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CHAPTER 0159
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-12 23:47:02
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Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0160
AVA’S POV The lights were way too hot, even though the room itself was cold. I could feel the heat on my face and the back of my neck, but I didn’t mind. I sat up straight, calm and steady. My hands rested in my lap, no shaking, no fidgeting. I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t scared. My smile came easy because I knew I had nothing to hide. Kara gave a soft smile to the camera and spoke in that practiced voice that sounded both kind and sharp. “Today we have an exclusive sit-down with Ava Taylor, an impressive designer and founder of Avaris Luxe, a company that recently entered the American market. "A woman who’s been praised for her talent… and lately, dragged into the headlines for everything but her work.” I already knew where this was headed. I met her gaze, nodded politely, and waited. No time wasted. Kara turned to me. “Ava, thank you for joining us.” “Thanks for having me,” I said, cool and steady, my lips curled into a small smile. She leaned in just a little, her voice
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0161
AVA’S POV I heard Sally gasp. It wasn’t loud, but I felt it more than I heard it. I turned my head slightly. She had her phone in her hand, her eyes wide. Her lips were parted like she was about to say something but couldn’t get it out. “What?” I whispered, barely moving my lips. The cameras were still rolling. She leaned in like she didn’t want the words to travel too far. “Sienna Rae… she’s wearing it,” Sally mouthed. “She’s wearing your dress.” “What?” I blinked, not sure I read her lips right. But then Kara looked up too, and someone behind the camera shouted something. Everyone turned toward the screen. I followed their gaze — and there she was. Sienna Rae. Stepping out of a black car, all eyes were on her. Flashing lights. Fans screaming. And she was wearing my design. Kara leaned toward her mic and said quickly, “This was earlier tonight — footage just came in from the red carpet.” I swear, my heart stopped. I didn’t even breathe. My mind went blank. It wa
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0162
LAURA’S POV I slammed the front door so hard the wall shook. “That bitch,” I muttered under my breath, heels stabbing the marble floor as I stormed through the house. “That goddamn bitch.” Steph trailed behind me, quiet as usual. We had just gotten back from the red carpet. She didn’t say a word. She never did when I was like this. She knew better. My hands were still shaking. I had spent weeks on that dress. Custom fabric. Hand-beaded. Endless fittings. I even kissed her assistant’s ass – that glorified gatekeeper – just to make sure Sienna Rae would wear my dress. And what happened? She showed up in Ava’s dress. Ava’s. The one woman I couldn’t stand to see win. Not tonight. Not ever. But somehow, once again… she did. I kicked off my heels and flung my clutch across the room. It hit the wall with a thud and fell to the floor. Not satisfying enough. I grabbed the lamp from the end table and threw it. Glass exploded across the tile. “She wasn’t even there!” I screamed
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0163
AVA'S POV I slept better last night than I have in some days. Not the kind of restless sleep I’d been getting lately, where I wake up halfway through the night and stare at the ceiling, wondering what else could go wrong. No. This was a real sleep. The kind where your body finally gives in. The kind where, for a few hours, your brain stops fighting you. It wasn’t until I heard the soft patter of feet and a little voice say, “Aunty?” that I finally stirred. I opened my eyes and saw Emma standing at the edge of my bed, holding her little stuffed bunny by one ear. Her hair was messy, her face still puffy from sleep. “I didn’t see you all day yesterday,” she said quietly, her bottom lip poking out. God. My heart squeezed. I had left early yesterday and came home late last night tired. I sat up and reached for her. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry. Come here.” She climbed into my arms without hesitation and buried her face into my neck. Just that one sentence – just those fe
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0164
AVA’S POV I looked away the moment Alex stood up and began walking toward us, after saying a few words to the woman he was dining with – probably asking her to excuse him for a moment. Sally had just taken another bite of her food when she noticed the change in my expression. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to. She’d been my friend for so long that she could read me like the back of her hand. She knew when something was off with me. A few seconds later, Alex was at our table. “Hey ladies,” he said, his voice even, but his eyes flickered from me to Sally and back again. “Didn’t expect to see you both here.” I gave him a polite smile. “You too.” “I can see you’re here with a lady,” Sally winked at him, her lips curled in a smirk. "She's pretty." Alex cleared his throat slightly. “It’s not what you think, Sally. And yes, I’m here with a friend,” he said. “She just got back into the country, so I decided to give her a treat. You know, help her settle in." I nodded once
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0165
AVA’S POV The guy bent down and picked up my bag before I could even react. His hand brushed mine as he handed it to me, and when I looked up, I froze for half a second. He was… strikingly handsome. Clean-cut, fresh face, probably just out of college or something. Definitely younger. Way younger. “Sorry about that,” I said quickly, my face warming a little. I was used to strikingly good-looking guys like Jason and Alex, but there was something different about his young blood charm. And he scented heavenly. “No problem,” he smiled. “Are you okay?” “Yeah. Thanks,” I said, brushing imaginary dust off my bag. He nodded politely and walked off, and I stood there for a second, wondering if I’d imagined the whole thing. I hadn’t. But the moment passed, and I turned around and headed back to our table. Sally had already finished eating or at least she’d stopped trying to stuff her face with food. “You good?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “Yeah. Just bumped into someone,” I rep
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-16Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0166
AVA'S POV I got home earlier than usual that evening. Work was still piled up, but my head wasn’t in it today. Not after that call from Alex. He’d said he was planning to take Emma and Mason to the amusement park tomorrow. Then he’d asked, casually, if I wanted to come too. I said no before I even thought it through. I wasn’t trying to spend a day riding rollercoasters with Alex pretending things were fine. But Emma somehow knew about it. I didn't know how. I was in the kitchen, pouring a glass of water, when she walked in with her bunny tucked under her arm. “Why aren’t you going?” she asked, her little voice full of disappointment. I froze. “Going where?""To the amusement park with me, Mason, and Uncle Alex tomorrow." She replied, pouting.I let out a deep breath. "Sweetheart, I just have work..." “I want you to come too,” she said, her face scrunching up the way it always did when she was about to cry. “It won’t be fun without you.” And just like that, my heart melt
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-17Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0167
AVA’S POV We arrived in two separate cars. I sat in the front seat of Alex’s car, while Emma sang something off-key in the back, kicking her little feet. I knew she was excited. Alex glanced at me every now and then, but neither of us said much. The silence wasn’t awkward – it was just full. Full of all the things we didn’t know how to say anymore. Jason drove the other car. Laura sat beside him, and Mason was in the back. When we all got out at the park, Laura stepped out quickly and rushed to Mason’s side, holding his hand like someone might try to take him away. I noticed it right away – how stiff she looked, how her eyes kept following Alex. She was smiling, sure, but it looked glued on. Too fake. Too tight. Like she was trying hard to keep it together. I said nothing. I just adjusted Emma’s cap and took her hand. The moment we got through the gates, Emma and Mason took off like two little rockets, laughing and shouting. “Come on!” Emma called. “Hurry, Uncle Alex!” A
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-18
Bab terbaru
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0176
AVA'S POV It had been hours since that email came in, and I still couldn’t stop smiling. Not even a little. Vogue. Freaking Vogue. Every time I thought about it, my cheeks hurt a little more from grinning like an idiot. I should’ve been tired. I should’ve curled up and napped or maybe done something productive. But I didn’t want the moment to pass without doing something with it. And then it hit me – Emma. I hadn’t picked her up from school in a while. Rose usually handled it with her usual grace and mom's energy, but today… I wanted to do it myself. I tossed on some jeans and a soft cream knit sweater – something simple but still presentable. The weather was light enough for flats, and my hair was still air-dried from the bath earlier, tucked behind my ears. I didn’t even bother with makeup. Just lip balm and a little smile I couldn’t get rid of. The school wasn’t far, and traffic wasn’t terrible for once. When I got there and stepped out of the car, I scanned the small crowd
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0175
JASON’S POVThe moment they all noticed my presence, chairs pushed back and everyone stood up fast like soldiers waiting for orders. No one said a word. The air felt heavy, like the tension had soaked into the walls and the only sound heard was the low hum of the AC above.I looked around the table every face tight with nerves. Some tried to look busy. Some looked right at me. But when my eyes landed on Laura again, she looked away fast, pretending to focus on her notepad.I walked straight to the head of the table, pulled out my chair, and sat down. Everyone else followed. Laura was the last to sit. She moved slowly like her body knew what was coming even if she hadn’t admitted it to herself yet.I opened the folder in front of me and flipped a few pages. The sound echoed in the silence. No one dared speak. I didn’t rush. I let the quiet stretch. Let it press on everyone’s shoulders a little more. A few people glanced at each other. I caught Steph glancing toward Ben. Laura’s fingers
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0174
JASON’S POVI ended the call and tossed the phone on my desk. It landed with a loud thud. Steph and Ben stood there like statues like they were too scared to even blink. The room was thick with silence, and I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. “Steph, you can go,” I said, not even looking at her. She hesitated. “Uh… sir, my phone?” I looked down and realized I was still holding it. I picked it up from the desk and handed it to her without a word. She grabbed it and practically sprinted out of the office. I didn’t blame her. I could be very scary when I am angry. Ben shifted a little like he wasn’t sure if it was safe to speak. “Should I still gather the design team?” he asked quietly. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the wall for a second. I let out a slow breath, trying to cool the anger in my chest before I answered. “Push it back one hour.” Ben blinked. “One hour?” “I said one hour. We wait for Laura.” I said, my voice s
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0173
JASON’S POV I slammed the tablet on my desk so hard that Ben flinched. “Have you seen this crap?” I barked. Ben shifted awkwardly, standing a little straighter. “Yes, sir. It’s all over the internet.” I dragged a hand down my face, then leaned over the tablet again, jaw clenched. The headline burned into his eyes. I stared at the screen, my fists clenched. Every word in that article made my blood boil. “Storm Management Faces Backlash After Campbell's Group Runway Disaster.” “Campbell Group’s designs labeled uninspired, rushed, and low-quality.” And then the photos. One of Storm's management top models in Milan walked down the runway while the sides of her dress split wide open. I could see the moment on her face – shock, embarrassment, trying to stay professional while the cameras flashed. It was a disaster. A very public one. And my company’s name was all over it. Everyone in the world already knew about it. Beneath that, editorials ripped the collection apart. “Un
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0172
AVA’S POV I arrived at the hotel and it was ridiculous. In a good way. Like, over-the-top, velvet-everywhere, fountain-in-the-lobby kind of ridiculous. The kind of place that didn’t just want to impress you – it wanted to slap you in the face with money and say, this is how the other half lives. I’d been in luxury spaces before, obviously, but this one was on a different level. It was the kind of place you don’t just walk into – you glide, like you’re supposed to belong. A sharply dressed concierge met me the moment I walked in, addressed me by name, and immediately led me to the elevator without asking any questions. It was like she knew me already. No waiting, no nonsense. Just pure efficiency wrapped in gold trim. I took a quiet breath as the elevator rose. I don’t know why I was nervous. I shouldn’t have been. This was my world. This was what I did. I have met a lot of important people – she wasn't the first and she wouldn't be the last. Still… I guess something about bei
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0171
AVA'S POV TWO DAYS LATER I walked into the office just after seven, coffee in hand and hair properly styled. The city outside was still waking up, but I was already halfway through my to-do list. It felt good to be early – like I had a head start on the day. The tightness in my chest wasn’t there anymore I won't say it was fully gone, but it was looser somehow. Lighter. Maybe it was because the storm had finally calmed down. The interview, the red carpet buzz, Sienna’s support – it all helped. So did the talk with Alex. We’d cleared the air. Things didn’t feel as tense between us anymore, and I could breathe without second-guessing everything I said around him. But of course, there was still one problem. One name that kept showing up on my phone like an itch I couldn’t reach. Jason. He was blowing up my phone with calls, texts, and even voice notes, though I never listened to those. He didn’t stop. Every morning, I’d tell myself, Just block him, Ava. Be done with it. And
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0170
AVA’S POV I watched Alex walk into the sitting room. He looked tired like he had a lot on his mind, but he still managed a small smile. I followed him, and we both sat down on the couch. For a few seconds, it was quiet between us. Just the soft hum of the fridge in the kitchen and the voice of a man speaking on the television. Then he turned his head to look at me. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. I blinked. “Yeah… why?” He gave a small shrug. “I don’t know. You’ve just been… different lately.” I tilted my head. “Different how?” I asked, even though I already knew what he meant. “You’re uncomfortable,” he said simply, looking me in the eyes. “With me.” I opened my mouth to deny it, but I hesitated. He looked serious. Like he’d been thinking about this for a while. “I’m not uncomfortable,” I said, even though my voice sounded unsure. “Ava,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I know you. You can say whatever you want, but I can feel it. You’ve been pulling back ever
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0169
ALEX’S POV The second the words left my mouth "Which one?” I knew I’d set something off. But I didn’t care. I was angry. I’d been quietly sitting there, watching Jason and Ava relive their memories like they were the stars of some perfect little love story. Laughing, finishing each other’s sentences. Remembering things that didn’t include me. And it made my heart clench because, after all these years of being close to Ava, we didn’t have anything like that. Not one fun moment. Not one memory that could make a room go quiet. And now Laura – Laura had the nerve to stand there and try to paint Jason as Mason’s father. Right in front of me. The nerve she has. She stiffened. Her fingers twitched around Mason’s juice box. Her lips parted like she had something to say, but no words came out. Everyone just stared. Then, without saying anything, she stood up so fast her chair scraped the ground. “Mason,” she said quickly, forcing a smile as she gathered him up into her arms. “L
Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please CHAPTER 0168
AVA’S POV The sun was already warming up the day, so we found a quiet spot near the edge of the park, shaded by tall trees. A few picnic tables were scattered beneath them, and we claimed one. The breeze made the leaves sway, casting shifting shadows across the bench. I sat first, setting Emma down beside me. She wasted no time cracking open her little lunchbox, digging through it like it was a treasure. Her curls, packed into a ponytail, bounced as she hummed a tune, entirely in her own world. I smiled and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Jason came over with a sandwich in one hand, clearly planning to sit next to me. I didn’t say a word – I just shifted slightly and tapped the bench on the other side of Emma. “Sit here, sweetheart,” I said softly, nudging her toward me. Jason hesitated, sandwich mid-air, then gave this lazy little chuckle like nothing had happened. “Guess I would be standing,” he said. Emma giggled, not catching the subtext. “You can sit o
