Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 2234

This time, Athena picked up the phone herself. She said she was out shopping, so Tyler rushed over to join her and ended up buying her armfuls of luxury goods.

But Athena didn’t look particularly happy, and Tyler’s mood quickly soured.

He couldn’t help but think how pathetic he was—knowing full well she didn’t want him around, yet still tagging along like a lost puppy.

But then he remembered what Athena had gone through in the past, all the bullying and humiliation, and he felt a surge of anger at himself for not having met her sooner. For all the times he’d been part of the crowd that made her life harder.

“If none of these are to your liking, I can have someone bring in this season’s newest styles straight from the runways in Europe. Athena, can you at least give me something? We’re married now. You’re my wife—can’t you at least recognize that?”

Athena was already sitting in the car by then. She glanced at the pile of expensive gifts in the back seat, forcing a weak smile.

“I like apples, but you insist on giving me a pear and expect me to be grateful. Tell me, how does that make sense?”

The temperature in the car seemed to plummet. Tyler gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles went white.

“So what, do I owe you or something?”

Every time he tried to please her, he just wound up angrier with himself. Couldn’t she say one soft word, just once?

“Get out of the car.”

Athena didn’t hesitate. She pulled the handle and stepped out without a backward glance.

Tyler slammed his fist against the steering wheel. But after a moment, he realized how ridiculous he was being. Hadn’t he come out just to find her? And now he’d driven her away.

He pulled forward until he spotted Athena still walking along the roadside, then rolled down the window.

“Get in. Everything I said just now was out of anger.”

Athena acted as if she hadn’t heard him, veering off into a side street without looking back.

“Athena!”

He shouted after her, furious, and jumped out of the car to give chase. But by the time he reached the alley, she was already gone.

A wave of anxiety hit him. He immediately dialed her number.

“Where did you go?”

That night, Athena didn’t come home, and Tyler couldn’t bring himself to go back either. The idea of returning to that empty house was unbearable.

He drove aimlessly for a while, circling the city, until he found himself parked outside his favorite bar.

Once, he would have called up a crowd of friends at a moment’s notice; his phone was packed with numbers of women who’d be happy to join him for a drink. Back then, he’d always found comfort in company, especially with beautiful women by his side. But tonight, none of that appealed to him. The thought of the old crowd, of those women, left him feeling empty.

He stared at the gaudy neon lights outside, his lips pressed in a cold, thin line, until someone knocked on his window.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Bennitt! Haven’t seen you in ages. Come on in for a drink?”

It was a girl in a leopard-print miniskirt, her hair teased high and her makeup bold—the kind Tyler would have loved in the past, a wildcat in bed.

But tonight, he couldn’t care less. He didn’t even bother to reply.

She simply opened the passenger door and slid into the seat beside him.

“Mr. Bennitt, are you down in the dumps? I happen to know a lot of ways to cheer a man up. Why don’t we try a few together?”