Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lucia sat on the bed. Her phone in her hand. Staring at the screen.

She shouldn’t do this. She knew she shouldn’t.

But her fingers moved anyway. Opening Instagram. Typing in Ria’s username.

The profile loaded. Public. Of course.

Photos filled the screen. Recent ones. From yesterday.

Her breath caught.

There. A video. Posted three hours ago.

She clicked it.

Laughter came first. Happy laughter.

Then the image loaded.

Marco. Margaret. And all three kids. Sitting around a table. Pizza boxes open. Everyone smiling.

“Say hi to everyone!” Ria’s voice. She was recording.

“Hi!” Monica waved at the camera. Big smile.

Lucas gave a thumbs up. Grinning.

Margaret leaned into Marco. “We’re having the best family night!”

Family night.

Lucia’s hands shook.

“Margaret makes the best homemade cookies,” Monica said. “Way better than Mom’s store bought ones.”

The words stabbed.

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“And she actually listens when we talk,” Ria added. “Like really listens. Not just pretending while looking at her phone.”

Lucia never looked at her phone during conversations. Never.

“Plus she’s cool,” Lucas said. “She gets us. You know?”

Margaret laughed. Kissed Marco’s cheek. “These kids are amazing. I’m so lucky.”

The video ended.

Lucia stared at the black screen. Her reflection stared back. Pale. Hollow.

She scrolled down. More photos.

Margaret braiding Monica’s hair.

Margaret and Ria shopping. Matching bags.

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Chapter 5

Lucas teaching Margaret how to play video games.

All posted today. Captions about how wonderful Margaret was.

Not one mention of Lucia.

Her chest hurt. Like something inside was tearing.

She kept scrolling. Couldn’t stop.

Another video. Margaret’s account.

“My new family!” Margaret’s voice. Cheerful. Sweet.

The camera panned. Marco cooking. The kids setting the table.

“I’ve always wanted kids,” Margaret said. “And now I have three perfect ones. Dreams really do come true!”

Lucia’s phone slipped from her fingers. Fell onto the bed.

She couldn’t breathe.

They replaced her. Two days. Two days and they’d already replaced her.

A sound came from her throat. Half sob. Half scream.

She grabbed a pillow. Pressed it to her face.

Maybe they were right. Maybe she was a bad mother. Maybe Margaret was better.

No. No.

But look at them. Look how happy they were.

The tears came. Loud. Ugly.

A knock on the door. Soft.

She didn’t answer.

The door opened anyway.

“Lucia?”

Alex.

She couldn’t look at him.

“Hey,” His voice got closer. “What happened?”

She shook her head.

The bed dipped. He sat beside her.

“Talk to me,” he said.

She lowered the pillow. Her face was wet.

“I looked at their social media,” she whispered. “The kids.”

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14:16 Sat, May 30

Chapter 5

Alex’s jaw tightened. “What did you see?”

“They’re with Marco. And her. Margaret. They posted videos. They look. They look so.”

She couldn’t say it.

Alex picked up her phone. Looked at the screen. His face went hard.

“This is cruel,” he said.

“Maybe it’s true.” The words came out broken. “Maybe I was a terrible mother. Maybe they’re better off.”

“Stop.”

“Look at them, Alex. They don’t miss me at all.”

“They’re kids being manipulated.”

“They chose her.”

“They chose what’s easier. That doesn’t make you bad.”

Lucia pulled her knees to her chest. “I should call them. Maybe if I just. If I explain.”

* “Explain what? They don’t want to hear it.”

The bluntness hurt. But it was true.

She grabbed her phone. Opened it. Stared at Monica’s number.

What would she even say?

Please love me again?

Please remember I’m your mother?

Her finger hovered over the call button.

“Don’t. Alex said quietly.

She put the phone down. Face down.

Alex was quiet. Then he stood. Walked to the window.

“I have an idea,” he said. “But you’ll probably think I’m insane.”

She looked up. “What?”

He turned to face her. Hesitated. Like he was debating something.

“Disappear,” he finally said.

“What?”

Leave. Go somewhere far. Reinvent yourself. Come back when you’re ready.

“I can’t just leave.”

“Why not? What’s keeping you here?”

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Chapter 5

The question hung there.

What was keeping her?

Nothing. Nobody wanted her here.

“Where would I even go?” she asked.

Alex took a breath. “Germany. I have a villa there. Countryside. Quiet. You could stay as long as you need.”

Germany. Another country.

“And do what?”

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“Learn. Transform.” He walked back over. Sat on the bed again. “I can teach you about business. Finance. How money works. You could come back different. Stronger.”

“Why would I need to know about business?”

Alex hesitated again. Like he was afraid to tell her.

“Marco is hiding assets offshore,” he finally said.

Lucia stared at him. “What?”

“I had Thomas dig deeper. Marco has accounts in the Cayman Islands. Properties under shell companies. He’s been planning this.”

Her stomach turned. “How long?”

“At least five years.”

Five years.

“The affair. The quick wedding. It’s all calculated.” Alex’s voice was steady. “He wants to marry Margaret fast. Lock everything down before you can do anything.”

“He’s going to marry her?”

“Already applied for the license. Wedding next month.”

Next month.

Their divorce wasn’t even final.

“How do you know all this?” she asked.

“Thomas is good at his job.”

“You’ve been investigating Marco?”

“Yes.”

She should be angry. Should feel violated.

But she just felt. Tired.

“What else?”

OF

14:16 Sat, May 30

Chapter 5

“Marco’s company. I own shares. Thirty percent.”

Lucia looked at him. “Thirty?”

“I’m the second largest shareholder. Marco doesn’t know. The shares are under a holding company.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

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Alex looked down at his hands. “Because I can help you. If you want. I can give you leverage. Information. Everything you need to fight back.”

Fight back.

She’d never fought back against anything.

“I don’t know how to fight,” she said.

“I’ll teach you.”

“In Germany.”

“Yes.”

She stood up. Walked to the window. Looked out at the gardens.

Six months in another country. Learning things she didn’t understand. Coming back. For what?

“What if I come back and nothing changes?” she asked. “What if I’m still nobody? What if they still don’t want me?”

“Then at least you’ll be somebody who chose to fight.”

“But what if I don’t want to fight? What if I just want my kids back?”

The words cracked on the way out.

Alex stood. Walked over. Stood beside her.

“You can’t make people love you,” he said quietly. “Not even your kids. But you can make them respect you. You can make them regret what they did.”

“Is that enough?”

“I don’t know. But it’s better than this.”

She looked at him. Really looked.

He looked scared. Like he was afraid she’d say no. Like this mattered to him more than he was saying.

“Why do you care so much?” she asked.

He opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked away.

“Because you deserve better,” he finally said. “You always did.”

The air between them felt charged.

“If I do this,” she said slowly. “If I go. What happens to me?”

“What do you mean?”

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