All Chapters of His Forgotten Love Returns: The Return of the Ex-wife: Chapter 221 - Chapter 230

* BARBIE'S POINT OF VIEW * I nodded quickly, desperate to commit before my mind had a chance to conjure up another reason to run. The tension in Aaron’s body snapped; he sat up, his expression hardening into something dark and serious. I felt a flutter of nervous anticipation in my stomach, my skin humming with the same charged pull I’d felt the first night he looked at me like he already knew what I’d do next. “What’s wrong?” I asked softly, my fingers idly tracing the intricate ink on his arm, lingering on the tiger tattoo I’d grown to love. “I’m not fucking you just so you can change your mind tomorrow and crawl back to him,” he rasped, his eyes boring into mine. For a second, something flickered in his expression — not anger, not quite. Doubt, maybe. Like he was bracing for me to prove him right. Then he made a move to get up, as if he were ready to end this right now if I wasn't all in. I wasn't about to let him leave. I sat up and shoved him back against the pillows,

* BARBIE'S POINT OF VIEW * I scoured the kitchen, settling on bacon and eggs — it was the best I could manage with what was in the pantry. If I’d found even a bag of flour, I would have whipped up some pancakes, but I just hoped this would be enough to put some color back into Cash’s cheeks. I served him at the kitchen island, and my heart twisted as I watched him. He ate quickly, barely pausing between bites, his small fork clinking against the plate as he practically inhaled the food. Suddenly, he stopped, looking up at me with a heavy, misplaced sense of guilt. “It’s okay, Cash. Go ahead and finish them — there’s plenty more,” I whispered, leaning against the counter. I looked at the small portion of eggs and bacon remaining on the stove; to be honest, I didn't care if I didn't get a single bite. My stomach was in knots anyway, and seeing him eat was the only thing that mattered. I could eat later; right now, this boy needed every calorie more than I did. I heard a step behi

* BARBIE'S POINT OF VIEW * We spent the afternoon losing track of time in the sun. Cash was a different child out here; his laughter was thin at first, then grew louder as we moved from the swing sets to the towering spiral slides. We hit every corner of the park — the jungle gym, the seesaws, and even the arcade stalls where Aaron spent a small fortune until he won Cash a stuffed wolf from the claw machine. Seeing the way Cash clutched that toy to his chest, his eyes bright with a wonder I don't think he’d ever felt before, made every bit of the morning's drama worth it. Eventually, the heat became too much, and we headed toward the massive glass-fronted entertainment complex. We stepped out of the sun and into the cool, air-conditioned hum of the atrium. The space was alive with the sound of heavy balls crashing against pins from the bowling alley on the left and the mouth-watering scent of grease and salt wafting from open-air bistros. As we walked deeper into the plaza, a

* BARBIE'S POINT OF VIEW * ​I gave a pathetic excuse about needing the restroom and practically bolted. I didn't look back; I just flagged down a taxi and fled to the only place I felt safe — my apartment. I switched my phone off, plunging myself into a forced silence, and collapsed onto the living room sofa. In the quiet, the ghosts of my past finally caught up to me. I thought about how life had been a series of closed doors since the day I was born. In my family, I was nothing but a shadow. My sister was the one they loved; I was just the "spare parts" kid, born only so she could live. I was a medical necessity, not a daughter. I stared up at the ceiling, blinking hard, but the tears still slipped out, tracing silently into my hairline. I only found a sliver of peace when I moved in with my maternal grandmother, a woman who had been discarded by the family just like I was. We were two people tucked aside by the world. My fingers curled into the fabric of the sofa, grou

* BARBIE'S POINT OF VIEW * “So, you’re not denying it,” Orrick said, finally pushing himself up. He wiped a streak of blood from his jaw and slowly licked his split lip, his eyes gleaming with a sick kind of triumph. “Why should I deny anything to you? You aren't worth the breath it would take,” Aaron snapped. “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice trembling. I looked between them, my mind racing. Why was Orrick throwing around such disgusting, vulgar accusation? Orrick smirked, clearly enjoying the way he was dismantling Aaron’s character right in front of me. “This man you’re choosing over me? He was a drug dealer. An addict. A fucking stripper. Do you want me to keep going?” He leaned in, his voice dripping with venom. “He sold himself. Him and his partner Memphis. Made millions off it.” Aaron let out a dark, dry chuckle, though I could see the anger radiating off his body in waves. “That’s a fucking lie, you bastard.” “Really? You want to deny that you don’t stroke t