Regret It, Ex? Too Late

Chapter 4 Useless Pride

Mia stood, watching the confident and lively girls chatting in the distance, and then caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the hotel's glass window. Her face was so pale it resembled that of a vampire.

Mia took a deep breath and knew she had to snap out of it. With a swift movement, she pulled out her phone and made a call. "Lena, could you pack up all my things? I'm heading back to Alden Manor!"

With that, she quickly hung up and strode into a nearby boutique, indulging in a shopping spree. But as she reached for her phone, a habit born of checking messages from her husband, she realized she had left her phone at the hotel.

After a brief hesitation, she shrugged it off and headed into the Apple Store.

An hour later, Mia stepped off the train in Newhaven, her makeup flawless, sunglasses perched on her nose, and sporting a pair of classic Valentino black studded heels. She carried her luggage toward a familiar building, her heart heavy as tears silently streamed down her cheeks.

Just then, Bella, who had been about to run errands, spotted Mia standing at the gate.

She quickly put down what she was carrying and rushed over to take Mia's luggage.

"Ms. Alden, you're back! Mr. Alden was just talking about you a few days ago."

Walking through the corridors, Mia made a beeline for the study, the place her father, Michael Alden, frequented most.

The Alden family had been around for generations. When her father took over as the head, the family business expanded several times.

He had always treated Mia like his little princess. Whenever she casually mentioned a craving for seafood, in less than three hours, there would be a lobster feast flown in straight from Ignislia, laid out in front of her.

Thinking back on these memories, Mia felt a twinge of sadness. 'How am I supposed to tell him about my divorce?'

The marriage she had begged her father to orchestrate, using every underhanded trick, had now crumbled into nothing.

She reached out to push open the door, but her hand froze in midair.

"God, how do you expect to save yourself, Michael? You're so selfish and naive!"

A voice full of anger rang out from inside, followed closely by another familiar voice, shrill with frustration.

"Michael, you sacrificed the family's interests to satisfy the greedy Castillo family, all to make Mia happy! Now look what's happened! The Castillo family has taken over our projects, cut off our funds, and we're on the brink of bankruptcy! This is all his revenge on us!"

The harsh voice sounded like a chicken being strangled.

"This is all Mia's fault! Instead of showing any gratitude, she abandoned the family when we needed her most. And now, she's divorced Cameron too."

Mia stood frozen at the doorway.

"Enough! Get out." Her father, Michael, sounded utterly exhausted. "You have no right to tell me how to run things! Don't make me throw you out of this family!"

"Yeah, right, like you can fix this mess!"

Suddenly, the study door swung open, and her once gentle aunt and kind uncle walked out, their expressions twisted with anger. They came face-to-face with Mia.

"You worthless girl couldn't even keep a man." Her aunt, Caroline, sneered under her breath, throwing her a vicious glare before stomping off.

Mia glanced into the study, where her father sat, pressing his temples in pain. She opened her mouth to speak but paused when she saw the guilt in his eyes.

"Dad, I'm so sorry," Mia whispered, looking down in remorse.

"My dear, you have nothing to apologize for. This isn't your fault."

Michael walked over, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"Dad, I'll do my best! I won't let the family down!"

Mia shook her head firmly, her determination shining through her words.

"Listen, sweetheart. Whatever you decide, all I want is for you to be happy."

Michael reassured her, though his time with her was brief before his secretary called him back to the office.

Mia headed to her room and started unpacking absentmindedly before collapsing onto her bed, her mind spinning.

'How can I restart the project? How much money will it take? How could I make it all work?'

A sudden ring shattered her thoughts. The unfamiliar ringtone reminded her that it was from her new phone.

She still wasn't used to it, much like she hadn't adjusted to this new and unfamiliar life. She answered, and it was her friend, Vivian.

"Hey, darling! Do you happen to know any dancers looking for work?" Vivian asked urgently.

"Sorry, babe, I just got a new phone, and I haven't imported my contacts yet," Mia replied with a rueful smile.

"Oh my God, my grandma's in the hospital, and today is my first time leading a performance. If I miss it, my boss is going to fire me. And I can't find anyone to cover for me."

Vivian's voice grew smaller as she grew more desperate, and Mia could practically hear her pulling at her hair in frustration.

There was a long silence before Mia spoke, "How much does a gig pay? And where?"

"Not much, about two thousand dollars, including tips. It's at Thunderbolt. So, do you have anyone in mind?"

"Actually, I think I might know someone..."

"Great! Have her meet me at Thunderbolt at 1 p.m., okay? I gotta go, bye!"

Vivian hung up before Mia could say anything more.

At 1 p.m., Mia found herself standing in front of the Thunderbolt sign. She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and headed straight for the dressing room.