No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 181

Eleanor had no choice but to explain, "Mr. Vaughn, we're in the middle of a divorce. Evelyn will be living with me from now on."

Xavier didn't look particularly surprised. "Serena mentioned it to me. I heard Ian's still having the assets evaluated."

"That's right. We've already separated," Eleanor replied.

"What school is Evelyn attending?" Xavier suddenly asked.

Eleanor paused, a little caught off guard. "Are you thinking about transferring Vivian, Mr. Vaughn?"

"It depends. If Vivian keeps getting so upset, I might have to consider moving her to Evelyn's school," Xavier said matter-of-factly.

Eleanor was taken aback. It struck her again how much Xavier cared for his niece—almost more than some fathers cared for their own daughters.

She gave him the name of Evelyn's school. They didn't chat any further; the call ended soon after.

In the meantime, Eleanor spent the days before the new school term talking things through with her daughter, helping Evelyn prepare for the change. Evelyn seemed genuinely excited about her new school. Eleanor didn't mention that Vivian might be transferring as well; she figured Xavier was only considering it, and there was no need to say anything until it was certain.

The night before school started, around ten o'clock, Eleanor's phone buzzed with a new message. She glanced at the screen—it was from Ian.

"I'll go with Evelyn tomorrow for her first day at the new school."

Eleanor didn't reply. She had no desire for him to come.

But at around seven the next morning, Joslyn came cheerfully up the stairs. "Ma'am, your husband's here."

Eleanor gently corrected her, "Joslyn, you can call me ‘ma'am,' but he's not my husband anymore."

"Uh… Mr. Goodwin is here," Joslyn amended, looking a bit embarrassed.

Evelyn, spotting her father, ran over with delight. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Ian knelt down, steadying Evelyn by her little shoulders as he took in her new uniform. Fondly, he tapped her nose. "Are you excited about starting at your new school?"

"I am!" Evelyn replied, tilting her round little chin up proudly.

Smiling, Ian took her hand. "I'll go with you."

"Traffic was a mess—I got here a bit late," Xavier replied.

"Did you find a place nearby?" Ian asked.

"I'm looking at the one you recommended," Xavier said.

Eleanor frowned slightly. Ian had recommended a house to Xavier? Why was he looking at real estate in this area?

"Most of the homes around here are charming old townhouses from the ‘90s," Ian explained. "They're in good shape, and with a little remodeling, they're really nice."

"I like them a lot," Xavier said with a smile. Then he asked, "Have you started renovating your place?"

"I've handed it over to a contractor. Should be finished in a couple of months," Ian answered.

Eleanor fixed her gaze on Ian. "You bought a house nearby?"

Ian nodded. "Grandma wants to move out this way. She loves homes with a bit of history."