All Chapters of Divorced My CEO Husband, He Came Begging: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The drive to Sunset Valley was silent except for the occasional hiccup of my breath as I tried to stop crying. Alex drove with both hands on the wheel, his knuckles white, attention fixed on the road ahead. The digital clock on his dashboard read 11:42 PM.My mind kept whiplashing between what had just happened in my apartment—his mouth on my neck, his hand between my legs—and what might be happening with Mami Lulu. The contrast was obscene. Every time my thoughts drifted to Alex, guilt crashed over me like a wave. How could I be thinking about sex when Mami Lulu might be dying?"What did the nurse say exactly?" Alex asked, his voice careful, neutral."Unresponsive. They can't wake her." I stared out the window at the passing streetlights. "Her blood pressure dropped. They're running tests."He nodded, taking the exit toward the care facility. "Has this happened before?""No. Not like this." I tugged at the sweater he'd grabbed for me, suddenly aware that I wasn't wearing a bra. The f

The email from Zoe arrived at 9:16 AM, just as I was making my second cup of coffee, desperately trying to shake off the fog of a night spent at Mami Lulu's bedside. I'd managed maybe two hours of restless sleep after the car service dropped me home.Subject: Vega Davidson - Status UpdateMaya,I'm sorry to be the bearer of disappointing news. Despite my best efforts and the creative team's genuine enthusiasm for your designs, our executive committee has decided not to move forward with the collaboration we discussed.I wish I could say this was purely a business decision, but in the interest of transparency, I should tell you that concerns were raised about potential "complications" with Russo Designs. While no one stated it explicitly, the implica

Outside, the night air hit me like a slap, clearing some of the fog from my brain. I walked aimlessly for several blocks, processing the conversation with Daniel, the mysterious woman, the impossible situation I found myself in.By the time I reached my apartment, a plan had begun to take shape. If manufacturers wouldn't work with me, I'd create pieces that didn't require them. If traditional materials were inaccessible, I'd work with unconventional ones. If established channels were closed to me, I'd forge new ones.I stayed up until dawn, sketching designs that could be executed with minimal equipment, researching techniques I could master quickly, sourcing materials that wouldn't require industry connections to obtain.By morning, Maya Vega Designs had evolved from a desperate dream into a concrete plan. I studied my own pendant—the glass bead necklace from my childhood—and sketched variations I could produce with minimal equipment. I'd need to work with what I had and maximize eve

I spent the weekend finalizing designs for both the collaboration and my independent line, organizing the new workload, and visiting Mami Lulu, whose condition remained stable but unchanged. I'd managed to pay enough to maintain her current care level, but the better treatments—the ones that might actually help her recover—remained financially out of reach.Monday morning, I arrived at Vega Davidson's downtown studio an hour early, prepared for the scrutiny I knew would come with being the controversial new designer. The security guard issued me a temporary badge with my photo taken against a white wall—a stark reminder of my provisional status."First floor is administration, second is design, third is marketing and executive," he explained, handing me a map. "You'll be in Studio B on the second floor."Studio B turned out to be a spacious workspace with natural light flooding through west-facing windows. Several designers were already at their stations, glancing up curiously as I en

We stood there, drenched and staring at each other, the rain creating a strange intimacy—a world of just the two of us on the crowded sidewalk where pedestrians hurried past with umbrellas and newspapers held over their heads. The storm had been building all day, but we'd somehow ended up arguing in its worst moments, neither of us willing to postpone the confrontation for better weather."My contract with Vega Davidson prohibits professional contact with you," I said finally."I'm not here professionally. You stated that yourself" He said nodding towards the entrance,water running down his neck, disappearing beneath his collar. "I'm here because I can't stand another day of you thinking I lied to you. That what happened between us wasn't real.""What did happen between us, Alex? We kissed. We almost went further. Then real life interrupted, like it always does.""Real life is why I'm standing in the rain right now, making a scene outside your office." He reached out, his fingers brus