Ex-Wife Moving Wife Giving Birth? Congratulations, You’re Single Now novel Chapter 23

Chapter 1

My fiancé Ryan Kaufman booked an entire seafood feast to celebrate my birthday.

This ice–cold billionaire CEO actually peeled shrimp for every single person at the table.

Everyone was kissing his ass, telling me how lucky I was to have such a considerate boyfriend.

Only his assistant, Savannah Brooke, noticed something was off with me.

“Avia, you haven’t touched your food. What’s up? We used to come here all the time–the food’s incredible.”

Ryan’s buddy teased.

“Yeah, but we only come here because YOU love it, Savannah Ryan never ate seafood before he met you. Now he drags us here every damn time, completely ignoring the rest of us.”

“Oh, and remember when the owner was about to shut down? Ryan bought the whole restaurant and just *handed* the guy cash to keep it open…”

Ryan never mentioned he owned this place.

I turned to look at him.

He was intently peeling shrimp, dipping each piece in sauce and placing it directly into Savannah’s bowl.

Savannah finally caught my death glare.

“Oh, give that one to Avia,” she said sweetly, gesturing to the biggest piece of shrimp.

I didn’t move.

Ryan’s head snapped up immediately.

“Savannah’s being nice enough to share her food with you. What the hell is your problem?”

He reached for my bowl without even asking.

I slapped his hand away.

“Last year you *forced* me to eat seafood and I ended up in the ER with a severe allergic reaction. You forget that?”

Oil splattered right onto his crotch.

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Savannah moved faster than I did, immediately grabbing napkins to wipe it off for him.

I’d spent five years by Ryan’s side. Helped him claw his way through backstabbing colleagues and ruthless board members to claim the throne.

I’d always known his personality–cold, aloof, untouchable.

Yet here he was, letting another woman lean in close, her head practically in his lap as she dabbed at his inner thigh.

One of our drunk college buddies caught the angle and whistled.

“Holy shit, are you two getting back together? Don’t be so eager, man–there’s a hotel right next door. I’ll book you a

room-”

Ryan’s face went ice–cold. He grabbed a napkin off the table and hurled it at the guy.

“Watch your fucking mouth.”

Everyone shut up instantly.

Except Savannah.

She calmly tugged on his sleeve, “It’s fine.”

Such a small gesture.

Yet more intimate than anything he’d ever done with me–his fiancée.

“Getting back together? You told me Savannah was just a college friend.”

I kicked my chair back and stood.

Ryan shot to his feet immediately, instinctively stepping in front of Savannah.

His face was guarded. His hand–still protecting her–was white–knuckled with tension.

“Avia, I’m the one who organized tonight’s dinner,” Savannah said first, her voice calm and apologetic.

“Ryan’s been swamped with work, so I took over planning your birthday. It’s all my fault. I didn’t know about your allergy. I’m really sorry.”

She paused, then added with perfect grace, “Ryan and I are just old classmates. But if my being here makes you uncomfortable, I can quit.”

Ryan immediately said NO.

He reached for her instinctively, his fingers brushing her sleeve before he forced himself to pull back.

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Ex–Wife Moving > Wife Giving Birth? Congratulations, You’re Single Now

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“I mean… the project still needs you.”

He kept himself positioned between us, then finally looked at me.

“This was my oversight. It has nothing to do with Savannah. Stop making a scene.”

The others started chiming in, too.

“Come on, Avia. He was drunk and talking shit. Don’t take it so seriously.”

“Yeah, if Ryan and Savannah really had something going on, he wouldn’t have gotten engaged to you in the first place.”

Today was supposed to be my birthday. I’d told him I wanted it to be just the two of us.

Instead, he invited a whole crowd of their old friends.

And now they were all ganging up on me, one by one, demanding I be the bigger person.

Ryan just stood there. Watching. Silent.

Like I was the villain. Petty and vindictive, attacking the innocent.

But he never remembered any of our anniversaries.

But the moment Savannah joined the company, he suddenly started sending flowers and ordering cakes for all the female employees on Valentine’s Day.

He even implemented a company–wide policy: three days of menstrual leave per month.

Because Savannah had bad cramps.

This man–who never set foot in a kitchen, who took me drinking during my period–had been learning to make soups to ease her cramps.

“Ryan, I need you to tell me. Do you honestly have nothing with her?”

My chest felt like it was caving in.

Five years. I didn’t want to let go.

If he just said yes–just once–I’d believe him. I’d try again.

But he looked away. Wouldn’t meet my eyes.

Once again, Savannah broke the silence.

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“Avia-”

“Shut the fuck up!”

I’d been pushed to my breaking point. I snapped at her.

Ryan’s face darkened instantly.

“Don’t you dare talk to her like that!”

I had a question. He couldn’t even be bothered to lie.

But for Savannah? He raised his voice at me for the first time in five years.

“Ryan Kaufman, you’re a fucking asshole.”

I grabbed the wine glass next to me and threw it at him.

But Savannah lunged forward, throwing herself in front of him.

She was so much shorter than Ryan–the wine that would’ve just soaked his shirt splashed directly into her face

instead.

“Are you okay?”

Ryan’s cold, detached voice cracked with panic.

He practically pulled her into his arms, carefully using his sleeve to wipe her face.

When he finally looked back at me, his gaze was filled with disgust and rage.

“Avia Montgomery! You’ve gone too far! Apologize to Savannah. Now.”

He knew I hated being ordered around. But in his panic over her, he forgot.

I threw the glass down.

“Why the hell should I?! She’s the one who jumped in front of you!”

Ryan grabbed my arm–hard.

He worked out. His grip was brutal.

My wrist turned red instantly. He shoved me backward, and my forearm scraped against broken glass. Blood welled up immediately.

I winced in pain. But Ryan didn’t even notice.

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“I’m not asking again. Apologize!”

He stared at me like I was his enemy.

My eyes burned. My voice cracked despite myself.

“Ryan, who the hell is your fiancée here?!”

He froze.

In that split second of hesitation, I ripped my arm free and slapped him hard across the face.

Then I turned and walked out.

The room went dead silent.

Savannah’s voice was the first to break it.

“You should probably go after her.”

So gracious. So mature. Making me look like an unhinged, hysterical bitch.

And of course, Ryan listened to her. He came after me.

“I had a thing for Savannah back in college. She turned me down.”

“She’s not like you and me. She has her own pride. Her own dreams.”

“I asked her to come back and help me with the company. There’s nothing between us.”

“You can yell at me, hit me, whatever–I don’t care. But you had no right to go after her.”

The man who barely spoke suddenly had plenty to say.

Every single word about Savannah.

So she wasn’t his ex–girlfriend. She was his dream girl–the one who got away.

“Are you even listening to me?!”

The car screeched to a stop. I nearly hit my head on the dashboard.

Ryan glared at me.

“Tomorrow, you’re going to apologize to Savannah. I’ll make it up to you and do your birthday properly once I’m done with work.”

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So casual. So entitled.

You think I’m your pathetic little doll you can just toss around whenever you feel like it?

I didn’t hesitate. I pulled out my phone and texted my brother.

[I’m calling off the engagement. Remember those wealthy bachelors you mentioned? Set them all up for me.]

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