Game Over No Second Chances novel Chapter 28

LAUREN’S POV

His words hung in the air for a moment, sinking into my chest like cold water.

“Three days? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly despite my best effort to keep it calm. “How do you think that would work? I’m her mother – I’m supposed to spend more time with her. We share a closer bond, Ethan.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m going to take four days,” he shot back, his voice sharp and cold. “I want to bond with Elena. I know I haven’t been showing up for her these past few weeks, but I wanna make up for that. And besides,” he paused, and even though I couldn’t see his face, I could practically hear the smirk forming on his lips, “I’ll also be doing her a favor. Soon enough, she’ll be begging to never come visit you in that rabbit hole you’re living in.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. Every cruel word felt like it was peeling off another layer of hope I had clung to, revealing raw, vulnerable pain underneath. But before I could let anger or heartbreak answer for me, Tessa moved. She quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper and held it up for me to see.

‘Accept his offer.‘

She gave me a silent, firm nod that said, Do it for Elena, not for him. Focus.

—

Three days. Just three days. It felt like nothing like scraps from his table. But as much as it hurt, I kept reminding myself that at least it wasn’t a total separation. At least Elena would still have me for part of the week.

I swallowed, forcing down everything I wanted to scream at him. “Fine,” I said through clenched teeth, my voice barely steady. “And when do you want this new calendar of yours to begin?”

“As soon as possible,” Ethan replied without missing a beat, as though he’d already mapped everything out in advance. “Today is Wednesday, so I’ll start the calendar first. On Friday, my driver will pick her up after school, and she’ll spend the rest of the week at my place. Then, I’ll bring her back by Monday.”

“Fine,” I echoed, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. My hand moved to pull the phone away from my ear, ready to end the call and finally breathe.

But his voice cut in again before I could disconnect. “And before I forget,” he added, casually, as if what he was about to say was just a minor detail, “I’ll be sending you something. Please sign it and send it back to me as soon as possible.”

“And what’s that?” I asked, my voice tight with dread.

“Don’t act dumb, Lauren,” he sneered. “With all this happening, with you out of the house, you should’ve already figured it out by now. But I’ll humor you and say it plainly: my lawyer will be sending divorce papers to you. You know what to do and be quick.”

—

The words punched the air out of my lungs. Divorce. I had known, deep down, that we had crossed the point of no return, but hearing him say it out loud made it real. Made it final. Suddenly, the walls of Tessa’s small apartment felt even tighter, pressing in on me.

CHAPTER 028

+35 BONUS

“Divorce? Ethan, I don’t think there’s a reason to go that far,” I said, my voice cracking despite my effort to sound calm. “We could still talk about this. Maybe resolve this maturely. We’ve been together too long to just throw it all away overnight.”

“There’s nothing to resolve, Lauren,” he interrupted, his volce hard and final, like a door slamming shut. “For

we’re done.”

the last time

Then, without waiting for a reply, he hung up.

The silence that followed was deafening. I stood there frozen, staring at the phone in my hand as if it might speak again. My chest felt tight, and my heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Until I couldn’t hold it in anymore, Tessa noticed this and quickly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around me. The dam I’d been holding back finally broke, and tears streamed down my cheeks, warm and heavy.

“He wants a divorce,” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of it all. “What did I ever do to deserve this, Tess? After everything… how did we end up here?” (2)

Tessa tightened her hold, her hand rubbing small comforting circles on my back. “It’s okay,” she murmured softly, almost like she was trying to convince both of us.

For a moment, I let myself rest in that hug, breathing in the faint scent of her shampoo. The world felt too big, too loud, and all I wanted was to disappear. But before I could fully sink into the darkness creeping up on me, I heard the gentle sound of small footsteps pattering across the living room floor.

I quickly wiped the tears off my face with trembling hands and turned just in time to see Elena emerging from her room, her little hands clutching a colorful piece of paper. Her eyes, always so bright and innocent, carried none of the pain clawing at my chest.

“Mommy,” she said softly, holding the drawing out to me. “This is what I drew today.”

I knelt down and took the paper from her, trying to keep my voice steady. It was a simple drawing: the three of usme, Tessa, and Elena – holding hands, stick figures with big smiles under a sunny sky. Somehow, seeing it made something inside me ache and warm all at once.

“This is lovely,” I told her, a small, unexpected laugh escaping my lips despite everything. “You’re really getting so good at this.”

She smiled, pride lighting up her face.

But the smile slipped from mine as the thought that had been haunting me pushed its way out, “Sweetheart,” I began gently, my voice low, “you’re going to be staying with Daddy for a little while soon. Will you be okay with that?”

Her small brows furrowed. “You’re not going to be around?” she asked, the innocence in her question squeezing my heart.

“No, baby,” I said quickly, forcing a smile. “I’ll be on a little journey to buy something very important. But I promise, I’ll be back before you know it, alright?”

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