Chapter 13

That voice was way too familiar—Grace, Ronald’s dream girl. I shut my mouth instantly and hung up without a word. Seriously? He brought her home but is still dragging his feet about the divorce? Is the guy out of his mind? And Grace... she’s bold, huh? It's this late and she just strolls into a man’s house like it’s no big deal? Has she lost it? She might as well have just handed herself over on a silver platter. Giving Ronald a perfect chance, really. But then again, what does it have to do with me? I'm basically his almost-ex-wife at this point. I’ve decided—I'm done. All I need to focus on is living my own life well. “Isabella, babe~” Didn’t even realize when Emma came back. She was standing there holding a jumbo bag of food. “Remember that big meal I promised this morning? Here it is!” she grinned and gave the bag a little shake. Just the sight of it made me perk up. “Wow, that looks delicious. You’re the best!” She plopped down beside me, started unpacking the food, and without raising her head, asked, “Was that idiot Ronald you were just talking to?” I picked up a slice of pizza, nodded while munching. Emma paused for a second, then looked up with an expression full of pity. “Be honest with me, Isabella. Do you still… like Ronald?” I shook my head firmly. “Nope. Not anymore.” I meant it, too. I really didn’t like him anymore. The love was too deep in my past life, so sure, I’m still a bit raw sometimes. Hearing certain things still stings. But hey, I’m human. Emma wasn’t convinced. “Really?” She bit her lip, watching me closely. “So, say Ronald suddenly got his act together and started trying to win you back—what then? Would you give him another shot?” “Not a chance. There’s a higher chance of the sky falling,” I chuckled. Nobody knows better than me how into Grace he is. But I got Emma’s concern, and I looked her straight in the eye. “No matter what happens, I’m not going back. I’ve already been shattered once over him, and once is enough. Never again.” Emma’s eyes softened even more. She shoved a chicken drumstick into my hand defiantly. “Exactly! Zero regrets. Let Ronald wallow in his own damn choices. Losing you, someone who loved him so deeply, that’s on him—and he’ll feel it forever.” “As for your single-life makeover, leave it to me. I know plenty of quality guys.” “Hot, loaded, and way better than that loser Ronald. Your dad’ll finally stop worrying too. This time, we let them chase us, not the other way around.” I laughed at her antics. “Let’s talk about that another day. I’m not in a rush.” Emma nodded, then suddenly asked, “Oh right, how did your interview go today?” Ugh, the interview had been a disaster, honestly. I didn’t want her stressing though, so I brushed it off. “They didn’t hire me. It’s a big company, and they’re looking for folks with experience. I’ve been a full-time housewife for a year—that didn’t exactly help my case.” Emma looked a bit let down but quickly rallied, all bright-eyed again. “No worries! I know tons of people. I’ll help you find a job you’ll love, just you wait!” Watching her pitch me a whole new life, I couldn’t help but smile and pull her into a hug. “Emma, thank you… really. I’m lucky you’re still here for me.” In my last life, for Ronald, I’d basically cut ties with everyone. When I died, I literally had no one. But now, I’ve got my friends back. Even after a year apart, the moment we reconnected, it was like nothing had changed. Emma paused halfway through biting into her chicken and gave me a light kick. “You dummy. We’re best friends, duh! Keep being this emotional and I’ll eat your portion too!”I held back the sting in my nose and let go of her. "Emma, there's something I need to tell you—I ran into my uncle." Emma blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Your uncle? Wasn't it like... years since you last talked? How’d that even happen?" I filled her in, then added, "It was at my mom's grave today. He looked devastated. So much so that he had a heart attack right there. I was the one who took him to the hospital—he barely made it." She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "You think maybe your dad never told them about the funeral back then? Maybe it wasn’t that your mom’s family didn’t care." I nodded slowly. "You might be right." While pushing food into my mouth, she asked, "So, where is he now?" "Still in the hospital. His heart’s in rough shape. He needs surgery, like, ASAP," I said, pressing my lips together for a moment. "I just called Ronald. If I go with him to this family dinner, he'll give me a million as part of the divorce. That would cover my uncle's surgery." Emma glanced over, eyes filled with sympathy. "Isabella, you really seem... different lately." I let out a laugh. "Oh? In what way?" She thought for a second before replying, "You just seem more grounded. Like, before, you were all sunshine and rainbows—even when people wronged you, you’d still smile. But now? You're keeping score and making smart moves. And the fact that you're actually using Ronald against himself? Girl, I’m impressed." I used to pour everything into Ronald—totally, honestly. Even when splitting, I didn’t want anything from him, not even a penny. I just wanted to walk away clean. And now? Here I was, asking for a million from him like it was business. It didn’t feel like anything the old me would’ve done, honestly. I chuckled and passed her a drumstick. "Guess I finally started using my brain. Not such a bad deal, huh?" She burst out laughing. "Fair enough! Smart is sexy, and with brains like this, I’m counting on you to make us both rich!" We laughed until our cheeks hurt. Looking at Emma's beaming smile, I felt such warmth in my heart. Coming back really was a blessing. I saw people for who they were, got my mind straight, found real friendship again, and even reconnected with family I thought I'd lost forever. Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction, and honestly, that felt amazing. Next morning, at exactly 10 a.m., Ronald called. "The car’s waiting downstairs." I grabbed my bag and headed out, immediately spotting the sleek black car parked by the road. But once I got in, I noticed something weird—Ronald wasn’t there. "Where’s Ronald?" I asked. Michael, the driver, gave me a cheerful smile. "Mr. Wright had something come up. He’ll be there later. Didn't say what exactly, though." "Oh," I murmured, then leaned back quietly, watching the city blur past the window. Still, I couldn't ignore Michael's looks in the mirror. Every few seconds, a not-so-subtle glance my way, like he was dying to say something. I caught his eyes in the mirror and decided to just ask, "Michael, is there something you want to tell me?" He hesitated, a little embarrassed. "Mrs. Wright, are you and Mr. Wright… having issues?" My eyes flickered. "What makes you ask?" He sighed. "Well, ever since you haven’t been around, he’s been dealing with stomach issues again. He refuses to go to the hospital, just toughs it out... it’s painful to watch." I knew Ronald had stomach problems. That one night, he even called me in the dead of night about where I'd kept the meds. But still… I frowned. "Didn’t he bring a lady doctor last night? Doesn't seem like he was suffering that much." "Lady doctor?" Michael's eyes lit with recognition as he recalled. "Oh, her. She showed up on her own. Mr. Wright didn’t call her. The person he was actually waiting for... wasn’t her."