Chapter 1714:

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“What? Say that again?” Mia was genuinely taken aback.

Dooley had a girlfriend? He actually had a girlfriend?

Naomi couldn’t help but chuckle at Mia’s stunned expression. “Dooley and I have been divorced for ages. Isn’t it normal for him to move on? Do you really expect him to stay single forever?”

“Uh… I just figured he’d always wait for you, no matter what.” Mia had always believed that, for some reason.

“I don’t need him to wait. The moment I decided on divorce, our relationship was done. If I had any intention of giving him another chance, I wouldn’t have gone through with it in the first place.”

Back when she was with Dooley, he had hurt her time and time again, yet she had endured it. Not because she was weak, but because she had still believed in their marriage. She had held on to the hope that they could talk things out and fix what was broken.

But the day she signed those divorce papers, she knew—there was no going back.

“Is that why you avoid him? Every time he comes to pick up Ethan, you make the nanny handle it?” Mia was talking about Ethan Norris—Naomi’s son with Dooley.

Naomi thought for a second before nodding. “Yeah, I guess so. He has a girlfriend now, and I’m the ex-wife. We’re both women—you know how that goes. His girlfriend is bound to feel uneasy every time he shows up. If my presence bothers her, why not just stay out of it altogether?”

“What’s there to be jealous about? Dooley owes everything he has today to your father! If it weren’t for his help, Dooley would still be a broke truck driver!”

“Don’t say that.” Naomi smiled. “Dooley’s success is his own. He’s always been serious about his work. If he didn’t have the brains or the drive, no amount of guidance would have made a difference.”

She never saw herself—or her family—as the reason for Dooley’s achievements. Truthfully, even before she met him, he had been working hard, saving up to start his own logistics station.

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Later, when he finally had the funds to open a company, her father had merely offered him some advice—nothing more. The Bates family had never given him a single cent.

“Nola, how could he not treasure a woman like you? It’s his own fault for losing you!” Mia pouted, then smirked mischievously. “You should find someone way hotter and way richer than him! And when you do, change your kid’s last name to Bates just to piss him off!”

“Haha…!”

The two of them kept chatting, their conversation making the journey fly by.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

Just as Mia stepped out of the car, her phone rang. It was Rowland.

“Have you arrived?”

“What, do you have a tracker on my phone or something?”

Rowland chuckled. “No tracker. I just kept an eye on the time and figured you’d be there by now.”

“Yeah, we’re here. Nola’s going to be busy later, so I’ll just wander around. If I find any cool souvenirs, I’ll bring something back for you.”

“Souvenirs? What could you possibly find there? Just don’t get yourself lost.” There was a brief silence, then Rowland’s tone softened. “How’s your stomach? Still bothering you?”

Mia had completely forgotten about it until he mentioned it. “Oh, I’m fine. No need to worry.”

“Good. But listen, Nola’s going to be tied up, so don’t forget to eat. If you can’t go out, order something on time. Just don’t go skipping meals, alright?”

Mia mimicked his tone with playful exaggeration. “Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Worrywart.”

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