Divorced Ex-Luna Returns With Triplets
Chapter FORTY: The Headlines

Maurene'S

POV

I dimmed my eyes, remembering what Kai had said last night. I had gone to him to ask him if he wanted the gift Liam gave him and I didn't expect the response he gave me at all. What was I doing that my kids didn't even recognize me as their mother?

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

He got it for me so I should keep it.

I even went further to ask if he really wanted his father, he nodded in response. I knew it would be hard trying to tell him that he could not have his father. I had never told them anything about their father. They never asked and I was okay with it until Kai began to ask me about him. I didn't like refusing my kids when they asked for things but still, not his father. That I cannot give him. I wish I could just tell him like that but it was not as easy as it sounded.

It would be like I wanted to break his heart. Maybe I should have painted the picture of their father dying then. I was already starting to get frustrated at the way Nathaniel was breaking through every area of my life. He should not be doing this to me, at least not after we separated.

I let out a deep exhale. What should I do?

"Maurene!" Diana's voice yelled out as she rushed into my room, her phone's brightness glimmering on her face. I looked at her, almost frightened at the way she had called my name.

"What?" I answered softly.

"You..." She glanced at her phone and then up at me. What was on her phone?

When she didn't speak, I reached for my phone to check it. Diana has never hyperventilated. She was always calm and cool. As I switched on my phone, she quickly snatched it from me. I peered a surprised look up at her. "What happened?" I asked her. I was starting to get worried and worked up.

"You..." She swallowed hard, clinging the phones to her chest as she bit her lower lip. "You should go to bed. Early." Her lips tried to curl in a smile but she failed woefully.

"My phone," I demanded. Whatever it was she wanted to hide from me must be about me and I should see it. I was curious. What exactly could be on my phone that she didn't want me to see?

Could it be about Liam? I won't be shocked if it was him who sent a message though.

"Diana, my -"

"No, I don't think you should see this now. You should rest early. Maybe tomorrow you can-"

"Just give me my phone." I snatched it from her and unlocked it. The first notification I got was from the news site I used to follow. I didn't even bother to read it as I went to my message box and didn't see anything there.

I looked at Diana whose face was scrunched up in pity.

"What is -"

A last glance at the headline on my home screen made my hands tremble and my eyes widened, almost bulging out of their sockets. What??? I...

Maurene CRAWLEY: The Lady Who Managed To Have Two Men Pining After Her!

My mouth parted as my chest heaved with rapid breaths. Who did this? I quickly clicked on it and imagine the shock on my face when I saw the pictures from the event Liam had taken me to when he had abandoned me. This picture was even horrible because both Nathaniel and Liam had their hands stretched out toward me as if they wanted to save me.

Oh my god! No! No! No!

I scrolled down and the comments had almost stumbling but Diana reached to hold me.

"I told you that you should go to bed early." She said softly. I turned my head slowly, my lips trembling.

"I... when..." I stared at the likes on the headline and it was over two hundred likes. What??

Who did this? I thought that night was over.

I should call Liam. Wait, he should have called me.

"Maurene, I don't think it is a nice idea for you to go through the internet tonight. You should just -"

I dragged my feet to my desk and pulled open my laptop. I tuned out the entire world as I took a seat and started scrolling through the internet. At one point, I knew Diana dropped a tray with a glass of water and some painkillers or maybe sleeping pills.

I got myself busy with reading each and every headline about me. The pictures from the time I had arrived with Liam to when my dress was stained. Everything was placed on the internet with blogs earning more traffic.

THE LADY WHO WORE LORETTA MANAGES TO CATCH THE ATTENTION OF THE TWO HEARTTHROBS OF NYC!

NYC LADIES ARE HEARTBROKEN! AN UNKNOWN LADY STEALS THEIR MAN!

NATHANIEL HALE TRIES TO SAVE A PRINCESS IN DISTRESS!

My eyes scanned through the comments under the blog post.

I see it in his eyes. Does he like her? Is it because of the dress? I like the way it was stained!

No way! No one can snatch Nathaniel from me! I will never allow it!

Who is this lady? See how classless she is looking!

She does not even deserve Nathaniel !

My legs began to shake as I fed myself with more hateful comments. Some were even telling me to go and kill myself. How could people be so wicked?

Tears gathered in my eyes as I read more and more till I began to cry, broken sobs breaking out of me.

Maurene CRAWLEY! The Seductress!

No, I will never do that. I will never try to seduce men.

She looks lowly to me so it is not hard to believe that she is trying to seduce Nathaniel ! I know!

I wanted to scream. I slammed my laptop shut and ran to the bathroom. I let out a muffled scream, not caring if the kids heard me or not. I looked into my reflection in the mirror and the sorrowful shadow that was cast over my face. I clenched my fist as I thought of what to do. There was no way I could respond to every one of them even if I did it overnight.

If Liam is not willing to help me, I will have to do this on my own then. My phone rang in the room and I quickly went to check who it was. It was an unknown number.

Could it be any of the people who wanted me dead?

I swallowed down the hard lump in my throat. I dropped the phone and bit my finger nails, shaking to the core. It stopped ringing and relief washed through me but it was short because it started to ring again.

I picked it up and clicked the green button before I stopped myself. "Yes, I am the lady but I will not kill myself. Do you hear? That is what you want me to do, right? But I will not satisfy you! I will not do it! I did not do anything wrong so you can keep hating on me and-"

"Maurene," Grayson's voice cut through and I paused immediately. "Grayson?"

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There were reasons I hated being popular and this was one of the reasons. I did not like being popular. I liked keeping a low profile and enjoying myself in private. I didn't expect Grayson to call me. From the blogs, there was apparently no dent on Nathaniel 's name so I was quite surprised when he called me.

"Nathaniel asked me to handle this. He is quite busy with other things. So tell me, where can we meet to discuss?" He asked me.

The comment I had read where the person had said if she met me, she would stab me to death made me grip my phone tight.

"Let us just discuss this over the phone. I don't think it is safe enough for me to step out for now." I told him.

"Maurene, you know you are safe right? You have Liam, you can bring him along if you don't feel safe." He said.

I blinked, remembering that Liam and I were not speaking terms.

"No," I said quickly. "This is about me. Let me do it."

"Alright." His voice held suspicion but he didn't say anything else as I awaited the solutions he was going to send to me. If Liam was not going to help, I will help myself!