All Chapters of Regret After Divorce: Falling In Love All Over Again : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Chapter 62INIKO"The Chen brothers! The Meridian Tech meeting! Apparently you walked into Thorne Industries and absolutely killed it on day one!" Aunt Wednesday sounded almost as excited as Mama had looked when she came in. "I've gotten six calls in the past two hours from various people in our old college group asking if it's true that you're back in the corporate world.""How do they even know?" Mama asked, looking bewildered. "It was literally my first day.""Because James Chen is married to Patricia from our study group, and Patricia called me the second James got home from his meeting with Klaus Thorne. And then Director Chen from Meridian Tech is dating Marcus—yes, that Marcus, the one who used to bring his guitar to parties—and he told literally everyone he ran into about running into you."Mama put her face in her hands. "Oh god. This is exactly what I didn't want. People talking about me, making a big deal out of—""It IS a big deal!" Aunt Wednesday interrupted. "Ambelyn, yo

Chapter 64INIKOThe morning started out perfectly. Cassidy met me at the lockers before class, her hair even messier than usual and chocolate already smeared on her face from what I assumed was breakfast."Iniko! I have news!" She bounced on her toes with excitement. "My dad's new assistant started yesterday and apparently she's amazing. Dad came home looking all weird and distracted, which Uncle Shawn says means he's either very impressed or very confused, possibly both."My stomach did a funny flip. "Your dad's new assistant?""Yeah! He won't tell me her name, which is suspicious, but he said she's incredibly smart and handled like seven meetings on her first day with zero preparation." Cassidy pulled a book from her locker. "I think he might like her. He had that look.""What look?" I asked, even though I had a sinking feeling I knew exactly who we were talking about."The look he gets when he's trying very hard not to think about something but thinking about it anyway. It's a ver

Chapter 66INIKOMy chest still hurt, but the pain had dulled to a manageable ache. I'd managed to take my medication while everyone was distracted, and it was starting to work. But the anxiety remained, coiling in my stomach like a living thing.Thomas was coming.I hadn't seen him since the day at Eleanor's estate when Mama had demanded the divorce. I'd been glad—so glad to not have to see his face or hear his voice or feel his cold indifference radiating off him.But now he was coming here, and there was nothing I could do about it.The office door opened and James's mom appeared, looking worried. Principal Holloway took them both into the inner office, leaving me, Cassidy, and Lucas in the waiting area."This is all your fault," Lucas hissed at me. "If you hadn't—""Shut up, Lucas," Cassidy said calmly. "Save it for when your dad gets here. I have some things I'd like to discuss with him about medical ethics."Lucas paled slightly. "You can't—""Watch me."The door opened again. T

68NIKLAUS I sat in my car outside the ice cream shop, watching through the window as Cassidy and Iniko debated flavor choices with the intensity of two generals planning a military campaign. Cassidy was gesturing wildly, probably explaining the molecular composition of various ice cream flavors, while Iniko listened with that careful attention he seemed to give everything.What the hell had I just done?I'd essentially claimed another man's former stepson as my own in front of a school principal. I'd gaslighted Thomas Blackwood so thoroughly that he'd left questioning his own reality. And I'd agreed to bring Iniko Moreau—Ambelyn's son—back to my office, where his mother would undoubtedly discover him and demand answers I wasn't entirely sure I had.My phone buzzed. Shawn, of course.*Heard you left the office for a school emergency. Everything okay?*I typed back: *Define okay.**That bad?**Cassidy got in a fight. Now I have two children instead of one. Will explain later.**...you

Chapter 70NIKLAUS So we did. Cassidy and Iniko took turns explaining the cafeteria incident, Lucas's bullying, the fight that followed. They were honest about their parts in it—Cassidy's physical retaliation, Iniko's instigation through words. By the time they finished, Ambelyn had sunk into one of my office chairs, her head in her hands."And then Thomas showed up," I continued. "He was aggressive with Iniko, trying to claim some kind of authority over him. Iniko panicked and—""I called Mr. Thorne 'Dad,'" Iniko said in a rush. "I know I shouldn't have. I know it was wrong. But Thomas was scary and Mr. Thorne was there and I just—it came out. I'm sorry, Mama."Ambelyn's head shot up. "You called Klaus 'Dad'?""Yes." Iniko's voice was tiny."And you—" Ambelyn turned to me, her expression unreadable. "You went along with it?""I did," I admitted. "Thomas was being aggressive. Iniko was clearly frightened. I made a judgment call to protect him rather than correct him in front of Thoma