No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 90

CHAPTER 090

ETHAN’S POV

A small scoff escaped my mouth, sharp and bitter, echoing in the heavy silence of the living room. “Oh, you wanna bring her into this, right? Fine.” My voice hardened, taking a deliberate step forward, each one measured, like I was closing in on prey. “Well, I’ll have you know that Lauren knows how to take care of a home as a mother. She doesn’t go to clubs on Saturdays and comes back home after midnight.”

The name hung in the air like a blade. Lauren. I hadn’t even meant to drag her into this argument, but Sofia had pushed me there. The second her name left my lips, I saw the flicker of irritation in Sofia’s eyes, the twitch at

the corner of her mouth.

“You think I don’t know where you go?” I continued, my tone edged with cold finality. “For your information, I do. But I chose to keep quiet because I thought maybe you’d drop it. But it seems I was wrong.

I paused, studying her face. For a moment, she looked defiant, her arms folded tightly across her chest as though her posture alone could shield her from the truth. But then it happened, her defenses cracked. She immediately unfolded her arms, her movements jittery, restless, betraying the guilt she was trying so desperately to conceal.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip, and her eyes flickered away from mine. That was all the confirmation I needed. I’d caught her, and she knew it.

“How did you know?” she asked, her voice smaller now, stripped of arrogance. “Are you following me?”

The sheer audacity of her question almost made me laugh. Almost. Instead, I stepped closer, letting the weight of my words hang heavy between us.

“I’m your husband,” I reminded her, my voice low but firm. “I deserve to know where you’ve been going every Saturday night. So yes, I told someone to follow you today. And you have no right, none to be angry about that.”

My eyes narrowed as I leaned slightly forward. “Are you forgetting that you have a son upstairs? He might be small now, but he won’t be small forever. What do you think he’ll believe about you when he starts to realize his mother runs off to have fun in clubs every weekend? Forgetting her family. Forgetting him.”

Her body deflated at my words. She let out a sigh, her lips pressed together in that familiar pout she always wore whenever she was sorry or when she wanted me to believe she was sorry. It was the same look she’d used before, and part of me couldn’t tell if it was genuine or just another tactic.

“I didn’t forget I had a family,” she murmured finally, her voice trembling slightly. “It’s just… when I was pregnant, it stopped me from doing a lot of things. I felt caged. Like I was missing out. So now… I just want to enjoy what I missed out on all that time.” Her eyes softened, and she stepped closer. “But I’m sorry, okay?”

The word sorry slipped from her lips, and like it always did, it chipped away at the anger boiling inside me. My shoulders relaxed, if only slightly, but I wasn’t going to let her off that easy. Not this time.

“Why?” I asked, my tone lowering, softer but still weighted with frustration. “Why do you have to do this? You have a kid now, Sofia. You shouldn’t be going to clubs anymore. That’s not just about you anymore, it’s about responsibility. There comes a time when the parties end, when you grow up and put someone else first.” My voice cracked with the faintest edge of disbelief. “Besides, I thought you had all the fun you wanted back when

you were still in college.”

The silence between us stretched thin, like a string pulled to its breaking point. She shifted on her feet, her eyes glassy, her breathing unsteady. Then, slowly, she walked behind me. Before I could react, I felt her arms circle my waist, her warmth pressing against my back.

Her embrace was gentle, almost fragile, as though she feared that if she held me too tightly, I might break away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again, her voice vibrating against my shoulder. “In all the times we’ve argued about this… I never promised to stop. You’re right. But today… Today I promise I’ll work on stopping it. I think I do need a break.”

Her lips brushed lightly against my shoulder, a small kiss meant to soothe, to assure, to soften the sharp edges

of my anger.

For a moment, I let my eyes close. I wanted to believe her. God help me, I wanted to. But promises were cheap when they came too late. Still, I exhaled, letting a fraction of the rage drain out of me.

“Fine,” I said at last, my tone stern but less sharp. “But this is the last time. Let this not happen again, Sofia. Jake fell asleep already, and tomorrow you’re going to make it up to him. He waited for you tonight. He waited for his mother during the family’s Saturday dinner.”

Her hands squeezed my shoulders gently, as though she was clinging to my words, using them as a lifeline. “ Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I’ll make it up to him. I promise.”

For the briefest moment, there was silence. Then her voice shifted, sliding to a different tone, practical and almost dismissive. “But this isn’t what you should be focused on right now.”

I frowned slightly, turning my head to glance back at her.

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