No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 209

CHAPTER 0209

LAUREN’S POV

“Honestly speaking, everything you’re saying to me right now isn’t making any sense, and I’m sure you know it too,” I said, my voice filled with so much venom I could practically taste the bitterness on my tongue. The moment the words left my mouth, I saw the slight flinch in Ethan’s expression. Good. If there was ever a time. for him to feel something anything it was now.

–

“You think I’m just going to forgive you like that? After everything you did to me, after everything you made me pass through, you really believe I’m still the same woman you married?” I added, leaning slightly closer to the glass so he could see the disgust on my face.

“But…”

“But nothing,” I snapped sharply, cutting him off before he could even think of forming another excuse. “I’m not done talking. Years ago, you had a choice. And you chose her. You chose the same woman who killed our child. And you think that’s something forgivable?”

The moment I said it, I saw his expression shift completely. Whatever stupid confidence or rehearsed speech he had prepared dissolved instantly. His brows drew together, his eyes widened slightly, like he had just been slapped unexpectedly.

“What are you talking about? What do you mean by killed our child?” he asked, his voice suddenly trembling with disbelief and confusion, almost as if he genuinely had no idea what I was talking about.

I narrowed my eyes. I couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. I had practically said this when he was arrested, but he didn’t react to it. Why now?

“Are you serious right now?” I demanded. “You’re really going to sit there and lie to my face? You want me to believe you didn’t know she was the one who sent the hitman to kill Elena?”

I didn’t even realize my voice had risen until I felt the pressure of it in my throat. I wasn’t just angry. I was furious. Furious that he was pretending. Furious that he could possibly act clueless after everything that had

been revealed.

His eyes widened even further. “Sophia… sent the hitman?” he repeated, sounding like the words barely made sense to him.

“I didn’t know about that. I can promise you,” he added quickly, almost desperately, before I could get another

word in.

I scoffed loudly. “You claim you didn’t know, yet when the police came to investigate, when they came to find out who was behind it, you manipulated the police. You erased every piece of evidence showing we were

attacked.”

“I did that because I didn’t want the fact that I went out to meet Sophia and left Elena in the house alone to get out to the public,” he said. His tone was defensive at first, then softened into something that sounded like shame. “It was going to destroy my image and my company.”

I leaned back slightly and let out a slow, humorless scoff while shaking my head. “The image and company you did all that to protect… where is it now?” I asked, my voice dropping lower, calmer, but far more cutting.

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His face twisted painfully, and for the first time since I sat down, I saw genuine emotion in his eyes. He looked broken – truly broken but that didn’t change anything. It didn’t erase what he’d done.

“That’s why I need your help to get out of here,” he said, his voice now carrying that emotional crack that sounded like he was barely holding himself together.

“No,” I said simply. “I’m not going to do it.”

His brows furrowed. “Why?”

“Why?” I repeated, leaning forward again. “Because you threatened me and my daughter. Because you expect me to help lower your sentence or worse, get you released just so you can come after me and my family again? You want me to say you’ve changed? Nice try. But that’s never going to happen.”

He clenched the phone slightly, and I could see the frustration mix with fear in his eyes.

“So what do you expect me to do? Just stay in here and rot?” Ethan asked.

I sat back in my chair, exhaling slowly. The fact that he even needed to ask me that as if he was owed anything else was beyond ridiculous.

“Yes,” I said bluntly. “That’s exactly what I expect. I expect you to rot in here. The same way I expect Sophia to rot and finally pay for her crimes. The funny thing is, even while you’re in here, you’re still thinking only about yourself. Has it even crossed your mind that with you and Sophia both in jail, there’s no one left to take care of your kid?”

At the mention of the child, his face went blank. Completely blank. His gaze dropped to the table, and he didn’t speak for several seconds. That reaction… it was off. Something wasn’t right.

“There’s no point doing that either,” Ethan finally said, his voice hollow.

“Wow,” I replied, shaking my head slowly. “So there’s no point worrying about your son? The same son you pushed me aside for?”

He lifted his head just slightly, and for the first time since I’d known Ethan since the beginning of everything I saw something I never expected to see on his face.

Real pain.

“There’s no point because… he’s not my son,” Ethan said quietly, his voice low, almost broken.

I blinked,

taken aback. That wasn’t the response I expected. Not even close.

Then he continued, his voice cracking even more.

“Yesterday… I learned that the real father of Junior came to claim custody. A DNA test was done. It proved everything.” He swallowed hard, his jaw trembling. “First, Sophia lied about my child for years. And now… now you’re telling me she was the one who killed Elena.”

I stared at him, stunned for a moment despite myself.

Then I shook my head slowly.

“That’s the kind of woman you chose over me,” I said, my voice calm now, almost disappointingly calm. “I was

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kind to you. Even when you hurt me over and over again. I stood by you when you were at your lowest. And you still picked her. A liar. A cheater. A murderer. Now look where you are.”

His eyes glistened, and I realized tears were actually building up. Tears. From Ethan. Something I never thought I’d witness in my entire life.

But even then, even as he sat there shattered, I felt no sympathy.

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