Chapter 67

Lauren's POV

“I’ve divorced him,” I whispered to myself as though saying it aloud could make it feel more real, more justified. “I’ve divorced him. I don’t owe him anything anymore.”

But that excuse felt paper-thin. It was all still so new, the reality of being separated, of living without Ethan by my side. My life felt like an empty house I was still trying to walk through without bumping into walls.

“Stop thinking about Ethan in every sentence,” I muttered with a forced laugh. The sound was hollow in the quiet car. That was something Tessa would have told me if she were sitting beside me now, rolling her eyes and teasing me for being so dramatic.

But she wasn’t here. It was just me, my thoughts, and the echo of last night.

Would Elena be okay with what I did?

Her name brushed across my mind like a whisper, and my chest tightened. She always believed in me, always thought I was stronger than this. I wanted to be the woman she cou