All Chapters of No Second Chances, Ex-husband: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

LAUREN'S POV“I know she deserves more, but at this point, we just have to.” Tessa’s voice was soft but carried a firmness I had heard before. Usually when she had already made up her mind about something.I shook my head slowly, taking a deliberate step back as if putting physical space between her words and my heart would make them less true. “No,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper at first before it gained strength. “Elena will be buried here.”Her brows furrowed. “How?” Tessa asked, a mix of confusion and concern painting her face. She knew the question was more than about logistics, it was about the impossible.And the worst part was… I didn’t know how. I had no answers, no miracle tucked away in my back pocket, just this gaping wound in my chest and the weight of my little girl’s absence pressing down on me until I could barely breathe. My hand rose to my face, fingers digging into my skin as if pressing hard enough could stop the tears from coming. Frustration bubbled up,

LAUREN'S POV I was having a very nice dream — one of those rare peaceful ones where nothing hurts, and for a moment I could almost believe life was the way it used to be when my bedroom door suddenly swung open without warning. The loud creak and slam startled me so much that I flinched under the covers. Before I could even protest, Tessa appeared in the doorway, balancing a tray in both hands. The aroma hit me instantly — freshly baked bread and scrambled eggs, still warm, drifting into my nose and pulling me out of my dream like a hook pulling a fish from water. “Wake up, sleepy head! I made you breakfast,” Tessa announced with that stubborn cheerfulness she uses whenever she’s trying to lift my mood whether I like it or not. She walked straight over to my bed like she owned the place, set the tray down in front of me, and sat herself on the edge of the mattress. I groaned softly and tried, halfheartedly, to roll back under the blanket. But there was no escaping the smell now, i

LAUREN'S POV “First of all, I’m sure you can go a whole sentence without mentioning that man Ethan. I know what he did to you, I saw him do it but you need to forget about him. You’ve divorced him, you’ve cut ties with him, and you’ve removed him from your life forever. I know you really do hate him right now, but you have to stop giving him space in your thoughts and in your words,” Tessa said firmly, her voice carrying that mix of authority and tenderness she always seemed to balance so well. I rolled my eyes, not because she was entirely wrong, but because I didn’t want to hear it. With a slow sigh, I pushed myself off the bed, my feet brushing against the cold floor. I walked toward the window, the faded curtains pulled shut as if they too had been in mourning with me. I pulled them open, letting the morning sunlight spill into the room. The sunlight chasing away the shadows. It wasn’t the same as the floor-to-ceiling windows I was used to in my old life, the grand penthouse tha

LAUREN'S POV After what felt like the longest day, I finally set my pen down and leaned back against the chair in my room. My entire focus has been on preparing for the interview tomorrow. Every second had been spent making sure nothing was left to chance. I had gone over all the questions they had asked me the last time, studying my own mistakes and making mental notes of what I should have said instead. This time had to be different. Tomorrow wasn’t just another chance at employment, it was an opportunity to place myself right in the line where I needed to be. Their boss was rumored to be showing up at the company, and if there was even the slightest chance that I would meet him, then I had to be flawless. Failure wasn’t an option. If I could secure this job, it wouldn’t just be about financial stability or career growth. It would be the first solid step forward in my promise to Elena. That fire was what kept me pushing, rehearsing my answers over and over until the words sounded

LAUREN'S POV “Ok, so even if someone walked in there, why are you noticing it?” Tessa asked, her voice raised just enough to carry over the pounding bass that shook the floor beneath us. The music thumped so hard it vibrated in my chest, yet my eyes were locked on the polished black door of the VIP lounge, the one that had just closed behind the stranger. “You didn’t see what he did?” I shot back, still half glaring in that direction. “While we were walking, he bumped into me hard and couldn’t even say a single apology.” Tessa tilted her head, her long curls bouncing as she gave me that familiar look that said Lauren, you’re overthinking again. “Didn’t you see where he walked into? That wasn’t just any door. That was the VIP lounge, babe. Do you know how impossible it is for normal people like us to even breathe in that section? For him to walk in there so casually, it means he’s part of the big boys. And those guys?” She scoffed, tugging at her dress strap with a roll of her eyes.