She Choose Her Ex Over Me

CHAPTER 2 THE GHOST OF HER FIRST LOVE

Fred barely slept.

The moment Daniella mentioned Tony’s name the previous night, something dark and restless had settled inside his chest and refused to leave.

Even now, early morning sunlight streamed through the penthouse windows, yet the atmosphere between them felt colder than midnight.

Daniella sat across from him at the breakfast island, dressed sharply in a cream-colored business suit while scrolling through her phone with unusual focus. She had not touched her coffee.

Fred noticed because he noticed everything about her. But what truly caught his attention was the expression on her face. She was smiling, not fully, just enough for it to hurt him.

Because she had not smiled at him like that in a very long time, Fred folded the newspaper quietly. “You’ll be late for your presentation.”

“Hm?

She barely looked up. “The investors’ meeting starts at nine.”

“Oh.” Daniella blinked before glancing at the clock. “Right.”

Her attention immediately returned to her phone.

Fred watched her fingers pause briefly over the screen before she smiled again, that tiny smile felt sharper than any insult. “Something interesting?” he asked calmly.

This time, Daniella locked the phone immediately. “Nothing.”

The answer came too quickly. Fred nodded once. ''Nothing.''

That single word carried too many secrets these days. He stood and walked toward the kitchen counter, refilling her untouched coffee before placing it gently beside her. “Drink something before you leave.”

“You really don’t have to keep doing that,” Daniella said absentmindedly.

“Doing what?” he responded

“Taking care of every little thing,” she cuts in

Fred looked at her quietly. “I’m your husband.”

The words should have meant something. Once upon a time, they had meant everything.

Now Daniella simply sighed while reaching for her laptop bag. “You don’t understand,” she muttered.

Fred’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Then explain it to me.”

For a moment, Daniella looked like she might actually try, but then her phone buzzed again.

And just like that, he lost her attention again. Fred saw the name flash briefly across the screen before she tilted it away. Tony.

A strange silence settled over the kitchen.

Daniella grabbed her things too quickly, almost nervously. “I have to go.”

Fred leaned against the counter. “You seem distracted.”

“I’m stressed.”

“About work?”

“Yes.”

The lie came smoothly. Fred studied her face for several seconds before finally nodding. “Drive safely.”

Daniella hesitated near the door. Maybe she expected him to ask more questions. Maybe she wanted him to stop her. Instead, Fred simply watched her leave.

The moment the apartment door closed, the silence returned. But this time, it felt heavier. Fred lowered his eyes slowly. Then he unlocked his own phone.

A secure, encrypted interface appeared instantly. Within seconds, multiple financial reports filled the screen. Red warning indicators flashed across Daniella’s company portfolio. Liquidity collapse risk: 72%.

Investment withdrawal pending Projected bankruptcy window: 14 days.

Fred stared at the numbers without expression.

Daniella had no idea how close her company stood to disaster, and worse, the board members she trusted were already preparing to abandon her. A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.

Chris walked into the penthouse without waiting for permission, as usual. “You look terrible,” Chris said immediately.

Fred gave a dry smile. “Good morning to you, too.”

Chris tossed the car keys onto the counter before narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t sleep.”

“She mentioned Tony.”

Chris cursed under his breath instantly. “That parasite is back?”

Fred nodded once.

Chris ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I told you years ago that man would become a problem again.”

Fred remained silent.

Chris watched him carefully for a moment before speaking more quietly. “You love her too much.”

The statement landed harder because it was true. Fred looked toward the city skyline. “No,” he said softly. “I just never learned how to stop.”

Meanwhile…

Across the city, Daniella sat inside her office conference room pretending to review presentation slides while secretly staring at Tony’s social media profile again.

Luxury cars, Private jets, Business awards, perfectly tailored suits. Every image radiated confidence, power, and ambition, the exact things she once dreamed of building beside him.

A memory surfaced suddenly.

Tony laughing while dancing with her in the rain years ago, Tony kissing her against a nightclub balcony, and Tony promising her they would conquer the world together. Her chest tightened unexpectedly.

A knock sounded against the office door.

Tina entered carrying coffee. “Well,” Tina said immediately, grinning wickedly, “someone looks distracted.

Daniella locked her phone too fast.

Tina noticed anyway. “Oh my God,” she laughed. “You’re stalking Tony already?”

“I am not.”

“You absolutely are.”

Daniella exhaled sharply. “I was just curious.”

“Curious enough to smile at your phone for twenty minutes?”

Daniella rolled her eyes, but the faint redness in her cheeks betrayed her.

Tina sat across from her and leaned forward excitedly. “So? How did it feel seeing him again?

Daniella hesitated. “Strange.”

“Strange good or strange bad?”

“I don’t know.”

That uncertainty itself was dangerous. Tina smirked knowingly. “You never got over him.”

“That’s not true.”

“Please.” Tina laughed softly. “Everyone knew Tony was the love of your life before he disappeared.”

Daniella looked away because once upon a time, that had been true. Tina crossed her legs. “No offense, but compared to Tony, Fred is just…”

She paused deliberately. “Safe.”

Daniella frowned slightly. “Fred is a good man.”

“A good man isn’t always enough.”

The words lingered uncomfortably. Tina leaned closer. “Look at your husband honestly, Daniella. When was the last time he challenged you? Excited you? Made you feel alive?”

Daniella opened her mouth to defend Fred, but no words came out immediately, and that silence disturbed her more than Tina’s question because deep down, she had been asking herself the same thing lately.

Her phone buzzed suddenly.

An assistant hurried into the room moments later, looking startled. “Ms. Morgan… there’s something you need to see.”

Daniella frowned. “What happened?”

“Flowers arrived.”

Tina immediately gasped dramatically. “Tell me it’s from Tony.”

The assistant nodded nervously. The entire office floor had already noticed. By the time Daniella stepped outside her office, whispers spread across the department.

Employees stared openly. A massive arrangement of white roses sat in the reception area, elegant and expensive, very Impossible to ignore.

Daniella’s pulse quickened slightly.

Tina squealed beside her. “Oh, my God.”

A handwritten card rested between the flowers. Daniella picked it up slowly. Her breath caught the moment she read the words.

Some connections never truly die.

No signature, None was needed. The tension around the office shifted instantly.

Employees exchanged looks. Some smiled knowingly, others whispered openly now. “Isn’t she married?”

“I heard that’s her ex-boyfriend.”

“They look good together though…”

Daniella’s stomach tightened, not entirely from discomfort, and that realization alone filled her with guilt.

Tina grabbed her arm excitedly. “This is insane.”

“It’s inappropriate,” Daniella muttered weakly.

“But romantic.”

Daniella said nothing because a small, reckless part of her agreed.

Hours later, inside a private financial tower downtown, several executives sat nervously around a polished black conference table.

A transfer notification appeared on-screen. Five hundred million dollars. Anonymous investor authorization confirmed. Panic spread instantly. “How is this possible?”

“The company was supposed to collapse this quarter.”

“Who approved this rescue?”

No one knew.

Because Fred Morgan never attached his name to anything involving Daniella.

One executive swallowed hard. “Should we inform Ms. Morgan?”

Another man shook his head quickly. “Absolutely not. The instructions were clear.”

Silence followed.

Then someone whispered carefully: “Do you think it’s him again?”

No one dared answer aloud.

That evening, Daniella returned home unusually energized. For the first time in weeks, there was life in her eyes again.

Fred noticed immediately. He stood near the balcony, reading documents, when she entered. “You’re home early,” he said

Daniella removed her heels slowly. “The investor meeting went better than expected.”

Fred closed the file in his hands. “That’s good.”

“The board suddenly regained confidence. Funding issues disappeared overnight.”

Fred simply nodded once.

Daniella laughed softly in disbelief. “Honestly, it feels like a miracle.”

Fred looked at her carefully. If she knew the truth, if she understood how many times he had silently protected her from ruin, would she finally see him differently?

Or would it not matter at all?

Daniella walked into the kitchen before suddenly speaking again. “Oh… Tony invited me to dinner tonight.”

Fred’s expression stilled completely. The tension shifted instantly.

Daniella opened the fridge nervously, pretending not to notice. “It’s strictly business,” she added quickly.

Fred stared at her quietly for several long seconds. Then he asked softly: “Then why are you nervous?”

Daniella froze.

Because she did not know the answer herself.