Chapter 323
Chapter 321-1
Gemma’s POV
The air in Oakhaven is different now.
It’s not just the quiet; it’s the feeling of a chapter closing once and for all. I push the heavy front door open, my footsteps echoing in the vast, silent foyer.
Chloe is there, her face a mixture of surprise and delight, but it’s the other figure that makes me pause. Lauren. She’s standing near the kitchen, looking as if she’s trying to decide which cabinet is hers.
Did Cassian invite her back? The thought is a cold, sharp needle, but it loses its sting almost immediately. It doesn’t matter.
Chloe’s gaze hardens as she follows my line of sight. “Ms. Simmons, Mr. Blackwell has already given you the money. Why are you still here? Now that Mrs. Blackwell is back, you should recognize your status.”
Lauren’s eyes snap to me, and I see the anger burning in them, a fire she quickly tries to bank.
Chloe, I just came back to get something, and I’ll leave soon.
Chloe turns to me, her expression shifting to one of confusion. “Mrs. Blackwell…”
You don’t need to call me Mrs. Blackwell anymore. The words:33 feel strange but right on my tongue. “Cassian and I got divorced
< Chapter 321-1
Lucky Draw
The shock on Chloe’s face is immediate and profound. She looks as if the floor has vanished beneath her feet.
Beside her, Lauren’s anger evaporates, replaced by a barely contained, radiant joy, Divorced?! Now, she’s not a homewrecker; she’s a participant in the race I have no interest in keeping up with.
Instead of staying there, I head upstairs to the bedroom that was never truly mine. I just fold a few of my most–worn clothes into a small suitcase, and find the most important thing: the framed photograph of my mother.
As I’m going through my wardrobe, my hand slips into the pocket of a winter coat I rarely were. My fingers brush against something cold and metallic, I pull it out.
It’s the wedding ring. The one Cassian bought randomly for a ceremony we never had… the one I sold to Reyna in a moment of defiance. The one he somehow bought back.
I haven’t worn it since. I had forgotten it was even here, tucked away in a pocket of a forgotten coat.
A wry, sad smile touches my lips. Of course, things that were never truly mine have a way of getting lost, of hiding until it’s time to give them back. I turn it over in my palm.
I have to admit, even chosen without care, it’s a beautiful piece of jewelry. A symbol of so much hope and subsequent despair. With a soft sigh, I place it carefully on the bedside table. It’s returned to its owner, the circle is complete.
2/4
15:33
< Chapter 321-1
Lucky Draw
Chloe finds me as I’m zipping the suitcase closed. Lauren, I assume, has been efficiently shown the door.
Chloe’s eyes are red–rimmed. “Mrs. Blackwell,” she whispers, the title a stubborn habit, “are you really leaving?”
I turn to face her fully. Chloe has always been kind, a steady, gentle presence in this cold house “Chloe, it’s agonizing to prolong an unhappy marriage. You should be happy for me.”
She tries to smile back, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Actually, Mr. Blackwell has changed a lot,” she ventures, a last, loyal attempt. “Why not give Mr. Blackwell another chance?”
I shake my head, “Having the heart means not needing to be taught. But if they don’t have it, teaching won’t make a difference. I waited for him for three years, Chloe. I can’t wait any longer.”
She takes a deep breath, understanding dawning on her. The situation is irreversible. “Then… have you found a place outside? After a divorce, you can’t let yourself suffer…”
Her concern, so maternal, so genuine, makes my eyes prickle with sudden moisture. She’s older than my mother was, and in this moment, her care feels like a fragile, precious echo of my mother’s love.
I swallow hard, controlling the swell of emotion. “Don’t worry, everything is arranged.” I pick up my suitcase and the photograph. “Chloe, I’ll leave now.”
3√4
15:33
She doesn’t try to stop me. She just stands there, two suent tears
< Chapter 321-1
for the last time.
Lucky Draw
Write your comment
ir Gifts
Similar stories
O More
Forsaken by the MOON GODDESS
A MARK OF BETRAYAL NEXT GENERATION BOOK
COOPER
BLOOD & SILVER RISE OF THE ALPHA’S REJECTED MATE
LARK DEVEREAUX
HER SHITHEA
BOSS
ELLIE WYNTERS
Forsaken by the Moon Goddess
Sloane Hartwell is the niece of Roman and Samara Hartwell. She is descended from a long line of pure Alphas who shift into the rare white wolf. At the tender age of eight, Sloane found out that her mother and the man she though. was her father we…
Paranormal
4/4
admin