Part 2After the Breakup, My Ex Demanded I Repay Every Dime

After the court ruling, I ran into Valerie Morgan in the hallway.

It had been years since I’d last seen her. She’d changed so much.

The struggling student I’d known, working odd jobs in a cramped apartment while trying to launch her career, was now a CEO in the renewable energy sector.

She stood there in a cream sweater, her gaze cold and distant as it landed on me.

Instinctively, I froze, thinking I could just avoid her and walk past.

But then she spoke, her words slow and deliberate:

“Do you regret it now?”

I hesitated, startled.

“What?” I replied.

A mocking smile tugged at her lips.

“Leaving me for money. You must regret it now, don’t you?”

The chill of the late autumn breeze crept into my bones. I clenched my fingers against the cold but still felt its sting.

After a moment, I took a deep breath and offered her a perfect, practiced smile.

“Miss Morgan, the money’s been repaid, and we’re done. Saying things like that—aren’t you afraid your husband might misunderstand?”

I turned my head to find Brian Chambers standing there, his face dark with anger.

He quickly masked it with a smile, smoothing over the last traces of venom.

Brian strolled over, casually draping an arm around Valerie’s shoulders.

“Babe, how should we spend that $15,000? Clothes? Shoes? Or maybe that model I had my eye on last week?”

He gave me a pointed look, smirking.

“Doesn’t seem like enough, though, does it? You should’ve been more generous with your ex, Valerie. That’s barely enough for a new pair of shoes.”

Valerie leaned into him, laughing softly.

“It’s fine, honey. Think of it as pocket money. If you need more, I’ll cover it.”

Brian’s grin widened as he kissed her cheek.

“Babe, you’re the best.”

Then he turned back to me, all false cheer.

“Ethan, I’m really sorry about this. We don’t actually need the money. Valerie and I just had a little bet, and she wanted to cheer me up, so…”

He reached out, gripping my hand with a smug, almost gloating look in his eyes.

“Thanks for making me so happy—and for showing me just how much my wife loves me.”

My chest tightened, a dull ache spreading through me like needles under my skin.

I watched them walk away, hand in hand.

Valerie would never know.

The money she’d used to buy Brian his new shoes was meant to save my life.