No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 210

**He Chased 210**

N’s POV

“Listen, I messed up. I really messed up,” Ethan admitted, his voice quivering, as though each word was a struggle to escape his lips. “If I had known things would spiral to this point, I swear I wouldn’t have acted the way I did. I was just… consumed by my obsession with Sophia.”

“Consumed to the point of throwing your wife out of your life,” I interjected, arching an eyebrow, a reminder of the humiliation he had brought upon himself.

He blinked rapidly, his gaze dropping to the floor, as if he could hide from the reality of his actions. “I’m truly sorry. I genuinely am. Right now, my greatest desire is to rewind time, to treat you with the respect you deserve. To have another chance with you. Because I realize now how horribly I’ve wronged you, and I regret it deeply.”

—

The crack in his voice was unmistakable. It wasn’t just the tremor; his entire demeanor seemed to quiver under the weight of his remorse, as if the burdens of his past sins had suddenly become too heavy for him to bear.

“Are you saying all this just because you’re stuck in here,” I asked, my tone calm and steady, “or do you truly mean it?”

Honestly, I was indifferent to whether his feelings were sincere or not. He was already paying the price for his misdeeds. He was facing the consequences head-on. All I wanted was for him to acknowledge his regret. Perhaps then, Elena, wherever she might be, could find it in her heart to forgive him in the afterlife.

He pressed his palm against the thick glass that separated us, as if expecting some grand gesture to unfold.

“No, I mean it,” he insisted, desperation lacing his words. “I know I’ve said a lot of foolish things, but I truly mean this. I would do anything for a second chance with you. You’re a successful businesswoman who has proven you can thrive without me, but I need you, Lauren. I’ve always needed you since day one. Even now, I still need you. So, if we could just set aside the past, and you could look deep into your heart, maybe…”

“Maybe what?” I leaned in slightly, intrigued yet skeptical, waiting for him to complete his thought.

“I know there’s still a part of you that cares about me,” he said, his eyes pleading for something I simply couldn’t give. “No matter how many men you’ve been with, no matter what others say. And you know this… I was your first real relationship. I accepted you as my girlfriend when no one else would. So… why can’t we go back to how things used to be?”

His palm remained pressed against the glass, as if he were waiting for me to place mine on the other side too. It was almost as if he thought this was a scene from a romantic film, where everything would magically fall into place, and I would forget all the pain he had caused.

“Oh really?” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm, unable to contain my disbelief.

“Yes,” he said quickly, urgency in his tone. “Just give me another chance in your life. I promise to treat you better. I’ll treat you like a queen. I’ll embrace Aria as if she were my own daughter. I vow to be the best husband and father I can be this time around.”

That was the moment I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer.

A small chuckle escaped my lips, followed by another, and then another, as the absurdity of his words washed over me. Did he stand in front of a mirror rehearsing this? Did he jot down a script and memorize it before walking in here?

Most infuriating of all, did he genuinely believe that this shallow talk would sway me? That I would suddenly exclaim, “Oh my God, Ethan, I’ve missed you so much,” and rush into his arms? Seriously, did he think this was a romantic comedy? Because this was reality—a harsh, unyielding reality.

“Wow,” I said, still trying to catch my breath from the laughter. “I never thought I’d find myself laughing this hard while looking at you.”

“Wait,” his voice cracked, desperation lacing his words.

I paused, my heart momentarily caught in my throat.

“At least… tell me who the man is,” he implored. “The father of Aria. The one you’re in love with.”

Of course, he would ask that. The thought of someone else taking the place he had discarded was eating away at him. He couldn’t bear the idea of another man holding the position he had carelessly thrown away.

I turned around slowly, walking back toward the glass, a proud smile creeping onto my face. I wanted him to feel this deeply, to let it sink in and burn.

I picked up the phone once more, pressing it to my ear.

“Roman Hale.”

I let the name linger in the air, allowing the silence to stretch between us. I watched him swallow hard, his frustration evident as he bit down on his lip. Once, they had been friends. In Ethan’s mind, Roman had betrayed him, always taking what he desired.

But the truth was painfully simple:

Ethan had never learned how to hold onto anything in his life.