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2025-02-21 19:00:57
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Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 141
IrisI woke up with a start, the lingering effects of the panic attack still holding on to me. The past few days had been a blur, mostly filled Orchard’s constant reassuring presence, and the overwhelming weight of everything that had happened. It felt like the world was moving in slow motion around me, but my thoughts were a million miles away.I could feel the cold hospital sheets beneath me, the sterile smell of the room filling my senses. Orchard had been here the entire time, never leaving my side, until the doctors said it was okay for me to go. And even when we arrived home, he had been nothing short of protective. Always making sure I was okay. I realized the bathroom incident, gave him a scare.I had spent the last few days recovering, but today, I had to face something that had been haunting me for a while: I had to talk to my father.I wasn’t sure if I was ready. The recent events still clouded my mind, the kidnapping, the fear, Tiffany’s death. I still couldn’t shake the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 142
IrisOnly flecks floated into my room, further aided by the peeking rose of sunlight from outside. Of that, I much preferred the slight darkness. Even with the extra darkness, I had pulled the covers over my head, blocking out even more of the light that would have come in. "Iris," I heard my husband's voice off in the distance. It felt as though I was buried underwater. I could see him, but he was just murky, clouded by the surface. But don't get me wrong, I wasn't drowning or anything. In fact, I could breathe just fine. In fact, I wanted to be left alone. I turned my head away from the window and shoved it deeper into my pillow. "Not today again," I heard him say. Soon, an image of my dead sister came to mind. The blood pooling underneath her body. Her cold, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling with still surprise etched on her face. She hadn't seen it coming any more than I had. As I suppose it must have struck differently, thinking of the one who you're supposed to love t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 143
Iris I spent the next two days being cuddled to death by none other than Halle. Don’t mind me, it was perfect. I didn’t complain—though it was a little too much sometimes. The constant "Honey, what do you want?" "Honey, would you like a little more pepper in that?" "Honey, I saw this beautiful dress and thought it would look so good on you." My room had been turned upside down, rearranged, and then turned upside down again, and then rearranged again. I felt bad for my room, but at least the mild form of activity was enough to keep my mind working at breakneck speed. "Do you want to try going out again?" I heard her ask shyly one day. Maybe it was the fourth day after the screaming incident. I didn’t know. "How long has it been?" "One week," she beamed into a smile. "Okay," I whispered. This time, I stepped into the shower willingly and found the hot torrent of water over my body comforting. A strange pang hit me, wishing for my husband’s arms around my body. Yeah, I thoug
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 144
Iris…The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, brightening the living room as I sipped my tea and leaned back against the couch. Life had been a whirlwind lately, but today felt calm, a rare and precious moment of peace. I was grateful for it, especially since I still felt like I was piecing myself back together after everything that had happened.Just as I set my cup down, the doorbell rang. I wasn’t expecting anyone, so my curiosity got the better of me as I walked to the door. When I opened it, I was greeted by a familiar face, Orchard’s mother.Her warm smile greeted me first, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes. “Iris, darling,” she said, stepping forward to hug me. “I hope it’s not too early for a visit.”I hugged her back tightly, her presence feeling like a comfort I didn’t know I needed. “Not at all, Halle. It’s so good to see you.”She pulled back and looked at me, her hands still resting on my shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” she said softly. “
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 145
Orchard…The house was quiet except for the soft hum of the clock on the wall. Iris was upstairs resting, and I sat on the couch, staring at the fireplace. She was home. She was safe. That thought filled my chest with relief, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the restlessness inside me.I couldn’t stop thinking about the events that had brought her back. I was grateful, of course, that Dave had saved her, but a part of me couldn’t shake the sting of jealousy. He had been the one to find her first, to bring her home.Dave had known where she was and deliberately kept it from me. He had given me vague hints, breadcrumbs that led to nowhere. I had no choice but to follow him, to trail him until he finally revealed the location. If he had just told me, I could’ve been the one to save her.I shook my head, trying to push the bitterness aside. None of that mattered now. What mattered was that Iris was here, alive and safe, and I had made a promise to myself. My phone buzzed on the table. I gl
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 146
Iris..It had been a few weeks since I returned to the office at TM Corp. My father had officially stepped down, leaving me fully in charge. I felt both proud and overwhelmed. TM Corp was a large company with many moving parts, and I knew there was a lot to fix. Still, I was determined to do my best.On my first day back, I spent hours reviewing the company’s financial records. I wanted to understand how everything was running. As I dug deeper, I noticed something troubling. A lot of money was being spent carelessly.There were expenses that didn’t make sense, lavish dinners, unnecessary travel, and payments to people who weren’t even employees. One name stood out: Karen.Karen was listed as a shareholder, but something didn’t sit right. When I asked for more information about her role, it became clear that she didn’t contribute anything to the company. She was receiving money for doing absolutely nothing.“This has to stop,” I muttered to myself.The next morning, I called a meeting
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 147
IrisThe party was in full swing, and laughter echoed through every corner of the room. Music played softly in the background, and the scent of freshly cooked meals filled the air. The guests, dressed in their finest, mingled and exchanged pleasantries. For a while, everything felt perfect.Orchard and my father had planned this party together to celebrate my return to work and the success of TM Corp’s latest project. He had insisted on going all out, saying it was a way to show how proud he was of me. I couldn’t have been happier.But as the evening went on, something felt… off.It started when I noticed Orchard wasn’t by my side.At first, I thought he was just busy entertaining guests. He was always a great host, making sure everyone felt welcome. But after half an hour of not seeing him, I began to worry.I didn’t have much time to think about it, as I was soon called to the stage to give a speech.I wasted no time in my delivery, going straight to the point about how I was glad
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 148
Iris…Later that night, I found myself in a bar. I sat at the counter, staring at the glass in front of me. The amber liquid reflected the lights, and for a moment, I just stared.I never thought I’d end up here, drowning my sorrows in a bar. I’d always been the kind of person who believed problems were meant to be solved, not drowned. But tonight, the pain was too much to bear.I picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp.The burn of the alcohol in my throat distracted me, but only for a moment. The memories came rushing back like a tidal wave.The party. Orchard. The woman in the guest room.“Another,” I said to the bartender, sliding my glass toward him.He gave me a hesitant look but poured the drink anyway.As I sipped, my thoughts drifted back to how it all began.I had met Orchard in a bar as well, after Dave cheated on me. We had the most unhinged conversation, and somehow I ended on his bed the next morning.I smiled at the memory. But soon, I blinked back to the present
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22
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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
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 165
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
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 164
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
