Divorce and Freedom No More Homemaker for Him novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17 The Necklace on Screen

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Ayla explained, “Draven showed up at my wedding with Troy. He stayed maybe ten minutes, then left. I never saw him again, so I didn’t mention him to you.”

“Oh, I see. Then he’s basically a stranger.”

Ayla nodded. “I divorced Troy. I don’t want any more contact with his family, so I stopped you from saying anything.”

Other than Martin, anyone tied to Troy made Ayla instinctively pull back.

Halle understood her and didn’t push it. “Alright, I’ll keep it quiet. Anyway, there’s still Will. I can ask him about Draven if I want.”

Then she added, “But it’s too early to draw a conclusion. If you ever return to racing, people who like you will be drawn to you again.”

Ayla didn’t have much thought about the future, but she smiled. “We’ll see when the time comes.”

Halle checked the time. “It’s still early. I’ll swing by your place.”

They came back from the hospital quite late; therefore, Halle didn’t visit her place.

Ayla was just about to start the car when the giant screen outside the racetrack switched to the interview segment.

The first racer up was Skyla.

She had finished first in her

group.

The host cracked a few lines to pump up the crowd, then jumped into questions. Since Group B was still waiting to compete, the questions were kept simple, and the racers answered quickly.

At first, Ayla didn’t pay much attention.

Then the host asked with a mysterious tone, “I’m sure everyone noticed during the race that you wore a beautiful lily necklace. I think the fans want to know–does this necklace carry a special meaning for you? Why bring it to the track today?”

The moment the question dropped, the whole crowd lit up. People everywhere loved gossip.

Ayla froze, her eyes fixed on the massive screen. She stayed silent.

Halle noticed her reaction but didn’t urge her to leave.

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Chapter 17 The Necklace on Screen

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Skyla stood in front of the host, facing the cameras and the roaring fans. She didn’t show a hint of nerves. She smiled openly and said, “I didn’t expect you to notice. Yes, this necklace was a birthday gift.”

The host leaned closer. “Wow! A birthday gift! Could it be from your boyfriend?”

Skyla laughed. “No. But it was from someone very important and special to me. Someone I admire, someone I truly like. It means a lot. I plan to wear it at every important moment in my life.”

The host grinned, clearly knowing how to hype the crowd. “Well, if it’s that important, then don’t you think that person should be here to see it for themselves? Am I right, folks?”

The whole arena shouted back in unison, “Right!”

The energy rolled through the stands like a wave.

Skyla didn’t answer. She just smiled and turned her eyes toward one direction.

The camera followed her gaze and settled on a section of the crowd. It couldn’t zoom in on one person, but it still caught Troy.

With his looks and presence, he stood out from everyone else.

Even without a close–up, Ayla spotted him right away on the screen.

The tenderness in his eyes was impossible to miss. At that moment, his entire world was the woman standing in the middle of the roaring crowd.

Open, direct, with nothing to hide.

That was Troy’s answer to Skyla.

Ayla pressed her lips tight and quietly started the car.

Halfway through the drive, Halle finally spoke. “She was first in her group, but when Group B finished, she ranked fourth overall. Didn’t make the podium.”

She had been glued to her phone the whole ride, streaming the race.

Ayla didn’t reply.

The car kept moving forward.

A few minutes passed before she spoke in a calm voice. “Halle, you don’t need to tiptoe around me. I don’t need you to comfort me all the time. I’ve never been more clear–headed. The better

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Troy treats Skyla, the faster I’ll let go of him. The day I can watch them get married and have kids without feeling anything–that’s the day I’ll be healed. That’s when I’ll truly be fine.”

Halle didn’t answer right away.

She just looked at Ayla’s steady hands on the wheel. Strong, steady, giving off a quiet strength.

Halle thought back and realized Ayla had never once broken down in front of her after the divorce. She had always stayed calm and in control.

Yes, Ayla had lost her way for a few years, blinded by love. So what?

Who hasn’t made mistakes in life?

The point is to fix them.

Life allows plenty of room for error.

If Ayla could hold the wheel this steady, she could steer her own life too.

Halle patted her shoulder. “Sorry. I underestimated you.”

Ayla gave a self–mocking smile. “Or maybe those three years of me acting like a lovesick fool scared

you. Made you lose faith in me.”

That cracked Halle up. She burst into laughter.

Ayla laughed along with her.

When they reached Westhaven, Ayla showed Halle around her place.

It was an upscale complex, where condos started at 300,000 per square foot. Fully furnished, spacious, modern penthouse. The living environment was unbeatable.

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