No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 181

CHAPTER 0181

LAUREN’S POV

I stole a quick glance at Roman, then shifted my gaze to Cassandra. The deliberate, measured way she moved toward the door was a clear sign she was preparing to make a run for it. Her shoulders tensed up noticeably, and her breath became shallow and sharp—an unmistakable posture of someone plotting a frantic escape.

For a brief moment, I found myself frozen in place. The atmosphere in the room thickened, heavy with the kind of silence that precedes a storm. The only sound breaking the quiet was the faint ticking of the wall clock. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Roman’s face—calm, almost unnervingly so. He didn’t flinch or shift an inch.

Before any of us could react, Cassandra suddenly spun on her heel and bolted toward the door.

The wooden door slammed open with a loud thud that echoed through the office. My chair screeched as I sprang to my feet, ready to pursue her. But Roman remained motionless, his expression unreadable. He didn’t look worried in the slightest. In fact, there was a subtle, confident gleam in his eyes, as if he already knew she wasn’t going to get far.

And he was absolutely right.

Just as Cassandra yanked the door open, she froze mid-stride. Her eyes widened in shock, as if she’d just seen a ghost. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she stepped back into the room. Standing just outside the door were two uniformed officers, their faces stern and unreadable, their presence commanding immediate attention.

A small, relieved smile tugged at the corner of my lips. There was no way she was escaping now.

“I’m disappointed in what you’ve done,” Roman said, finally rising from his chair. His voice was calm but carried a weight of restrained anger.

Cassandra remained silent. Her lips quivered slightly, but she held her head high, refusing to show weakness.

“You’re fired,” Roman continued, his tone sharpening. “And you are banned from ever setting foot in any branch of Hale Industries again. I hope you enjoy your time behind bars.”

His words were like ice—cutting and precise. He didn’t need to raise his voice; the authority in his tone alone was enough to slice through the tension in the room.

Then, unexpectedly, Cassandra’s gaze snapped to me. The fury burning in her eyes was like a live wire, ready to ignite.

“You’re the reason this happened!” she spat.

I blinked, caught off guard. My eyebrows knit together as I glanced over my shoulder, wondering if she was addressing someone else.

“How,” I asked evenly, though disbelief colored my voice, “am I the cause of your mistake?”

Her lips curled into a bitter, twisted smile. “If you hadn’t been going around sleeping with every man you meet—especially him,” she said, pointing a trembling finger at Roman, “I would’ve gotten the position I’ve worked for years to earn!”

The room fell into a heavy silence. Even the officers exchanged a brief, surprised glance.

A laugh escaped me—not from amusement, but sheer disbelief. Was that really what she thought? That my success was nothing more than sleeping my way to the top?

I took a slow step forward, the sharp click of my heels cutting through the stillness. “You honestly believe I got here by sleeping around?” I asked, my voice steady but firm. “Is that the story you tell yourself to explain away your own failure?”

Her glare wavered for a moment, but stubborn pride kept her from looking away.

“I didn’t sleep with anyone to get where I am,” I said, now standing directly in front of her. “Everything I have, I earned through the same hard work you claim to have put in. The difference between us is that while I was focused on bettering myself, you were consumed by hatred for everyone around you. Jealousy destroyed you.”

Her jaw clenched tightly. I pressed on.

“Maybe fate had a reason for keeping you from that position. Because after what you’ve done—betraying this company, betraying your colleagues—you don’t deserve it.”

“She could’ve done serious damage if we hadn’t caught her today,” I said, taking my seat across from him. “Imagine all the information she might have leaked to Ethan.”

“Exactly,” he sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “It feels like every time one problem ends, another one begins.”

Before I could reply, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen—it was a message from Tessa.

“Tessa says she’s about to leave the house with Aria,” I told Roman.

At the mention of our daughter, the sharp edge in Roman’s expression softened immediately.

Today was Aria’s birthday—she was turning five. Despite all the chaos surrounding us—the betrayals, the corporate battles, the constant threats—we had both agreed that nothing was more important than making sure she was happy today.

Roman had gone a bit overboard, as usual. He wanted to rent out an entire stadium for her birthday party. I laughed when he first suggested it, but he was completely serious. That was Roman—when it came to Aria, he always aimed big.

But I managed to talk him down. I wanted something more intimate. A celebration filled with warmth and love, not extravagance. So we settled on a simple party at home. Just family, close friends, laughter, and cake.

While Tessa took Aria to the mall to keep her distracted, Roman and I planned to decorate the house ourselves. We could have hired a professional team, but we wanted it to be personal. We wanted to hang every balloon, tie every ribbon, and arrange every table together.

It wasn’t just about the decorations. It was about the message behind them—that no matter how chaotic our lives became, Aria would always come first.

I glanced over at Roman, who was already scribbling something on a sticky note—probably another list of things to do. A smile crept across my face.

Sometimes, it was easy to forget all we’d been through. But moments like this reminded me of what truly mattered.