Chapter 737:

Elyse could hardly bear it any longer. Staying felt suffocating.

Noticing Elyse shifting uncomfortably, Aarya focused on her, smiling. “With all I’ve shared, aren’t you thrilled for me? I’m sorry, but since you and Jayden are divorced, you don’t still have feelings for him, do you?”

Elyse nodded. “Yes.” She fell silent, unwilling to continue.

Aarya placed a hand on her chest. “That’s a relief. I was worried you still had feelings for him. He and I are deeply in love, and I’m concerned you might interfere.”

Elyse reached her limit. She looked sternly at Aarya. “Are you finished? If so, I’m leaving.”

Aarya frowned. “We’ve barely started talking. Where are you going? Stay and chat.”

Elyse shook her head. “No, I need to practice the violin. I won’t be staying.”

“Oh, come on, just a little longer.” Aarya gently coaxed Elyse back into her seat. “I truly came here to express my gratitude. You’ve done such a great job shaping Jayden. I really appreciate it. If you hadn’t divorced him, I never would have met him.”

She paused. “Also, you shouldn’t have given me the chocolate cake at the banquet last night. It was thoughtless of me, too. Since I’m with your ex, I should have let you enjoy it.”

Aarya signaled for a waiter and ordered a chocolate cake. She winked at Elyse. “Consider this compensation for what you missed yesterday.”

Elyse sat lost in thought. Had she truly let Jayden go? It seemed so.

She smiled bitterly. Clearly, they weren’t destined to be together. In the past, she’d been fortunate to marry him, their lives intertwined. Yet, their connection was superficial. Freed from marriage, they were inevitably going to drift apart, their lives becoming parallel lines, never to meet.

Did she regret the divorce? It seemed she did not. Divorcing Jayden had been the best decision.

But now she sat in a Manfek cafe, enduring this emotional turmoil. Aarya’s enthusiasm for conversation, often boasting about Jayden’s treatment of her, bewildered Elyse. He hadn’t been considerate with her. He’d been awful. Even fetching water, he’d insist she do it and feed it to him. If she ignored him, he’d pout like a child, demanding pampering and insisting on being called handsome and cute. He’d been overly eager with her, wanting to explore everything without restraint, boldly removing her clothes if she resisted.

Elyse sat overwhelmed by grievance and sadness. Why was Jayden so considerate with Aarya, yet so immature with her? She felt deeply wronged by his unequal behavior and lack of effort.