บททั้งหมดของ After Divorcing My Ex-husband, I Returned And Shined: บทที่ 121 - บทที่ 128

AUDREY POVI knew he didn’t sleep.He hadn’t said a word about it, and hadn't needed to. But I’d felt it in the way his body remained taut beneath the sheets, in the way his hand never left mine even when I drifted off. His mind had been far away—haunted, as always.And now, morning sunlight flooded the estate like everything was fine.But it wasn’t.I could feel it in the strained silence between him and Estelle over breakfast.The sound of cutlery and Amelia’s cheerful humming filled the space, but Michell hadn’t looked up once. Not when Estelle complimented the decor, not when Amelia talked about the science project she was building with bottle caps and glow sticks.Estelle, on the other hand, looked like she belonged.Too much and too quickly.She was good at smiling. At tilting her head just enough to make it seem sincere. She wore guilt like it was a designer scarf—elegant, tasteful, a little too polished. But Amelia didn’t notice.“So your mom and I,” Estelle was saying gently

AUDREY POVThe evening had been exactly what I needed—a breath, a moment to just exist, without the weight of everything pressing down on me. But it wasn’t just the dinner that had given me this sense of calm. It was Michell. The way he’d set everything up, so carefully, so intentionally.It was like he’d planned this night just for me—to remind me that I could still have these small moments of happiness, even when everything else felt like it was unraveling. I looked over at him, still sitting by the table, looking at me with those intense eyes of his. The kind that made it impossible to lie to him—or myself. “You’re quiet,” he said, his voice gentle, like he didn’t want to break the peace we’d built up tonight.“I was just thinking about how much I needed this,” I replied softly. I felt a bit silly saying it out loud, but it was true. Estelle’s return had hung like a dark cloud over everything, and as much as I tried to push it out of my mind, it was always there—lingering, just

AUDREY POVI had tried everything—talking to Amelia, spending time with her, even getting her little things to show her I cared. But now... things were shifting in a way I couldn’t control. I could see it in the way she looked at me—cold, almost like she didn’t recognize me anymore. It was one of those mornings when I found myself on the edge, trying to get Amelia ready for her activities. She was no longer the giggling little girl I used to have by my side. No, now she had become distant, her eyes always searching for something more. And that something was Estelle. Always Estelle. “Amelia, come on. We need to get dressed for your piano class,” I said gently, trying to coax her into the routine, like I had done hundreds of times before. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t want to go. You go alone, nanny.”My heart sank with the word, but I refused to let it show. I wanted to respond, to remind her that I wasn’t just a nanny, but I didn’t have the heart for it today

MICHELL POVThe thought of her, my niece, my daughter, growing up like this, cold and distant, was a bitter pill I couldn’t swallow. Estelle had too much influence over her now. I couldn’t allow that.I had to act, and quickly. Later that day, Hector and I made our way to the schoolyard. The plan had started to unfold, the pieces slowly clicking into place. We were being subtle, but I knew that sometimes, subtlety was the key to getting what you wanted without anyone realizing what had been done.The first step was simple: I needed to remind Amelia of Audrey. And what better way to do that than through the small, meaningful moments they shared?“Get the photos from last week, the ones with Audrey and Amelia,” I said to Hector as we arrived at the car. “Make sure we print out a few. We’ll place them around the house—especially in her room. Somewhere she can’t ignore them.”“Got it, boss,” Hector replied. His face was all business, but I could see the concern in his eyes. He understo