Ch. Mr.chatterbox for her, Mr.Icebox for me? Ice melts and so did my love. 40 Mr.chatterbox for her, Mr.Icebox for me? Ice melts and so did my love. 40

Chapter 8 

In the divorce settlement, I only asked for what the law said I was owed. 

When Cade transferred the money, I’d just passed my interview for a new job. 

Bank notification came through. 

I counted. Wrong number-he’d given me everything. 

A few hours later, another text. Unknown number. 

[This isn’t compensation. It’s what you deserve.] 

I didn’t reply. 

I didn’t send the money back either. 

Later I heard through mutual friends that he’d changed his number and left the city. 

Riley went back to her hometown. Got some admin job in a small county office. 

Her mom tried setting her up on blind dates. The guy would hear her name and bail. 

Apparently he’d seen her in one of those viral videos. 

She got chewed out by her mom. 

Couldn’t find stable work, so she opened a corner store. 

She sent me a lot of messages. 

But I knew she and Cade were the same. 

When they betrayed me, guilt didn’t stop them. 

So any so-called regret now? Just performance. 

Three years later, in the spring, I got married. 

His name was Ethan. My business partner. 

Chapter B 

For a long time, people thought I’d never remarry. 

The first year after my divorce, my mom would sigh constantly. 

Even I thought I was done with relationships. 

Until I met Ethan. 

The wedding was small. 

We rented a hillside venue outside the city. Late March. Magnolia trees in full bloom. 

I wore a white satin dress, hair pinned up with a few lily of the valley stems tucked in. 

Ethan waited for me under the magnolia tree in a light gray suit. 

When he saw me walking toward him, his eyes got red. 

He reached out and took my hand. 

Then turned away to wipe his face. 

After the ceremony, I stood under the tree with a glass of champagne. 

Petals drifted down and landed on my shoulder. 

Ethan came over with a plate of desserts. 

“You hungry?” 

I took it and forked a piece into my mouth. 

Perfect sweetness. 

What I didn’t know was that someone had been standing outside the gate that afternoon. 

Watching through the iron bars. 

He saw me in that white dress under the magnolia tree. 

Saw me holding a glass, laughing. 

Saw that man brush the petals off my shoulder. 

He didn’t come inside. 

Chapter 8 

He turned around, walked back to his car, and sat there for a long time. 

Finally, he started the engine and drove away. 

In the rearview mirror, the courtyard full of magnolia trees got smaller and smaller. 

Until it disappeared. 

That night, after the guests left, 

Ethan draped a jacket over my shoulders from behind. 

“It’s cold. Let’s go inside.” 

“Yeah.” 

I turned and followed him in. 

Light spilled out from the doorway-soft, yellow, warm-onto the steps. 

I used to think losing them would destroy me. 

Turns out, losing them was when I finally started living. 

♡ (0) 

(0)