Boss, Your Ex-Wife is Unreachable Now! novel Chapter 22

"When did you get here, Willa?" Dorothy nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Willow standing there.

She had deliberately scheduled her son to arrive half an hour earlier than Willow, hoping to have a private word with him before Willow showed up. What she hadn't expected was for Willow to arrive a full thirty minutes early herself.

"I'm sorry, but I heard everything you just said," Willow's voice was icy, her expression as cold and unyielding as the man standing across from her.

Dorothy stepped forward, arms outstretched to embrace her. She'd always known how much Willow cared for Beasley—she'd seen it in every gesture and glance. Now, hearing Beasley speak with such cruelty and contempt, Dorothy's heart ached for her. The pain was sharp and relentless, as if someone was squeezing her heart in their fist.

Willow didn't shy away from the hug. She couldn't bring herself to refuse it. Maybe it was because she knew—the heart beating against her own belonged to Dorothy. No wonder, in her previous life, she'd felt so inexplicably drawn to Dorothy, so eager to be close to her.

Sadly, she'd only just learned the truth in that former life when she was drugged and taken away by those three foreign men. Who would have thought she'd uncover the secret so quickly this time?

Was it because she'd chosen to divorce that her fate had shifted, setting off a butterfly effect she never anticipated?

"Willa, please don't be upset," Dorothy whispered, holding her tight, grief thickening her voice.

Willow's reply was calm, almost eerily so. "Dorothy, I'm not upset."

Hearing Willow address her so formally made Dorothy's heart skip a beat.

She should have realized from the start—when Beasley had insisted on a secret marriage, it was clear he wanted nothing to do with it. You can't force love, and Willow had learned that lesson far too late.

Willow turned to Beasley. "As Mr. Windsor just said, there are many ways to repay a debt. My mother never knew who would receive her heart—hospitals keep that confidential. There's no question of you owing anyone anything."

Whether Beasley believed her or not, Willow didn't care. She just didn't want to keep silent any longer.

Willow met his gaze, her own eyes just as frosty. "You too, Mr. Windsor. If we ever cross paths again, let's pretend we're strangers."

Dorothy was startled by the way Willow now looked at Beasley. There was no trace of the admiration or longing she used to see in Willow's eyes—no matter how subtle, that affection had always shone through.

But now… it was gone.

For the first time, Dorothy felt utterly helpless. Maybe Willow really was done with her son. And maybe… Dorothy was about to lose her, too.

Tears glimmered in Dorothy's eyes. She stood frozen for a moment, then finally nodded.

"All right. I promise not to force anything anymore."