's response was careful, neutral.I could tell she wanted to ask what I planned to do about my mother's request, but something stopped her. Maybe the way I was staring out the window, or maybe she just knew me well enough to recognize when I wasn't ready for questions.Before I could form a complete thought about any of it, Vincent spoke up from the driver's seat."Maybe you should go see her," he said, catching my eyes in the rearview mirror. "Hear what she has to say. Olivia and I can deal with the situation with your friend Troy."I shook my head immediately. "No. I don't care what my mother wants. I want to be there when we meet Troy."The words came out more firmly than I'd expected, but even as I said them, something felt hollow about the whole thing. Was I just trading one uncomfortable situation for another? Yes, I wanted to see Troy, but at the same time, I really didn't. Part of me thought it would be easier to just keep ignoring things, pretending none

Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-06-17

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She Deserves Respect

OliviaMaya looked like she'd been hit by something she couldn't see. She was just standing there, staring at Troy while he fell apart in front of us, and I could practically watch her brain trying to process what she was seeing.I'd known Maya for years. I'd seen her angry, hurt, frustrated, exhausted. I'd seen her cry over Daniel, over her parents, over the whole mess with the foundation. But I'd never seen her look this confused. This lost.And I got it, honestly. This was Troy. Troy, who never let anyone see him vulnerable. Troy, who had a sarcastic comment for everything, who treated emotions like they were inconvenient interruptions to more important business. I'd never seen him cry either, not once in all the time I'd known him.But here he was, completely broken over a woman he'd barely known. It didn't make sense.Maya seemed to realize she needed to do something. Her hand moved slowly, hesitantly, until it landed on Troy's shoulder. The gesture looked awkward, like she wasn'

Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-06-18

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Walking Away

MayaOlivia's apartment felt too small for all of us. The living room that had always seemed cozy now felt cramped with four people who didn't know how to look at each other. Troy sat hunched forward on the couch, elbows on his knees, staring at his hands. Vincent stood by the window like he was planning an escape route. I took the chair farthest from everyone else."Water?" Olivia asked, moving toward the kitchen. "Coffee? I have some of that good stuff from—""I'm fine," Troy said."Maya?"I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could keep anything down right now.Olivia disappeared into the kitchen anyway, probably just to have something to do with her hands. The sound of cabinets opening and closing filled the silence that had settled over us like dust."So," Vincent said finally. "How did Miss Kingston end up at your apartment?"Troy's head came up slowly. He looked at Vincent, then at me, then back at his hands. "She was at this club. Some warehouse party. There was this guy—" He stoppe

Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-06-18

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Taking a Risk

Maya"Maya, wait—"Olivia's voice followed me into the hallway, but I kept walking. I could hear her footsteps behind me, quick and worried."Maya, please."I reached the elevator and jabbed the button. The doors were taking forever. Behind me, Olivia was getting closer."Leave her be." Vincent's voice, calm and firm. "She needs to be alone."A small sound escaped me then, something between a laugh and a sob. Only loud enough for me to hear, but it felt like it echoed in the narrow hallway. I didn't want to be alone. That was the whole problem. I just didn't want to be around anyone either. If that made any sense, which it probably didn't.The elevator finally arrived. I stepped in without looking back, pressed the button for the lobby, and watched the doors close on Olivia's concerned face.Outside, the sun hit me. It was getting close to noon, bright and warm in that way that made everything feel too sharp, too real. I stood on the sidewalk for a moment, blinking in the light, tryin

Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-06-19

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Semua Bab Divorced My CEO Husband, He Came Begging: Bab 261 - Bab 264

Watching a Grown Man Fall Apart

She Deserves Respect

Walking Away

Taking a Risk