All Chapters of The Goodbye he regretted : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Michael jumped up the second the restroom door started to swing open.Maureen came out looking really pale and a little shaky on her feet. Both brothers were on her in a flash, Michael grabbing her arm gently, while Ethan shoved a bottle of water into her hand like it might fix everything."Sit down," Michael said."I'm fine.""You're not fine. You almost vomited your intestines""I just got nauseous for a second. It's gone now." She took the chair Ethan pulled out for her, mostly so they'd stop hovering. "Can you guys please stop looking at me like that?""No," Michael said."Absolutely not," Ethan agreed right away.She sipped the water a few times and waited for them to relax. They didn't. The two of them just stood there with the same worried faces, and even though it was kind of annoying, it was also the nicest thing she'd felt in a long time."Ethan." She looked up at him. "Weren't you supposed to be in Singapore?"His face lit up. "Finally, a question that doesn't involve calli

Maureen stood at the one-way glass, her pulse thundering, as the lights dimmed for opening remarks. Chandeliers cast sharp reflections across tables heavy with power players, CEOs, diplomats, and investors.The head anchor’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Please welcome Maureen Ashford, COO of Ashford Group.”Rachel stepped forward in the sleek black sheath dress, hair styled in loose waves that caught the light perfectly. She moved with the exact confident stride they had drilled for hours. Applause rippled across the room. From the shadows, Maureen whispered into her wrist mic. “keep your head high. You own this room. Smile, but not too much.”“Copy,” Rachel murmured back through the earpiece.Ethan leaned against the monitor bank beside her, arms loose but eyes sharp. “She’s pulling it off. Better than expected.”Michael stood on her other side, arms crossed tight. “For now. One slip and we’re done.”Yesterday’s conversation with their father still burned in Maureen’s memory.

Maureen stepped past the staring family members and walked directly into the VIP ward, with Damien following close behind.The frail, pale woman lying in the hospital bed seemed to instantly regain her spark the moment her eyes landed on Maureen. Her face lit up with genuine warmth."Maureen! Come here, come to Grandmother," she called out, reaching out a trembling hand.Maureen’s entire demeanor shifted in a split second. Dropping her cold exterior, she sat obediently at the edge of the bed and gently took the elderly woman's hand. "Grandmother, how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?""I feel much better now that you’re here," the matriarch sighed, though her grip tightened anxiously. She looked from Maureen to Damien, her eyes narrowing. "This punk told me that the two of you are getting a divorce. Tell me the truth—is it true?"Maureen’s eyelashes fluttered as she lowered her gaze, feeling a brief, hollow ache in her chest. "Yes, Grandmother. We are divorced.""Damien, you abso

‎Maureen held the steering wheel with one hand, speeding down the open road. She wasn't remotely afraid of Damien investigating her background. She just couldn't comprehend why a man who had completely ignored her for three whole years suddenly became so intensely curious about her only after their divorce. Damien was a total jerk—he had only looked at her with disgust when she actually cared about him, but the moment she treated him coldly, he wouldn't stop pestering her.‎Glancing at the rearview mirror, Maureen frowned slightly. Damien's Lamborghini was keeping pace, not far behind her.‎"Hah! He thinks he can catch up to me? Dream on!" Maureen smirked and floored the gas pedal. The Bugatti shot forward like a bolt of lightning, vanishing in the blink of an eye.‎"Quick, follow her closely!" Damien urged from the passenger seat of the pursuit car, barking orders at Ian. Lucas had never driven so fast in his life; his heart felt like it was about to leap straight out of his chest. S

Maureen swept her hair into a messy bun, pinning it in place with a diamond clip before taking center stage in front of Michael. Dressed in a sky-blue outfit, she began to sing "Speechless" by Michael Jackson. Her performance was captivating, her features alive with expression.As the final note faded, Michael broke into warm applause. "Brilliant. Celeste certainly taught you well. In the old days, a performance like that would have easily won over royalty.""Who wants to be a princess anyway?" Maureen replied, snapping her fingers with a confident grin. "If I have a choice, I’m going to be the ruling queen."Michael gave a helpless laugh. "Well, our stepmother definitely treat you like one."Maureen looked down as she took a seat next to her oldest brother, feeling a brief wave of sympathy for the woman."She missed you terribly over the last three years, Maureen," Michael said gently, squeezing her shoulder. "She cares about you deeply and ask me about you all the time. I know you