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2025-02-22 19:02:35
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Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 150
Iris’ Pov The house felt too small, too quiet. It was suffocating. I needed to get out, even if just for a little while. I put on my jacket, grabbed my purse, and made my way out the door. I had no destination in mind, just needed to walk, to clear my head.As I walked down the street, the cool air brushing against my face, I tried to push thoughts of Orchard away. It wasn’t easy, though. Everywhere I went, memories of him followed. His smile, his touch, the way he used to make me feel so safe. And now, everything felt like it had shattered in an instant.I was lost in my thoughts when a black car pulled up beside me. My heart raced, and my first instinct was to step back, unsure of who it was. The tinted window rolled down slowly, and I felt a wave of fear wash over me. But then I saw his face. Orchard’s father.“Miss Iris,” he said kindly. “May I have a moment of your time?”I hesitated for a second, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to talk to anyone about what had happened, but someth
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-22Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 151
Iris’ PovA part of me wanted to ignore it. I wasn’t ready to talk to him after what happened with Tiffany, but I knew he wouldn’t stop until I answered, so I sighed and swiped the screen.“What do you want” I asked, nonchalantly.“Iris,” Dave’s voice came through the phone,“I was wondering if you wanted to take a drive with me. We can talk, talk about Tiffany, I want to explain things to you.”I hesitated for a moment. I didn’t know if I could handle it. But something about his voice made me want to listen to him.“I don’t know, Dave,” I replied, “I’m not sure what you want to talk about.”“I just want to see you, Iris. I need to know you don’t see me as a monster, I only did that for you.”I closed my eyes, trying to think through my feelings. But the decision felt impossible. I knew Orchard would never understand. He would feel betrayed, and I didn’t want to hurt him. But what was I supposed to do?“I’ll go,” I said finally, unable to deny the part of me that wanted to see Dave and
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 152
Iris..I felt like the walls were closing in around me, and it became harder to breathe. My hands trembled as I clutched the phone, and the room seemed to tilt. I was too engrossed in my dilemma, that I didn’t realize Orchard had opened the door with a spare key. “Iris? What’s wrong? Who’s on the phone?” he asked, striding towards me.I couldn’t respond. My mind was spinning, replaying Dave’s words over and over. My voice was stuck, trapped beneath the weight of everything crashing down on me.“I’ll give you some time to think it over,” Dave said smoothly. “But don’t take too long. I’m not a patient man.”He hung up, leaving me in silence. I lowered the phone from my ear, staring at it blankly as tears welled up in my eyes.“Iris?” Orchard sat down beside me, his hand on my shoulder. “What’s going on? Who was that?”I looked at him, my vision blurred by tears. “It’s Dave,” I managed to say, my voice shaking.“What did he want?” Orchard asked, I could feel the anger radiating off him
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-24Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 153
Dave….The phone on my desk buzzed for the tenth time in the last hour. I glanced at the screen and saw my father’s name flashing again. With a frustrated sigh, I hit ignore. The man was relentless, always demanding answers, always sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.A minute later, my phone chimed with a text. I opened it and frowned at the words:“Pick up my call now, or I’ll make good on my promise to cut off your inheritance.”My lips twisted into a smirk, but deep down, I felt a flicker of annoyance. He knew how to push my buttons. Rolling my eyes, I hit the call button and leaned back in my chair.“Ah, there’s my obedient son,” my father’s deep voice greeted me, laced with sarcasm.“Obedient?” I shot back, matching his tone. “Are we resorting to threats now, old man? Can’t get me to answer like a civilized person?”“Don’t play games with me, David,” he snapped, his patience clearly worn thin. “What’s going on? And don’t lie to me.”“Nothing is going on,” I replied smoothly
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-25Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 154
Orchard…After I dropped Iris off at her father’s house, a deep frustration simmered inside me. She wouldn’t even talk to me, wouldn’t let me explain or even comfort her. But somehow, she was willing to hear Dave out, Dave, of all people. It hurt more than I wanted to admit.I tried to shake it off as I drove back home, but my hands gripped the steering wheel tighter with every passing mile. I couldn’t go home like this, not with my head buzzing and my emotions spiraling. Almost on instinct, I took a detour and pulled into the parking lot of a bar I hadn’t been to in years.Inside, the bar smelled faintly of stale beer. It was quiet, a few people scattered here and there. I walked straight to the counter and ordered a drink. The first glass went down quickly. The second, a little slower. By the third, the frustration started to blur, replaced by a dull ache in my chest.I stared at the glass in my hand, swirling the liquid around, when a shadow loomed over me. I looked up and froze.I
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-26Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 155
Dave’s PovThe phone call with Iris had ended but it yielded nothing. She’d refused to give me answers, again. It was the second call, and just like the first, it left me feeling more desperate than ever. I couldn’t keep waiting like this, helpless and in the dark.“I can’t do this anymore,” I muttered to myself. Without another thought, I started the car and headed for the police station.By the time I got the station’s parking lot, I could barely sit still. I jumped out of the car and stormed inside, looking for the one man I knew could help me—Hall.“Hall,” I said sharply. “Where’s Iris?”“She left already,” he replied. His voice was barely above a whisper. “What do you mean she left?”He looked up at me, surprised at first, then sighed. “Dave, calm down.”“Don’t tell me to calm down,” I snapped. “She was supposed to be here. You said she was arrested for murder. Murder, Hall! She can’t just walk out of here!”Hall leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. “Look, man, I don
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-27Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 156
Dave’s Pov I sat in the cold cell, staring at the wall. The sound of distant footsteps and muffled voices echoed through the station. I’d been here for hours, maybe more. Time didn’t matter anymore.The arrest had been quick, almost too easy. The officers hadn’t said much, just that I had “a lot to answer for.” I didn’t argue or fight. What was the point? They knew enough to lock me up, and I didn’t have the strength to deny it.I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes. For the first time in years, I felt small. Trapped. Powerless.Then, the sound of heavy footsteps broke my thoughts. I opened my eyes and looked toward the bars. A guard stood there, holding a clipboard.“You’ve got a visitor,” he said.I frowned. A visitor? Who could it be? Slowly, I stood up and followed the guard down the narrow hallway. My hands were cuffed, the cold metal biting into my skin.When we reached the visiting room, I stopped in my tracks. Sitting on the other side of the glass was my father.“S
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-27Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 157
Iris’s PovThe courtroom was quiet, save for the shuffling of papers and the occasional murmur from the gallery. This was the first day of the hearing against Dave, and everyone seemed to be holding their breaths, waiting for everything to be revealed.I sat at the back, beside Orchard, clutching my hands tightly in my lap. The tension in the room was unbearable, its effect gave me goosebumps.People whispered around me, but I couldn’t make out their words. All I could focus on was Dave, sitting at the defendant’s table.He looked… different. His usual air of confidence was gone. His shoulders were hunched, his hands fidgeting nervously. He glanced around the courtroom, but his eyes didn’t meet mine. For the first time, Dave looked like a man who had truly lost control.I had never seen him so defeated, so helpless. For some reason, it gave me satisfaction seeing him that way. I wanted him to suffer for everything he’s done. I knew he thought I should be grateful because he killed Ti
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-27
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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
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 167
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,
Let Me Go, Ex Husband! 162
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
