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Chapter 36
Last Updated:
2025-02-06 23:53:58
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DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 1
OLIVIA'S POVThe restaurant was brimming with conversation and the occasional clink of glasses. Soft jazz music played in the background, adding a classy outlook to the already sophisticated environment. I sat across from my elder brother, Ethan, who had just finished his third glass of wine and was now swirling the remnants around the glass.“It’s been years, Olivia,” Ethan began, his tone laced with that familiar sarcasm he seemed to carry around.“Years?” I stared at him and chuckled. “It’s not even been two months!”“But I’ve missed my baby sis,” He whined on.“And I’ve missed you too,” I admitted, a huge smile forming across my lips.Ethan called a waiter who was passing and ordered another bottle of wine.“So…Lucas?” He stared at me. “How is he doing?”I sighed, setting my fork down on my half-eaten plate of pasta. My marriage with Lucas had been a bit shaky in recent weeks but I was not bothered. Lucas loved me but he had been very busy with business meetings recently.“He’s fi
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 2
OLIVIA'S POVLucas didn’t even flinch as I stood there, my chest heaving with the force of emotions I could barely contain. He got up from the bed leisurely, like nothing was wrong. He straightened his shirt, his movements slow and deliberate, while the blonde on the bed simply smirked at me, unbothered.I waited for him to say something, anything, but he merely stared at me, his expression devoid of guilt or remorse.“Lucas,” I muttered, my voice cracking slightly, “What is this? What are you doing?”He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head as though my question was absurd. “What does it look like?”His calmness was infuriating. “You’re cheating on me!” I yelled, the words echoing through the room. “In our home, in our bed! And you don’t even have the decency to explain yourself?”His lip curled, and for a moment, I thought I saw a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Explain myself?” he asked, his tone icy. “And how dare you speak to me about decency.”I froze at his tone. I was struggl
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 3
OLIVIA'S POVThe drive back home was long. I sat in the back of the black SUV, staring out the window, lost in my thoughts. My heart felt like it had been shattered into a thousand pieces, scattered and forgotten. I couldn’t seem to shake off the image of Lucas and that whore from my mind, their laughter ringing in my ears, the betrayal so fresh that it burned like a hot, relentless fire. But the further we drove, the more distant the pain felt, like a shadow being pushed back by the light.When the familiar, sprawling gates of the Richards mansion finally came into view, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. I had spent twenty-three years of my life here, growing up in this grand estate, surrounded by luxury and comfort. And now, it felt like the only place that could offer me some bit of peace, even if I didn’t feel like I deserved it.The black SUVs slowed as they approached the grand entrance, the sleek marble pillars and towering arches of the mansion standing before me.
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 4
OLIVIA'S POVThe morning sun gleamed against the polished hood of my Mustang as I turned into the parking lot, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. Today was my first day as CEO of Nexus —a position that my father had given me despite the fact that I had zero working experience.I could still picture the smug look on his face when he had offered me the job. I knew he was expecting me to fail in the business world, so that he could quickly marry me off to Ryan, and that had been my biggest motivation.I had spent the weekend buried in spreadsheets and reports, memorizing every detail about the company to ensure I wouldn’t be caught off guard. This wasn’t just a job; it was my chance to prove to everyone—and to myself—that I wasn’t a failure, that I could stand on my own.As I stepped out of the car, smoothing my tailored blazer, my gaze automatically swept over the parking lot and just then, a familiar figure caught my eye.Lucas.He stood casually by his sleek black Aud
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 5
OLIVIA'S POVHow could father be so insensitive? How could he set me up with the very man he knew betrayed me? My pulse quickened, and for a brief moment, it was like time had rewound. The memories of betrayal, of heartbreak, came rushing back, leaving me momentarily frozen in my seat.“Keep it together,” Ethan’s voice hissed next to me. He leaned in, his tone low and sharp. “You’re the CEO now. Don’t let him rattle you.”I couldn’t respond. My gaze was locked on Lucas as he sauntered into the room, exuding the same infuriating confidence he always had. His tailored navy suit fit him perfectly, the silver cufflinks catching the light as he adjusted his tie. He barely glanced around the room. He didn’t even acknowledge me.That, more than anything, sent a spike of anger through me. After everything, he dared to act as if I didn’t exist? My fingers tightened around the pen I was holding, and I forced myself to inhale deeply, to calm the storm brewing within me.Lucas set down his brie
Last Updated : 2024-12-27DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 6
LUCAS’ POV"I'm more than just your ex-wife, Lucas Preston," Olivia said, her voice steady and proud. "I'm the CEO of Nexus."I froze, my mind struggling to process what she had just said. CEO? Olivia? The woman I thought I knew so well? The same woman who used to dream about opening a cozy bakery someday? How in the world did she end up here—leading one of the most powerful companies in the city?She tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze slicing right through me. "Surprised, huh?" she asked, her tone laced with pride and something else—defiance. Maybe even a touch of satisfaction.For a moment, I forgot where I was. The boardroom, the presentation, the curious stares of the other members—none of it mattered. All I could focus on was her, standing there like a completely different person from the woman I once knew.She wasn’t just different—she was unrecognizable.But before I could say anything, she took control. She straightened her blazer, looked me dead in the eye, and asked,
Last Updated : 2025-01-03DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 7
OLIVIA’S POVAs I pushed open the door to my office, my breath caught in my throat. There he was, sitting in one of the chairs across from my desk, his posture casual but his eyes anything but Lucas Preston.I stopped in my tracks, gripping the edge of the door tightly for a moment before forcing myself to exhale. I would not let him rattle me. Not again.Straightening my blazer, I walked past him without a word and made my way to my desk. The weight of his gaze bore into me, but I refused to acknowledge it.I had barely reached my chair when he picked up my nameplate, running his fingers across the engraved letters as if testing their authenticity.“Olivia Smith,” he said, his voice low and deliberate. He turned the nameplate over in his hands before placing it back on the desk in front of me. “We need to talk.”I sat down, leaning back in my chair, and crossed my arms over my chest. “We have nothing to talk about, Mr Preston."His jaw tightened, and his eyes flashed with something I
Last Updated : 2025-01-03DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK CHAPTER 8
OLIVIA’S POVThe moment Lucas left, the weight I’d been holding on my shoulders crashed down, and I sank back into my chair. My breath came in shaky bursts as I stared blankly at the nameplate on my desk. His words played over and over in my mind, cutting deeper with each repetition."Are you really the gold digger everyone thinks you are?"I didn’t even realize when the tears started falling. They were hot and fast, slipping down my cheeks despite my best efforts to hold them back. My hands trembled as I covered my face, letting the sobs escape quietly.It was just my first day at work, and already it felt like I was drowning. It wasn’t the pressure of the job—that I could handle. It was him. Lucas. Seeing him again, hearing his voice, and feeling his judgment.And the worst part? I still loved him.I hated myself for it, for the way my heart betrayed me every time I looked at him. After everything he’d done, after all the pain, I should have moved on. But deep down, I hadn
Last Updated : 2025-01-09
Latest chapter
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 36
OliviaThe boardroom was silent as everyone took their seats. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind of tension you could almost feel physically. I sat at the head of the table, my gaze fixed on Lucas as he prepared to present the figures. The chart he was about to show us would give us all a glimpse into how well Nexus had been doing with its recent investments. It was supposed to be a victory, a moment of pride for the company, especially for Lucas.The projector hummed to life, and the numbers appeared on the screen. Lucas's voice filled the room as he explained how Nexus's little investment had grown. The graph was steady, showing a positive trend. The board members leaned forward, their eyes widening as they saw the results. It was impressive—there was no denying that.But as I watched them react, something inside me stirred. This wasn’t about numbers or growth anymore. It was about me, about Lucas. It was about what I had learned over the past few weeks, what had becom
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 36
Lucas"How? Just how did it happen?" Vivian asked again, her voice filled with disbelief.I exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of my neck. I didn’t know how to answer that question—not in a way that made sense, not in a way that didn’t make my chest tighten."Vivian, it’s… complicated."She raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with that answer, but she didn’t push me further. Instead, she reached down and grabbed Aiden’s hand. "Come on, sweetheart, we need to get going."I nodded, turning back toward the shelves. "Give me a minute. I just need to grab a few more things."I walked a few aisles down, picking up a head of cabbage, though my mind was barely on what I was buying. My thoughts were still tangled in the unexpected reunion, in the way Vivian had looked at me—so full of shock and questions I wasn’t ready to answer.I returned to them at the checkout line, setting my items on the counter. Aiden stood beside his mother, swinging his little legs, humming some tune under
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 35
LucasThe past week had been a slow kind of torture.I had thrown myself into work, hoping it would drown out the thoughts that kept creeping in—thoughts of Olivia, of our last conversation, of the way she had looked at me like she had finally given up on us. I told myself that I had accepted it, that I was moving on, but even as I pulled into the parking lot of Nexus Mall, I knew I was lying to myself.The moment I stepped out of the car, I inhaled deeply, trying to shake the heaviness that had settled in my chest. I was here to restock on essentials—coffee, cereal, and water. Just the basics. Nothing more.As I walked into the mall, the buzz of people moving around barely registered in my mind. I grabbed a shopping cart and started moving down the aisles, picking things up without much thought. Everything felt mechanical—grab, toss, move on. I wasn’t even paying attention to where I was going until—Thud.Something small and fast slammed into me, catching me off guard. Before
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 33
OliviaThe past week had been relentless.I threw myself into work the moment I woke up, filling every spare second with reports, calls, and planning sessions. It was the only way I knew how to cope. If I stopped, even for a second, my thoughts would spiral in directions I didn’t want to go.So I didn’t stop.I focused on Nexus, on regaining control, on proving that I could handle everything that had been thrown my way. I worked late into the nights, reviewing projections, updating strategies, and ensuring that no detail went unnoticed.And yet, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I buried myself in my responsibilities, one thought kept creeping in.Had I made the right choice?I clenched my jaw, shaking my head. I didn’t have time for doubts.Letting go of Amelia’s betrayal had been easy in comparison—she wasn’t worth the effort, and the necklace was just an object. But Lucas… Lucas had been harder. Cutting him off completely, refusing to let him back in, had taken
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 32
LucasI barely remembered the drive home. My hands were tight on the steering wheel, my mind spinning with everything Olivia had said. The anger in her voice. The finality in her words.She was done with me.That truth hit harder than I wanted to admit. I should have fought harder, should have explained myself better, but instead, I left. Like a coward.When I pulled up to the mansion, the sight of it made my stomach turn. It was the same house I bought when I got married to Olivia, the same place I had always returned to—but now, it felt suffocating, knowing Mother would be there. I sat in the car for a moment, gripping the wheel, trying to steady my breathing.Then, with a deep breath, I got out and walked inside.The moment I stepped through the doors, my mother’s sharp voice cut through the silence.“Where have you been?”I clenched my jaw, not in the mood for this. “Out.”She was sitting on the couch in the grand living room, her posture perfect, a glass of wine in her h
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 31
Olivia’s POVThe moment the door shut behind Lucas, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My hands trembled as I gripped the armrest of my wheelchair, frustration burning beneath my skin. I should have been relieved that he was gone—that I had finally said what needed to be said—but instead, I felt hollow.I told him not to come back. And he left.I stared at the closed door, my thoughts running in circles. Was this really the end? Did I want it to be?A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts. I turned toward the entrance just as the door opened, and Natalya walked in.“I saw Lucas leaving,” she said, closing the door behind her. “You look like you’ve been through hell.”I let out a bitter laugh. “That’s because I have.”Natalya crossed the room and perched on the armrest of the couch, watching me carefully. “Do you want to talk about it?”I hesitated, gripping the wheels of my chair. I wasn’t sure I had the energy to explain everything, but at the same time, I need
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 30
Olivia’s POVThe days following the fight with Lucas passed in a haze of frustration and self-doubt. No matter how much I tried to distract myself, his face—the hurt in his eyes, the anger in his voice—kept resurfacing in my mind. I hated that he had this kind of power over me, that he could stir emotions I wasn’t ready to confront.I was in my home office, reviewing a report Natalya had sent over, when the sound of hushed voices drifted up from the hallway. It was the maids. Normally, I would have ignored it, but something about the tone of their conversation caught my attention.“…I’m just saying, if Mr. Preston really cared about her, wouldn’t he have come back by now?”“Maybe he’s too proud,” another voice replied. “Or maybe she scared him off. You know how intimidating she can be.”My grip on the pen tightened. Intimidating? Scared him off? Who were they to speculate about my relationship—or lack thereof—with Lucas?“Either way, it’s a shame,” the first voice continued. “Th
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 29
Lucas’ POVThe moment I stepped into the house, I could feel the tension clinging to the air like a heavy fog. My chest was tight, my jaw set. The confrontation I’d been replaying in my head on the drive here felt inevitable now, and I wasn’t sure how much restraint I had left.My mother was in the living room, lounging on the cream sofa with a cup of tea in hand. She looked up as I walked in, her face lighting up in a way that made my stomach churn.“Lucas, sweetheart! What a pleasant surprise,” she said warmly, setting her cup down.I didn’t return her smile. “Where’s Amelia?”Her brow furrowed slightly. “She’s upstairs. Why? Did something happen?”“Yes,” I said curtly. “And I need to talk to her. Now.”“Lucas,” my mother said, her voice taking on that warning tone she used whenever she thought I was being unreasonable, “I don’t know what’s got you so upset, but—”“Don’t,” I snapped, cutting her off. “Not this time, Mom.”She pursed her lips, a flicker of irritation crossin
DEAR EX-HUSBAND, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ME BACK Chapter 28
Olivia’s POVThe sun casted thin lines of light across my bedroom walls. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying last night’s argument with Lucas over and over in my head. Each time, the scene ended the same way: with him walking out, furious, and my heart feeling like it was caught in a vice.I rolled onto my side and groaned. Why did I have to accuse him?But the necklace was gone, and he had been the only one here. The logic felt airtight last night when I was caught up in anger and fear. Now, in the harsh light of day, doubt crept in. Lucas might have been a liar, even a cheat, but was he really capable of stealing from me?I couldn’t shake the guilt gnawing at my chest. There was only one way to settle this once and for all.Throwing off the covers, I got out of bed and headed for the kitchen, where Marcy, one of the housemaids, was busy wiping down the countertops.“Good morning, Miss Olivia,” she greeted me with her usual chipper tone.I offered a weak smile. “Mo
