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Chapter 243
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-15 13:33:06
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No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 244
[Caden]When the ball finally comes to an end, I step out first and call the driver to bring the car around to the front.Astrid, on the other hand, takes her time saying goodbye to her designer and model friends.They’re standing a little ways off, giggling and laughing about something, while I stand alone, just staring at empty space.Then, a sleek black car rolls up and stops at the driveway.A woman in a golden gown walks past me, making it clear the car is for her.As she descends the steps—where I’m standing—her arm brushes against mine.She turns slightly, as if to say something, maybe to acknowledge the mistake.But then, her eyes meet mine.And she just… stops.Unlike the others, she’s still wearing her mask, but I can still see part of her eyes—the sharp way they narrow, the subtle curl of her lips into a frown, like there’s something on my face she doesn’t like.“It’s alright,” I say, perhaps giving her an easy way out—an excuse to just walk away. It’s not like I’m dying to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 245
[Vivienne]The entire car ride back home is filled with absolute silence.I don’t take my eyes off the scenery outside the window, barely visible in the dim light.And Alexander stays in his own world, as if he knows I don’t need a conversation right now.Moments like these make me truly grateful to have him by my side.I’m not exactly an anti-social person, but I do appreciate moments where I can be left alone with my thoughts.But then we reach home, and the conversation becomes inevitable.He opens the door for me and leans against the car as I prepare to put an end to the night.“Do you think you’ll be okay?” he asks.I look up at him, probably looking as exhausted as I feel.“I’ll be fine,” I assure him, even though I know exactly what he means.I haven’t seen Caden in five years—not this close, anyway. And something about the way he looked at me, the things he asked, the desperation in his voice—something I never thought I’d hear from him—stirs a strange conflict inside me. I do
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 246
[Caden]“This is not how I planned my weekend to be,” Astrid groans, adjusting her sunglasses as she tries her best to protect herself from the morning heat.“Or maybe you shouldn’t have been so drunk in the first place,” I say to her as I help Benjamin out of the car. “You okay, bud?”“Yes, Daddy!” The boy looks excited as he looks around, trying to take in the entire view in front of him at once. “Can we go see the elephant now? My friends say they’re really big!”I can’t help but look at him and wonder—if my child with Vivienne had been alive, he would be around the same age as Benjamin, the kid I’m fathering as I promised.I wonder if I would have felt any differently about my own blood than I do for Benjamin.I love this kid, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just wonder. I wonder—what if that accident hadn’t cost Vivienne and me our child? What then? Would it have been possible for us to live together happily?“Can we get done with this thing already?” Astrid groans again, eff
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 247
[Caden]By the time we’re done watching the elephants, Benjamin is hungry as hell.“Daddy, I want to eat a burger. Or maybe two. Do you think I can eat two?”I ruffle his hair as I lead him inside the cafeteria. “Maybe one burger and some juice, and after that, if you still feel hungry, we’ll see if we should get something else. Sounds good?”Benjamin nods eagerly, practically bouncing on his feet as we approach the counter. The cafeteria isn’t too crowded, but there’s still a line, which instantly makes him groan.“Why is everyone so slow?” he whines, tugging at my hand. “I’m really, really hungry, Daddy.”“Patience, bud. Good things take time.”He doesn’t look convinced, but he stops complaining—mostly because his attention is now on the dessert display, eyes going wide at the sight of chocolate cake.“Daddy…” He drags out the word, turning to me with the most hopeful expression.I shake my head. “Let’s eat first. If you still have room after your burger, we’ll talk.”Once we get ou
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 248
[Caden]Astrid comes to her senses sooner than I hoped.“Fine. I’ll apologize!” She grits her teeth and fips her hair out of her face.Then, she heads back to the woman she has been arguing with.“I’m sorry, okay? Happy now?”The woman crosses her arms. “That’s not an apology. Say it like you mean it.”Astrid glares at her, looking like she’s about to snap again, but when she glances my way, maybe hoping for some intervention, I simply urge her to go on.She sighs, rolling her eyes heavenwards. This time, she turns to the kid sitting in the chair.“I’m sorry for what happened. I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”It’s far from heartfelt, but it’s the best I’m going to get out of her.The kid, however, says nothing—just sits there, staring in he
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-18No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 249
[Vivienne]As soon as I get the call from the school about the incident at the zoo, I drop whatever I’m doing and drive straight to the school.That’s where the kids were supposed to gather after the zoo visit, picked up by parents if they didn’t have a bus service.Axel did have a bus service, but I couldn’t wait to see him.My son was hurt. There was no way I was waiting for that damn bus to bring him home. I had to see him ASAP.As soon as the car pulls up at the gates of the school, I spot him near the building, standing in a line like the rest of the kids, with at least four teachers guiding them to the bus one by one.“Axel!”Axel frowns, looking up in my direction. “Mommy?”I don’t care that I’m supposed to wait for the teacher to dismiss him properly. I’m already out of the car, practically running toward him.“Mommy!” His face lights up the moment he hears my footsteps nearing. His little hands stretch out in front of him, searching for me, and I’m right there, scooping him u
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-19No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 250
[Caden]“You’re home!” Mother says as soon as she sees us entering the house.She rushes to my side, quietly asking one of the maids to take sleeping Benjamin to his room.“He looks tired,” she says once he’s far enough not to hear a word.“Yeah. It was a long day for him.”She smiles, but when I try to head to the dining room, maybe to grab something to eat, she grabs my arm and pulls me back instead.Confused, I look back at her.“Sasha is here,” she says quietly, the expression on her face clearly suggesting how much she hates that. “She says she wants to talk to you, but we both know what she wants. I want you to just see her and send her away. We don’t want her anywhere near Benjamin.”Sasha.Of course.“Where is she?”“In the living room,” Mother replies, her eyes narrowing with concern. “She’s been waiting for almost an hour.”“Alright, send her to the office. I need to eat something first.”Mother doesn’t mind and asks one of the maids to do as I said.After finishing a sandwi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-19No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 251
[Vivienne]A week has passed, and Axel hasn’t stopped talking about the man who helped him at the zoo.It’s like he’s found a new obsession—and not the healthy kind.“Don’t look so miserable,” Alexander says as we sit at the restaurant, having lunch. “He’s just being a kid, that’s all.”“I know,” I groan, wiping a hand down my face. “But I don’t like him being so obsessed with some man he doesn’t even know. I’m scared he’s too trusting, and we both know that never ends well.”“Now you’re just being paranoud,” he drawls, placing his hand on top of mine, reminding me yet again that I might not be ready for any physical comfort right now—not from any man.I pull my hand back and lean in my chair. If Alexander thinks I’m being weird, he doesn’t say so. Instead, he leans back in his chair himself, putting down his fork.“I can always find out who that man was, you know. If that will put your mind at ease.”“Nah,” I wave a hand in dismissal. “You’re probably right. I’m being paranoid. It’ll
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-20
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No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 272
Chapter 272[Vivienne]My words seem to have caused a strain at the side of her neck, a thick green vein popping out as it always did whenever she was pissed but too smart to let it show.Her lips stretch into a smile instead. “Why, Vivienne? Are you still bitter about all those years? Come on, it’s been such a long time. Let bygones be bygones.”I hate that she has the audacity to even think she can forget what her family did to me—what her husband put me through with his venom-like hatred, the way her daughter treated me, always accusing me of being a gold digger and making me feel like a whore who didn’t know her place in their world. And what I hate the most, even more than her, is her son, who stood there, unblinking, never taking a stand for me.Mrs. Lawrence’s smile falters for just a fraction of a second, and I can practically see her pushing down the urge to snap—something she surely never did in the past.“Well, that’s good to hear,” she says, clasping her hands together. “T
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 271
Chapter 271[Vivienne]“I can’t believe they canceled on us,” I grumble as Alexander pulls a chair for me, nodding his head ever so slowly.“I can see how that might upset you,” he says, and I roll my eyes heavenward.Upset? Oh, I’m pissed off. Not to exaggerate or anything, but my time these days feels so limited as it is. So if someone books an urgent appointment—forcing me to make time somehow—and then refuses to show up with the excuse of another urgent matter, yeah, I have every right to feel pretty pissed off.I take my seat while Alexander sits across the table. “I don’t like it when people waste my time.”“Nobody does,” he says. “But maybe something important actually came up? It would be out of character for anyone to cancel on the president of the Richardson Group, don’t you think?”He isn’t wrong. People usually don’t do that. Maybe I’m overreacting. Or maybe I’m mad because, for this meeting, I had to cancel picking up Axel from school. It was my turn this week, and I abso
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 270
[Caden]“Benjamin! Wait!”I run after him, unsure of what caught his attention.But those tiny little legs prove to be faster than you’d expect.He disappears so quickly that I’m left baffled and anxious. “Benjamin!”The principal arrives with a rather composed gait, laughing softly. “That’s kids for you—too fast when you least expect it.”“I swear he never does that,” I say, shaking my head and running a hand through my hair while still looking around. “He’s a good kid.”The principal chuckles. “All kids are good, Mr. Lawrence. They may be different from each other, yes, but good nonetheless.”I know what he means, but I don’t have time to get into the philosophy of it, and it irritates me even more that he doesn’t seem even a little concerned. I turn to face him. “How do you plan to find him?”“Oh, that’s easy,” he says, grinning as he takes out what looks like a walkie-talkie. “Bryn, a five-year-old boy, white shirt and blue shorts. Please report ASAP.”Not even ten seconds pass be
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 269
[Caden]“I don’t understand,” Astrid shakes her head, annoyance written all over her face. “What’s the need to even change his school? It was already one of the best from what I heard.”“One of the best,” I say as I adjust Benjamin’s shirt while he plays a game on his iPad. “Not the best.” And my son deserves the best, no questions asked.“Oh, please. What difference does that make? A school is a school, isn’t it? It shouldn’t be a concern right now, considering, well, he doesn’t really care about such things.”“Well, that’s what parents are here for, aren’t they?” I ask, shooting a brief glance her way and watching as she rolls her eyes. “To help them understand what’s best for them.”“Changing schools right now is just too much, that’s all I’m saying.”“And my son deserves the best there is, that’s all I am saying.”Astrid drops the argument after that, probably assured that I’m not changing my mind.And she’s absolutely right. When it comes to Benjamin, I will do whatever I can to
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 268
[Vivienne]The matter is finally closed.And no, we didn’t send Mr. Prescott to jail.Each of the businessmen gathered in the room showed rare sympathy for the old man and decided to forgive him, vowing never to mention this incident to anyone ever again.“Well, time to finally go home, I guess,” Andrew yawns next to me as we make our way out of the hotel, the morning sun warming my face in all the right places.“Can’t believe only a few hours ago it was raining like hell,” I say, looking around at the wet pavements, trees, and roads. Everything looks so green, so new, as if nature has majestically revamped itself.Andrew stretches, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, it’s like the storm never even happened. Kinda eerie when you think about it.”I nod, inhaling the crisp morning air, heavy with the scent of rain-soaked earth. The night had been a mess—secrets unraveling, accusations flying, and an old man breaking down under the weight of his own regrets. And yet, now, with the first golden rays
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 267
[Caden]Murmurs ripple through the room as the businessmen exchange glances. Some nod in agreement, while others look skeptical.Andrew perks up next. “That’s when we started asking the right questions. Who had access to the hotel’s power grid? Who stood to gain the most from tarnishing the reputation of such a prestigious establishment? Someone was clearly targeting it—because a simple robbery at a place like this? It was practically begging for trouble.”Vivienne allows the murmurs to settle before continuing. “Exactly. This wasn’t just a simple robbery—it was a calculated attack. Someone wanted to create chaos, to damage the hotel's reputation, and they nearly succeeded.”Andrew takes charge. “We looked into the security logs, the emergency generator records, and the maintenance reports. What we found was… interesting.”A businessman in the front row frowns. “Get to the point. Who was behind it?”Vivienne steps forward, her gaze cutting through the room with precision. “The blackou
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 266
[Caden]The next morning, when I wake up, I feel much better than I did after a night of tossing and turning.Bad dreams keep me awake as I do everything I can to shut them out.So, after barely two hours of proper sleep, I get up and open my eyes, only to realize I’m back to being my normal self again.I sigh. “This could have been so much worse.”I shake my head and get off the bed. Now that the storm has passed, it’s time to get ready and be on my way back home. Benjamin must be waiting for me like hell.An hour later, I’m already walking out of my room, my briefcase in hand, when the first person I bump into is my assistant herself.“Good morning, Mr. Lawrence,” she greets, easily reaching for my briefcase to help me carry it. I let her do it—not because it’s heavy for me or because I can’t, but because she always wants to.“So, how was your room? Did you sleep well?” I ask her as we make our way to the elevator.She chuckles nervously. “Yes. It was great. But you didn’t have to a
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 265
[Caden]I hear her footsteps as clear as day as she stomps over to the nightstand, pours me a glass of water, and, with all the irritation in the world, snaps, “Here you go.”I don’t know where to look or how to gauge the height of her hand, so I do what comes naturally. I reach up, feel the soft strands of her hair, and then guide myself accordingly. Once I find the hand extended toward me, I wrap my fingers around the glass, making contact with her hand in the process, and finally pull it toward myself.But of course, she mistakes my action for something… well, awful.I hear her sigh loudly. “Seriously?”I open the briefcase purely from memory, reach for the pocket that contains my medicine, and pop out one tablet. “What?”She scoffs. “Oh, I don’t know—maybe the fact that you just groped my hair like a creep?”I take a sip of water, chasing the tablet down my throat. “Groped? That’s a rather strong accusation.”“Then what the hell do you call it?”“I don’t know, I just wanted to see
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 264
[Vivienne]Somehow, we manage to get off the elevator, but I swear to God, Caden doesn’t make it any easier.He’s acting like his body can’t carry its own weight, forcing me to shoulder him instead.“Enough with the dead weight act, Caden. This is getting ridiculous!” I grumble under my breath, not at all comfortable existing so close to him.But Caden, as if suddenly deaf, pretends not to have heard anything at all.“What?” he asks, way too innocently. “Did you say something?”I suppress the loudest growl ready to erupt from my chest.Just a few minutes more, I tell myself—once we make it to his room, I’m going to throw him in and head straight to my room.Finally, after what feels like forever, we reach his door. I look up to face him. “Where’s your key?”“In my pocket.”I sigh in relief. “Great. Take it out.”He doesn’t move, doesn’t twitch, doesn’t even try.I frown. “Caden.”“What?”I exhale sharply, already feeling my patience wearing thin. “Take that stupid key out. Now!”“I ca
