Back to Love: A New Beginning
Chapter 32

Chapter 32:.

Every time I received a message from Seagull, my heart would turn to mush.

I would type and retype my response several times, not knowing what to say. Finally, I decided to tell him the truth.

“My mother has died and tomorrow I am going to finalize my divorce. I have nothing left.”

Seagull responded with a string of question marks. I took that to mean that he didn’t know what to make of my situation.

But he quickly followed up with another message. “If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a fresh start.”

Was that true?

I didn’t know why, but I immediately thought of Derek.

I shook my head in an attempt to pull myself together. I had no business coveting someone who was already taken.

The next morning, Seagull sent me a picture of the sunrise over the sea. It was breathtaking.

“Eve, we may be at opposite ends of the earth, but we’re still basking in the glory of the same sun. Open your windows and take a look at the sky. I’m sure the sun is shining beautifully there too.”

As if I had cast a magic spell with those words, I found myself walking to my windows and pulling the curtains aside.

The moment I did so, a bright ray of sunshine streamed into my room, and a soft, comforting breeze blew in.

Just like that, I felt the weight of my heart lighten.

But then my phone rang, shattering the momentary peace I had. When I saw Shane’s name flashing on the screen, my anguish returned in full force.

I wondered how he had been the night before. Vivien was a haughty, catty person. It shouldn’t have been easy to cajole her.

Shane offered to pick me up, but I firmly refused.

“I don’t want to get into the car that your lover has no doubt marked with his scent.”

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Even though my words were full of bravado, it still tore at my heart to say them out loud.

Fortunately, this was all going to end today.

I followed my morning rituals and freshened up at a deliberately slow pace. Before I left, I took one last look in the mirror, making sure I looked perky and not at all depressed.

I saw Shane before I got off the bus. He was standing by the buffet doors, eyes fixed on his watch. I could tell he was getting impatient, especially when he let out a loud sigh of relief after seeing me.

I smiled as he presented me with the terms of the divorce. The division of assets was clear and straightforward: the house and car would go to him, and I would not receive any of the property. On the other hand, I would not have to pay for all the medical expenses that had been spent on my mother’s hospitalization these past two years.

Everything was fine. I had no intention of going through the documents with him and going over everything again. I picked up the pen, signed my name and turned to leave. Then Shane spoke, stopping me in my tracks.

“Eveline, stay away from Derek. He has no good intentions toward you.”

“And you do?” I responded sharply before I could stop myself. Suddenly, I remembered the three million dollars I had lost at the casino.

“How did you pay off your three million debt?” I asked bluntly.

I had completely forgotten to discuss this with Derek.

“You don’t know?” he looked surprised and somewhat alarmed.

“Was I supposed to know?” I squinted at him. My gut told me that something suspicious had happened behind the scenes.

As if to test my inner notions, Shane averted his gaze. I opened my mouth to ask him something else, but was interrupted by a punch that landed squarely in his face.

Louise’s sudden attack naturally attracted the attention of passersby. Shane straightened up, his face flushed, though whether from anger or humiliation, he didn’t know. Perhaps a mixture of both. He glared at Louise.

“I’ll let you go this time for Eveline’s sake,” he snapped at her. “But I warn you, don’t push your luck.”

Louise scoffed, “Oh, please. Don’t let me go, not even once. You’re more than welcome to settle a score with me. I’m sure my life would be boring if you didn’t. And you’re seriously saying you’re doing this for Eve’s sake? You’ve done nothing for her in the past; what makes you think you can do anything for her now? Eve has nothing to do with you anymore.”

He walked over to me and grabbed my arm. “You see, Eve? Some people come into our lives for us to learn a lesson. Now that you know that, you shouldn’t waste your time talking to scumbags anymore. I’m telling you, a piece of scum will always be scum, and they’re destined to rot into nothingness. They don’t deserve any happiness in their lives. Come, let’s celebrate. I’ve made reservations to congratulate you on getting rid of a ball of scum and becoming single again.”

I let Louise move me forward a few steps before turning to what was now my ex-husband.

“Shane, if you ever replace yourself feeling like no one in the world loves you, please think of me. Remember that I don’t love you either.”

His face turned furious. He ruffled my hair as he turned me around with my head held high. Louise laughed heartily beside me and gave me a thumbs up.

I was so used to receiving endless insults and suffering humiliation in silence. I never imagined it would feel so good to fight back.

The experience really helped people grow. At least now I know that I will never again submit to a man who doesn’t reciprocate. It just wasn’t worth it.

Louise drove us to a cycling club. As soon as I got out of the car, I saw Derek and Felix in the distance. They were with other people who looked strangely familiar, probably the ones who had been drinking with me last time.

“Everyone, listen up!” called Louise loudly as she put her arm around my shoulders. “As of today, I declare that Eveline is a single woman, ready and available for a magnificent romance. To any of you who are interested in giving it a try, I suggest you act quickly. And be sure to step up your game. As you may have seen, Eve is quite popular.”

I was mortified.

Little did I know that day would change my life forever.

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