All Chapters of BEYOND GOODBYE: Take Me Back EX WIFE : Chapter 191 - Chapter 200

Pepper POVVictor returned Colter’s hug, his arms wrapping instinctively around the boy’s thin frame.I saw Victor’s face twist with pain for the boy, especially as Colter began to cry relentlessly in his arms.The boy looked so down. He cried like something inside him was broken.Tears welled in my eyes.Looking at Victor, I saw his expression tighten. Again, he was blaming himself.When he opened his eyes, I shook my head, willing him to understand with mere action the reminder that he shouldn’t blame himself.This was not his fault.He did not tell his father to bribe a mechanic to tamper with the plane’s engine so it would crash. He did not tell Maggie Green to stab him.What happened to them was the consequence of their actions, and it was not his fault.However, a child bore the brunt of his parents’ actions. He was hurting as much as Victor, and my heart goes out to him. He was too young to feel this pain.I wanted to slap Benedict Gunner and Maggie Green for their reckless

Victor POVThea didn't look convinced. She eyed me, checking if she heard right. I nodded in confirmation. Still, she did not look like she believed it. She shook her head as if she was trying hard to comprehend the idea that I could have a brother as young as Colter. “He does not look old like you.” She finally declared.Her eyes bulged and her nostrils flared. She was fighting so hard to remain cool but her indignant tone gave her away.Her reaction made me want to squeeze her cheeks.I wanted to burst out laughing. I stopped when Thea shook her head vigorously. Her ponytail swayed in the air and accidentally hit my face.“No. He can’t call you Daddy. You are mine, Aaron, Asher, and Shelly.”The possessiveness was not lost on me.My daughter was so cute when she was jealous. But I can't let her know that.It would leave a bad precedent. She would think that it's okay to be rude and might think she will get away with it in the future.Rudeness does not excuse pain or hurt, or in T

Pepper POVMy eyes shifted to Colter.He looked stunned, unsure how to react, but a faint smile showed he was pleased.“Is this for me?”The wonder in his voice brought tears to my eyes.And I wondered.What had Maggie and Benedict done to make this child feel unwelcome in the world?“Yes!” Althea’s voice rang out.She was so pleased with our hard work, and she looked like she was waiting for his praise.Colter did not disappoint her. He walked toward Thea and dropped to his knees so he was at eye level with her.

Pepper POVA blur of movements ensued after comprehension penetrated my sleep-fogged brain.I nudged Victor, who groaned and opened one bleary eye at me.“We overslept,” I told him simply.His response was immediate. He bolted out of bed, grabbed Althea by the waist to carry her to the bathroom, but she was protesting.Thea kept asking why she was occupying her father’s usual spot, but in the flurry of activity and our efforts to move as fast as we could, Victor and I weren’t able to answer her.The boys ran to their room to shower and change into their school uniform.Colter, too, went to the guest room we assi

Pepper POVWe stared at each other.A slow, measured look that delves deep into what we both wanted from our lives. Our expectations.What we are destroying in trying to rebuild our relationships.As our eyes talked, realization slowly crept in. I shook my head in dismay at what I had concluded in my head due to Victor’s actions.I did not want to think about it because that would shatter what had been built over the past weeks, but maybe it has to be confronted head-on.We needed to lay our cards on the table. Our fears, our biases, and most importantly, what we hold dear.Relationships work not only because two people love each other. It entails compromises and sacrifices.It shifts the balance to hold not just one person but two.“You don’t trust me.”The accusation came off my lips coldly, and Victor looked at me like I had hit a nerve.He did not have to confirm it.His eyes told me so much. It speaks about things he has yet to acknowledge.Though I had more than once assured him