Anovel of My motherś ex chapter 14 by authoress rose
The day of the much-anticipated convention arrived, and Rylee stood in front of her mirror, adjusting her white office-inspired outfit.
It was crisp, professional in theory—but completely irreverent. The cropped white shirt accentuated her toned midriff, and her high-waisted pencil skirt hugged her curves in a way that walked the line between respectable and scandalous.
She slipped into her nude stilettos and ran a hand through her silky hair before grabbing her bag.
“Perfect,” she muttered to herself.
Her roommates whistled as she stepped into the common area.
she looked every bit the confident young woman she wanted to present to the world.
“You look like a CEO’s rebellious daughter,” Sophia teased from her bed, watching Rylee adjust her skirt for the fifth time.
“Good,” Rylee replied with a smirk. “I’m not here to blend in.”
With a toss of her hair, she grabbed her bag and left for the convention.
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The school auditorium buzzed with excitement as students filled the seats. Professors, mentors, and even special guests from outside the university lined the front of the hall. At the center of attention, standing gracefully at the podium, was none other than Victoria Carter—Rylee’s mother.
Victoria radiated authority in her pristine gray pantsuit and pearl necklace. Her calm, powerful demeanor demanded respect, and every student in the room instinctively rose to salute her as a sign of reverence.
Except Rylee.
She stayed seated, leaning back in her chair with an air of disinterest. Her pen tapped lazily against her notebook as she watched her mother with carefully veiled disdain.
Victoria began her speech, her voice strong yet soft, captivating the crowd. She talked about empowerment, leadership, and the importance of resilience in life.
As the convention transitioned into a Q&A session, Rylee’s hand shot up.
“Yes, the young lady in white,” Victoria said with a gracious smile.
Rylee rose to her feet, her voice cold and professional. “Ms. Carter, as a woman in leadership, how do you handle balancing family priorities with such a demanding career? How do you ensure your personal relationships don’t fall apart in pursuit of success?”
The room grew silent. Heads turned, sensing the undertones in Rylee’s words.
Victoria blinked, her expression faltering for just a second before she recovered. “That’s an excellent question,” she began. “Balance is never perfect, but it requires commitment, sacrifice, and—”
Rylee sat back down, already tuning her mother out.
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When the convention ended, Rylee quickly gathered her things, eager to slip away unnoticed.
“Rylee!”
She froze. That voice.
Turning slowly, she saw her mother walking briskly toward her, heels clicking against the marble floors. Victoria’s polished mask slipped just slightly, her concern and frustration peeking through.
“Rylee,” Victoria repeated, her voice softer this time. “Don’t walk away from me.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” Rylee replied coldly, shoving her notebook into her bag.
Victoria placed a hand on her shoulder, but Rylee shrugged it off. “I want to know how you’ve been. You look… different. You’re in college now, and—”
“Stop pretending to care,” Rylee snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel. “You haven’t cared in years. Don’t start now because you’re playing the perfect public figure.”
Victoria’s face fell. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s fair to me,” Rylee said, turning on her heel and walking away.
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The evening found Rylee sitting alone in the library, her books spread out around her. The silence was a welcome reprieve, the soft hum of fluorescent lights and distant shuffling of papers grounding her frayed nerves.
She’d avoided thinking about her mother all day, but the encounter lingered like a bad taste in her mouth.
After a while, she stretched, rubbing her tired eyes. She decided to return to her dorm.
The library was dim and nearly empty, the only sounds coming from the faint hum of the AC and the distant shuffling of books. As she rounded a corner, a faint noise caught her attention.
Voices. Soft, muffled, and intimate.
Curious, she stepped closer, peering through the gaps between the shelves.
Her heart stopped.
There, in the shadows, stood two figures. A man and a woman. They were locked in an intimate kiss, their bodies pressed close together.
At first, she couldn’t process it, but then the details clicked into place. The woman’s sleek dark hair, the familiar curve of her shoulders—it was Victoria.
And the man…
Her blood ran cold as she realized it was Professor Julian.
Julian pulled away suddenly, his expression cold as he muttered something to Victoria. His tone was sharp, dismissive, and within seconds, he turned and walked away, leaving her mother standing there looking embarrassed and rejected.
“Julian, wait—” Victoria began, but Julian was already walking away
Rylee ducked behind a shelf, her hands trembling.
What the hell was that?.
Rylee turned and bolted, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t stop running until she was far from the library, her mind spinning in disbelief.
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Hours later, as she left the library with her bag slung over her shoulder, Rylee’s thoughts still raced. She couldn’t shake the image of her mother and Julian. What did it mean? How did they even know each other?
As she crossed the campus grounds, she spotted a familiar car parked in the shadows near the edge of the property.
Professor Julian.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she approached the vehicle. He sat in the driver’s seat, staring blankly at the steering wheel as though deep in thought.
“Professor Julian?” she called softly.
He glanced up, his gaze hardening as he saw her. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied, stepping closer. “It’s late.”
“Go back to your dorm,” he said curtly.
“No.” She leaned closer, meeting his gaze. “You’re sitting here alone in the dark. What’s the matter?”
“That’s none of your business,” Julian said, his tone dismissive.
Julian’s expression hardened. “Students and teachers aren’t friends, Rylee. Go home.”
Rylee scoffed. “Fine. You don’t want to talk? I’ll talk.” She placed her hands on the window edge, her voice softening. “Keeping everything bottled up doesn’t help, you know. Sometimes you have to let someone in.”
Julian scoffed, looking away. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Maybe not,” she said, stepping closer to the car window. “But it’s okay to let people in sometimes. To talk. To trust someone.”
Julian looked at her, his dark eyes piercing but unreadable.
For a moment, it seemed like he might say something, but then he looked away, reaching for the ignition.
“Goodnight, Rylee.”
Something inside her snapped.
“No.”
But as the car began to roll forward, Rylee acted on impulse. She stepped in front of the vehicle, forcing him to slam the brakes.
“What the hell are you doing?” he growled, opening the car door and stepping out of the car.
Before he could stop her, Rylee rushed towards him, grabbed his face and kissed him.
It wasn’t a hesitant kiss. It was bold, passionate, and desperate—full of all the emotions she couldn’t put into words.
For a split second, Julian froze. Then his hands gripped her arms as though he might push her away. But he didn’t. He stayed still, caught in the moment as her lips moved against his.
When she finally pulled back, breathless, she stared into his stunned eyes.
“Don’t pretend you don’t feel it,” she whispered.
Julian’s jaw tightened, his gaze dark and conflicted.
Without a word, he let go of her and got back into his car.
The engine roared to life, and this time, Rylee didn’t stop him. She watched as he drove away, leaving her standing alone in the night, her heart pounding and her mind spinning.
What have I done?