Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 282

The fog lifted.

Suddenly, everything became clear-clearer than it had ever been.

Two hours later.

Howard had been waiting outside the entire time, growing more anxious as the minutes ticked by and no one emerged. Just as he finally decided to push open the door, it swung inward from the other side.

Mila staggered out, her face ashen and her eyes vacant, on the verge of collapse. Howard rushed forward, catching her before she could fall.

"Ms. Sutherland? Ms. Sutherland?"

The sound of her name seemed to reach Mila through a haze. She tried to answer, but the world spun, darkness closing in, and she crumpled in his arms.

"Ms. Sutherland! Ms. Sutherland!"

Panic flickered across Howard's face as he gathered her up and hurried outside. The doctor later said she'd fainted from sitting too long, combined with emotional shock. On the drive to the hospital, Mila regained consciousness halfway there.

She insisted the driver turn the car around and head back to Bamboo Grove.

"I'm fine just a little low blood sugar," she explained, managing a faint smile. "I just need to rest. No need for the hospital."

After reassuring Forrest over the phone, Mila hesitated for a long moment before finally broaching what was really on her mind.

"Forrest, could you... play the piano for me tonight?"

on the other end, then Forrest's gentle voice came through. "If you want to

It wasn't just tonight—not ever

covered in scars. She bit her lip, afraid her voice would betray her, and simply

pulled up to

an eye on the child,

reappeared, her

about what had happened. She tucked the child into bed as usual, woke them gently when sleepwalking threatened in the night, and then lay beside them until

it had always

day, Mila quietly asked Howard to remove all the security personnel from the villa grounds. Then, without a

She went alone.

from a dressmaker's mannequin and revealed

had designed and sewn it herself

grueling months of work, she couldn't bring herself to do it, and

there was no

abandoned in the bedroom, a small robotic toy Lysander had given her on their wedding night, and a stack of

the table and sat down, staring

was all she had left from her marriage-so little it was almost laughable, just

nothing but

let out a sudden, hollow laugh. Shaking her head, she stood up, went to the kitchenette, and fetched a kitchen knife, setting

for you. There are things I need to say. Come

to end things

April 4th-Palm Sunday.

with new green buds, the world washed clean by a gentle spring rain that filled the