Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 4

Alex listened. Smiled. Pretended his heart wasn’t breaking.

When she got engaged, he couldn’t anymore. Couldn’t watch her marry someone else.

So he left. Changed his number. Moved cities. Built his company from nothing.

Turned heartbreak into empire.

And he watched her. Always.

Hired Thomas five years after her wedding. Just to check. Make sure she was okay.

Reports came. Photos. Updates.

Lucia looked content. Three kids. Nice house.

He told himself that was enough. She was happy. That mattered.

But he kept the reports coming. Couldn’t stop. Couldn’t let go.

Then last week Thomas called.

“You need to see this.”

Photos of Marco. With Margaret. Coming out of hotels. Kissing in parking lots.

“How long?” Alex asked.

“Two years. Maybe more.”

His blood boiled.

“Find out everything. I want dates. Times. Proof.”

Thomas delivered. Marco was planning to leave Lucia. Their anniversary party. Public humiliation.

Alex tried to stop it. Drove to the venue. But he was too late.

People were leaving. Talking. Gossiping.

“Did you see her face?”

“So embarrassing.”

He grabbed someone. “Where did Lucia go?”

“She ran out. In the rain.”

He searched. Drove through streets. Panicking.

Then he saw her. On the bridge. Climbing the railing.

His heart stopped.

He ran. Grabbed her wrist just as she fell.

And now she was here. In his house.

A second chance.

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14:15 Sat, May 30

Chapter 4

LKA

He didn’t deserve it. But he had her here. That’s what mattered.

A knock on his office door.

“Dad?”

Lena.

He unlocked the door. She walked in. Looked at him.

“You didn’t sleep,” she said.

“I’m fine.”

“You always say that.” She sat across from his desk. “We need to talk about Lucia.”

“What about her?”

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“I saw your face this morning. When you looked at her. I’ve never seen you look at anyone like that. Not even Mom.”

Alex’s chest tightened. “Lena.”

“Tell me the truth. Who is she?”

He sat down. “We were friends. I told you that.”

“Friends don’t look at each other the way you looked at her.”

Smart kid. Too smart.

“She was my best friend. Growing up.”

“And?”

“And I fell in love with her. In high school.”

Lena leaned forward. “Did you tell her?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I was poor. She was rich. I had nothing.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Maybe. But that’s how it felt.” Alex looked at his hands. “Then she met Marco in college. He had everything I didn’t.”

“So you left.”

“Yeah.”

“And now she’s here.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you still love her?”

The question hung there. Heavy.

14:15 Sat, May 30

Chapter 4

“Yeah,” Alex whispered. “I never stopped.”

Lena was quiet. Then. “How did you find her last night? On that bridge?”

Alex went cold. “What?”

“You just happened to be driving by? That’s a pretty big coincidence, Dad.”

He couldn’t lie to her.

“I’ve been keeping track of her. For years. Through an investigator.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “You’ve been stalking her?”

“Not stalking. Making sure she was okay.”

“Dad. That’s literally stalking.”

“I know. I know it sounds bad. But I needed to know she was safe.”

“And when you found out about Marco cheating?”

“I tried to stop it. Tried to get there before he humiliated her. But I was too late.”

“So you went looking for her.”

“Thomas said she left the party. I drove around. Then I saw her on the bridge.”

Lena stood. Walked to the window.

“This is a lot, Dad.”

“I know.”

“Does she know? About the investigator? About you watching her?”

“No. And she can’t know. Not now.”

“You have to tell her eventually.”

“I know.”

“If she finds out on her own, she’ll hate you.”

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“I know that too.” Alex stood. Walked over to his daughter. “But right now, she needs stability. Not more chaos. Not more betrayal.”

“You think she’ll see it as betrayal?”

“Probably.”

“Do you think she ever loved you? Back then?”

The question hurt. He’d asked himself that a thousand times.

“I don’t know. She never said anything. Never gave any sign.”

“Or maybe she did love you and you were both too scared to say it.”

14:15 Sat, May 30

Chapter 1

Worse thought. That they could have had something. That he’d wasted years because he was a coward.

“Doesn’t matter now,” Alex said. “She’s healing. That’s important.”

“When are you going to tell her?” Lena asked. “About your feelings? About everything?”

“Not now.”

“When?”

“I don’t know. When she’s stronger.”

“What if she’s never ready?”

“Then I’ll keep it to myself. Like I have for thirty–three years.”

Lena turned to face him. “That’s sad, Dad.”

“Maybe. But her happiness matters more.”

“Mom knew, didn’t she? About Lucia?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah. Sandra knew.”

“Did she mind?”

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“She said she didn’t. Said she understood. That people carry ghosts. That loving someone unavailable doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else.”

“Do you think she was happy? With you?”

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