No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 76

LAUREN’S POV

My eyes fluttered open slowly, the brightness above me instantly entering my vision. The harsh ceiling light felt like a thousand needles stabbing into my pupils, and I winced, instinctively raising my hand to shield my face from it. For a few seconds, the world around me spun in a dizzy blur, and when I tried to sit up, a sharp, pounding headache rushed in so suddenly that I nearly groaned. My hand flew to my temple, massaging the spot in a useless attempt to ease the throbbing pain.

“Take it easy,” Tessa’s voice drifted gently to me. I felt her hand against my shoulder as she carefully supported me into a sitting position. Her tone was calm, but I could hear the concern hidden beneath it, like she was trying not to panic.

It took me a moment to register exactly where I was. My gaze slid past her and toward the kitchen. My eyes caught on the empty space near the counter, the exact spot where I had collapsed. The image of falling replayed hazily in my mind, the world tilting, the sound of something shattering beneath me. My chest tightened at the memory, but when I looked again, the broken glass was gone. The floor was spotless, not a single shard in sight.

Tessa must have cleaned it up while I was unconscious.

I swallowed, the lump in my throat making it harder to speak. “I must have hit the ground pretty hard,” I muttered, my voice sounding weaker than I intended.

She leaned closer, her brows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

I let out a shaky laugh, one that did nothing to mask the uneasiness twisting in my stomach. “Yeah… apart from the fact that I feel like my eyes are about to fall out any second, I’m fine.” My hand pressed against my forehead again, cool skin meeting the heat of my palm.

As I glanced at my arms and legs, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Miraculously, there weren’t any cuts or scrapes from the bottle shards that had scattered across the floor when I fell. If I had landed just a little differently, I could have been bleeding badly right now. That thought alone made me shiver.

I tried to piece together what had happened before I blacked out, but the memory was fragmented. One moment I was standing, and the next, the world had tilted violently. Still, I knew the truth, I had collapsed right where

that bottle broke.

Tessa, however, didn’t look nearly as calm as I was pretending to be. “Do you want me to call the doctor? Just in case?” she asked cautiously.

I shook my head immediately, though the motion made my headache flare. “No, that would just be a waste of time and money,” I said firmly. “You know this isn’t the first time I’ve passed out. Honestly, I’ve done that… what, like four times this month?” My tone carried frustration, not at her but at myself. “The last time was back at the cemetery, remember? When we were burying Elena.” My voice faltered for a moment, the memory still heavy in my chest.

–

I forced myself to continue. “And we both know the reason why. Stress. That’s it. This whole month has been nothing but overwhelming

– one thing after another, piling on top of me before I’ve even had the chance to breathe. It’s affecting me, my body, my mind, my entire life. Of course, that’d be why I’ve been passing out more

often.”

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Her lips pressed into a thin line, unconvinced. “Are you sure?” she pressed. “You said it yourself, you’ve fainted multiple times this month, and now tomorrow you’re heading off to a whole new country. You don’t know what’s waiting for you there. I honestly recommend you see a doctor before you go. At least get checked out.”

Her persistence tugged at me. Tessa was never the type to nag unnecessarily, which made it harder to brush her off. I could hear the worry laced through every word, the fear she was trying to keep hidden.

But my mind was already racing ahead, calculating what tomorrow demanded of me.

My eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. It was already nine in the evening. Nine. The realization made my pulse quicken.

I needed to be up at dawn to catch my flight. I hadn’t packed a single thing, hadn’t even begun to get ready for the journey that awaited me. Suitcases still sat empty in the corner of the room, taunting me. And now Tessa wanted me to go see a doctor – waste precious hours I didn’t have, hours that could mean the difference between making my flight or missing it entirely?

It felt impossible.

I sighed heavily, torn between the weight of her concern and the reality of the clock ticking relentlessly forward.

“Am good, Tess, now, can you help me pack? I don’t want to forget anything tomorrow.” I said, trying to push myself up. My legs trembled slightly, and the room gave a small tilt, making me realize I wasn’t as steady as I wanted to believe. The dizziness was still there, faint but stubborn.

“Ok, ok, I hear you,” Tessa replied quickly, throwing her hands up in surrender. “But you’re going to rest while I do all the packing. I don’t want you to stress yourself anymore this evening. You look like you’re about to fall flat on your face.”

I rolled my eyes, even though she was right, and agreed. “Fine, but I’ll watch you, because knowing you, you’d go around packing slut dresses for me to wear.”

Tessa gasped dramatically. “Excuse you? We have talked about this so many times, My fashion sense is exquisite. If I pack those dresses, it’s because you’ll look good in them, not because I’m trying to corrupt you.

I smirked, but didn’t argue. I took another step forward, and this time, to my relief, the apartment wasn’t spinning anymore. That was my green light that things were finally settling back to normal, at least enough for me to move around without falling on my face.

Together, we walked into the bedroom to begin the task at hand.

Earlier in the afternoon, before my body decided to betray me, I had already started packing some of my dresses. The closet was half–empty, and the rest of my clothes were laid out across the bed like colorful petals scattered in a rush. All Tessa had to do now was fold them neatly into the box and keep them from wrinkling.

She moved around the room with surprising efficiency, humming lightly under her breath, like packing for someone else was her hidden talent. I sank down at the edge of the bed, hugging my knees loosely to my chest, watching her with a mixture of appreciation and mild suspicion.

“Don’t give me that look,” she said without glancing up. “I promise no ‘slut dresses.‘ Just the nice ones. Business casual, cute evening wear, maybe a little party sparkle, but nothing outrageous.”

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