The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 292

In a word: pathetic.

And he didn't even realize it.

"How do you do it?" he asked, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "How do you switch so easily? From gentle to ruthless?"

He didn't know why he asked. The question was pointless, but he asked it anyway.

She was already several steps away and didn't turn back. Her answer was short. "It's just the difference between love and no love."

Love and no love. A simple phrase that summarized years of heartache and marked its end. It was that simple. The way you treat someone comes down to whether you love them or not. When you love them, you would give them your heart, your life. When you don't, even the sight of them can feel repulsive.

"Let's have a farewell dinner," he said, another desperate attempt. "The three of us... for Tiana's sake?"

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Nicholson. I asked for that on the day I gave you the divorce papers, but you stood me up. In my mind, that was the last day of our marriage. We were still husband and wife then; a family dinner would have been appropriate. Things are different now. Our marriage is over. Dining with you and your daughter would only provoke your girlfriend's anger, and I make it a point to stay away from men who are involved with other women."

"Goodbye, Mr. Nicholson. If we meet again, we'll be strangers."

With that, Winona walked away without a backward glance.

"Daddy," Tiana asked, looking up at him, "does that mean Mommy will never see you again? Or that she won't know you if she does?"

"It means the same thing," Julian said with a bitter laugh. "Your mother... she's more ruthless than Felicity could ever be."

"Alright, let's take Yves, pick up Zane, and go have a celebratory feast! And even though Grandma doesn't need a man to feel proud, she, Zane, and I all have our eyes on Yves..."

"Sis, Grandma, you two get in the car first. I need to talk to Yves," Winona cut Mia off, her tone serious.

Though Mia was usually a spitfire, she always listened to Winona. "Okay, Grandma, let's get in the car. Winnie needs a private word with Yves."

Her grandmother nodded. "Alright."

Once they were in the car, Winona turned to Yves, her expression calm. "Yves, I..."

"Wait," he interrupted her. "I know what you're going to say. You were just using me, and we can never be together. You've never been interested in me. Right?"