Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 169: People Change

As Nicole and Elizabeth took their seats, the group sat together in quiet reflection but not long after, Ivy's phone rang and she picked it up from her purse.

Her brows drew together in confusion when she saw it was a call from Selena. It was a Sunday so why was she calling? What could be so important? She mused before recieving the call.

"Hello?" Ivy answered, holding the phone close to her ear.

"Ivy, have you seen the news?" Selena's voice was rushed, almost breathless.

Ivy blinked, caught off guard. The news? Her first thought was Claire and the news that has been trending about her or the video Emma had posted.

But she shook her head. No, Selena didn't know anything about her relationship with Claire and might not even know she was there with Claire.

Claire had never once visited her at work, and Ivy had been careful to keep their personal lives separate so it couldn't be about Claire.

"What news?" Ivy asked slowly, suspicion creeping into her voice.

"It's about Hunter," Selena said almost immediately.

Ivy's heart skipped a beat. She gripped the phone tighter. Hunter? Why would he be in the news?

Her mind raced, pulling her back to memories she'd tried to bury. The sound of his laugh, the way his eyes sparkled when he was teasing her, the weight of the promises he'd broken. The ache in her chest she thought she'd long since buried began to stir.

Even though she didn't want to, the worry creeped into her mind. What could have happened? Why would he be in the news?

Selena's voice broke through her thoughts. "Ivy? Are you there?"

"I'm here," Ivy said sharply. "But whatever's in the news about Hunter, it's none of my business. He's the heir to The Stone's Foods, Selena. Of course he's going to be in the news. You shouldn't bother me with such details."

But even as she said it, Ivy's stomach churned. She didn't want to care. She shouldn't care. Yet the mention of his name had unearthed feelings she'd thought were long gone.

Selena hesitated, wondering if she should correct Ivy's impression. "That's not what it's about—"

"I don't want to know," Ivy cut her off. Her tone was firm, but her heart wasn't as steady. "Don't call me about Hunter again. I don't care what he's doing. I already told you that."

The line went silent for a beat. Selena sighed, clearly frustrated but knowing better than to push further.

"Alright," she said softly. "I won't bring him up again. Take care, Ivy."

Selena hung up, leaving Ivy standing there, phone still in hand.

Her heart thudded against her ribs. She hated how one name could still affect her so deeply. How all it took was a single mention to stir up memories and regrets she thought she'd left behind.

Besides, wasn't he at her house that morning? How could he have gotten into the news? Was he perhaps apologizing to her online? She thought and then shook her head.

"Stop it," she whispered to herself. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Ivy ended the call and set her phone down on the table with more force than she intended. Her fingers trembled slightly, and her mind felt like a whirlwind of thoughts she couldn't control. She stared down at the surface, willing herself to calm down and not think about him.

Emma, sitting across from her, noticed the change immediately. Ivy wasn't usually the type to be rattled by a phone call. Emma's brow furrowed with concern.

"Ivy, what's wrong?" Emma asked softly.

Ivy shook her head quickly. "It's nothing, really." She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Just work stuff."

Emma opened her mouth to say something, but Alex beat her to it.

"Ivy, come on," Alex said firmly but kindly. "You're not a very good liar, you know?"

Claire nodded in agreement. "Don't bottle things up. Whatever it is, we're here for you just as you're here for me."

Ivy felt the weight of their gazes. She wanted to brush it off, to pretend everything was fine. But the knot in her chest wouldn't loosen.

Before she could decide what to say, Elizabeth and Nicole exchanged a quick glance. Sensing the tension in the room, Elizabeth spoke up.

"I think it's time we head out," Elizabeth said. "We've said what we needed to say."

Nicole nodded. "Take care, Claire. And thank you again."

Claire gave them both a small smile, grateful for the apology but relieved they were leaving. "Take care, Nicole. Elizabeth."

They headed for the door, leaving behind a calm that didn't last long.

Margaret stood next, smoothing the front of her coat. She gave a curt nod to everyone before turning to Jake. "We should go, Jake. Claire's fine now. Everything's settled."

Jake, however, didn't move. He leaned back slightly, his arms crossed, a stubborn expression on his face. "I'm going to stay a little longer."

Margaret's jaw tightened. "No, you're not. There's no reason to stay."

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Jake's gaze briefly flicked to Emma before looking away. His mother caught the glance and sighed in exasperation. "Jake, let's go. Now."

Reluctantly, Jake stood. He shoved his hands into his pockets and followed Margaret toward the door.

Margaret turned to face Claire, Alex, Chris, and Emma one last time. "We're leaving."

With that, she walked out the door, leaving it open behind her for Jake. He cast one last look over his shoulder before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

The room fell silent again, but the atmosphere remained heavy.

Ivy sat back down, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. She knew they were still waiting for her to speak, but the words felt stuck.

Emma reached over and gently squeezed Ivy's hand. "Ivy, it's okay. You can tell us."

Ivy swallowed hard, her eyes meeting Emma's. "It was about Hunter."

Alex's eyes narrowed. Claire's face remained calm but concerned.

"I don't know what's going on," Ivy continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But Selena said he's in the news."

The sound of Hunter's name still sent a jolt through her. She hated that it did. Hated that no matter how much time had passed, he could still affect her like this.

"What did Selena say exactly?" Claire asked gently.

"She didn't say much. Just that he's trending, and it wasn't business-related." Ivy let out a shaky breath. "I don't know what it is, and honestly, I didn't want to hear it," she said not letting anyone know he was at her place that morning.

Emma gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. "Whatever it is, you're not facing it alone."

Ivy felt the warmth of their support. It didn't make the storm inside her go away, but it made it a little easier to bear.

Outside the house, Margaret stood by the car as she glanced back to make sure Jake was following, and he was—albeit with a slow, reluctant gait.

Once Jake got to the parking lot, Margaret looked at him, arms crossed.

"What was that about in there?" she asked, her tone sharp.

Jake shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Margaret arched a brow. "It didn't look like nothing. You didn't want to leave, especially after knowing they needed space to talk about Ivy."

Jake hesitated before giving a half-hearted shrug. "I just... like being around her. That's all."

Margaret's eyes narrowed. "Jake. What do you mean by that? Around her who? Emma?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yes. I never stopped loving her, Mom. I'm always going to be interested in her."

Margaret's lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes flashed with disappointment. "Jake, you need to stop this. Whatever's going on in your head, you can't go there."

Jake's brow furrowed. "Why not?" he challenged. "She was my wife once."

Margaret shook her head slowly. "Yes, she was. And you played with her. You mistreated her, Jake. Now she's with someone who treats her well. What makes you think you can do better now?"

Jake felt the sting of her words but didn't want to admit it. "People change," he muttered. "I've changed."

Margaret didn't budge. "Not enough to make this right."

Jake clenched his jaw. "You don't get it."

"What I get is that if you're thinking of trying anything, you'll land yourself right back in prison." Her voice was firm, but her eyes were filled with worry.

Jake scowled. "I know Alex got me out, and I'm grateful, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to leave my wife with him. They don't even love each other. I found out from someone that it was just a contract marriage. I'm going to get her back, no matter what mom," he said before storming off.

Margaret's breath hitched at his words. She stared at her son as he stormed off, frustration radiating off him.

Watching his retreating figure, Margaret felt a deep ache settle in her chest. What had come over him? And what was she going to do to bring him back before he did something reckless?