No Second Chances Ex-husband novel Chapter 52

TESSA'S POV

“Yes, we’re sorry for the little commotion that happened today,” I said, keeping my voice even though I could still feel my heart pounding from earlier. “The casket isn’t going to be buried here after all. There was a last-minute change in plans.” I tried to keep my tone polite, almost apologetic, hoping the manager would just let it go.

His expression didn’t shift much. He was one of those men whose face seemed carved from stone not necessarily unkind, but certainly unmoved. “Alright,” he said slowly, like he was weighing every word, “so when are you taking the casket out of here?”

“I’ll call a pickup truck right away,” I assured him, nodding once and stepping back. “In a few minutes, we should be out of your hair. I’m sorry once again.” Without waiting for his response, I turned on my heel and started walking away. I didn’t need to stand there for his judgment or his Indifference. Today had already been heavy enough without an extra spoonful of shame from a stranger.

It had been… quite a day.

Even though most of the guests were long gone, I felt like I’d lived several years in the space of a few hours. Funerals had a way of stretching time, they made every minute heavier, slower, more suffocating. But today wasn’t just about saying goodbye to Elena. Today, I also met her.

Sofia.

She looked different from the times I saw her on pictures and phones, She didn’t look like the kind of person you’d expect to destroy a family, but maybe that’s how people like her survive — looking polished and harmless while their actions tear through someone else’s life.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t even see what Ethan saw in her. Not enough to throw away a woman like Lauren. But then again, men like Ethan don’t leave because they find someone better. They leave because they want something different. A shiny distraction. And when that distraction starts losing its glow, they move on to the next.

One thing was clear in my mind: Ethan was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

We never saw his true side while things were good. He’d been charming, polite, even affectionate at times. But the second his real character showed, the damage was already done and it was irreversible.

When I saw Lauren resting her head on her daughter’s casket earlier, crying in a way that made my own throat tighten, I felt something deep in me crack. And all of that pain… all of that weight… was because of one selfish, heartless man.

I didn’t rush over to console her. Not this time. There are moments when someone doesn’t need soft words or gentle hands — they need to let it all pour out until there’s nothing left. She had been holding so much inside. If she didn’t release it, it would crush her completely.

And besides… I’ve consoled Lauren enough times already. At some point, a friend has to do more than hand over tissues. She needs to sit up, stand tall, and stop letting Ethan dictate the terms of her pain. She can’t just let that man walk away untouched after everything he’s done.

And she absolutely can’t start entertaining thoughts of going back to him.

I’m glad, in a twisted way, that he had the arrogance to throw the divorce papers at her. I’ll tell you this — I’ll only hand them to her once. If I see the slightest hesitation when she’s about to sign, I’ll grab the pen and do it myself. Ethan is done. And as long as I’m in her life, those two are never, ever getting back together.

I say this because I know my friend. I know her patterns. Lauren has always been a sucker for love. Years ago, when Ethan’s finances were struggling, she worked herself half to death while he took the money and never looked back. She kept forgiving him because she believed in the man he could be or maybe in the man she wanted him to be. And now, even after everything, part of her still believes love should fix things.

Time has a cruel way of making old wounds feel smaller. One day, she might wake up and start thinking maybe, just maybe, she could reach out to him again. I’m here to make sure that never happens.

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