Chapter 9
Australia
Today was Lea’s first day at his new school.
I wake up early to pack his backpack just right.
We’d only been here two days.
But I’d actually planned this months ago.
Six months back.
I reached out to an old friend who works here.
Asked him to help me find a house and get Lea intu a good school.
I wasn’t planning to move this soon.
But I’ve always been the type to prepare early
Locking back. I’m glad I did.
If not, I would’ve been totally lost.
And credit where it’s due–Nate never held back financially
At least he wasn’t stingy during the marriage.
I watched Lea dimb onto the school bus.
Zipped up my jacket, and turned to head back.
Then-
“Sophia.”
I frome
I knew that voice.
I turned slowly.
Nate
www Dises WGERE
Chapter 9
He looked older.
Worn down.
His shirt was wrinkled, his jaw unshaven.
Still handsome, though.
Still that same charm.
It was how I fell in the first place.
No one ever knew-
I applied to that company because of Nate.
He was my senior in college, three years ahead.
One glance at the freshman mixer, and I was gone.
I had no rich family.
No stunning looks.
Only my brains and my work ethic.
So for four years, I worked my ass off-
Studied, interned, networked-
Just to land an interview at Cole & Partners.
Just to stand in front of Nate Cole and say my name.
Five years of chasing.
And in one night-
He trashed all of it.
I forced a smile, trying to hold onto what little dignity I had.
Opened the door.
Didn’t look back.
“Come in.”
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Chapter 9
Nate’s eyes lit up and he followed me inside.
“Two sugars, no cream.”
I set the coffee down in front of him and sat on the other couch.
“You still remember.”
His voice was rough.
I smiled.
Didn’t say anything.
“You’ve seen the divorce papers, right?”
“I’m not asking for half. I just want full custody of Leo.”
Nate flinched.
Looked up.
“Sophia, I don’t want a divorce.”
I nodded, unsurprised.
“That’s fine. I can wait.”
“Three years of separation counts too.”
Nate slammed the mug down.
The thud echoed.
“Sophia, do you really want to leave me that badly?”
“Don’t forget–six years ago, you were the one who climbed into my bed.”
I felt a sharp, dull ache in my chest.
I stared at him, stunned.
And finally, I understood.
“..Wow.”
“So that’s what you’ve been thinking all these years.”
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The 9
“No wonder,”
“Bo wonder you changed the next morning”
“I thought you just lost interest after getting what you wanted,
Turns out–you never saw it as anything else,”
Disappointment burned through me,
But more than that-
Relief
1 looked down, tracing the rim of my coffee mug
My voice was soft.
“Nate Cole… have you ever thought–maybe I was the one who got hurt?”
Nate froze,
“What?”
I sew it all again-
That night,
He was drunk
I helped him to the hotel suite we’d reserved.
Got him deaned up, set a glass of water by the bed, and was about to leave,
Than
He grabbed my hand.
Pulled for into bed.
Rough Unrelenting
1fought back 1 screamed
did’t y
16 loved thate for four years.
Sex Tv 1 My wife hunter Money!
Chapter 9
But I never imagined this was how it would begin.
Afterward, I sat awake the whole night, convincing myself-
It’s okay.
It’s fine.
You love him, right?
Nate didn’t remember any of it.
Maybe it was better that way.
I could keep pretending it wasn’t what it was.
I closed my eyes.
Opened them.
Calm.
“It’s in the past now, Nate. Let it stay there.
Please stop showing up in my life.”
Nate opened his mouth-
Totally lost.
“What do you mean by that?”
“It doesn’t mean anything.
I’ve got stuff to do.
You should go.”
८
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Screw You. Ex! My New Life’s Hotter Than Your Money!
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
