No Second Chances Ex-husband novel Chapter 1

LAUREN'S POV

I knew today would fall apart but hearing it from my daughter made it worse.

“Mommy, do you think Daddy forgot again?”

That question hit me harder than I thought it would. I looked up from the sink, where I’d been rinsing off Elena’s cereal bowl. Her voice was soft, like she already knew the answer but wanted to hear something else. Anything else.

I dried my hands on the dish towel and walked into the living room. There she was, sitting on the edge of the couch in her pink dress, the same one she’d picked out two weeks ago just for today. Her legs dangled above the floor, her shiny black shoes tapping gently against the couch.

“No, baby,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Daddy’s just… running a little late, that’s all. He said he’d be here before five, remember?”

She looked up at the wall clock. It was already quarter past six.

“He said that last year too,” she mumbled, eyes drifting toward the window. “And he never came.”

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. She remembered. I didn’t have the heart to lie to her, but I also didn’t want to crush whatever little hope she was holding on to.

“Elena,” I crouched down beside her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I know he missed last year, but he promised he’d make it up this time. Maybe something came up at work. Grown-up stuff can be really… complicated sometimes.”

She didn’t answer. Just kept staring out the window like she was waiting for a miracle to pull into the driveway.

I stood up and rubbed my palms down my jeans, trying to stay calm. Inside, I was burning. Not just from today but from everything. Every missed birthday. Every forgotten school event. Every night Elena asked me where he was and I had to pretend like I knew.

I reached for my phone and dialed Ethan's number but he wasn't picking up.

The clock struck 6:30pm and I already knew Ethan would come home late. Elena's face was already pale and she looked tired from sitting at the exact position for so long. There was no need for her to keep on waiting for her father who couldn't keep his promise.

“Rosa,” I called out.

The maid poked her head from the hallway.

"Yes ma'am."

"Can you help Elena change into her nightwear, please?”

Elena’s face dropped, but she didn’t fight it. She just slid off the couch and followed Rosa upstairs quietly, dragging her feet as she went.

I sat down, staring at the empty doorway. The silence in the house felt heavier than usual. I picked up my phone and checked the time again. 6:47 PM. Still no text. No call. Nothing.

I sent him a quick message: “Ethan, where are you? Elena waited all day. You promised.”

Still no response.

The hours passed slowly. I sat on the couch, scrolling through the same old photos on my phone, the ones where we actually looked like a family. Back when Ethan used to smile for real. Back when he used to come home early. Back when he looked at me like I was more than just… background noise.

At 8:20 PM, Rosa came back downstairs.

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