Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband?

Chapter 297

A heavy night blanketed the world.

On the empty stretch of highway, a lone service station glowed-its lights a bright oasis in the darkness. Clusters of cars were already parked outside, and people moved in and out, lending the place a surprising liveliness for such a late hour.

Soon, a black SUV pulled up.

Archie hopped out, hustled inside, and returned minutes later with a thermos full of hot water and a bag of takeout.

"Dinner and medicine, Mila."

"...Thanks."

Mila didn't bother correcting him about calling her "Mila" anymore. She'd realized by now that Archie was the type to do as he pleased-he might promise to change, but would always slip back into old habits the next minute. Honestly, she was too tired to care. Let him call her whatever he wanted; it wasn't worth the trouble.

An uneasy silence settled inside the car.

Midway through eating, Mila noticed Archie kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. After the third or fourth time, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"What's up?" she asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

nose, hesitant, but finally blurted out, "Mila, when we were

her face when she woke up-so shaken,

dream, Mila lowered her gaze, not wanting to get into it. She brushed him off. "Yeah. Bad dream.

"Huh?"

Mila. I'm tough. No

help but smile at him—so earnest, so young, still clinging to that teenage

in thick blankets they'd bought from a village shop, and tried to

Mila curled up on the backseat, but no matter how she adjusted, she

...

love was shattered-torn apart

gulf between their worlds, their backgrounds, their social

Lysander's words in her mind, letting them gnaw at her until her grades slipped, dropping her several places in the

forget why she'd escaped her old life? Why she'd worked so hard

wasn't like most people.

home, clawed her

life was through

knack for it. She'd won competitions, earned awards. If she could just keep up her grades, land a good

she was financially secure could she even think

a normal life. One she