All Chapters of Reclaiming His Ex-wife; At all costs! : Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

KELLAN'S P.O.VFor the first time in what should be years, and I mean years, I stayed back home on a work day.And I didn't die.In fact, I was still breathing, alive with my limbs intact. I used to have the belief that I couldn't take breaks, it felt like a sin to think about skipping one day of work. Over time, this belief receded into the background, it merged with my mind and soul so that the idea of taking a day off was impossible.Well, today. I broke that cycle. I sit in the living room of my house, a mug of coffee in my hands, and sunlight spills in through the windows. I also dismissed the staff, needing to be alone.I brought the cup of coffee to my lips and took a sip. The quietness was almost.... peaceful. Or maybe it was the way I kept looking at Ashley's pictures that I had hung up everywhere. Our living room could as well be a shrine I had created to worship her glory.Did I print out every single picture of Ashley's, frame them, and hang them in our living room to feed

ASHLEY'S P.O.VI forced a smile on my face and answered FaceTime.The first thing I saw was Jackie's wide grin—Her perfectly white teeth that she placed too close to the camera. “Ashley!” Jackie beamed. Her toothy smile curved upwards more. A string pulled in my heart when I heard Beulah's voice from behind. “Shoo you. Let me see Ashley.” Jackie shifted so Beulah could join in the FaceTime. “Oh my, Ashley. Look at you!” Beulah's blue eyes sparkled as her smile mirrored Jackie's. A laugh bubbled inside me. Some of my taut muscles loosened. “It's sooo good to see you too, guys”Beulah hugged a throw pillow tight to herself like she imagined hugging me. “Ashley, you can't even imagine how badly we've missed you,” she whined, pouting like a little girl. I couldn't help the soft laugh that spilled out. With the situation here, it's been difficult to smile lately, talk more of laugh, but all it took was FaceTime with my friends to make my recent sadness vanish, even though it's temporar

ASHLEY'S P.O.VThere are different reasons why people laugh.Some people laugh out of happiness, say when they pass an exam or get a modeling trip to Hawaii. Others from excitement, like when they hear good gossip. Some people laugh in victory and some laugh to mask defeat or shame.Laughter can be a language when understood. You can tell so much by the sound of it, the person, and why he or she is laughing.I’ve laughed through my sadness before. I remember some lonely days at the Briarwood, when I missed Kellan so much it was hard to get up from bed. I'd cry and laugh at the same time. So yes, I understand the shades of laughter. I can tell when it’s real, when it’s broken, when it’s born of hysteria, and when it's full of masked pain.And I can also tell you that no laugh is more fake than Genevieve’s. This woman had just talked to me like I was vermin, but now she's smiling and pretending to be all nice and sweet. It made me sick. The meal tasted like cardboard on my tongue as I

ASHLEY'S P.O VI had a plan And yes, I was still living in the Harrington's manor with the evil known as Genevieve Cece Harrington.As a young girl, I craved for her attention, her presence. I wanted my mother to sit with me while we binged-watch cheesy rom-coms. I wanted her to tell me which colour of nail varnish would suit me best, I longed to experience the mother–daughter relationship I had seen so much around me.But with each passing day, each birthday she forgot, and every single milestone of mine she missed, I was convinced that I would never get that. And I found a way to live with it; I did.I chalked Genevieve's absence to the fact that she was taking care of our empire and legacy. I turned a blind eye when my mother and father started keeping lovers outside their marriage. I convinced my mind that Genevieve didn't know how to love, that was why she always guilt-tripped me into doing her will, gaslighted me into obedience, and made me feel like I was worthless without the

ASHLEY'S P.O.V“I think I need to sit down” I mumbled breathlessly.My legs felt like shaky twigs; if it was due to the baby in my stomach or the shock from Dominic's age, I couldn't tell. I planted a hand on the chair as I gently settled down.A relieved exhale left me and the pressure on my bladder loosened “Much better” Dominic, however, was still standing, his cheeks were red, and he fumbled with his fingers. “Are you okay? Is it the baby?” I opened my mouth to speak, but my daughter chose to kick me hard in that moment. My eyes squinted as I let out a small wince. “I'm fine.”Dominic was instantly at my side, his hand hovered near my elbow in uncertainty, then dropped and hovered again as if he couldn't decide if he should touch me. “I don't think you're fine.” His voice was laced with panic. “Should I call for help? Do you need water? Are you in labour, you don't look far gone”Despite myself and the situation, I chuckled lightly. Dominic reminded me of my friend Sydney who wa