Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 63

Chapter 5

I couldn’t wrap my head around it—after everything we’d been through, Ryan was still refusing to sign the divorce papers.

His reason?

His mother’s kidney disease had flared up again, and he claimed he didn’t want to add any extra stress.

And somehow, that was supposed to be my problem?

“If you keep dragging this out, I’ll file for divorce myself,” I warned, my voice sharp.

Ryan’s tone was frosty, laced with irritation. “Are you seeing someone else? Is that why you’re so desperate to move on?”

“That’s none of your business,” I snapped before ending the call just as Lauren’s car pulled up beside me.

Taking her advice, I had just quit my old corporate job and was experimenting with live-streaming—selling farm-to-table products online. It felt like a fresh start, a chance to build something new on my own terms.

But Ryan had clearly been working behind the scenes to sabotage me.

At work, my boss started freezing me out, isolating me from the team, and even spreading rumors that I’d been cheating. Eventually, I was forced to resign.

How was I supposed to grow in an environment like that?

I poured my heart into finishing my last project, handed in my resignation, and walked away without looking back.

A new path, a new chapter. I’m Melanie Dawson. I don’t have to be afraid to start over.

Lauren had spent years studying abroad and built a solid online following. That night, we co-hosted a livestream together, and sales soared beyond anything I’d expected.

By the time we wrapped up, it was late, so we decided to grab a bite to eat.

While Lauren went to change, I stepped outside to reserve a table.

That’s when I saw Jessica.

She was being dragged toward a hotel room by some guy.

She looked completely wasted—disoriented, barely able to mumble a protest.

“Come on, baby… you’re gonna feel so good in a minute,” the man whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut, tempted to turn away. Not my problem, right?

But then the guy yanked open Jessica’s blouse before they even reached the room, and I couldn’t just stand there.

I pulled out my phone, started recording, and dialed 911.

When I rushed forward to shove him away, I recognized him—

Leo.

The same guy who had confessed his crush on me back in freshman year.

“Melanie?! W-what the hell are you doing here?” he stammered.

“Jessica’s your stepsister. She’s done so much for your mom—and this is how you repay her?”

I stared at the shattered phone in my hands.

Inside were photos of my parents… our memories… all gone.

I crouched down, desperate to salvage what I could, still clinging to hope that it might be fixed.

Ryan yanked me up by the arm.

“If anything happens to Jessica tonight, I swear I’ll never forgive you!”

I looked at him like he’d lost his mind, then slapped him across the face with everything I had.

“If that phone’s beyond repair and those photos are lost, I’ll never forgive you!”

Just then, Lauren arrived, throwing her arms protectively around me.

With eyes burning, I glared at Ryan.

“That video was for the cops—this whole floor’s got security cameras. You can check it yourself.”

“But you broke my phone.”

“That was payback. And yeah, I’ll sue you if I have to.”