Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 2183

The car was silent, save for Tyler’s shaky breaths breaking the stillness every now and then.

Bert slipped out quietly, lighting a cigarette a little ways off and pacing in anxious circles, fingers raking through his hair. All of this was way beyond anything he could have imagined. Among their group, Tyler had always been the golden boy—the one everyone looked up to, the one who never let anything, least of all a woman, get under his skin. He was the kind of guy who, after a fling, could barely recall the woman’s face the next morning.

That was Tyler—a classic heartbreaker, untouchable, always moving on.

So who was this man now, curled up and sobbing in the passenger seat?

Bert genuinely couldn’t wrap his head around it. Was the power of a woman really this strong?

Half an hour crawled by. Tyler was still in the front seat, grief now mixed with humiliation—because Bert had seen him in pieces like this. Bert had seen everything, even the mess with Athena that ended with Tyler at the police station.

Tyler’s cheeks burned with shame. He felt like every ounce of dignity he’d ever had had been stripped away today. If there were a crack in the ground, he would have gladly disappeared into it, never to face another soul.

After another ten minutes of restless misery, he finally opened the car door.

Bert was still off to the side, smoking. When he saw Tyler emerge, eyes swollen and red, he hurried over.

“Tyler, you okay?”

“Yeah.” Tyler’s voice was raw, hoarse from crying. His eyes were rimmed with red.

Bert trailed after him, wanting to say something comforting, but what could he possibly say that would help?

At the door, Tyler paused, then turned back. “Don’t tell anyone about today. Not a word.”

Bert immediately raised a hand in oath. “You have my word. This dies with us.”

Tyler felt his eyes sting again. He trudged upstairs like a ghost.

“Tyler, aren’t you gonna eat something?” Bert called after him.

Tyler didn’t reply. He went straight to his room, flopped down on the bed, and didn’t even bother changing out of his suit.

Bert thought about following, but thought better of it and slipped out quietly.

He figured Tyler would bounce back soon enough. But weeks passed, and Tyler seemed to vanish from the world.

He’d always been so sure of himself when it came to women. Even with Athena, he’d never once thought to look into her past. As long as she cared about him, that was all he needed. Whatever came before didn’t matter to him.

But now, he’d learned about the things that had happened here—about the part of Athena’s life he’d never touched, the years she’d spent with Kerwin. Every teacher talked about what a remarkable boy Kerwin had been, and they all remembered the way he and Athena had been inseparable—everyone thought they were a couple, even if they never officially dated.

Those teenage, bittersweet romances—sometimes they’re the ones you never forget.

The moment Tyler realized he was just a stand-in, he knew he’d lost.

Coming back to this school only hammered it home—he’d lost, utterly and completely. There was never any chance he could win.

But why should he have to accept that?

Why should he just swallow this humiliation?

Athena had dared to make him her substitute. He was going to make sure she regretted it—he’d make her pay.

The bitterness and the sense of betrayal were overwhelming, crashing over him like a tidal wave.