Regret After Divorce: Falling In Love All Over Again のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

Chapter 21His smile faded slightly. "Is it bad?""It's... different. Change can feel scary, but this change is going to be okay." She took his small hand in hers. "You know how Thomas lives in the big house, and we live there too?"Iniko nodded slowly."Well, Mama and Thomas aren't married anymore. That means we're not going to live in that house anymore.""Did you have a divorce?" Iniko asked, surprising her with his knowledge of the word."Yes, exactly. How did you know that word?""Adam's parents got divorced," Iniko explained. "He said it means they don't love each other anymore and don't want to live together.""That's right." Ambelyn squeezed his hand. "So we're going to live somewhere new—at Aunt Wednesday's apartment. Remember Aunt Wednesday? She makes those funny faces and has lots of cookies?""I like Aunt Wednesday!" Iniko brightened. "Does she have cable TV?""She has cable TV and streaming and basically every channel you could want," Ambelyn confirmed. "And she has a gu

Chapter 23The mixing bowl Ambelyn had been holding clattered into the sink. She was across the kitchen in two strides, dropping to her knees in front of Iniko's chair and gripping his small shoulders."You listen to me," she said fiercely, waiting until his green eyes met hers. "You are worth everything. You are worth more than all the money in the world. You are precious and valuable and loved, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. Do you understand me?"Tears spilled down Iniko's cheeks. "But my heart is broken. And we don't have enough money to fix it. And Mr. Thomas gave my new heart to Lucas instead, so maybe he's right—""No." Ambelyn's voice cracked. "No, baby, that's not—Thomas didn't give your heart to Lucas because you weren't worth it. He did it because he's a cruel, selfish man who doesn't understand what love means. That's his failing, not yours. Never, ever yours."She pulled Iniko into her arms, holding him while he cried against her shoulder. Five years old and alre

Chapter 25Ambelyn watched as several other children immediately swarmed him, excited to have their friend back. Iniko's face lit up as he greeted them, his earlier anxiety forgotten.She stood in the doorway for a moment longer, watching her son integrate back into the world of normal childhood. This was what she'd been fighting for—this normalcy, this joy, this chance for him to be more than just a patient in a hospital bed.The hallway was emptying as the first bell rang. Ambelyn forced herself to walk away from Iniko's classroom, even though every maternal instinct screamed at her to stay and watch over him.She was halfway to the exit when she heard a familiar, unwelcome voice."Well, well. Look who decided to show her face."Ambelyn turned slowly to find Veronica standing near the main office, looking polished and perfect in designer casual wear. Lucas stood beside her, a smaller, meaner version of his father, with the same cold eyes and petulant expression."Veronica," Ambelyn

Chapter 27"That you're mean and scary and that's why Mummy left." Cassidy was still sprawled on the desk, but her voice had gone small. "She said her mummy told her that you were so awful that my mummy had to run away and now she's never coming back."The anger that surged through Klaus was white-hot and immediate. He forced it down, forced his voice to remain calm even though he wanted to storm into St. Augustine Academy and have words with both Jenny Martinez and her gossiping mother."Cassidy, look at me." He waited until she sat up, until those big brown eyes met his. "Jenny Martinez doesn't know what she's talking about. Neither does her mother. Your mummy left because she was sick—sick in a way that doctors couldn't fix. It had nothing to do with me being mean or scary. Do you understand?"Cassidy nodded slowly. "But am I sick too? Like Mummy? Is that why I'm different from the other kids?"Klaus pulled his daughter into his lap, holding her close. She was getting too big for t

Chapter 29"Our history?" Shawn repeated. "So there is history. Plural. Multiple encounters. This is amazing. This is the best news I've heard all week.""It's not news. It's ancient history that has no bearing on the present.""Except you're hiring her to work directly with you. Every day. In close proximity." Shawn shook his head, still grinning. "This is either going to be a spectacular success or a complete disaster. I can't wait to see which.""It's going to be professional and productive," Klaus insisted. "I'm not interested in rehashing the past. I'm interested in having a competent assistant who can actually do the job.""Right. Professional and productive. That's definitely the energy I'm getting from the way you keep checking your phone." Shawn leaned forward. "When does she start?""Monday.""And you're not at all concerned about working with someone you had a—what did you call it? History with?""I'm a professional. She's a professional. We're both adults who can separate