My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 166

Vivienne’s POV

After the lively bonfire party came to an end, we took a group photo to commemorate the moment and then boarded the bus to head back to the hotel. Meanwhile, the black car continued to follow us, never once leaving our side.

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already 4 a.m., but the three of us were far from tired. As we chatted excitedly about the beauty of the Aurora and browsed through the photos we had taken, our excitement only grew.

Sophie picked a few photos to post on Twitter.

When the news about Alexander and me first broke, Sophie had stood up for me, explaining the situation to netizens, which led to her receiving a lot of criticism. But when Alexander himself cleared things up, the situation turned around, and Sophie gained many new followers for defending her friend.

Of course, there were still some people who liked to throw shade, claiming that Sophie and I weren’t really friends and that she was just using the situation to boost her own popularity. Sophie ignored these comments.

When we decided to go on this trip, Sophie mentioned it on Twitter, and many of her followers shared their own travel experiences in her comments. After we left Oslo, Sophie shared our trip on Twitter, posting carefully selected and edited photos.

This time, Sophie posted nine photos in one go. Eight of them were scenic shots and pictures of the Aurora, but the one in the center was a group shot of the three of us beneath the Aurora.

The comments started flooding in.

Some praised Aurora’s beauty, others shared their own travel experiences, and a few expressed jealousy or admiration.

Among all the positive feedback, Sophie suddenly noticed one glaring comment.

"In the center photo, the woman on the left must be Vivienne, right? She’s so manipulative. You spoke up for her and got criticized, yet she’s just hiding behind you, saying nothing. She probably just used you. She never considered you a real friend. All these rich people are so clever."

Sophie was about to reply and snap back, but after thinking it over, she deleted the comment.

But, of course, I saw it before it was deleted.

The three of us stayed up until 5 a.m. before finally turning off the lights.

In the darkness, I lay in bed, eyes closed, reflecting on myself.

Why was it that Sophie could boldly argue back with the haters on Twitter, even though people attacked her in the comments and sent her nasty private messages, yet she wasn’t afraid? Why couldn’t I do the same?

I knew deep down that I wasn’t as strong as I appeared. Many times, the calm demeanor I showed was nothing more than a facade.

I was afraid of being looked down on by Alexander, and I knew he didn’t like self-pitying people.

When I was criticized as the "other woman," even if I couldn’t speak out on Twitter, I could have held a press conference or done a live stream to clear things up. But I never considered doing that.

When Alexander made me feel wronged, I felt sad, upset, and frustrated, but I never resisted.

For all these years, I had been chasing after Alexander’s approval, yearning for his recognition. It had become a habit.

I had gotten used to trying to please him.

So, even when I was mistreated, I never dared to cry to Grandpa, afraid he’d get angry or, worse, that he’d start to dislike me.

Even when I was wronged, I never took matters into my own hands to clear things up, afraid of angering him and making him despise me more.

I had to thank Sophie and another friend. If it weren’t for them, I might have never been able to move forward.

Those years of loving Alexander had made me lose so much of myself.

But now, I decided to be true to myself. I was going to start thinking only of myself, no longer concerned with others’ opinions or worrying about what anyone thought.

Tossing and turning, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I got up and logged into the Twitter account I hadn’t touched since the cyberbullying began. I tweeted: "It’s over."

The attached photo was a copy of my divorce agreement.

Within less than a minute, the comments began flooding in, hundreds of them, still rising fast.

People had already been speculating about Alexander’s infidelity, and this tweet all but confirmed it. Some expressed sympathy, some offered support, others cursed Alexander as a scumbag, while a few attacked the other woman.

But none of that mattered to me anymore.

In that moment, as soon as the tweet was sent, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. I took a deep breath and let it all go.

I no longer had to worry about making Alexander upset. I no longer had to worry about how my actions might affect him.

I closed my phone, shut my eyes, and soon drifted into sleep.

Alexander’s POV

I lay in the room next to Vivienne’s, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Eventually, I pulled her clothes out of my suitcase and held them close. Only by inhaling the lingering scent of her could I calm myself, even if just a little.

After leaving the hospital, I’d moved back into the master bedroom, lying in the same bed she once slept in. The only way I could manage to sleep was by breathing in her scent, barely drifting off.

But before long, the ringing of my phone pulled me out of my restless sleep.

Jane reminded me to check the trending topics on Twitter.

I opened Twitter, and the first trending hashtag I saw was #Alexander & Vivienne Divorce HOT.

Clicking on it, I saw the tweet Vivienne had posted just moments ago.

My heart felt like it had been struck by a heavy blow, a dull ache spreading rapidly.

She was so eager to sever ties with me, to rid herself of me? Could it be that she really had feelings for Nathaniel?!

I gripped the sheets tightly, barely managing to suppress the urge to storm to her door and confront her. A dark glint flickered in my eyes.

Vivienne’s POV

The next afternoon, I woke up around one o’clock, while Sophie and Ariana were still fast asleep.

I glanced at the time but didn’t bother waking them up—there wasn’t much point, since it would be getting dark soon, and we wouldn’t have much time to explore.

By the time I finished getting ready, Sophie and Ariana were up as well.

We left the house after eating, and it was already three o’clock.

The sky was starting to darken.

As soon as we stepped outside, I turned around and saw Frederick.

He had just closed the door to the room next door, seemingly about to leave.

When he saw us, he nodded at me and said, “You’re staying here too?”

There wasn’t a hint of surprise in his eyes.

“You’re staying here too? What a coincidence. Are you heading out?” I asked.

Frederick pointed to the room next door. “Yeah, I’m meeting a friend.”

“Hope you have a good time.”

“You too.”

We spent the next few hours wandering around the city, checking out Tromsø’s museum, aquarium, library, walking street, and the Arctic Cathedral.

The Arctic Cathedral, with its unique triangular shape, looked stunning at night. Sophie took plenty of beautiful photos.

By six o’clock, we found a restaurant and sat down to eat.

Halfway through dinner, Sophie suddenly swore and pushed her phone towards me. “Vivienne, look.”

I glanced at the screen, which displayed a Twitter feed. Alexander had just registered a personal Twitter account, with a verified badge. In only twelve hours, he had gained millions of followers, the red gold verification badge shining brightly.

He’d posted one tweet, which seemed to be a reply to me: “The road is long, but if you keep going, you will reach your destination.”

Sophie took her phone back, grumbling, “What does that even mean? Does he not want to let go? If that’s the case, then it’s pointless.”

I shook my head. “Maybe he’s talking about Isabella.”

“Who cares? As long as you stick to your guns,” Ariana said.

“I understand.”

Nearby, at a secluded table, Alexander overheard Vivienne’s firm response. His fingers instinctively tightened around his phone, and a sharp pain shot through his chest, like being pricked by a needle.

She really felt no attachment at all.