No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 233

**TITLE: He Chased 233**
**CHAPTER 0233**

**ELIZABETH’S POV**

“Lauren Darrow, would you marry me?” Roman’s voice rang out, clear and unwavering, as he knelt before Lauren, his eyes sparkling with hope and love.

Wait, what?

What on earth was unfolding right in front of me?

For a fleeting moment, I honestly believed I had misheard him. Perhaps the words had tumbled out incorrectly, or my mind had twisted them into something unrecognizable. But the immediate reactions from everyone present shattered that illusion. The staff, who had been mere shadows in the background, suddenly seemed to spring to life, arranged like a perfectly orchestrated scene from a movie. Tessa had her phone raised high, capturing the moment as if she had been rehearsing for this very occasion for weeks. Her mouth hung open in sheer excitement, a picture of disbelief and joy. My gaze snapped back to Lauren, who was holding the ring aloft, her expression mirroring my own disbelief.

He was proposing to her?

Why on earth was he proposing to her?

After every single signal I had sent him, every little nudge to ensure that she remained the outsider in this house—he was supposed to be shoving her aside once I was done with my plans, not kneeling down in front of her in the most romantic way imaginable.

And why now? Why today? Why did it have to happen while I was here, witnessing this betrayal unfold?

They had been together for five years, hadn’t they? Five long years. He had all that time to pop the question. Why had he waited until now? Why hadn’t he proposed during the early days of their relationship when it was still fresh and vibrant? Why did the universe choose this precise moment, just as my meticulously crafted plan was beginning to take shape, for him to suddenly decide he wanted to marry her?

I fixed my eyes on Lauren, my nails digging so deeply into my palm that I was astonished I hadn’t drawn blood. Her face was a canvas of shock, giving way to unrestrained joy. Too much joy. It twisted my stomach into knots.

Roman had just proposed. This was far from harmless. This was not something I could simply brush aside. If Lauren accepted, it would send everything I had painstakingly built crashing down like a house of cards. She had to say no. If there was even a flicker of hesitation, a tiny glimmer of doubt—

“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you!”

The words burst forth from her lips as if someone had flipped a switch. There was no pause, no moment of contemplation. She practically shouted it, the excitement radiating off her like a beacon. She lunged forward, enveloping him in a tight embrace, as though she had been waiting her entire life for him to finally ask this question.

The room erupted in a chorus of celebration.

“Congratulations!” Tessa exclaimed, her phone still held aloft like a journalist covering a breaking story.

Then, as if scripted, one of the staff members let out a tiny celebration banger that exploded with a loud pop, showering the dining room with glittering confetti. The unexpected sound startled me, making me jump slightly in my seat. I hadn’t seen that coming at all.

Everyone was smiling, laughing, cheering—everyone except me.

Roman gently pulled back from Lauren’s embrace, though she seemed to melt against him, her happiness palpable. He gestured for her to hand him the ring again, and I realized he was preparing to drop to one knee once more, this time to place the ring on her finger with all the ceremony it deserved.

Wonderful. He wanted to heighten the drama of the moment.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, the gesture completely unrestrained. I didn’t even attempt to hide my irritation. The entire scene was maddening—sweet, romantic, perfect for a couple, yes, but maddening to me. Deeply maddening.

As he slid the ring onto her finger, a flash of pink caught my eye. A shade so familiar, it sent a jolt through me. I narrowed my eyes, leaning in slightly to get a better look without drawing attention.

And then my mind froze.

I bit down on my lip, staring hard at the ring—the ring that, in my mind, was meant to grace my finger. The ring that Roman was supposed to give me if everything had gone according to my plan. The ring that represented the truth I had convinced myself of: that I was the better choice.

My chest tightened sharply, a wave of panic and anger flooding through me. Before I even realized what I was doing, I stood up so quickly that my chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing every eye in the room to me.

“Where are you going, Liz?” Lauren called after me, her voice still breathless with happiness.

“To get my things,” I replied, my voice icy enough to freeze the atmosphere in the room.

“But the party just started, and you haven’t even congratulated—”

I cut her off, not wanting to hear another word escape her lips. I slammed the front door shut behind me, the sound echoing through the air as I continued my march away from that place.

–

My entire being was simmering with rage—anger so intense that I genuinely feared if I remained in that house for another second, I would say something I couldn’t take back. Or worse, I might do something I would regret deeply.

I needed to leave.

Immediately.

So I kept walking, further into the cool night air, repeating to myself over and over:

I’m going back to my hotel to cool off for a bit.