The Ugly Wife’s Stunning Comeback (Felicia and Max) novel Chapter 526

Ava was just about to head upstairs when she saw Felicia coming in. She quickly pulled herself together and smiled, all warm and gentle. “Felicia, you’re home. You’ve been running around so much lately.”

Felicia walked over and dropped onto the sofa, her lips curving into a tired but genuine smile. “The holiday’s finally here. I can actually rest for once. Mom, what were you and Dad talking about just now?”

She’d heard their voices raised a little when she came in, though she pretended she hadn’t.

Ava glanced at Colton, her look barely noticeable. “Oh, it was nothing. Do you have any plans for the break? Maybe you should take a trip, clear your head a little.”

Felicia shook her head. “Traveling during the holidays is just a hassle. Everywhere is packed. I’d rather just stay home and catch up on sleep.”

“That’s fine too,” Ava said, her smile never slipping. “It’s been ages since Anne came over. Why don’t you bring her by while you’re off?”

Felicia nodded. “I’ll be taking Anne to the Hawthorne place on the first. I’ll bring her here the next day.”

That made both Ava and Colton tense up.

Colton leaned forward. “Why are you going to the Hawthorne estate?”

Felicia explained about the agreement she’d signed with Max.

Neither Ava nor Colton looked happy, but they understood. With Max dragging out the divorce, Felicia couldn’t do much. The real issue was Anne. They’d both been through enough to know how much it hurt kids to get caught in the middle.

Ava let out a slow sigh. “If you can’t get divorced yet, just take care of Anne, okay?”

Felicia went upstairs to her room. Not long after, her phone rang. It was Max.

“Are you still working?” His voice was low, almost casual.

Felicia replied, “I’m staying at home tonight.”

He paused. “Something just came to mind.”

“What is it?”

“Max, seriously? Why bring up the past? Don’t you have better things to do?”

He apologized right away. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You must be tired. Get some rest.”

His apology didn’t make her feel better. It was like trying to punch a pillow—nothing to push against, nowhere for her frustration to go.

She hung up without another word and tossed her phone onto the bed.

Irritation buzzed under her skin, making her want to scream. She went to take a shower, hoping the water would wash away some of the stress.

By the time she crawled back into bed, she saw a new message from Max: Good night.

She didn’t bother replying.

The next morning, she woke up to the last workday of the year. Tomorrow was New Year’s Day.