Novel & Cerita Better Late Than Never Book

"I don't like chicken at all. You must've remembered wrongly." He lowered his eyes, looking like a hurt puppy. Then, he turned to Calvin and tried to ingratiate himself with him. "Do you remember me, Calvin? I'm your cousin Tyler. I bought you a motorcycle model. See whether you like it." Someone brought over a miniature motorcycle as soon as the words were out of his mouth. It was finely crafted and clearly of high quality. It was too bad the memory of his hysteria the other day was already etched into Calvin's mind. Calvin pouted and ignored him. Then, he turned to me and said, "Mommy, I don't want to be cousins with a bad guy."

He was drowning in debt. Paparazzi snapped him and Coraline moving back into their old place. Everyone who once worshipped him? Gone. Then came the fight. Vivian fell down the stairs—lost the baby. *** Later, Nathan brought me to the basement. I didn't get it at first. Until I saw her. Vivian. Tied up. Kneeling. He was giving me the final say. My revenge.

My scalp felt like Bennett's ruthless pull was tearing it off. The pain was so intense I had to stand on my tiptoes to lessen the strain. Finally, I slapped Bennett, and his grip loosened. The slap seemed to snap him back to reality. "Holly." His voice was gentler then, tinged with regret but also a note of caution. "We've come too far to throw it all away now. Let's forget about today's mess and move on, live our lives well from here onward."

Didn't I tell you we'd go another time? [Lacey's stomach is sensitive. You're basically her sister-in-law already. Can't you be more understanding?] [She feels so guilty she can't even eat. Hurry over!] The same things over and over again. Still, it was more messages than we had exchanged in the past month combined. … On the ride home, I kept wondering–why had I fallen for Felix in the first place? I think it was the day his startup got rejected by investors for the twentieth time, while my design drafts were being sent back for the thirty-fifth revision.

"He's trying to make amends." I was busy compiling financial documents for my clients, and did not look up at her. "He isn't trying to make amends for anything. He's just doing everything he can to cut his losses." A few days later, I received a receipt from the charity organization. According to their records, the baby products were never sold for charity, but were posted to a cousin of Sandi's who stayed out of state. The name and address of the recipient were clearly stated on the receipt.

He was accompanying her to check out the new dessert shops near the office, introducing her to the thrill of playing hooky, and taking her to see newly released movies. Whenever I confronted him afterward, he always had an excuse ready. "I was just testing out the quality. If it's good, it gives the company another option for afternoon catering, doesn't it?" "We wrapped up with the client early and caught a movie on the way back. The girl rarely gets excited about anything, I didn't have the heart to ruin her mood." He even failed to show up for my birthday banquet and our anniversary. Disappointment piled up, piece by piece, until it became a mountain.

I stared at him in shock as tears instantly blurred my vision; I had been reborn, and I had gone back to the year when fate had taken a turn. In my past life, I had passed up on the acceptance letter to study abroad for Ethan. I gave up on my dreams, my medical career, and my entire life. I once thought staying by his side was happiness. But that happiness was nothing more than a cage disguised as tenderness. Choking back sobs, I said in a trembling voice, "I'm not giving up on it, Mr. Moore… I want to go to Verenza." George was stunned, then broke into a relieved smile. "Really? That's wonderful news! Now this is the Elara I know!"

20 short of ten grand. The image of her counting money made my eyes burn. My nose stung. "She even secretly sold a bunch of her toys. I had no idea. The only one she kept was that doll you gave her for her birthday. She hugged it every night. While you were off with your side chick and your bastard kid, she held that doll and thought about you. She loved it so much she couldn't bring herself to sell it. And then Jared broke its arms and legs." My voice cracked. "Before the surgery, Ellie gave me the passbook. She said she hadn't saved enough for the rent and hoped you'd give her a discount. She wanted to rent you for one hour. Just one hour to wait outside until her surgery was over."

Messages stacking up. I glanced at the screen, already over it. All apologies. Sickening. My temper snapped. I hit mute. I got back to my parents' place and pushed the door open. Their smiles hit me—warm, familiar—and the tightness in my chest eased. I went straight to my room and dropped onto the bed. I'd barely caught my breath when my phone chimed. Unknown number. My chest tightened. Shaky fingers, I opened it. [Hey Sadie, I've been thinking. What you found wasn't just the consent form, was it?]

Leonard's cheeks flushed red; he fled the scene, knowing that he had done nothing but embarrass himself. Having been with Leonard for a decade, I knew him better than I knew myself. I knew he wouldn't stop here. I knew I had to move to another city. After arriving at the hotel, I paid for another two weeks and stayed there with Gillian. I put my house on sale online and withdrew Gillian from her kindergarten before plopping on the bed in relief. Before even a minute had passed, my phone started ringing. It was Leonard, bombarding me with calls and messages. I blacklisted his number, and my phone immediately went silent.