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174: The Official Visit
Last Updated:
2025-03-10 22:00:08
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 175: My Family
That first meeting established a pattern. Alejandro kept showing up, exactly when and where he said he would. Sometimes at the park. Sometimes at the children's bookstore, where he read to Arielle for hours, his deep voice giving life to stories about princesses and dragons. Sometimes at a small café where Arielle got hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and Alejandro drank espresso, watching her with hungry eyes that never seemed to get enough.I kept my distance, always present but separate, a guardian maintaining the fragile boundaries I'd set.Yet with each visit, those boundaries blurred. Arielle didn't just accept Alejandro—she adored him. She began talking about him constantly, weaving him into our daily life."Mama, Rumbly Man knows EVERYTHING about swans!" she declared one evening as I tucked her into bed. "He says they pick one person to love forever and ever."I swallowed hard. "Is that so?""Uh-huh. And he's gonna come to my recital! He promised!""Arielle," I hedged, "we
Last Updated : 2025-03-11Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 176: Crossing Lines
I hung up without saying goodbye, my fingers already punching in Alejandro's number. It rang four times, then went to voicemail."Shit!" I slammed my phone down.Panic clawed up my throat, squeezing until I couldn't breathe. What if he'd taken her? What if he wasn't bringing her back?I raced outside, scanning the empty street for any sign of his car. Nothing.Back inside, I paced the floor, calling his number again and again. No answer.My mind spun horrific scenarios. He'd taken her. He was on a plane back to New York right now. I'd never see her again. She'd grow up thinking I abandoned her.I was hyperventilating when the crunch of tires on gravel cut through my panic. I rushed outside just as Alejandro's car pulled into the driveway."WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?" I screamed as he stepped out.Alejandro's face remained impassive as he opened the back door and unbuckled Arielle from her car seat."Mommy!" she exclaimed, jumping into his arms. "We went for ice cream and to the aquarium
Last Updated : 2025-03-11Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 177: The Truth About "Rumbly Man"
I couldn't sleep. My lips still burned from Alejandro's kiss, the memory of his hands on my body making my skin tingle even now. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Alejandro's lips on mine, his hands in my hair, his body pressed against me. I'd tossed and turned all night, reliving that moment in the driveway over and over again."Fuck," I muttered, throwing the covers off. The digital clock on my nightstand read 5:47 AM. Too early to be up, but too late to try sleeping again.I padded to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, avoiding my reflection in the mirror. I didn't want to see the woman who'd melted into Alejandro's arms. The woman who, for a split second, had forgotten everything except the feel of him.After a scalding shower, I dressed and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. The house was quiet, Arielle still asleep in her room.My phone buzzed on the counter.We need to talk about yesterday.I stared at the screen, my pulse quickening. What was there to talk a
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 178: The Truth Hurts
We both froze. Arielle stood in the doorway, her hair still damp from the bath, wearing her favorite unicorn pajamas. Her eyes were wide, darting between us."Baby," I stepped away from Alejandro, my heart sinking. "You should be in bed."Arielle looked between us, her expression uncertain. "You were shouting.""I'm sorry, sweetie. We were just having a grown-up conversation.""Is Rumbly Man my papa?"My breath caught in my throat as I looked at her small, confused face. Alejandro too went completely still beside me."Baby, let's talk about this later—""No!" Arielle's eyes filled with tears. "You said my papa was in heaven! You said he was gone!"I saw Alejandro clench his jaw, his hands curling into fists at his sides."You lied to me." Arielle's voice wobbled, and she looked so heartbroken it shattered something inside me.I knelt in front of her, my own eyes stinging. "I didn't lie, baby.""Then why did you say he was gone?"The tears spilled over her cheeks, and I reached out to
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 179: Running in Circles
I sagged against the doorframe, suddenly exhausted."I should go," Ethan said quietly."No." I made a split-second decision, grabbing his arm. "Stay. Please."I needed something normal. Something that wasn't complicated by a past I couldn't remember or feelings I couldn't control. I needed to prove to myself that I could move on from whatever hold Alejandro had on me."Are you sure?"I nodded, taking the grocery bags from him. "I need a friend right now."Alejandro emerged from Arielle's room a few minutes later, his expression cold when he saw Ethan still there."She's asleep," he said curtly. "I'll pick her up from school tomorrow.""I have to work—""I'll bring her here after." He walked to the door, pausing to glance back at Ethan. "I don't know what Estella has told you, but make no mistake—I'm not going anywhere." Then he was gone, the door closing behind him with a click.I exhaled, feeling like I'd been holding my breath for hours."Want to tell me what that was about?" Ethan
Last Updated : 2025-03-13Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 180: Fever Night
I was so tired my bones ached. My fingers fumbled with the zipper on the suitcase, then gave up altogether. How had our lives fit into so few boxes? Three weeks at Ethan's house, and we were already leaving. Story of my fucking life.Arielle hadn't said more than ten words to me all day. She'd refused breakfast, ignored my attempts at conversation."Arielle, honey." I sat on the edge of her bed, my hand hovering over her shoulder before pulling back. "Are you hungry?"She rolled over, eyes puffy. "No.""We need to leave for your recital in an hour."Arielle sat up, crossing her arms over her pajamas. "I'm not going today.""What? But you've been practicing for all week—""I don't want to." Her bottom lip trembled. "I want my Papa."Papa. Not Rumbly Man anymore. "Arielle," I tried again, kneeling in front of her as she sat on the couch clutching Cob, her stuffed swan. "I know you're mad at me, but we need to talk about what happened."She turned her face away. "I want Papa."The word
Last Updated : 2025-03-14Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 181: When It All Falls Apart
Alejandro drove like a man possessed, speeding through yellow lights and taking corners too fast. But his eyes kept going to the rearview mirror, checking on Arielle."Almost there" he said when she whimpered. "Just hang on."At the emergency room, Alejandro carried her in, refusing to let go until the doctors assured him they needed to examine her. We were left in the waiting room, sitting side by side on uncomfortable plastic chairs.I couldn't stop the tears anymore. They fell silently down my cheeks as I stared at the floor."This is all my fault," I whispered.Alejandro turned to look at me. "What are you talking about?""This has never happened before. She has never been this sick. She was upset. Because of me. Because of what happened." I wiped at my eyes. "I should have noticed she wasn't feeling well earlier. I should have—""Stop. Kids get sick, Amelia. It happens."Hearing him call me Amelia instead of Estella somehow made it worse. I buried my face in my hands. "She hates
Last Updated : 2025-03-14Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 182: The Shattering
I didn't sleep. The hospital chair dug into my spine as I watched Arielle's chest rise and fall. Her fever had broken sometime around dawn, and the nurse had removed the IV. She'd be discharged today.And then what?My eyes burned, raw from crying and lack of sleep. The night replayed on an endless loop—Alejandro's face when he realized I'd been lying, the way his shoulders had stiffened, how the gentle man who'd comforted me hours before had vanished in an instant.I've destroyed us both.His words echoed in my head like a death sentence.The door swung open, and my heart seized. Alejandro stood in the doorway, his face a stone mask. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, but unlike me, he seemed carved from granite—hard, unyielding. His hands were clenched at his sides."How is she?" His voice was stripped of emotion."Better." I cleared my throat. "The doctor said she can go home today."Alejandro nodded once, his eyes sliding to Arielle, softening briefly before hardening again when they
Last Updated : 2025-03-15
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak Epilogue: The Secrets We Keep
Five Years LaterEstella had insisted on having the windows open despite the doctors' protests—she needed to breathe something other than antiseptic and fear."Almost there," The matron encouraged from between her legs. "One more big push, Estella."Alejandro's hand was nearly crushed in her grip as another contraction seized her. The twins had decided to arrive three weeks early, sending them rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night."You're doing amazingly," Alejandro murmured against her temple. The entire pregnancy had been classified high-risk from the beginning.Estella bore down with a primal scream, feeling the first baby slide from her body."It's a boy!" The matron announced, lifting the wailing infant for them to see before placing him on Estella's chest.She touched her son's dark, wet hair. "Hello, little one,"The moment of joy was short-lived. The monitors beside her bed began beeping erratically."Blood pressure dropping," a nurse called out.The doctor in ch
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 216: Almost Home
The following weeks were filled with medical tests, therapy sessions, and small but significant milestones.Three weeks after waking, he took his first unassisted steps, gripping the parallel bars with so much intensity as he forced his atrophied muscles to cooperate. I watched from the sidelines, heart in my throat, as he pushed through pain that would have stopped a lesser man."Fuck," he growled through gritted teeth when his legs threatened to give out halfway through. "I'm not stopping."His physical therapist—a no-nonsense woman who'd quickly learned to match his intensity—nodded approvingly. "Two more steps. You can do two more."He did three before collapsing into the wheelchair afterward with sweat pouring down his face."Next time I'll do ten," he promised, breath coming in harsh pants.I handed him a towel, leaning in to whisper, "Watching you fight like this is incredibly sexy, you know."His exhausted laugh was all the reward I needed.By the six-week mark, he was walking
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 215: Two Months Later, Still Yours
When we broke apart, I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent beneath the antiseptic hospital smell. "Don't ever scare me like that again," I whispered."I'll try not to make a habit of getting stabbed in the heart," he replied dryly."This isn't funny, Alejandro." I lifted my head to meet his gaze. "I thought I'd lost you. I thought our daughter would grow up without her father."His expression sobered. "I know. I'm sorry." He squeezed my hand weakly. "How bad was it?""Bad," I admitted. "The knife nicked your heart. You lost so much blood... They weren't sure you'd make it through the first surgery." My voice caught. "And then you didn't wake up. Days turned into weeks, and you just... stayed asleep.""I'm sorry," he repeated. "For putting you through that. For not being there for you and Arielle.""You're here now," I said. The door opened quietly, and we both looked up to see Dr. Matthews returning, accompanied by a neurologist I recognized from previous consultat
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 214: The Sixty-Second Day
Two months laterThe hospital room had become my second home. The nurses knew my schedule better than I did—when I'd arrive each morning with fresh clothes for both of us, when I'd step out for coffee, which chair I preferred to sit in while reading aloud to Alejandro's unresponsive form.Sixty-one days of talking to someone who couldn't answer. Sixty-one days of watching for the slightest movement of an eyelid or the smallest twitch of a finger. Sixty-one days of hope slowly eroding into something that felt dangerously close to despair."The medical journal says coma patients show increased brain activity when family members speak to them," I said, turning the page of the medical text I'd been studying obsessively. "So I'm going to keep talking, even if I'm starting to repeat myself."Alejandro remained motionless. They'd removed his breathing tube last week when he started breathing on his own—a positive sign, Dr. Matthews had assured me. But his consciousness remained locked away,
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 213: One-Sided Conversations
"Aunt Eleanor," I gasped, shocked to see her. In the chaos, I'd almost forgotten she'd been injured in the initial car crash where Arielle was taken."You look worse than me," she said weakly, attempting a smile that turned into a wince.For some reason, it was the sight of her—battered but alive, just like the rest of us—that finally broke through the numbness I'd been hiding behind. The tears came suddenly and violently, sobs wrenching themselves from my chest as she wheeled herself closer, reaching out with her good arm to pull me against her."I was so scared," I admitted between sobs. "I thought we were all going to die. I was scared history was going to repeat itself self. And this time Arielle, Alejandro—""But you didn't," she reminded me. "You saved them both."I shook my head, glancing at Alejandro's still form. "I didn't save him. He's still—""Fighting," Eleanor cut in. "Just like he always has. Just like you have."I cried until I had no tears left, letting go of the fear
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 212: The Silence That Hurts Most
I must have dozed off despite my determination to stay awake, because the next thing I knew, someone was gently shaking my shoulder."Estella? Can you hear me?"I forced my heavy eyelids open to find Raul standing over me, his face lined with worry. Clara hovered behind him, her eyes red-rimmed."Raul," I croaked, my throat dry. "Alejandro?""He's out of surgery," Raul said. "It was touch and go for a while, but he made it through."Relief made me dizzy. "He's okay?"Raul and Clara exchanged glances."What aren't you telling me?" I demanded, suddenly fully awake.Raul sighed. "The damage was extensive. They repaired what they could, but... he's in a coma, Estella.""A coma? For how long?""They don't know," Clara said gently, stepping forward to take my hand. "All they said was the next 48 hours are critical."I struggled to sit up, ignoring the pain that shot through my body. "I need to see him.""You need to rest," Clara countered. "You're no good to him or Arielle if you collapse."
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 211: Between Life and Death
"BP's still dropping," one of the paramedics called as they loaded Alejandro into the ambulance. "We need to move!"I climbed in after them, collapsing onto the bench seat as the doors slammed shut."Arielle," I suddenly remembered, panic clawing at my throat. "My daughter—where is she?""Already en route to Memorial," one of the paramedics replied without looking up from Alejandro. "She's stable."That small mercy gave me the strength to stay upright as I watched them work frantically to keep my husband alive. They'd cut away his shirt completely now, revealing the full extent of his injuries. The wound in his abdomen wasn't as deep as I'd feared, but the chest wound—it was a different story altogether."Left hemothorax," the paramedic muttered. "Need to decompress."I watched in horror as they inserted a large needle between Alejandro's ribs. Blood gushed out immediately, filling a collection bag."What's happening?" I demanded."Blood's filling his chest cavity, compressing on his
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 210: To the Death
He yanked the makeshift blade free and shoved Alejandro toward me with such force that we both crashed onto the wooden planks of the dock. I barely registered the pain through my ankle as I caught Alejandro's limp body."No, no, no," I sobbed, cradling him against me. His eyes fluttered, struggling to focus on my face as blood bubbled from his lips."Est...ella," he managed, each syllable a battle."Don't talk," I begged, pressing one hand against the stomach wound while frantically trying to stem the bleeding from his chest with the other. It was too much—too much blood, too many wounds.Marco staggered to the boat, his own strength clearly waning. He tossed the bloodied metal shard into the water and began fumbling with the ropes that secured the craft to the dock. His movements were clumsy, his injuries making the simple task laborious."Pressure," Alejandro whispered, his voice so faint I barely heard it. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his ashen lips crimso
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 209: Blood for Blood
We dove behind a heavy chest of drawers just as the explosion tore through the room. The blast was deafening, sending splinters of wood and plaster raining down on us. Dust filled up the air in the room.Through the ringing in my ears, I heard movement—Marco is making his escape in the confusion. I struggled to my feet, eyes stinging from the dust, and saw a shadow moving toward the far windows."Alejandro," I croaked, pointing.He was already up, blood trickling from another cut on his temple where debris had struck him. Together, we staggered through the devastated room toward the windows.Marco had reached what appeared to be a balcony beyond the shattered glass. As we emerged into the clean night air, I saw his plan—a rope, hastily secured to the balcony railing, leading down to the ground below. Near the edge of the property, barely visible in dark of the night was a small dock with what looked like a speedboat tied up."Stop!" Alejandro shouted, raising his gun.Marco turned, hi
