Divorce and Freedom No More Homemaker for Him novel Chapter 448

Chapter 448 Matters Less and Less

What hurt Ayla most was realizing that once you’ve truly loved someone, they leave a mark that doesn’t just fade.

Like that “one that got away” that men never stop carrying around in the back of their minds.

Ayla didn’t like Troy anymore–she’d let him go. But whenever he stood in front of her, the old memories snapped awake, replaying on loop whether she wanted them or not.

She believed that with enough time, the mark would eventually disappear.

Right now, though, it clearly hadn’t.

So, whenever she faced Troy, she couldn’t control that automatic tension and guard that shot up inside her.

It felt like if she relaxed even a little, he’d find the crack and slip right back in.

Why did she have to be this on edge?

In her ideal world, Troy could do whatever he wanted, and she wouldn’t care–no reaction, no emotional ripple at all.

That would be better for her.

And better for Draven.

But that imprint wasn’t fully gone yet, so she had to keep her walls high, stay on alert for Troy’s reckless stunts, then shut him down with ice–cold refusals.

Either way, every time he harassed her, he threw her mood into chaos.

Ayla could be ruthlessly rational about her feelings..

But constantly bracing herself like that kept her wound up tight.

Still, she tried to look at it from the bright side.

Time would blur everything out. She could give Troy time, and give herself time, too.

Honestly, as long as Troy wasn’t physically in front of her, she couldn’t care less what he did.

The problem was that he just had to show up every now and then and act like a jerk.

“Didn’t you two already get divorced? Why is Troy still going out of his way to find you?” Hannah asked, genuinely surprised.

“Yeah, the divorce is done. Now he suddenly can’t let go and wants me back,” Ayla said. “But I’ve moved on. I’m not going back. What I want from life is completely different from his, so whenever he comes looking for me, it just pisses me off.”

Hannah was married with a kid; she understood this stuff. “Of course, it hurts. You loved him once–even if you don’t anymore, every time you run into him, it’s going to sting. Just take it slow. The more he annoys you, the more you’ll hate the sight of him. Give it enough rounds, and you’ll feel nothing at all.”

Ayla thought about it and realized that was already happening.

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11:40 Sat, Feb 7

Chapter 448 Matters Less and Less

She was getting more and more used to Troy’s sudden appearances.

Take today, for example–back when the divorce was still fresh, she would’ve exploded on sight, gone off the second he opened his mouth, ready to fight him head–on.

But just now, she’d managed to trade a few lines with him fairly calmly. That alone meant he was mattering

less and less.

The cloud over her heart lifted a little. At the very least, next time she wouldn’t feel this rattled–each time, it would bother her less.

“Why do you think he’s only acting like this now?”

Hannah said, “People only cherish what they lose. Totally normal. But life doesn’t have a replay button.”

Ayla finally laughed. “I like that line, Hannah. I’m going to give it to Troy someday.”

She was moving forward now. She liked someone new, and she wasn’t about to let Troy drag her backward or make the man she liked miserable.

Feeling rattled once in a while was normal–but it wouldn’t stay like this forever.

Without either of them noticing when it started, Troy’s car had rolled to a stop along the path where she and Hannah were walking.

The door opened, and Isabella stepped out.

She handed Ayla a business card. “Ms. Keaton, call me anytime if you

Ayla stayed where she was, not reaching for it.

need anything.”

Troy lowered the window and gave her a look that clearly meant ordered her to take it.

He didn’t raise his voice or posture, but the force he carried was suffocating.

As an agent, Hannah couldn’t help thinking Troy didn’t need acting lessons to play a domineering CEO; all he had to do was sit in front of a camera, and he’d nail the role.

He really was stupidly handsome, but his presence was so overbearing that anyone standing in front of him. instinctively shrank, like they were the intern and he owned the building.

Hannah wasn’t going to pretend otherwise–looked at on looks and aura alone, Troy was dangerously attractive, and that was before you even added his net worth. The fact that Ayla had walked away from him completely made Hannah respect her and said everything about just how badly he’d screwed things up.

Dating a rich second–generation like Troy meant stepping into a relationship where the power gap was built in; a guy raised like that was used to being the sun in every room. Being with him had to feel suffocating- no real respect, no real understanding, no space for honest conversations or actually building something together.

You’d never be on the same wavelength, and when you got hurt, he wouldn’t get it–might even mock you for it. Over time, that kind of grind could wear down even the deepest love until nothing was left.

If all a woman cared about was money and status, she and Troy would make a perfect match.

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