Semua Bab You Called Me Unworthy. Why Are You Begging Now That I’m a Hot Single Mom?: Bab 11 - Bab 20

After leaving the law firm, Charlotte stopped at a real estate office and started looking at apartments.Housing prices in Riverton were ridiculous. The money she had on hand was only enough for a down payment on a tiny one-bedroom way out on the edge of town.The agent talked nonstop, but Charlotte didn’t hear a single word. Her mind was a haze the entire time.By the third day, she was curled up on the couch, scrolling through rental listings on her phone.Sean held his pinky up daintily and handed her a slice of peeled apple.“So you’ve really made up your mind? You’re actually moving out?”“Yeah.”“You sure you’ve got enough money? If not, I can help.”Charlotte took a bite of the apple and said through it, “I’m fine.”Her savings were all money she had earned herself. She hadn’t touched a single dollar from the card Zac had given her.She didn’t want his money.And she didn’t want any ties to him anymore either.The doorbell rang. Sean immediately brightened and hurrie

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”Zac still had a death grip on her wrist, pressing her hand against the door handle until her wrist bone ached.He almost never lost his temper, but now the vein at his temple was jumping. Charlotte had truly pushed him too far.Charlotte gave a cold laugh. “With you here, what was I supposed to be scared of? Aren’t you the traffic expert, Lieutenant Cooper?”The sarcasm in her voice hit him hard enough to make him go still.The honking around them grew louder and more impatient. A few drivers even leaned out their windows and started yelling.“Do you even know how to drive? You’re blocking the intersection!”“The light’s green! Move it!”Zac was still a cop, after all. Following traffic laws was second nature to him. It was instinct. A line he would not cross.He let go of her hand, grabbed the wheel again, and hit the gas. The car surged forward.The force threw Charlotte back against the seat, and her heart seemed to go cold wi

Charlotte threw up until there was nothing left but dry heaving. It felt like she was about to bring up bile.Her stomach was empty, and so was her heart.When he had been holding her in bed, she had still been able to lie to herself and believe that Zac still loved her.As long as he still had her in his heart, she had thought maybe this marriage could still go on.But in the end, all it took was one phone call from Jodie to make him leave behind every promise and every moment of tenderness.His idea of “I’ll be back soon” had always been reserved for certain people.With Charlotte, it meant two days of silence and being shut out.With Jodie, it meant dropping everything the second she called.Zac came back at six-thirty the next morning.When he saw the lump under the covers on the bed, he let out a quiet breath of relief and walked into the bathroom.There was a pink medicine box in the trash can.A shadow passed through Zac’s eyes. He stared at the words showing on the b

She pulled out her phone and searched the trending topic.A wave of panic hit her, and her stomach twisted painfully.It was already the third day, and the story was still gaining traction. Every new comment calling them “so sweet” or “perfect together” made the cramping in Charlotte’s stomach worse.She braced herself against the wall and shakily pushed herself to her feet, but before she could fully stand, her legs nearly gave out.Charlotte gritted her teeth, shoved open the stairwell door, and called a cab to the nearest major hospital.Staying alive mattered a lot more than being heartbroken.She ended up in the ER, in the GI section.The doctor on duty was a middle-aged female attending with a face like she had run out of patience years ago. The doctor started in on Charlotte the moment she sat down.“You’re this young and already wrecking your stomach?”The doctor kept typing as she talked.“Stress-induced gastritis. Your stress is through the roof, your sleep schedule

At the city traffic division, Zac pushed open the door to his office with a freshly finished accident report in hand.He was walking fast, tension obvious in every step.The group that had been huddled together whispering immediately lowered their heads and pretended to study their case files the moment they saw him come in.“Lieutenant Cooper.”“Hey, Zac. You’re back.”Zac tossed his car keys onto the desk, took off his coat, and draped it over the back of his chair.It had been a rough night.Jodie had been settled in, but he hadn’t even had time to close his eyes. There was a restless edge in his expression that he couldn’t quite hide.The second he sat down, he felt it again. That sense that people were stealing glances at him.He looked up and shot Gavin, the one sitting closest, a cool look.“Don’t you all have work to do?”Gavin’s eyes flickered around as he struggled to get a word out.Sergeant Zimmer strolled over with a knowing grin.“Well, look at you, Zac. Putt