Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The envelope arrived during breakfast. Thick. Heavy. The kind that meant yes instead of no.

Lucas tore it open. Hands shaking. Read the first line.

“Dear Mr. Hart, we are pleased to offer you admission to Ashford Academy.”

Ashford. The elite preparatory school. Ninety–eight percent of graduates went Ivy League. The one he’d dreamed about since middle school.

“I got in,” he said. Voice cracking. “Dad. I got into Ashford.”

Marco looked up from his phone. “What?”

“Ashford Academy. The acceptance letter.”

“Oh. That’s great, son.”

Margaret set down her coffee cup. “Ashford? The private school downtown?”

“Yes. I applied last year. Before everything happened.”

“How much does it cost?”

Lucas’s stomach tightened. “Forty thousand a year. But you promised if I got in, you’d support it.”

“I said that?” Marco frowned. “When?”

“Last year. You said Ivy League dreams required Ivy League preparation.”

Margaret laughed. Harsh. “That was before your mother abandoned the family, leaving us with limited resources.”

The words hit like ice water. “What?”

“Your father’s company is facing financial difficulties. Surely you’ve noticed. The stress. The late nights. We can’t afford unnecessary expenses.”

“It’s not unnecessary. It’s my education. My future.”

“There’s a perfectly good public high school three blocks away. Free. Adequate.”

“Adequate?” Lucas’s voice rose. “Ashford has the best science program in the state. Best college placement. Best everything.”

“And the best price tag.” Margaret stood. Walked to Marco. Hand on his shoulder. Claiming. “Tell him, darling. Tell him we can’t afford luxuries right now.”

Marco rubbed his face. “Margaret’s right. The company situation is complicated. Maybe next year. When things stabilize.”

“Next year I’ll be a senior. I need to transfer now. Build relationships. Build my transcript.”

“Then you should have thought about that before your mother left and created this mess.”

Lucas stared at Margaret. At her perfect hair. Expensive dress. Diamond bracelet. “You just bought Ria ten thousand dollars worth of clothes last week.”

“That’s different. Ria’s future requires investment in appearance. In connections. Your future requires studying. Which you can do anywhere.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Life’s not fair, Lucas. The sooner you learn that, the better.” Margaret walked toward the kitchen. “Community high school starts next week. Get enrolled.”

After she left. Lucas looked at his father. “Dad. Please. I worked so hard for this. All those hours studying. All those science competitions. You promised.”

Marco wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry. The timing is bad. Money is tight right now.”

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Chapter 25

“But you have money for Ria’s shopping. For Margaret’s parties. For everything else.”

“Those are different.”

“How?”

“They just are.” Marco stood. “I’m late for a meeting. We’ll discuss this later.”

“When?”

“Later.”

He left. Taking his coffee. His phone. His broken promises.

Lucas sat alone. The acceptance letter in his hands. The dream dissolving.

Ria appeared. Still in pajamas. Hair perfect even at breakfast. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“I heard yelling.”

“I got into Ashford. But apparently we can’t afford it. Even though Dad can afford to buy you designer everything.”

Ria’s face flushed. “That’s not my fault.”

“Didn’t say it was. Just stating facts.”

“Margaret says investment in the right areas pays off. Maybe science competitions aren’t the right area for you.”

Lucas looked at his sister. At this person who used to sketch designs and share dreams and actually care about family.

“When did you become like her?” he asked.

“Like who?”

“Like Margaret. Cold. Calculating. Selfish.”

“I’m not selfish. I’m strategic. There’s a difference.”

“Is there?”

Ria left without answering.

Lucas climbed the stairs. Went to his room. Closed the door.

Lay on his bed. Staring at the ceiling. The acceptance letter beside him.

All those hours. All that work. For nothing.

His phone buzzed. Text from his coach.

“Heard about Ashford. Congrats man. You earned it.”

Earned it. But couldn’t have it.

Lucas stood. Paced. Anger building. Needing outlet.

He started cleaning. Throwing out old papers. Organizing. Trying to control something.

At the back of his closet. A box. Shoved behind shoes and forgotten jackets.

He pulled it out. Opened it.

Photographs. Old ones. From before.

His mother at his seventh grade science fair. Smiling. Holding his first place ribbon. Dad hadn’t come. Work emergency.

His mother at the regional math competition. Cheering from the stands. Wearing a homemade shirt with his name on it. Dad missed that one too. Important meeting.

His mother at the robotics tournament. Taking photos. Bringing snacks for the whole team because she knew

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Chapter 25

they’d be there all day. Dad was probably working.

Photo after photo. Event after event. His mother there. His father absent.

Lucas sat on the floor. Going through them. Really looking.

In every photo. Every single one. His mother smiled. Proud. Present.

Where had these come from? He didn’t remember packing them.

Maybe his mother had put them here. Before she left. Before they all chose Dad. Before everything.

A note. Tucked between photos. His mother’s handwriting.

“Lucas, I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished. You worked so hard for each of these moments. Never forget that your worth isn’t in what others invest in you. It’s in the effort you put into yourself. Love, Mom.”

The words blurred. His eyes burned.

When had he last cried? The party. The anniversary. When they all laughed. When Mom’s face broke.

When he chose to stay silent.

Lucas put down the photos. Looked at his hands. These hands that applauded when Dad announced his engagement. That gave a toast at the wedding. That stood by while they erased her.

He’d chosen wrong. Hadn’t he?

Not at the party. That was group decision. Mob mentality. Following Ria’s lead.

But after. In all the days and weeks since. When he could have called. Could have found her. Could have said

sorry.

He’d chosen silence. Comfort. The easy path.

And now Dad was breaking promises. Margaret was dismissing his dreams. And his mother. The one who’d always been there. Who’d always kept her promises.

She was gone.

Because of him. Because of all of them.

Nobody knew where. Nobody had heard from her since that night. Since they all laughed. Since they all chose. She’d just disappeared.

Lucas picked up the acceptance letter.

Ashford Academy. His dream school. The future he’d worked for.

Denied. Not because he didn’t earn it. But because his father cared more about Margaret’s shopping than Lucas’s education.

No. That wasn’t fair. Dad had financial problems. Real ones.

But why? The company had been fine. Thriving. Until when? Until Mom left. Until the divorce. Until Dad married Margaret.

The timeline clicked together. Ugly. Damning.

Lucas opened his laptop. Searched for Hart Industries news.

Articles about investor withdrawals. Board investigations. Financial irregularities.

All dated after the wedding. After Margaret. After Mom.

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