เข้าสู่ระบบแชร์
Chapter 3
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด:
2024-06-23 15:44:36[Vivienne]
It takes me a minute to process what just happened. I don’t know why I said those words. I don’t want a divorce. I love Caden. I want to be with him forever. I want to have kids with him. I want to build a family with him.
But he’s so done with me, that he didn’t even hesitate to agree to my demand.
Tears spring to my eyes, and for the first time in a long time, I feel broken.
I slump to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest.
I cry until I feel numb.
I cry until I feel empty.
I cry until I feel nothing.
And then when I can’t cry anymore, I pick myself up and head back to my room.
There’s no point in staying back anymore. Caden doesn’t want me.
It’s more obvious than ever.
I pack my stuff and get ready to leave.
When I’m done packing, I call someone I haven’t contacted in a while.
He picks up in the second ring, and even though I try to keep the hurt at bay, it still shines through my voice.
“Hey, Viv. What’s up?”
I take a deep breath, not knowing how to say what I need to say. So I just go with the flow. “I want to divorce Caden. Can you help me?”
A pause. And then, “I’m sorry, what?”
I swallow the lump in my throat, and repeat myself, “I want to divorce Caden. Please help me with it. I don’t want to stay in this marriage anymore.”
“Viv…what happened…where are you right now?”
I sniff, wiping my tears away. “I’m in Caden’s house. But I want to leave as soon as possible. Just tell me if you can help me or not. I’m done repeating myself to anyone who asks me the same question.”
I hear him sigh, and for a moment, I think he would refuse to help me. I don’t know why I called him instead of my best friend, but I needed someone to help me right now and he’s the only lawyer I know.
“Of course. I’ll help you. Just tell me where you are right now. I’ll come to get you.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief and tell him the address.
“Alright, I’ll be there in 20 minutes. Stay put, okay?”
I nod and hang up.
I go to the bathroom to freshen myself up, and try to get rid of the puffy red eyes. I know I look like a mess, but I don’t care about it right now.
All I want to do is get out of this house and never return to it ever again.
True to his words, Elijah shows up at the house twenty minutes later.
To my huge surprise, he looks far more handsome than he looked the last time we met three years ago. He’s wearing a sharp suit and looks much more professional than he ever did. Perhaps it’s the seriousness he had garnered in his deep eyes, or the way his chin is peppered with a faint beard, he looks different somehow. Different but handsome.
But that’s only a brief thought that crosses my mind, because the moment he steps inside the house, I throw my arms around him, not able to stop the hurt from leaking through my eyes.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Hey.” He says soothingly, running a hand down my spine. “Enough. No more crying, alright? Let’s get you out of here. I’ll take you to my place. We can talk about everything when you feel better, okay?”
I nod, wiping my tears away. “Okay. Just give me five minutes. I need to grab a few things.”
He nods. “Sure. I’ll wait in the car.”
I grab my purse and suitcase, and head to the door. But before I get the chance to leave, my phone rings again. Caden’s name flashes on the screen.
I debate for a moment if I should answer it or not, but eventually press the green button and put the phone against my ear.
He doesn’t even wait for me to say hello.
“I just called to let you know that I’m leaving for Washington tonight. I don’t know when I’ll be back so don’t wait up.”
I clench my jaw, gripping the handle of my suitcase tighter. Has he already forgotten that I asked him for a divorce? That I don’t want to have anything with him anymore? Does he take me so lightly that he thinks our argument over the divorce isn’t even worth his concern?
I’m so mad at him and I’m about to say something when he hangs up without giving me the chance to speak.
I stare at my phone for a moment, gritting my teeth, feeling angry and disappointed at myself. How could I marry such an insensitive asshole? How could I give my heart to someone who doesn’t even care about it? How? How could I be so blind and an idiot?
I don’t know how long I stand there staring at the screen of my phone, but when I look up, I find Elijah leaning against the side of his car, watching me quietly.
I can’t decipher what he’s thinking, but the frown on his face tells me that he wants to ask me if I’m alright.
I give him a smile I know he knows is fake and head towards him.
“Ready?” He asks, opening the trunk of his car and helping me load my suitcase in it.
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Good. Let’s go then.”
บทที่เกี่ยวข้อง
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 4
[Vivienne]During the entire drive to Elijah’s place, I keep my gaze out and thought to myself.Elijah tries to break the silence a few times, but I only have a word or two for him in response. I’m just not in the mood for a conversation. All I want is some space and quiet, so I can finally come to terms with what I’m about to do.Once we reach his place, he comes around to open the door, and it’s only then I realize that we have reached.“I’m sorry, I kind of faded away,” I mumble apologetically, but he only rolls his eyes.“Don’t be,” he says and I like the way he’s not making a big deal of anything. He behaves like he always does, always cool in the head. “You know I’m glad to be of help. You wouldn’t have called if you didn’t already know.”He’s right. I do know. When I left my home for Caden, Elijah was the only one who came to tell me that he had always had my back. That no matter the circumstances, he would never disappoint me.I nod and that’s where we leave the conversation.
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-06-23No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 5
[Vivienne]To say I know the voice of the woman on the line would be an understatement.“What’s the point of calling me right now, Sasha?” I say and suppress a yawn. This is the worst thing to wake up to. To hear the sound of the woman behind my failed marriage. Well, one of the reasons.She laughs, sounding more excited than I want to know.“Just making sure it’s not one of your stunts to get Caden’s attention. We both know you’ll do anything for that man, even fake a divorce request to get him running to you.”I grit my teeth, my hands turning white around the phone. I can feel my temper rising, but I control it somehow.“Trust me, Sasha, you haven’t seen half of what I can do to get Caden’s attention.”She laughs, mocking me. I try not to lose my temper.“I don’t doubt it, Vivienne. But you should know by now that Caden wants nothing to do with you. You were just a replacement, remember? Your marriage has been a farce since day one.”I clench the phone tighter, so close to screamin
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-06-23No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 6
[Vivienne]“Stop watching that!” Elijah yanks the remote from my hand and turns off the TV.“Hey,” I try to stop him, but the screen is already black.“This is not moving on, Viv. You should know that better than anyone.”He’s right. I shouldn’t care about what happens in Caden’s life anymore. If the world thinks he’s a cheater and a manwhore, then maybe they are right. And that maybe is a good thing because now I have one more reason to divorce him.A few hours ago, when he texted me and I told him what the media was calling him, he didn’t even care to deny their claim. He just stopped texting altogether, leaving me like he always did whenever he was done with me.I was so mad at him that I instantly blocked him and his assistant.I know it’s childish, but that’s all I could think of at that moment. I just wanted to do something to release this pain in my heart. And it helped. Somewhat.“You’re right,” I say and get up. “I should stop wasting my time. Are the papers ready?”He nods,
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-06-24No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 7
[Vivienne]Without waiting for my response, he grabs my wrist and pulls me with him.I stumble a little, but somehow manage to keep my balance.But Caden doesn’t slow down, not even for a second.He drags me with him until we reach the end of the corridor and enter his office.When the door shuts close behind us, he throws me into the room and I stumble on my heels, crashing against his desk. For a second, something passes his face, his features soften, but by the time I blink, that expression is gone and he’s back to scowling.He walks around the desk and takes a seat, his gaze never leaving mine.“Why are you here?” He asks, his voice calm but I can hear the rage underneath.“I came to give you this.” I take
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-06-25No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 8
[Vivienne]I look to my left and find Caden standing next to me.His jaw is clenched and he looks furious.He turns to face Sasha and I can see her flinching under his gaze.“Caden, I don’t know why she hit me—”“You don’t know?” Caden asks, tipping his head to the side. “I believe you must have said something to my wife, didn’t you?”He lets go of her then and she instantly retreats, looking shocked by his behaviour, holding her hand to her chest.Then, he looks at me and I have to take a step back.I have nothing to fear him, but I still do. There’s something about the way he’s looking at me as if he’s pissed off beyond any explanation.He grabs my arm and drags me towards the elevator.“What are you doing? Let go of me.” I try to yank my arm away from him, but his hold only tightens.He doesn’t say anything.I look at the guards following us. They seem unfazed by the whole scene.When the elevator doors open, Caden pushes me inside and then signals the guards to stay put.I’m confu
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-06-26No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 9
[Vivienne]Caden looks as if he has seen a ghost, but then his expression changes, and his gaze hardens.“What the hell does that mean?”“It means that my client wants a divorce, and as her lawyer, I suggest you think twice before you say or do anything from this moment onwards. Otherwise, a divorce won’t be your only problem. We will also file a case against you for physical assault and mental harassment. So, if I were you, I would cooperate and make this easy for everyone involved. Think wisely, Mr. Lawrence. Sign the divorce papers, and no one gets hurt.”I’ve never been more thankful to Elijah than I am at this moment. He stands there, calm and composed, while Caden fumes, his jaw clenched.“Are you trying to threaten me?”I tense at his tone, suddenly scared of Caden’s reaction. But Elijah only straightens up and looks him in the eye.“I’m just doing my job.”Caden stares at him for a few seconds, and I swear I think he will attack Elijah, but then he looks at me, and a look of d
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-06-27No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 10
[Caden]I walk into the house and stare at the couch where Vivienne always used to wait for me in the past. Whenever I was late from a meeting, or my flight got delayed, or I couldn’t make it for any other reason, she was always there, waiting.But not today.I frown and walk past the dining room, annoyed by the events of the day. Three years. Three years of marriage, and she wants to break it off. Did she forget that she was the one who proposed marriage out of the two of us? That I always made it clear I was never going to fall for anyone again? That I couldn’t put anyone else first?Astrid… she is special to me, and nothing anyone does could change that. Then why is my so-called wife being so stubborn now? Why is she painting me in a bad light? Why is she blaming me for everything?Frustrated, I yank at the tie and pull it over my head, tossing it away, not caring where it falls. I’m pacing aimlessly in the home office when Tony, my childhood friend, strides in.“So, it’s true, huh?
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-07-04No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 11
[Vivienne]The moment the giant black gates of the Richardson estate come into view, my eyes start stinging with tears. My heart rate picks up, and my palms get all sweaty. After a long, long time, I am finally returning home, and truth be told, I don’t know how it’s going to go.Elijah gives me a smile and pulls over in the driveway.The moment I step out of the car, I am instantly greeted by Fido, my dad’s service dog. The five-year-old German Shepherd almost jumps over me, his paws reaching my shoulders. He barks and wags his tail, too happy to see me.My eyes burn from the impending tears, because I have only taken one step towards my home, and everything is already overwhelming.I pet him for a few seconds before he suddenly pulls me towards the house, knowing full well that I belong here.“Fido,” Elijah scolds him and tries to pull me away, but I stop him.“It’s okay. Let him.”We walk towards the front door, where we are greeted by Mrs. Williams, the housekeeper. Her face lights
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2024-07-05
บทล่าสุด
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
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 263
[Vivienne]A strange current passes through my spine at his rare grin.“Don’t ‘what the hell’ me, darling. You were the one who teased me first.”“Are you kidding me?” I growl. “Why would I tease you?”“How would I know?” He shrugs as if he’s actually clueless. “But I do know that you came close first.”“Coming close doesn’t mean I want you to pull me onto your lap.”“No,” he shakes his head. “But it also doesn’t mean you don’t.”I scoff, shifting to push myself off his lap, but his other hand moves to rest lightly on my waist, keeping me there. Not forcefully—just enough to make a point.“Caden.”“Vivienne,” he mirrors, annoying me so much more.“Let. Go.”“I don’t want to.”“You have to.”“And why’s that?”“Because I said so.”“Hmm.” He releases a thoughtful sound, tipping his head as if actually considering it. “Alright. If that’s what you want.” His hold on me loosens, and after a brief, reluctant second, his arms move away, giving me enough space to leave.“Thanks for nothing,” I
No Longer Yours, Ex Husband Chapter 262
[Vivienne]“Alright. You can go. Send the next one,” I say to the fifth person we have investigated so far and watch as he nods too many times and leaves as quickly as he can.“For someone who claims to be innocent, these people sure know how to leave a contradictory impression,” Andrew mumbles as he scratches off another name from the list.Caden huffs out a quiet laugh, barely paying attention as he leans back in his chair. His fingers drum lightly against the table, a slow, rhythmic beat that does nothing to ease my growing frustration.“I swear,” I mutter, flipping through my notes, “if the next person doesn’t give us something concrete, I might actually lose it.”Andrew smirks but doesn’t comment, and Caden—well, he just keeps drumming his fingers, his gaze distant.I don’t know why, but suddenly, something about him feels off.For example, for the last few minutes, whenever I look at him, his gaze stays locked on the chair where the staff sits. Whenever they speak, he nods and k
