CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me

Chapter 244 - 187: Perfect Love

Lara had just finished speaking when she seemed to remember something. "Oh, right! Cheryl has been making a huge fuss lately about going to Wincastle to see Dylan. When the time comes, just have Mrs. Sommers bring her over. You can let her stay with you for a while. She’s driving me insane! I can barely even plan my own wedding with all her racket!"

I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl lately. She keeps saying she wants to go to Wincastle, and when I ask why, she just says she misses Dylan. If I don’t let her go, she pesters me every single day. She’ll just bring it up again and again, right in my ear, and it just ruins my mood for everything. I might as well send her to Wincastle so I can get some peace and quiet.

"Alright!"

In truth, Naomi Shaw hadn’t called Lara just to get her to come to the wedding. She was taking the opportunity to test Lara’s state of mind.

Ever since Lara found out she was alive and they had reconnected, Naomi had almost never heard her mention Ronan Joyce. But even though Lara didn’t bring him up, Naomi knew she couldn’t have let him go. After all, their love back then had been so beautiful.

Now, seeing Lara about to get married, Naomi was getting anxious. She still wanted Lara to be happy, but she believed that the only person who could give her that happiness was Ronan Joyce.

Just as they were about to hang up, she finally told Lara, "Lara, actually, my wedding isn’t in Wincastle. It’s in Maldivia. So... are you still coming?"

"Hey, Naomi Shaw, you’re the worst!"

Lara sounded exasperated on the other end. "They say you are who you hang out with, and it’s true! Julian Donovan is making you more and more devious!"

’This woman... She wouldn’t say where the wedding was, and she was being so cagey. She was clearly testing me, trying to see if I’d dare to come to Wincastle while Ronan Joyce was there!’

Naomi admitted to herself that she had been testing Lara’s feelings, but she still feigned innocence. "It’s not my fault! I never said where I was holding the wedding. You’re the one who assumed it was in Wincastle and refused to come."

"Ugh, forget it. I can’t be bothered with you!"

Lara changed the subject. "I really can’t make it. My life is a complete mess right now. Cheryl is acting up every day, my dad’s health isn’t great, I still have to plan the wedding, and there are constant problems at the hotel..."

Hearing this, Naomi’s heart ached for her. "Lara, don’t push yourself so hard. When you’re tired, just stop and take a break!"

Lara had been working incredibly hard on her career these past few years. The hotel she managed for the Gambling King’s Family consistently outperformed all their other businesses, and she had even opened a chain of hotels around the world. She never used to be so career-driven. Her only wish had been to marry Ronan Joyce, to become Mrs. Joyce, and spend her days cooking, cleaning, supporting her husband, and raising their children.

Back then, Naomi had often joked that Lara’s cooking would burn the house down. But later, when she saw Lara cooking so skillfully, she was so sad she nearly cried.

’Time... it really can change so many people, and so many things.’

"I can’t stop now! I used to think I couldn’t live without love, but then I discovered there are so many other things worth living for... family, friendship, a career..."

Lara said it all so casually on her end of the line, but on Naomi’s, her eyes had already turned red.

’They say that if you focus on one thing, you can forget the pain another thing brought you. She’s throwing herself into her career like this to forget that soul-crushing relationship, isn’t she? To forget him.’

In the end, Lara said, "Naomi, I wish you and Julian Donovan all the happiness. You deserve it."

"You’ll be happy too, I know it..."

Naomi held back her tears, but Lara just laughed loudly. "I will be happy! My fiancé is handsome and charming, comes from a good family, and he’s very thoughtful. Hmm... the only thing is, he’s two years younger than me. I’m not a big fan of dating younger guys; it makes me feel old. But you can’t really tell I’m older if we don’t mention our ages, right? I’ve taken pretty good care of myself, haha..."

Lara kept talking, lost in her own world, but it was so painful for Naomi to listen that she couldn’t take it anymore. "Lara, I have to go pick up my two kids in a bit. Let’s talk again when we have time. And have Mrs. Sommers bring Cheryl to Maldivia. I’ll bring her back to Wincastle with me and look after her then!"

Then she hurriedly hung up the phone.

’She knew what it was to love, so she knew you couldn’t just forget someone you’d loved that deeply. That’s why she couldn’t stand to listen to Lara’s forced happiness.’

’For the first time in her life, she was so frustrated she wanted to punch someone!’

Gritting her teeth, she stood up and yanked the door open. With a blush, she said, "Have you had your look? Because if you have, I’m changing out of this!"

’Didn’t he say he just wanted a quick peek?’