Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The clock on Lucia’s laptop read 4:47 AM when the words finally blurred together into meaningless shapes.

She blinked. Rubbed her eyes. The financial reports still made no sense.

How long had she been awake? Twenty hours? Twenty–two?

She’d started yesterday morning at five. Training with Dieter. Then lessons with James. Then dinner with Alex and Lena. Then back to her room.

To study.

Because she wasn’t good enough yet. Wasn’t smart enough. Wasn’t ready.

Her phone alarm would go off in forty–three minutes. Time for another training session.

She stood. Her legs wobbled. When had she last eaten? Dinner. Yesterday. Whatever yesterday was.

The room tilted slightly. She grabbed the desk.

Just tired. That’s all.

She changed into workout clothes. Hands shaking as she tied her shoes.

Dieter would be waiting by the lake. Like always. Five–thirty. Rain or shine.

Lucia splashed water on her face. Looked in the mirror. Dark circles under her eyes. Skin pale. But her jawline was sharper now. Her body lean. Strong.

Stronger than she’d ever been.

She left her room. The house was silent. Dark. Everyone still asleep.

Good. No one to see her like this. No one to ask questions.

Outside, the air was cold. Autumn settling into Germany. Her breath made clouds in the dark.

Dieter stood by the path. Arms crossed. Watching her approach.

“You look terrible,” he said.

“I’m fine.”

“When did you sleep last?”

“I slept.”

“When?”

Lucia couldn’t remember. “Yesterday. Or. The day before.”

Dieter’s jaw tightened. “We’re not training today.”

“Yes we are.”

“No. You need rest

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I need to get stronger.” Her voice came out harder than intended. “I need to keep going.”

“You need to not collapse.”

“I won’t collapse.”

Dieter stared at her. Then nodded slowly. “Fine. We run.”

They started at a jog. Down the path around the lake. The same route they’d run a hundred times.

Lucia’s legs felt heavy. Like moving through water. Her lungs burned after the first kilometer.

“Pick up the pace,” Dieter called.

She tried. Her body wouldn’t cooperate.

“Faster.”

She pushed harder. Her vision swam. The path tilted.

“Lucia. Slow down.”

But she couldn’t slow down. Couldn’t stop. If she stopped she’d think about Marco. About the kids. About how much time she’d wasted being weak.

Her foot caught on something. A root. A rock. Nothing.

She went down hard. Hands scraping gravel. Knee hitting ground.

“Lucia!”

Dieter’s voice sounded far away. Like underwater.

She tried to stand. The world spun. Black spots appeared in her vision.

Then nothing.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying on grass. Dieter crouched beside her. Speaking into his phone.

“Yes. By the lake. She passed out. No, she’s awake now. Yes. Thank you.”

He looked down at her. “Alex is coming.”

“I’m fine.” Lucia tried to sit up. Her head pounded.

“Stay down.”

“I need to finish the run.”

“You need to go to the hospital.

“No hospital.” Panic rose in her chest. “I’m fine. Just. Dizzy.”

“You passed out.”

“I tripped”

“You collapsed. There’s a difference.

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Chapter 16

Alex’s car appeared on the path. He jumped out before it fully stopped.

“What happened?” He knelt beside her. His face pale.

“I’m fine,” Lucia said again. But her voice shook.

“She hasn’t slept in two days,” Dieter said. “Maybe longer. And I don’t think she’s eating properly.”

“Lucia.” Alex’s voice was gentle. Too gentle. “When did you eat last?”

“Dinner. Yesterday.”

“That was thirty hours ago.”

Had it been that long?

“Come on.” Alex slipped an arm under her shoulders. “Let’s get you inside.”

“I need to finish training.”

“Training is over. For now.”

“No. I’m not ready yet. I need to be stronger. Smarter. Better.”

“You need to be alive,” Alex said. Sharp now. “You’re killing yourself.”

“Good. Maybe I should be dead. Maybe everyone would be happier.”

The words came out before she could stop them.

Alex’s face went white. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.”

Lucia closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean. I’m just tired.”

“I know.” Alex helped her stand. Her legs shook. “Let’s get you home.”

He half–carried her to the car. Dieter followed. Silent. Concerned.

Inside, Lena was making coffee. She took one look at Lucia and dropped her mug.

“Oh my God. What happened?”

“She collapsed during training,” Alex said.

“I tripped,” Lucia corrected weakly.

“You’re white as a sheet.” Lena grabbed a blanket from the couch. Wrapped it around Lucia’s shoulders. “When did you sleep last?”

“Why does everyone keep asking that?”

“Because you look like death, Lena said. Blunt. Honest.

Alex guided Lucia to the couch. She sank into it. Her body finally giving up.

“Tll make tea, Lena said. Disappeared into the kitchen.

Alex sat beside her. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

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“Nothing. I’m just training”

“This isn’t training. This is self–destruction.”

“Maybe that’s what I need.”

“Why?”

Lucia looked at her hands. Scraped and bleeding from the fall. “Because I need to be ready. To face him. To face all of them.

I need to walk back in there and show them I’m not broken. That they didn’t destroy me.”

“So you’re destroying yourself instead?”

The words hit like a slap.

“I’m getting stronger,” Lucia whispered.

“You’re getting sick. There’s a difference.”

Lena returned with tea. Handed it to Lucia. Sat on her other side.

“How long has this been going on?” Lena asked.

Lucia shrugged. “I don’t know. A week? Two?”

“You’ve been up all night studying,” Alex said. “I’ve seen your light on at three AM. Four AM.”

“I need to learn. To understand finance. Business. Everything Marco knows.”

“Why?”

“So I can beat him.”

“Beat him at what?”

“An everything” Lucia’s voice rose. “At life. At success. At being a person who matters.”

Alex and Lena exchanged looks.

“You already matter,” Lena said quietly.

“No I don’t. I’m nobody. I was a housewife who got thrown away. I need to become somebody. Somebody important. Somebody powerful. Somebody who can’t be discarded.”

“And if you die trying?” Alex asked.

“Then at least I tried.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Lena said.

Lucia flinched.

“Sorry. But it is.” Lena grabbed her hand. “You’re not nobody. You’re someone who survived. Someone who’s learning. Someone who’s growing. That’s already something”

“It’s not enough.“,

“According to who? Marco? Your kids? People who threw you away?” Lena’s grip tightened. “Why do you care what they think?

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“Because.” Lucia’s voice broke. “Because if I’m not good enough for them, then what was the point? What was the point of seventeen years? What was the point of me?”

Silence filled the room.

“The point,” Alex said slowly, “was that you loved them. You gave them everything. That has value. Even if they don’t see it.”

“Does it? Because from where I’m sitting, it was all a waste.”

“It wasn’t a waste.” Alex moved closer. “But killing yourself to prove something to people who don’t care. That would be

waste.”

Lucia wanted to argue. Wanted to insist she was fine. But her body betrayed her. Tears spilled over. Hot. Angry. Exhausted.

“I don’t know how to stop,” she admitted. “I don’t know how to just. Be. Without pushing. Without fighting. Without trying to become someone worthy.”

“You’re already worthy,” Lena said. “You just can’t see it yet.”

“How do you know?”

“Because we see it. Dad sees it. I see it. Everyone who actually knows you sees it.”

“But they don’t see it.”

“They don’t count anymore,” Alex said. Firm. Final. “They lost the right to an opinion when they destroyed you.”

“So what do I do?”

“You rest,” Alex said. “For forty–eight hours. No training. No studying. Just rest.”

“I can’t.”

“You will. Or I’m driving you to the hospital myself.”

Lucia looked at him. At the determination in his face. At Lena beside her, still holding her hand.

“I don’t know how to rest,” she whispered.

“We’ll teach you,” Lena said.

And somehow. Sitting there between them. Wrapped in a blanket. Drinking tea with shaking hands. Lucia felt something crack open inside her chest.

Not breaking. Opening.

“Why do you care?” she asked. Voice small. “Why does it matter to you if I kill myself?”

“Because you matter to us,” Alex said simply. “You’re not alone anymore. Even if you feel like you are.”

Lucia closed her eyes. Let the words sink in.