Game Over No Second Chances novel Chapter 27

CHAPTER 027

LAUREN’S POV

“And you can’t honestly blame me, Tess, because you weren’t there to hear the things he said to me. How he looked me in the eye and belittled me, told me I was nothing without him. That I was only where I was because of him.”

The memory alone sent a burning sensation crawling up my chest. “It was like he wasn’t even the same man I married,” I continued, my voice cracking slightly. “After everything I did for him, everything I sacrificed… how do I swallow all that and pick up this phone just to call him? How do I sound, Tess? I’d sound desperate, pathetic.”

Tessa let out a slow sigh, unfolding her arms as she stepped closer. “Look, all you need to know – the only thing that matters – is Elena,” she said. “You’re not calling him for yourself, Lauren. You’re doing this for Elena and Elena alone. Make that clear to him if you need to. And keep reminding yourself of it, too.”

For a moment, I let her words sink in. She was right. As painful as it was to admit, Elena deserved better than being caught in the middle of our mess. Slowly, I nodded, more to myself than to Tessa. “You’re right,” I whispered, trying to draw courage from somewhere deep inside me.

Just as I took a deep breath and reached my hand toward the phone, it suddenly lit up and started ringing, vibrating softly on the table. My heart jumped, and I froze. Ethan’s name flashed across the screen, cold and familiar all at once.

Tessa and I exchanged a glance, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Speak of the devil,” I murmured under my breath, feeling my throat tighten.

“This might actually be in your favor,” Tessa said quickly, her voice dropping lower. “Maybe he wants to talk about Elena too. Just… see what he has to say. And remember, you’re in control here.”

I hesitated for another second, then finally picked up the phone. For a heartbeat, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. The silence on the other end felt so loud, pressing against my ears. And then his voice came through, colder than ice and sharper than glass.

“Just as I thought,” Ethan said, and I could almost picture the smirk on his face. “I told you you’re nothing without me. And since you can’t drain the life out of me anymore, you decided to run to your dear friend Tessa. And don’t even bother lying to me about where you are, because Elena told me everything today.”

He let out a small laugh that made my blood boil. “Did you really have to tell her you were going on a ‘girls trip “?” His words dripped with mockery, each syllable a slap across my face.

I clenched my free hand into a fist so tight my nails bit into my skin. For a brief second, I’d foolishly allowed myself to hope – hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d call to say he was sorry. That he’d admit he was wrong, or at least show some trace of the man I used to know. But no. He called only to remind me of the person he’d become, to hurt me all over again.

My chest tightened, anger mixing with disappointment until it felt like my ribs might crack from the pressure.

“Is this why you called?” I asked, my voice coming out colder than I’d planned.

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CHAPTER 027

+35 BONUS

“Part of the reason why I called,” Ethan replied casually. “But I’m not really worried because I know you can’t end the call. In fact, I’m pretty sure you were going to call me any moment from now anyway. I mean, how else were you going to pay for Elena’s school fees? But I care about my daughter too, so that’s the main reason I called. Because of Elena.”

For a few seconds, I just stared at the wall in front of me, trying to stop the words from sinking in. My hand tightened around the phone so hard my knuckles turned pale. I glanced at Tessa, who was watching me closely. She silently lifted her hand and gestured for me to calm down, mouthing, “Don’t lose it.”

Everything inside me was screaming to lash out at him – to remind him that I’d stood by him when no one else would, that I’d carried his child, that I’d built my entire world around him until he decided I wasn’t good enough anymore. But I swallowed it down because Tessa was right: now wasn’t the time to lose my temper.

“Okay, I’m listening,” I managed to say, though each word felt like it was scraping my throat raw.

“Good girl,” Ethan said, and I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood. “Now, the only reason why I even let you take Elena away in the first place was because I thought Sofia wouldn’t like the idea of having her around the house. But today,” his voice shifted, almost as if he was trying to sound noble, “I spoke with Sofia and she said she’s okay with it. Now, I know we both want what’s best for Elena, so I’m sure you’ll let her come back to a better home, right?”

I could feel my face tighten, my brow furrowing in disbelief. If he’d been standing in front of me, I don’t know if I could have stopped myself from slapping him again.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen like I could burn a hole through it, wishing I could see his face. Then I brought it back and said, quietly but firmly, “You call a broken home a better home?”

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