All Chapters of EX-HUSBAND REGRET! (I married his billionaire step brother): Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Unearthed Secrets"Is this Miss Charlotte?"A voice rang over the phone, crisp and professional, yet unfamiliar.Charlotte hesitated, gripping the phone tighter. The night was eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of the city outside Elaine’s apartment."Yes..." she answered, though a little scared. "Who’s this?"There was a pause on the other end, followed by a deep inhale. "My name is Detective Alan Foster. I’m with the Winter City Police Department."Charlotte sat up straight. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pushed strands of hair from her face. A detective? Why was a detective calling her?"Police?" she repeated cautiously. "Did something happen?"Detective Foster's tone was measured. "I need to discuss something important with you, Miss Charlotte. Are you available to meet in person?"Charlotte frowned. Her heart pounded. "Meet? What is this about?"There was another pause before the detective said, "It’s regarding your mother."Charlotte’s stomach dropped. Her breath caugh

Calm Down Charlotte Charlotte paced round the living room, her hands on her waist.“You have to calm down, Charlotte.” Elaine spoke from the other room, striding over to Charlotte. “I know how overwhelming things are right now, but don't let it consume you.”Charlotte nodded, her eyes red. She needed answers. “Everything is just happening so fast. I can't imagine Astor is getting married to Susan too. Like, everything is so overwhelming.”Elaine placed her hand on Charlotte, trying to calm her down.Jasmine, who wasn't asleep, ran into the living room, “Aunty Elaine, is mom crying?” Jasmine asked with her tiny calm voice.“No baby,” Elaine began, bending to her level, she cupped her face in her hands with a smile, “mommy wants to be alone for now okay? Maybe you should get some sleep.”Jasmine wasn't having it, she sat in front of Charlotte as though demanding an answer, but Charlotte was too disorganized to even spare her a stare.“Jasmine, come with me. I need to show you something

The AccusedAstor stared at the blurry picture in front of him, his gut twisting.The detective leaned forward. “That woman… the one we found…” He slid a photograph across the table.Astor’s heart nearly stopped.The image was blurry, but he recognized something.His blood ran cold.The detective’s voice was sharp. “We need answers, Mr. Harrington.”Astor’s throat was dry. He could barely breathe.“I see you know who she is,” The officer said, nodding accordingly.Astor swallowed hard, he never knew things would get to the point, he never dreamt of it either.—--Joyce, Elaine's friend, clutched her phone tighter, her knuckles whitening. "Astor was arrested?" Her voice came out sharper than she intended.Elaine's hesitant voice crackled through the line. "Charlotte, I don't know all the details, but… they’re saying it’s for murder."Her breath hitched. "Murder?""Yes," Elaine whispered. "I saw it on the news. The police stormed the wedding and took him away in handcuffs."Joyce's s he

Fractured LivesCharlotte slammed the door shut behind her, her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps. The moment she stepped inside her apartment, her knees buckled.She crashed onto the floor, the sobs came violently.Gut-wrenching. Shattering.Elaine rushed over. “Charlotte!”Charlotte shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. “I—He—” Her voice broke.Elaine knelt beside her, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m here. Breathe, just breathe.”But Charlotte couldn’t. Her entire world had just collapsed.Elaine stroked her back, whispering softly. “Talk to me, Char. Tell me everything.”Charlotte inhaled shakily. “It’s my mother.”Elaine stilled. “What do you mean?”Charlotte lifted her head, her eyes bloodshot. “Astor… He—he buried her.”Elaine’s jaw dropped. “What?”Charlotte nodded, her fingers digging into her arms. “He was arrested. The police said they found my mother’s remains in the mountains…those woods..”Elaine gasped.Charlotte wiped at her wet cheeks. “And the worst

The Departure Charlotte paused mid-motion, the suitcase half-filled with clothes, she was leaving for good.Leaving the city again, leaving everything behind, felt both like the only escape and an unbearable choice. But what was she supposed to do? Every inch of her being screamed to flee, to keep herself and Jasmine away from the storm she had waded back into, the storm that now felt impossible to outrun.The apartment was quiet, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator. Charlotte’s eyes wandered to the small stack of things that had once belonged to her mother. They’d been tucked away in a cardboard box, hidden in the back of the closet. She’d never dared to look through it, at least, not until now. After everything, after all the hurt, there was one thing Charlotte could never bring herself to confront: the loss of her mother. It was still too raw. Too painful. Even the thought of it made her heart ache with a hollow emptiness.But today… today was different. There was an urge