Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1571

Fitch recalled the parting words Wendy had left him with earlier that evening.

"Fitch, that Zoey's mother seems to have a checkered past, and her stepdad's done time too, just got out a few days ago, and he's already hitting on young girls again. Do you think we should help Zoey out?"

Ostensibly, she was expressing concern for Zoey, but in reality, she was airing all of Zoey's family's dirty laundry right in front of Fitch.

An unreliable mother, a stepfather with a penchant for the bottle and the ladies - what kind of childhood had Zoey endured? Or perhaps, what Wendy was insinuating was that there was something untoward between Zoey and her stepfather?

Wendy couldn't be too blunt with her words, as that would've likely backfired.

"But she's seeking out Tyler now, probably hoping he can sort some things out for her, right?"

The implication was clear: Zoey was probably setting her sights on Tyler now. As she said this, Wendy cast a furtive glance at Fitch to catch his expression.

Fortunately, Fitch remained unshaken, as if Zoey was truly a stranger to him. Wendy breathed a sigh of relief and left with a sense of triumph - Zoey had clearly been played. She was quite pleased as she drove away.

Meanwhile, Fitch was still standing there, smoking. The ground was littered with cigarette butts, indicating he'd been there a while.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zoey slip into a car. It started up quickly and drove off as if she hadn't seen him at all.

He finished his last cigarette and got into his own car to head back. He still didn't understand why he had stayed.

Parking at a familiar little villa, he shrugged off his trench coat and hung it casually on the coat rack.

It was only then that he realized where he was - this was the place he and Zoey used to hang out.

When he used to meet Zoey, it was either in a hotel or here.

Strangely enough, Zoey, who was so assertive at work, seemed to have no temper around him. No matter how offensive his words, she never seemed to retaliate; no matter how outrageous his behavior, she took it all quietly.

This encouraged the worst in Fitch, making him wonder how much she could take. And indeed, she could take a lot.