No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 78

CHAPTER 078

LAUREN’S POV

The sound of the luggage box zipping cut sharply through the quiet room, that metallic rasp breaking into my thoughts like a reminder of finality. It was the sound of closing doors, of a chapter ending, of me stepping into something entirely new. I had been staring at the ceiling moments earlier, my mind restless, when Tessa finally finished convincing herself that calling a doctor wasn’t necessary.

I’d had to beg her not to. She was stubborn, her concern etched into every gesture, but eventually, she let me win this one. That was one small relief, at least. Now, she crouched by the bed with the packed box standing proudly beside her, zipped, neat, and heavy. Every necessary dress, every professional piece I owned, now lay folded inside, ready for wherever the next few days would take me.

I rose slowly, legs stiff from sitting too long, and crossed the short distance to my bedside. My hand hovered over the small wooden table, over the one thing I always found myself looking at last before I went to bed, and first when I woke up.

The picture frame.

–

Elena’s smile gleamed back at me, frozen in time, radiant, and innocent. For a second, my breath caught in my throat, the way it always did when her eyes met mine from that photograph. My lips twitched into a small smile, not wide, not bold, but soft and private the kind of smile one reserves for memories that ache as much as they comfort. Seeing her every day warmed something deep inside me, a flickering light I thought I had lost, but the warmth always came with the sting, that sharp reminder of what was gone, of how the world had shifted and left me to figure out where I fit in it.

My fingers curled around the frame, lifting it carefully as though it were fragile glass even though it was solid and sturdy. I couldn’t leave her behind. I never could. I slipped the frame into the side compartment of my box, fitting it between layers of fabric. A piece of me, tucked away to follow me wherever I went.

Behind me, Tessa’s voice broke into my thoughts.

“I know you’ve gone too far to reconsider, but are you sure you’re gonna be fine when you get there?”

Her tone was a mix of worry and resignation, like she had already made peace with my decision but still couldn’t resist asking one last time.

I turned to her, trying to steady my voice. “I’m only going there to work, Tess. I’ll be fine. I’m not going to pay attention to anyone.” The word slipped out with more weight than I intended, my tongue dragging against the edges of it, memories threatening to surface.

Tessa raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to read between my words. She always did that

read me too well.

I quickly lay back on the bed, adjusting my hair against the pillow, pretending to focus on comfort instead of her

gaze.

“You’re going to bed already?” she asked, disbelief dripping from her voice.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “It’s already 10:39 p.m. I need to get to the airport on time tomorrow.”

Her sigh was long, exaggerated, and tinged with disappointment. “I was hoping we could do some girls‘ night talk before you slept off. Tonight’s basically the last night we’re gonna gist, you know.”

I turned my head slightly, catching the faint pout on her lips. A small laugh almost escaped me, but I swallowed it down. “I get your point, but I’ve already stayed up late, and I need all the rest I can get so I don’t go passing out again before I even reach the airport.” I shifted again, tugging the blanket closer around my waist.

“Alright,” she muttered, giving in with that familiar reluctance. “But you make sure you let me know before you leave in the morning.”

“Sure. I’ll wake you up very early.”

She gave a little nod but didn’t move toward her side of the bed. Tessa was never quick to sleep, unlike me. She thrived in the hours when the world was quieter, when N*****x shows played into the night and the glow of her phone lit up her features. Her body defied all logic, despite the late nights, despite the irregular hours, she always managed to look fresh. No dark circles. No puffiness.

Unlike me.

I closed my eyes for a moment, sinking into the quiet realization that tomorrow would change everything. At least now, I wouldn’t weigh her down with bills anymore. The thought alone was enough to lift something heavy off my chest. All the nights I had lain awake, worrying about rent; food, and debts… finally, I was taking a step

forward.

A big financial step forward.

It felt surreal, it hadn’t sunk in yet. In just a few hours, when I closed my eyes and opened them again, I would be standing at the airport, suitcase in hand, walking toward a new beginning.

But even in that quiet anticipation, one name surfaced, uninvited.

Ethan Black.

My teeth clenched together, a muscle tightening in my jaw as his name thundered through my head.

You might have won this battle, Ethan, but you haven’t won the war.

You can’t just use me like a piece of furniture for years, keeping me in the shadows, only to throw me aside the moment you finally had the woman you truly wanted. Did you think I would stay broken? That I would wither away in the silence you left me in?

No.

I had a feeling

–

no, a certainty that our paths would cross again very soon. And when they did, you wouldn’t find the same woman you knew before. You wouldn’t see the same Lauren Darrow who bent, who compromised,

gave more than she ever received.

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