All Chapters of He Divorced Me On Our Anniversary: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

Lena’s POVMorning comes softly here. Not like the city. Not like the sharp alarm of a life that never waited for me to catch up. The light slips through the curtains instead of forcing its way in. Pale. Gentle. Almost careful.I wake up with my chest already aching.It takes a second to remember where I am. The small room. The unfamiliar ceiling. The faint smell of salt that seems to cling to everything in this town. Then it hits me. I left. I really left. There is no marble hallway outside this door. No echo of Ethan’s footsteps. No version of myself pretending everything is fine.I sit up slowly, like my body is older than it was a week ago.My eyes burn. Not from fresh tears. From the leftovers of them. Crying does that. It drains you, then leaves you hollow and sore, like a bruise you keep touching just to remind yourself it is real.I shower and let the water run longer than I need to. The heat helps. Or maybe it just gives me something else to focus on. I dress in jeans and a l

Ethan’s POVI should have asked her.That thought keeps circling back, no matter how many times I try to bury it under work, under anger, under the sharp distraction of movement. It sits there like a stone in my chest, heavy and impossible to ignore.I should have asked her if it was true.The office lights hum softly above me. I have been here too long again. Another night wasted pacing, rereading reports that say nothing, staring at my phone like it might suddenly light up with her name. It never does. She is gone in a way that feels deliberate, surgical. Lena did not run. She erased herself.And I let her.I lean my hands on the desk and drop my head forward, breathing out slowly. When I close my eyes, I see her face from that night. Not crying. Not begging. Just looking at me like I was someone she no longer recognized. That look haunts me more than tears ever could have.I divorced her without giving her a chance to speak.Without asking the one question that mattered.Ryan walks

Lena's POVMy heart jumped. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Not anyone at all, actually. The town was small, quiet, the kind of place where people didn’t just show up unannounced unless something was wrong. Or unless they knew you. And nobody here knew me yet. The knock wasn’t loud. Just firm. Two taps. Then nothing. I stood there in my tiny kitchen, barefoot, holding a mug I’d forgotten to drink from. The smell of burnt toast still hung in the air. I hadn’t slept much. My head felt full and hollow at the same time. Another knock. I opened the door halfway. There was no one. Just a box. Medium sized. Brown cardboard. Sitting right outside my apartment door like it belonged there. Like it had always been meant to find me. My name was written across the top. Lena Carter. The way my stomach dropped felt familiar. Too familiar. Like the feeling I used to get in the mansion when Ethan came home late and didn’t explain why. Like the silence before a fight that never really ended. I

Lena's POVI was stacking dishes behind the counter when Ruth came over, her hands on her hips, a grin spreading across her face.“Well, look at you, Lena. Your first paycheck. Finally!” she said, ruffling my hair a little, like I was still that awkward kid she had known for three weeks.I laughed, nervously tucking a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. “Yeah… feels kind of weird. I earned this? Really?”Ruth laughed. “Yes, really. You’ve been busting your butt, showing up on time, learning fast. You earned every cent.”I stared at the envelope in my hand, feeling my stomach twist in that weird mix of pride and disbelief. “I guess… I guess I didn’t think it would feel like this. Like… it’s mine. I’ve never really… done anything just for me before.”Ruth gave me that knowing look of hers, soft but teasing. “Well, tonight we fix that. We’re going out to celebrate. My treat. Come on, finish up here, we’ll head out. I know a place you’re going to love.”I blinked, a little caught off gua

Lena's POVI woke up slowly, stretching my arms above my head, and it hit me like a wave I hadn’t expected. Two months. Two months since I had left LA, since I had walked out of that life and the man I had loved. I rolled over on the bed in the little inn room, the sunlight spilling in through the curtains, soft and calm. The world outside felt quiet, almost peaceful. Quiet enough that I could hear my own heartbeat, steady and slow for once.I sat up, hugging my knees, and thought back to about three weeks after I moved here. I had called Ethan’s parents then, just to let them know I was okay. I had promised to call them regularly, made them swear not to tell anyone where I was. They had been the only ones who knew I where I disappeared to, the only ones I trusted not to interfere. My mother-in-law’s voice on the other end of the line had been gentle, relieved. “We’re glad you’re safe, Lena. Just promise you’ll keep taking care of yourself.” I had promised, and I had kept that promise