All Chapters of THE EX-WIFE MAKES A COMEBACK : Chapter 151 - Chapter 158

158 Chapters

Chapter 152

(Janelle's POV)My phone wouldn't stop ringing.And it was worse because it was from nknown numbers. Five of them have called in the last hour alone, and I knew what they were before I even looked. They were reporters wanting comments, and wanting to know if I'd seen the footage and how I felt about my college accusations being dragged into the light.I didn't answer any of them as I sat on my bed in my tiny flat staring at my laptop screen like it might suddenly show me something different if I kept staring.But it didn't. The Daily Mail had released the security footage and there it was for the entire world to see—my attempt to seduce Daniel Hart, and him rebuffing me. The timestamp at the bottom reading September twelfth, eight forty-three PM.The headline read: “New Evidence Contradicts Janelle Manning's Claims.”Below it were hundreds of comments and I'd made the mistake of reading them.“She's a liar. She tried to seduce him and he rejected her. Now she's trying to ruin his lif

Chapter 153

(Elena's POVDaniel was in the kitchen making tea when I came downstairs.We'd been sleeping in the same bed for a week now but still hadn't really talked. I have been deliberately avoiding talking about the things I'd been holding inside since the accusations first broke."Can we talk?" I said.He turned around, looking surprised. Quickly, he dried his hand in a towel and faced me directly. "Of course."We sat at the kitchen table."I almost left," I said. "When the accusations first came out. I almost packed a bag and walked away permanently.""I know.""Do you? Do you really understand how close I came to being done?""I think so. But maybe you should tell me anyway."I took a breath. "I believed you didn't assault her. I never thought you were capable of that. But I wasn't sure I could trust you anymore. Not about fidelity necessarily. But about judgment and priorities. About whether you'd put me first in similar situations.""Elena—""Let me finish. For weeks before this happened

Chapter 154

(Lena's POV)We gathered at our house on a Saturday cool evening, two weeks after the charges against Janelle were finalized.Daniel and Elena arrived first. Elena's pregnancy was showing now, a small bump visible under her loose sweater. Daniel kept his hand on her back as they walked in, protective in a way he hadn't been before all of this happened."Wine?" I offered, then caught myself and giggled apologetically. "Sorry. Tea for you Elena.""Tea is fine. I'm so tired of being the sober one at celebrations.""Only three more months," Daniel said."Three and a half. But who's counting."Adrian came down the stairs with Charlotte on his hip. She saw Elena and immediately reached for her."Elena! Elena!"Elena took her and Charlotte settled against her shoulder like she belonged there. "Hi baby. Did you miss me?"Charlotte babbled something that sounded like agreement.We moved into the living room. Adrian had set out food, nothing fancy, just cheese, crackers and fruit. "How are you

Chapter 155

(Lena's POV)Three days after the cemetery visit, we were all gathered in our living room when Adrian made a suggestion."We should take a trip. All of us. You know, get away for a bit."I looked up from where I was helping Charlotte with a puzzle. "A trip where?""Somewhere quiet. A coastal maybe. A house we can rent for a week. Just the five of us."Elena shifted on the couch, her hand going to her belly. "I don't know if I should be traveling. I'm six months pregnant.""Which is why we should go now," Daniel said. "Before you're too uncomfortable to move and the baby comes and life gets even more complicated.""He has a point," I said. "Once that baby arrives you won't be going anywhere for months."Elena looked at Daniel. "You really want to do this?""I think we need it. After everything that's happened. A chance to just be together without work or stress or reporters or any of it.""I'm in," I said. "Charlotte would love the beach."Adrian pulled out his phone. "I'll start looki

Chapter 156

(Serena's POV)"Emma wants to go to the zoo this weekend. I thought maybe we could take her together."I held the phone against my ear while folding laundry, as I responded to Julian. "Together?""Yeah. You know, both of us. It's easier with two adults when she gets tired or wants ice cream in three different places.""That's true. What time were you thinking?""Saturday morning? By Nine o'clock so that we can beat the crowds.""Alright. I'll meet you there.""Actually, I…um was thinking I could pick you both up. Like, save you the trouble of parking."I paused. "You don't have to do that.""I know. But it makes sense since we're going to the same place.""Fine. Nine o'clock on Saturday."~~~When Saturday came Emma was bouncing with excitement before Julian even arrived. She'd been talking about the zoo for days.Julian knocked at nine Sharp. Emma ran to the door and threw it open."Daddy!""Hey princess. Ready to see some animals?""Yes! Mummy said we can see penguins first.""Pengu

Chapter 157

(Julian's POV)"You're seeing a lot of Serena lately," Daniel said when we met over lunch during his trip."We're taking Emma places. It's good for her to have both parents there.""Right. Both parents. At the zoo. And the museum. And the park. And that farm thing you told me about.""What's your point?""My point is you're spending more time with Serena than necessary for co-parenting.""Emma likes having us both there.""I'm sure she does. But be honest with yourself. Are you doing this for Emma or because you want to spend time with Serena?""For Emma. Isn't that obviously?"Daniel raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. "If you say so."But he'd planted the seed and made me start noticing things I'd been trying not to notice.Like how Serena laughed at my jokes. How she'd gotten more relaxed around me over the past few weeks. How we'd started talking about things beyond Emma's schedule and school events.How being around her didn't feel like an obligation anymore. It felt like somet

THE END—I

The coastal house sat on a cliff overlooking the sea.The family arrived on a Sunday afternoon in late November, two cars pulling into the gravel drive simultaneously.Adrian and Lena with Charlotte strapped in her car seat, surrounded by enough luggage for a month despite it being just a week's stay. Daniel and Elena followed behind, with Elena moving slowly as she got out of the passenger seat, one hand on her belly and the other holding against the car door."This is beautiful," she said, looking at the house and then beyond it to where the ocean stretched out gray and endless."Wait until you see the beach," Adrian said, already unloading bags. "There's a path down from the garden."Charlotte was awake and demanding to be let out. Lena unbuckled her and set her down on the gravel where she immediately started collecting small stones."Not in your mouth," Lena said automatically as Charlotte examined a particular pebble.They brought the bags inside and claimed their rooms. The ma

THE END-FINALE

(Two Years Later…)Two years after the Janelle scandal, London looked the same but felt different.BioGen's ALS treatment received full approval on a Tuesday in October. The announcement came while Lena was in a meeting with the board, her phone buzzing with messages from colleagues and researchers and patients who'd been waiting for this moment for years.She excused herself and stepped into the hallway, to read the email from the regulatory agency three times to make sure she wasn't misreading it, then she allowed herself a few seconds to feel the weight of it before returning to the meeting.The research center they'd built with the pharmaceutical settlement money was thriving. The Eleanor Center for Pregnancy Drug Safety Research had already published two major studies and was recruiting for a third.Elena stood in front of the research center on a Thursday afternoon two weeks after the ALS approval, her son on her hip while she talked to one of the lead researchers about the next

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