บททั้งหมดของ I LEFT WHEN HIS EX CAME BACK WITH HIS SON: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 6

THALIABy the time the car rolled through the iron gates of the estate, the tightness in my chest had already become hard to ignore.Thomas stopped in front of the entrance and stepped out to open my door.“Welcome home, ma’am.”I nodded faintly and walked inside.The house was quiet. Too quiet.Without stopping, I headed upstairs.When I reached my room, I pushed the door open without turning on the lights.The shopping bag slipped from my hand and landed on the bench at the foot of the bed.I stared at it.The red lace inside suddenly felt ridiculous.Earlier that afternoon, I had stood in a boutique for nearly twenty minutes, convincing myself that maybe—just maybe—things between Brandon and me could change.Now the idea felt laughable.I picked up my phone instead.My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped it before unlocking the screen.Clara’s profile appeared.I hadn’t searched her name in years. After she disappeared, I forced myself not to look her up again or wond

THALIAI pulled into the circular drive of the Langford estate just as the late afternoon sun dipped low enough to paint the white stone façade in gold.For a moment, I stayed in the driver’s seat, hands resting on the steering wheel, staring at the house that had been my home for five years.It looked exactly the same.From the outside, nothing had changed.Inside was another story.I turned off the engine and reached for the cardboard box sitting on the passenger seat. It held the last pieces of my professional life at Langford Pharmaceuticals. Framed certificates. A few notebooks. The orchid from my office that Jessy insisted would survive anything.I stepped out of the car and walked toward the front door.My heels clicked across the floor as I crossed into the living room.Bailey was sprawled across the cream sectional, scrolling through her phone like she owned the place.Which, in her mind, she probably did.Tiny denim shorts. Cropped tank top. Her dark hair fell in loose waves

THALIAAcross the city, my new apartment still smelled faintly of fresh paint.Freedom had a strange scent.I stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the half-opened boxes scattered everywhere. The place wasn’t nearly as large as the Langford estate, but it felt lighter somehow. The silence didn’t feel heavy here. It felt… peaceful.A knock sounded at the door.“Come in!”The door swung open, and Knox, my good friend and lawyer, walked in like he owned the place, a bottle of champagne balanced in one hand.“Wow,” he said, glancing around the apartment. “Minimalist chaos. I like it.”“It’s called moving,” I said.He set the bottle down on the counter and looked around again.“Not bad,” he said. “Small, but nice. Also significantly less terrifying than the Langford mansion.”I rolled my eyes. “You’ve been to the Langford estate once.”“And once was enough,” he said. “That house felt like it was judging me.”“It probably was.”Knox grinned and lifted the champagne bottle.“You