All Chapters of The Ex-wife He Regrets Losing!: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

MABEL The address led me to a neighborhood I didn't recognize. The cab driver looked uncomfortable as we pulled deeper into Queens, past bodegas with barred windows and apartment buildings with peeling paint. This wasn't the New York I'd known during my marriage to Ethan. This was the New York I'd lived in after the divorce, when I was sleeping in cheap motels and counting pennies. "You sure this is the right place?" the driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. I checked my phone. "Yes. That building right there." He pulled up to a tired-looking four-story walk-up. Graffiti decorated the entrance, and half the mailboxes hung open, broken. I paid the fare and stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk. For a moment, I just stood there, staring up at the building. What was I doing here? I had my own crisis to deal with. My own child to fight for. But Lily's face, a face I'd only seen in old Christmas photos—kept appearing in my mind. A Twelve years old. Sick. Scared. I cl

MABEL Two days later, Andrew called again. I was in the middle of a fitting session with Vanessa, helping her choose between two gowns for the charity gala, when my phone started buzzing insistently. "I'm so sorry," I told Vanessa, glancing at the screen. "It's my father. He never calls unless…" "Take it," Vanessa said graciously. "Family comes first." I stepped into the hallway, my stomach already knotting with dread. Andrew didn't call to chat. He called when things were falling apart. "Dad?" "Mabel." His voice was slurred, the words running together. "I need... I need to see you." My heart sank. "Are you drunk?" "Just a little." A pause. "Maybe more than a little." "Where are you?" "Home. My place. Not the girls' place. My place." He rattled off an address I didn't recognize. "Please come. I need... I need to explain." "Explain what?" But he'd already hung up. I stood there in Vanessa's hallway, torn between frustration and concern. I should ignore this. L

MABEL Monday morning arrived with the kind of crisp autumn air that made New York feel alive. I stood in front of my hotel room mirror, adjusting my blazer for the third time. Today, Bella started working for me. Today, I had another fitting session with Vanessa. And in four days, I'd be attending Liam's fifth birthday party. My hands shook as I applied lipstick. So much was happening at once. So many threads I was trying to weave together without them tangling into a disaster. My phone buzzed. A text from Bella; Outside the hotel. Ready when you are. Nervous as hell. I smiled despite my own anxiety. At least I wasn't the only one. I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs. Bella waited in the lobby, looking uncomfortable in clothes that were clearly new, dark jeans, a crisp white blouse, a blazer that still had the tags tucked inside the sleeve. Her hair was pulled back neatly, and she'd attempted makeup, though it was minimal. "You look professional," I said, approaching h

MABEL The call came from Meadowbrook Recovery Center at eleven PM on Wednesday night. I was in bed, reviewing the final details for Liam's party, when my phone lit up with an unknown number. "Ms. James?" A woman's voice, calm but concerned. "This is Nurse Patterson from Meadowbrook. I'm calling about your father, Andrew James." My stomach dropped. "What happened? Is he okay?" "Physically, yes. But he's requesting to leave. Against medical advice." "He's only been there four days." "I'm aware. We've explained the risks of leaving early, but he's insistent. Since you're listed as his emergency contact and financial guarantor, I wanted to inform you before we process his discharge." I threw off the covers, already reaching for my clothes. "Don't let him leave. I'm coming." "Ms. James, we can't hold him against his will…" "Stall him. Please. Tell him... tell him his paperwork isn't ready. Tell him anything. Just give me forty-five minutes." The nurse hesitated. "I'll do what I c

MABEL Friday afternoon, Bella showed up at the office with two suitcases and a backpack. "What's this?" I asked, looking up from the garment rack I'd been organizing. "Lily and I got evicted." I dropped the dress I was holding. "What?" "The landlord showed up this morning. Said there were complaints about noise, that we violated the lease somehow." Bella's voice was flat, emotionless. "He gave us twenty-four hours to get out." "That's illegal. You have rights…" "In theory, sure. But fighting it means lawyers and court dates and money we don't have." She set down the suitcases. "Besides, the apartment was a shithole anyway. We're better off." "Where's Lily now?" "At her friend Makayla's house. I didn't want her to see me packing up our lives into garbage bags again." Bella's tough facade cracked slightly. "This is the third time we've been evicted in three years." My chest ached for her. For both of them. "I upgraded my hotel suite this morning," I said, making a split-se