Lahat ng Kabanata ng TAKE ME BACK EX WIFE: Kabanata 161 - Kabanata 165

161 Joana’s POV As soon as I entered my office, I closed the door and held my chest to try and calm the nervous beating of my heart. Why did it still bother me so much? The fact that I still felt his influence affected me as much as learning that I couldn’t easily get rid of it, as I once was able to do. Crossing the room, my mind was blank, and I struggled to calm my breath. I was seated behind my desk, looking at paperwork that had not been touched. The numbers looked the same then and didn’t matter in the face of the confusion filling my mind. Right after that, a knock came at the door. Sharp. Quick. I sat up a bit as Danielle, my senior designer, entered the room. There was both a sense of quickly needing to save time and a lack of belief in what I said. “Miss Joana,” she said, offering me a black folder. “We’ve just been given a new order by an unknown buyer. Nearly ten million dollars in payment.” I blinked. “Ten million?” Danielle nodded. “Payment has been

163 Joana’s POV I closed the door as soon as I entered my room, hoping it would keep the noise from getting in. The silence around me was so loud, and all my ideas were swirling like a storm. I put my back against the door for a brief moment, exhaling as I wasn’t aware I was holding my breath. What were my dreams? That doubt kept beating inside me like a sign of danger. This is also so much more than planning a wedding or choosing flowers. Yet, about nearly everything. I began to undress, then got in and let the warm water attempt to calm my mind. It was hot, and I rested back as the splashing against the tub happened quietly. Still, in the solitude of my bathtub, my concerns didn’t go away. Clinton. Caleb. The wedding. The future. Everything coincided in such a way that it was as hard to understand as a letter coated in stain. After what was probably longer than I thought, I climbed out, dried off, and slipped into my robe. I thought I would be alone in the room, but as

165 Joana’s POV Clinton went quietly out of the room, but we didn’t prevent him. After getting up, Caleb sat heavily down again and covered his face with his hands for a little while. I saw the man I loved before—the man, now, that was almost a stranger to me. “I’ve been putting in effort, Joana,” he said quietly. I’ve done my best, but I haven’t managed to escape. A switch inside me broke. I didn’t want our relationship to continue as my arena for emotions. I really cared about him. I did, too. What happens if that love just isn’t strong enough? I began, “We might want to just take a moment and breathe.” I saw him looking up at me, filled with defeat. He didn’t say anything. I walked out of the room, using the side of the chair to help me keep my balance. I felt pain in my head, and my chest was tight. All I could imagine doing was to breathe, to run, to scream. So I walked out. Not one more word was spoken. The hall outside felt dim, yet sunlight came in through