Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 134

Every word Elara spoke struck a nerve. Julian averted his gaze, suddenly incapable of looking her in the eye.

His childhood poverty was a festering wound. Even after being taken in by the wealthy Beckett family and living a life of luxury—never having to skip meals to save a few bucks—the deep-seated trauma and inferiority complex of his past remained impossible to erase.

Melody was his precious, spoiled little girl. He couldn't bear the thought of her suffering the way he had, which was exactly why he intended to fight for full custody.

He had pushed so hard to force a bond between Melody and Vivian, but it had backfired spectacularly, nearly making his own daughter despise him.

He and Elara were the two pillars Melody relied on most.

Now, she was already withdrawing from him. If their bitter fights pushed Elara out of the picture too, what would happen to her?

Perhaps he had been too aggressive lately, dragging his daughter through unnecessary pain.

"We aren't just living for ourselves anymore. We can't just do whatever makes us feel good without considering the collateral damage."

Elara gently removed his other hand from her shoulder. "We are Melody's parents. Until she's an adult, we are responsible for her well-being."

"You might be fine ignoring her feelings for your own convenience, but I'm not."

"Instead of forcing a broken family to stay together and suffocating her in a toxic environment, it's better to separate now and leave her with decent memories of us."

Without realizing it, Elara had bled genuine truth into her manipulation.

Whether Julian actually absorbed the message or would change his ways, she didn't know—and she didn't care. She wasn't going to let his fleeting moment of guilt distract her from the ultimate goal.

"I really want to trust you again."

Having played the emotional card, Elara pivoted smoothly, reeling the conversation back in. "But your attitude right now makes it damn near impossible to believe you."

"You swear your relationship with Vivian is strictly business, yet you repeatedly hurt Melody and me for her sake."

"You asked what it would take for me to believe you, and when I told you, you hesitated."

"You made the mess, you offered to fix it, and now you're backing out. How am I supposed to trust you?"

Julian stared at the phone in shock. "Why the hell are you recording us?"

He lunged for the phone, but Elara sidestepped him gracefully. "A few days ago, when you made that promise to Melody, I didn't record it. That's why you felt so bold breaking it immediately."

"You've been burning through our trust, so from now on, anytime you make a promise, I'm hitting record."

Julian was rendered speechless.

Knowing he was entirely in the wrong, he couldn't argue.

Still, the idea of recorded evidence put him on edge. "Is that really the only reason?"

"What else would it be?"

Elara shifted her expression, eyeing him with sudden suspicion. "Unless you really did betray us and you're terrified I'll use it in a lawsuit?"