Lahat ng Kabanata ng After I Died, He Truly Panicked: Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Regina’s POVMaxwell nodded once, then jerked his chin towards the hallway. “We should talk somewhere the children can’t hear.”A part of me wanted to resist, to tell him there was nothing left to say that hadn’t already been dragged through court filings and heated arguments.But another part, the mother in me, the one who still aches every time I hear my children laugh after what they’ve been through, nodded.We walked into the living room, and it felt like stepping into a memory that clawed at my skin. The couches were still there.The same beige, tufted set I had picked out from the glossy pages of a catalog when I first moved in. I could still remember circling them in pen, feeling an absurd little spark of pride at making the house a home. Back then, it felt like building something. A future.Now they mocked me. Every cushion, every fabric thread whispered: You thought you belonged here.We sat opposite each other, an invisible field stretched between us. My body ached from the

Sandra’s POVThe beeping of the room had become background noise by now, I barely even noticed it anymore.I sat beside Leonard’s bed, the same sterile smell of antiseptic making nausea creeps up the back of my throat. I pushed it back down like I always did.Ten years. Ten long years since he had slipped into silence, and still I came here every week to talk to him, to remind myself that I wasn’t entirely alone in seeing what was happening to our family.A car accident had taken Leonard, my husband and Leonard’s father away from us. Everyone had given up and forgotten about him. Even Maxwell, who had not once step foot inside the room in our house I had transformed into a private hospital room so Leonard could be comfortable at home.Everyone had forgotten him except for me.“You should have seen him, Leonard,” I whispered, folding my hands tightly in my lap. “Our son, your son, barking at me like some… some rabid dog. For what? For taking Ivan out of that woman’s house?”The word “w

Regina’s POVIt was way past midnight when I opened the door to Alexander’s study after seeing the light open through the crack under the door.Mia was soundly asleep in her bed. She wanted to have a sleepover with Ivan again, but a part of me wasn’t ready to let her stay at the Chamberlain estate. The reason I hadn’t asked Maxwell to send Ivan was because, well, I had thought Maxwell might get lonely now that his house was all but empty.“You’re still working?” I said softly, stepping inside and pulling the door shut behind me. “Most people call it a night when the clock strikes twelve.”Alexander looked up, his sharp blue eyes softening when he saw me. “You should be asleep yourself, Regina. You’ve only just gone back to the office. The last thing you need is another sleepless night.”I shrugged, drawing the silk robe tighter around me. “Sleep feels… distant. My mind doesn’t seem to want to cooperate these days.”He leaned back in his chair, studying me for a moment, then gestured t

Regina’s POVIt took a while for the anger of Maxwell’s words to fade, however, the restlessness they left behind did not let me sleep at night.In a moment of weakness, I had ordered sleeping pills delivered to my office so no one at home could question my choices. Afterwards, I felt so guilty that the little bit of tiredness I was feeling evaporated altogether.I don’t know what I was doing.Day after day, I was becoming more of a mess because of all the instability in my life.The new project Alexander had handed over to me was coming along well, and I focused on that for most of the week.Still, there was an itch under my skin that wasn’t letting up. Not even after dumping all the sleeping pills in the toilet and flushing them away so no one could find out what I’d almost done.When Frederick dropped by on Thursday morning for breakfast, I indulged him, letting him talk about one of the patients he was focusing on these days.I could feel my Mother’s knowing gaze on me. Feel the w

Regina’s POVI took a deep breath to steady myself. Just one moment of vulnerability.Then I straightened up my shoulders, chin high, and strutted inside.The lobby of the Reinhardt Group’s conference hall glittered as my heels clicked across marble so polished I could see my reflection.My navy silk blouse and the sharp pleats of my ivory trousers fit right in.I’d paired the outfit with a tailored blazer in the same deep navy, cinched at the waist, and a delicate gold chain at my collarbone.My hair was swept back in a sleek chignon, and I’d chosen crimson lipstick that matched my heels, a splash of confidence painted on, even if my stomach churned underneath it all.I hope I made my brother proud today.I hope I can make myself proud today too.Beside me, Lindsay carried the leather folio with our materials. She wore her usual understated elegance, but her presence was grounding. I drew in a steadying breath.Fortunately, we had moved past the awkwardness between us. I didn’t know