All Chapters of No Second Chances, Ex-husband: Chapter 71 - Chapter 77

LAUREN'S POV “Now tell me, do you have any questions?” he asked, rolling a silver pen over his knuckles with an ease that spoke of long practice. About his business life? No. About what happened yesterday? Yes. But I couldn’t ask that now. Not here, not with the sharp fluorescent lights humming above me and his calculating eyes fixed on my face. I just shook my head lightly and pressed my lips together. Best to keep my mouth shut. “Does that mean I’m hired? If so, when do I start work?” I asked finally, trying to keep my tone neutral, almost casual “Tomorrow,” he said, setting the pen down with a quiet click. “You can use today to get yourself prepared — iron your clothes properly and take care of your hair a little better than this.” His gaze lingered on my hair for a fraction too long, and his voice, though calm, felt like a slap. My breath caught. I closed my eyes for half a second, not wanting to show the heat that was rushing up my cheeks in embarrassment. My fingers twitch

LAUREN'S POV Waking up today felt entirely different — lighter, calmer, far better than the way I had woken up yesterday with that hammering headache pounding behind my eyes. At least today I could open them without wincing, without the sharp sting of regret for a night I couldn’t remember. No confusion about how I had gotten into a strange room, no unfamiliar ceiling above my head. Just my own space, my own bed, and the fresh clarity of morning. Tessa had already left for work, her absence noticeable in the apartment. She was always up early, full of energy that I honestly envied. I was about to head out myself. It was my first day at the new job, and the nerves crawling beneath my skin were almost unbearable. The memory of what Tessa had told me last night replayed in my head like a chant, a small comfort to my anxiety: You won’t be seeing your boss all the time. He’s the CEO, but he doesn’t hover over the employees. That was all I wanted — distance. If her words turned out to be

LAUREN'S POV “So in short, Ms. Lauren, I suggest you head back home today. Tell whoever you want to tell, give them a farewell goodbye, pack up and get ready, because you’re leaving as soon as possible,” the manager said with a stiff, professional tone that carried no room for argument. I blinked, my lips parting slightly as if I had misheard her. “If you don’t show up at the airport tomorrow,” the other guy seated beside her added, his voice sharper, “we’ll take it that you do not want to go, and that you’ve dropped your position as Business Development Manager.” My mouth fell open. “But…” I was immediately cut off by the manager, who didn’t even give me the courtesy of completing my sentence. “That would be all,” she said firmly. “Any further information will be sent to your email. Thank you.” The finality in her tone was like the slamming of a door in my face. Then, as if my presence in the room was now a burden, she tilted her head toward the door, gesturing for me to leav

ETHAN’S POV I was no longer married to that woman Lauren, all these years she has been choking me in a marriage I had second thoughts of going into from the beginning. Now I’ve finally corrected that mistake from my life, I’ve removed that problem, but that was just one of the many problems piled up in front of me, like the one I was staring at right now I don’t know how many times I’ve stared at the numbers on the reports today. Same pages, same red lines, same sharp dip at the end of every graph. No matter how many times I look at them, they don’t change. The company is bleeding money. It’s like watching someone you love fight for their life, and all you can do is sit there with your hands tied. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my eyes. My office felt colder than usual. Or maybe it was just me. Maybe it was the weight pressing on my chest that made everything feel so heavy. My company wasn’t just a company to me. It was my life. It was my blood, my sweat, and my name. I buil