I’m the Obsession of My Cold-Hearted Ex

Chapter 361: Cake, Chaos, and a Job Offer

Ellis had no intention of keeping quiet. Loud and clear, she said, “Yeah, I lost my appetite thanks to my disgusting, annoying ex-husband!”

Easton loved humiliating people, didn’t he? Well, he kept bothering her, and she hadn’t humiliated him directly—just indirectly. That was restraint. Honestly, she was doing him a favor by not hitting him. And today? She hadn’t even laid a finger on him.

Maya instinctively turned toward the doorbell camera to check if Easton was still out there. After watching for a moment and seeing no sign of him, she said, a bit stunned, “You know… seeing your ex picking up the birthday gift he brought you—it was kinda surreal.”

For Easton to bend down and pick something up, it must have been scattered all over the floor. And how did it get scattered? Pretty obvious.

Back on the couch, Ellis leaned back lazily and replied, “What’s surreal about it? If he hadn’t picked it up, I would’ve cursed him out for littering. Don’t block my front door like it’s a trash dump.”

Maya considered that. “He’s the president of Hudson Group. And the Hudson family’s…”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Ellis cut her off. “Back when I left the Hudson house to pack my stuff, he had the butler check my suitcase like I was stealing something. I was a mess.”

She knew her current behavior wasn’t saintly. But Easton hadn’t acted like a human being back then—why should she now?

“I’m not defending him,” Maya clarified. “It’s just… seeing it in person really hit me. Like if someone else saw that scene, they’d probably feel the same way.”

“He brought it on himself,” Ellis replied without missing a beat.

“True,” Maya nodded.

If Easton had shown even the slightest bit of decency when Ellis filed for divorce—given her a fair share of the assets, acknowledged what he did wrong—things might’ve turned out differently. But this Ellis, the one standing tall, sharp-tongued and unbothered? Maya preferred her. It meant she didn’t need to worry about Easton wearing her down and tricking her into going back.

Then Ellis’s eyes drifted to the cake box still sitting on the table. The very sight of it made her stomach churn.

“That cake’s from Easton. I didn’t toss it at him earlier because I didn’t want to dirty the hallway and have to clean it myself. But I don’t feel like taking it downstairs either. You want it?”

“You almost threw the cake at him?” Maya blinked in surprise.

“Yeah. What about it?” Ellis raised a brow.

“I mean… that’s kinda…” Maya pictured it and nearly said iconic.

That cake, with all its whipped cream, would’ve made a mess. If Easton had taken it to the face, it’d be a whole thing. And if he thought it was humiliating, who knows how he’d react?

“A bit much,” Maya finally said. “What if he got mad?”

“And I didn’t get mad?” Ellis snapped. “Why should he get to be mad when he’s the one causing all the problems? He doesn’t get to play the victim here. Not with me.”

“Fair. Good thing you didn’t throw it.”

“Your ex has this vibe. Like he’s okay with you treating him however you want.” Maya said, half-laughing.

“I’m not treating him any kind of way,” Ellis corrected quickly.

If anything, he was the one who’d spent years torturing her. Two years as his secret mistress, summoned and dismissed like some tool for his needs. Then three years as his wife. Five years total. Five years of going from hopeful to hollow. The divorce nearly broke her. And even now, she was still picking up the pieces. If she hadn’t toughened up, she would’ve snapped by now.

“Yeah, you’re right. Tossing a few gifts around doesn’t count as torture,” Maya said, dropping onto the couch beside her. “Your ex plays dirty. Doesn’t even need to show up in person—just a word from him, and someone else comes to ruin your life.”

Maya didn’t mean to dig up old scars, but her words brought them back anyway. Ellis didn’t feel pain so much as a deep, grinding fury. She still couldn’t understand Easton. She couldn’t understand what the hell went on in his head. He didn’t love her, cheated on her while they were married, made her life a living hell—and now he had the audacity to act like none of it happened. Like they could just go back.

He’s the poster child for shamelessness.

“He—” Ellis started, but her phone rang, cutting her off. She checked the number—unfamiliar. But she was still job hunting, so every unknown call had to be taken seriously.

“Hello!”

“Hi, is this Ms. Harper?” the caller asked politely.

“This is Avery from the Fox Group. I’m not sure if you remember interviewing with us?”

“I do!”

“Great. Ms. Harper, congratulations! You passed the final round. Are you available to chat now? I’d like to go over your compensation package.”