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Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-16 12:34:07
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Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 132
Tiffany’s POVI couldn’t stop pacing. My heart was racing, and every thought in my head felt like it was spinning out of control. The pressure was too much. I had tried to ignore Iris, but now she was giving me an ultimatum, resign within 48 hours or she would expose everything.The idea of everything coming crashing down was too much to handle. I had to do something, anything, to stop her. But what could I do?I thought of all my options. My stepfather… maybe he could help. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number, the phone rang several times before he picked up.“Yes, Tiffany?” “Please, I need your help,” I begged, my voice desperate. “I’m in trouble. Iris is threatening me, and I don’t know what to do. I need you to do something, anything. You can help me, I know you can!”There was a long pause on the other end, and I held my breath, hoping he would say something, anything to calm my nerves. “Tiffany, you’re an adult now. I can’t keep solving your problems for you.” He replied
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 133
Tiffany’s POVI sat in my office, staring at my phone, fingers hovering above the screen. There was something about Dave that made me second-guess everything. He was unpredictable, unreliable, and somehow still managed to stir up feelings I didn’t want to have. But I knew I had to control the situation, and if I had learned anything over the years, it was that sometimes trust was not enough. I had to be prepared for every possible outcome.I needed him in my pocket, and if that meant playing dirty, then so be it.I quickly typed the message.“Meet me at the bar. Now. Your life depends on it.”I hit send, knowing he would be furious. But that was the point. I didn’t care. He had crossed so many lines that there was nothing left to lose. He was a pawn in my game now, whether he liked it or not.The reply came within seconds.“You’re crazy, Tiffany. I’m not coming.”I smirked, knowing I had expected this response. So, I sent another message.“Think twice, Dave. You really don’t want to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 134
Orchard’s POVI decided to go to my mum. I needed her. I always had, especially when things got tough. Mum had always been the one to listen, the one who made everything feel a little lighter. She never judged me; she just listened, and somehow, her words always gave me the clarity I needed.I drove to her house, each mile seeming to drag on forever. When I finally arrived, I walked up to the door and knocked softly. She was probably in the kitchen, but I didn’t want to just walk in. I needed her attention, I needed her to know how serious this was.When she opened the door, her eyes softened the moment she saw me. Without a word, she pulled me into a tight hug. I didn’t hold back; I let myself sink into her arms, feeling the warmth and comfort only a mother’s embrace could offer.“Mum, I don’t know what to do anymore,” I whispered. “Everything is just… overwhelming.”She didn’t say anything at first. She just held me tighter, her hand gently rubbing my back. After a moment, she pulle
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 135
Orchard’s Pov Iris was missing…The words played over and over again like a sick alarm. Trust no one, I told myself. My wife was missing again.I didn't care if the 24- or 48-hour mark had yet to be reached. One thing I did know was that Iris would never just disappear. "I'm sure it's nothing serious," my PA voiced doubt somewhere behind me in the room. I paced several times in front of the large screen in the conference room. She would have been here, I thought. She wasn't the kind to be tardy, I thought, and if she was in any case whatsoever, she would call ahead. She would say something. She wouldn't be so rude as to keep many people waiting—her father included, her father's lawyer, and myself. "Did you call her driver? Did you get in touch with Harold?" I turned to the room, pulling my phone out of my pocket. Richard gave me a look as he cocked his head to the side, his eyes filled with some mixture of shame and mild disappointment. He huffed out a breath and pulled off h
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 136
Orchard’s Pov I didn’t go back to the office. Neither did I want to leave the police station. It seemed like the chief’s office had become a base of operations. He had left a minute ago, picking up his cap in the process, mumbling something about briefing some people. He came back a while after. “I briefed the men,” he said. “They’re on it. I would advise you to take a little bit of a breather,” he added. “Calm yourself, breathe in some air. You’ll see better. We’ll get you anything we see as we move. In fact, whatever we see, you’re going to see it. This is at the top of our priority—finding your wife.” I should have felt slightly calm. The police were already on my wife’s case. In fact, my mind imagined an entire truck—or maybe two—of well-trained officers moving into place, well-equipped with even K9s and stuff. But my mind was not at ease. Was it because I knew the city like the back of my hand? Was it because I knew of all the corners and crevices and the thousand possibil
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 137
IrisMy body was covered in a cold sweat, I realized I was in a dark, cold room. I couldn’t see much, just shadows, and it felt like something bad was about to happen. My wrists were bound tightly behind me, and my legs were also restrained. I tried to move, but the ropes were too tight, and I couldn’t free myself. Panic settled in my chest as I looked around in the darkness.I opened my eyes, hoping to see something familiar. Slowly, shapes began to emerge. My heart sank when I recognized the people tied up beside me. It was my father, my mother, Orchard, his father and mother too. They were all there, struggling in the same way I was, with ropes cutting into their skin.Tears filled my eyes as I saw my mother. I could hardly breathe as the fear gripped me. I wanted to scream, to reach out to her, to hold her hand, but I couldn’t move. I could barely even turn my head.“Mom…” I whispered, my voice trembling.But before I could even try to get closer, a sound cut through the silence.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 138
Iris“Tiffany.” I called out with disdain as she walked towards me with a smug smile on her face, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.“Hello, Iris,” she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “I see you’re finally awake.”I glared at her, trying to hide the fear that threatened to rise in my chest. I didn’t understand. Why? Why had she done this?“What do you want from me, Tiffany?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay calm.Tiffany’s smile widened, and she leaned in, her face inches from mine. “Isn’t it obvious, Iris?” she sneered. “I’m here to take everything you’ve ever had.”I frowned, confusion clouding my thoughts. “What are you talking about?” I whispered, barely able to understand her words.She straightened up and began pacing slowly in front of me, her eyes never leaving mine. “All my life, I was the other daughter,” she said, her voice becoming colder with every word. “You were always the perfect one. You were the one everyone praised. You ha
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-19Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 139
IrisThe room was filled with deafening silence again. I was left alone to ponder on Tiffany’s words, until she came back, the sound of her boots echoing in the silence. “I’ve decided, I’ll let you go on one condition,” she said.“What?” I asked.“Take back the lawsuit, Iris,” she said, “Destroy the evidence. Do that, and I’ll let you go. If you don’t, well… you know what will happen.”Tiffany’s gaze hardened as she waited for my response, but I couldn’t give her what she wanted. I couldn’t destroy everything I had fought for. I couldn’t let her win.“I can’t,” I finally managed to say, my voice trembling. “I can’t take back the lawsuit, and I won’t destroy the evidence. What you’ve done is wrong, Tiffany. I won’t let you get away with it.”Tiffany’s eyes shut momentarily, and a wicked smile spread across her face. “You’re really making this hard for yourself, Iris. You’re really making me do this.”Before I could react, she cocked the gun. The sound of the action seemed to echo in my
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20
Bab terbaru
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 168
OrchardIris made the most adorable pregnant woman ever. Maybe it was just my sentiment—I would always believe that. Maybe it was still my sentiment to want her to have another baby just because she made the most adorable pregnant woman ever. And perhaps those sentiments couldn’t be shared with her. But when it always came down to the delivery room, I found myself pacing. "It’s a normal reaction," the nurses said. "It’s normal," they said eventually. "Why don’t you come hold her hand?" the half-face-covered nurse stretched out a hand. "Are you okay?" I whispered in her ear. "Oh yeah, I’m amazing," she mumbled. "But sure, if we want to make this mountain out of a molehill, we can. Besides, I already requested an epidural," she rolled her eyes at me. "Maybe you’re just being dramatic," she waved me off. Maybe I was. Maybe I was just shy. After all, it wasn’t every day a man got to witness this perfect being born. "Okay, I feel something," she gripped my hand. The secon
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Orchard Nothing, except the mild silence of the humidifier beside my bed, the steady beeping of the heart monitor, and, of course, the gentle hum of the air conditioner, filled the room. Aside from having to convince my wife—well, I wasn’t sure what we were now, but we surely were something—convincing her to go home, take a shower, get dressed, and look prettier the day after was more than enough. The same could apply to Mom. Partly, it was because of the text message I had received from Dad. “Is it all right if I come see you?” he had texted earlier. “Me telling you no isn’t going to change your mind, so why bother?” I texted back. And, as they say, speak of the devil, and he shall appear. An hour later, Dad walked into my hospital room as though he owned the place—which was mildly accurate. He was one of those with the largest holdings in the hospital. Or, well, he had some of the largest holdings in the hospital. While he didn’t own it specifically, neither did I, but he d
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 166
IrisHarold couldn’t be fast enough. Or maybe it was the fact that the speed limit was simply too slow, and Harold was dancing just at the edge. Either way, I kept pounding my heel against the floor of the car while biting my lips, and it seemed the buildings were moving apart too slowly. “I’m going as fast as I can, Mrs. Hector,” Harold said, and turned towards the rearview mirror, his eyes darting towards me. “I’m driving as fast as I can,” he said again, his eyes meeting mine this time. “We’ll be there soon.” His eyes crinkled at the edges, smiling at me. He offered little comfort, I thought to myself, as my face strangely cracked into a small smile. “Thank you,” I said, letting out a huff of air and pulling my fingers together, trying to calm them from the shaking earlier. Who’d have thought talking to the stepmother who effectively bullied you your whole life would cause some form of shakiness? Eventually, we reached the hospital in one piece—mostly. I bolted straight u
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IrisPerhaps it was not just me but the entire court, but everyone seemed to let out a breath of relief. I caught sight of Karen sitting somewhere at the back of the room.Simply, I got sight of her because I was jittery, my eyes darting all over the place.Perhaps I was so eager to keep my eyes off Dave that I simply couldn’t look at the person—the wicked person—he had become. He was so unrecognizable.He was not the man I had known all my life; he was not the man I had fallen in love with. No. Buried far from those things were the sweet smiles he had given me when I was younger and the messages of conviction. *"You’re the only woman I could ever marry,"* he had said. Well, perhaps that part was true. I was the only one he married—but probably not the only one he could love. No. His love went to other places; his love had a knack for doing that, going to various places. But none of that mattered for the children. At least that chapter was closed. I raised my eyes to the prose
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Iris’ Pov I got the call from the police station. They told me Dave wanted to see me. I didn’t want to go. After everything he’d done, why would I? But then, Orchard’s mum, Halle, said she’d come with me. I needed her support, so I agreed.When we got to the station, my hands were shaking. Halle held my arm gently, and we walked in together. They led us to the room where Dave was sitting. “Iris,” he said, “you came.”I didn’t sit down. I just looked at him, feeling all the anger rise inside me. “You better pray Orchard wakes up,” I said, “if she doesn’t, you’ll regret ever knowing me.”Dave smirked. “I don’t care what happens to me. If Orchard dies, I’m justified.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Justified? For what? Before I could say anything else, Halle held me.“There’s no use talking to a man like him,” he’s lost his mind. Let’s go, Iris.”Just as we turned to leave, a cop walked into the room. He had a file in his hand and a serious look on his face.“We found new evide
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 163
Iris’ PovI sat in the cold, hard chair outside the operating room, my breaths were shallow and uneven. It felt like I had been holding my breath the entire time.Orchard was in there, fighting for his life. The doctors had rushed him in as soon as we arrived at the hospital, I wanted to believe he would make it, but the blood, there had been so much blood. I couldn’t stop seeing it.My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I joined them together, pressing them tightly against my lap, trying to steady them, but it didn’t work. My clothes still smelled like blood and sweat, and I hated it.“Iris,” a soft voice said beside me.I looked up to see Orchard’s mother. I had called her as soon as I arrived. She placed a hand on my shoulder.“He’s strong,” she said, though her voice cracked. “He’s going to make it.”I nodded, but I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t find any words.The hallway was too quiet, the kind of silence that only made things worse. Every time the doors to the operating room swung open,
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Dave’s Pov The sound of the gunshot still rang in my ears as I stumbled back, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The scene before me felt surreal, like something out of a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. Orchard was on the floor, blood spreading around him like a dark, growing shadow. Iris knelt beside him, screaming his name, her hands pressed desperately against his chest as if she could stop the life from slipping out of him. “Orchard! Stay with me! Please!” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Her voice was filled with panic, raw and heart-wrenching. And I just stood there, frozen. My hand was still gripping the gun, my knuckles white. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All I could do was stare at the chaos I had caused. What have I done? The question repeated over and over in my mind, but I couldn’t find an answer. I hadn’t planned for this to happen, not like this. I just wanted to scare them, to make them pay attention, to make her listen to me. But now…
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 161
Iris’ Pov The gun pressed against my head was a constant reminder of how close I was to disaster. I could see the anger in Dave’s eyes, the wild, unpredictable rage that told me he wasn’t bluffing. He was mad enough to do anything. The memory of the day he shot my stepsister, suddenly hit me. The look on his face then was the same as now. No hesitation, no regret. Just pure fury.I knew better than to argue with him. If I made one wrong move, one wrong word, this could end horribly. I forced myself to take a shaky breath, trying to calm the panic that threatened to overwhelm me.“Dave,”please, let’s not do this. Name your price. Whatever you want, we’ll do it. Just… just let us go.”For a moment, he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, his grip on the gun tightening and loosening, like he was considering his options.Then he laughed, a bitter, hollow sound that made my stomach twist. “Name my price?” he said mockingly. “It’s too late for that, Iris. Don’t you get it? There’s n
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 160
Iris’ Pov My body stirred, waking me from a restless dream. At first, I didn’t understand why I woke up, but then I felt a familiar discomfort in my stomach.I sighed quietly and got out of bed, careful not to wake Orchard. The room was dark, lit only by the faint light of the moon that filtered through the curtains. I paused for a moment, listening to his steady breathing, and then padded softly toward the bathroom.The bathroom tiles were cold under my bare feet, and I shivered slightly as I finished and washed my hands. I thought I would just crawl back into bed and try to sleep again, but as I stepped out of the bathroom, I realized how dry my throat felt. My mouth felt like sandpaper, and my lips were cracked.“I need some water,” I murmured to myself, my voice barely above a whisper.The thought of going downstairs in the middle of the night wasn’t appealing, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t quench my thirst. So, I turned toward the stairs, walking as quietly
