Semua Bab No Second Chances, Ex-husband: Bab 21 - Bab 30

LAUREN'S POV I switched on my phone and saw it was already past midnight. The street was quiet except for the distant hum of a generator somewhere in the neighborhood and the occasional bark of a stray dog. My heart felt heavy, but I forced myself to keep breathing, to stay calm for Elena’s sake. Would she be able to make it? I asked myself for what felt like the hundredth time. A few minutes ago, I had been on the brink of panic, wondering where Elena and I were going to sleep tonight. The streets felt colder than I’d ever known them, and every gust of wind seemed to whisper doubts into my ears. Then I remembered I had an amazing friend, a friend who had always been more like a sister than anything else. Tessa. And just like I hoped, she agreed for us to come stay with her for a while. I silently thanked God for sending someone like her into my life. Just then, I felt a small pinch on my leg, and my hand instinctively slapped the spot. I looked at my palm and saw a small smea

LAUREN'S POVI stood there and watched as Elena’s school bus slowly drove away, the sound of its engine fading down the street until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight. A small ache pressed against my chest, as though each mile it traveled was stretching an invisible thread that tied her to me.Earlier that morning, I’d had to call the school principal and explain that Elena would be taking the school bus from now on. His voice had carried a note of surprise that stung more than I’d like to admit. I suppose it wasn’t every day that the daughter of Ethan Black, the wealthy businessman, suddenly stopped arriving in a luxury car.Still, the principal had been polite, though he gently reminded me that I’d have to pay the bus fee when I settled her next tuition payment. Another expense. Another reminder that even though it had barely been twenty-four hours since I left Ethan’s house, the bills and responsibilities were already finding me, piling on my shoulders faster than I cou

LAUREN'S POV“If he cared about her, he wouldn’t have brought Sofia with him to her school,” I said, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. The words tasted bitter in my mouth, like poison I’d been forced to swallow.“But he still came, Lauren,” Tessa countered gently, though I could hear the firmness beneath her tone. “I think that’s what matters right now. Some dads cut off all communication with their kids and just disappear.”I turned to face her fully, my arms crossing tightly over my chest like a shield. “Are you trying to back him up now? Because I don’t even know whose side you’re on at this point,” I shot back, unable to hide the frustration bubbling inside me.“Come on, Lauren,” Tessa sighed, brushing her hair away from her face. “We’re past this age of picking sides like it’s some playground argument. I’m not taking sides. I’m only telling you what’s right — for Elena, not for Ethan.”“Oh, so what exactly are you trying to say then?” I demanded, my voice lower but edged wi

LAUREN'S POV His words hung in the air for a moment, sinking into my chest like cold water. “Three days? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly despite my best effort to keep it calm. “How do you think that would work? I’m her mother — I’m supposed to spend more time with her. We share a closer bond, Ethan.” “And that’s exactly why I’m going to take four days,” he shot back, his voice sharp and cold. “I want to bond with Elena. I know I haven’t been showing up for her these past few weeks, but I wanna make up for that. And besides,” he paused, and even though I couldn’t see his face, I could practically hear the smirk forming on his lips, “I’ll also be doing her a favor. Soon enough, she’ll be begging to never come visit you in that rabbit hole you’re living in.” My heart dropped to my stomach. Every cruel word felt like it was peeling off another layer of hope I had clung to, revealing raw, vulnerable pain underneath. But before I could l

SOFIA'S POV People always assume that power is loud — that it stomps into a room, demands attention, shouts down anyone in its way. But real power, I’ve learned, whispers. It wears perfume and silk dresses, and it smiles so sweetly no one sees the knife until it’s pressed to the skin. I instinctively let out a small laugh at something Vee had just said over the phone, my hand rising to cover my mouth even though no one else was around to hear. It was a habit I’d picked up during my brief stay in Korea — small gestures that made me look more refined, more delicate. People underestimated a woman who giggled behind her hand. I found it useful. “That’s the truth, girl,” Vee continued, her voice crisp with amusement. “They’re all wannabes. Always putting on some holy act for everyone, like they’ve got hearts of gold. The funny part is, it never gets them anywhere.” “That’s why there’s no real place in this world for a goody two-shoes,” I said, my tone casual but edgy. “They always end