The CEO’s Ex-Wife Is A Famous Doctor

Chapter 65: Karise’s Apology
“Karise?” Shantelle said, seeing her best
friend arrive at the doorway of their old mansion. She leaned back and asked, “How
– how did you know?” (1
“That you are here?” Karise replied. “Keith
told me.”
Shantelle smiled weakly and embraced her friend, saying, “We are having a picnic lunch. Why don’t you join us for dessert?”
“Picnic lunch? With whom?” Karise asked.
Shantelle first pursed her lips. Then she shrugged and revealed, “With the
Thompsons, Uncle Erick and Aunt Clara are
here. Evan is also here.”
“Oh.” Karise hesitated and said, “I don’t
know if I am welcome then. I have heard
from Keith how Lucas has met his father. I
am happy for him.”
There was that awkward silence between
them before Shantelle asked, “Are you?”
“Shanty, please. Let’s talk about it, okay? That’s why I came in the first place,” Karise pleaded.
Shantelle let Karise in. They settled on one bench in the backyard, permitting Karise a good view of how Evan and Lucas were
chatting merrily. Karise had earlier greeted the Scotts and the Thompsons, including Evan. Lucas seemed to have forgotten her,

but that was understandable. Their busy lives prevented them from keeping in touch.
“Wow, they look happy,” Karise remarked, seeing Lucas feeding his father with dessert, and Evan acted like a bear with claws
before taking the spoon into his mouth.
“They are,” Shantelle answered contently. And I guess it’s because they don’t see each other every day that they make most of
their time together.”
Shantelle did not know how long they sat there, merely watching Lucas and Evan, but
soon, she heard Karise say, “Evan looked for you, Shanty like seriously did, but at first- I don’t know if Doctor Scott told you
“Yes, my father told me,” Shantelle acknowledged. “So, I don’t blame you
entirely.”
–
“I’m sorry, Shanty,” Karise said. She then narrated Evan’s every effort, saying, “He stayed overnight at the cemetery on the day
you gave birth to Lucas. He honestly thought you would come.”
Karise said a lot more, including how they met a few times to have a casual
conversation over coffee, and Evan wound up in front of her office. She said, “There was a time when I got used to him suddenly
appearing out of nowhere. I realized how serious he was and that, despite the wrong he had done, there was actually... a good
side of Evan.”
Shantelle frowned as Karise narrated. She did not quite understand where her friend was going with her tale until Karise
revealed,
“I ended up liking Evan, Shanty – like, super
infatuated.”
“I um. I took advantage of the fact that
Evan kept asking about you. I was secretly

excited to see him once in a while,” Karise
added before breaking down in tears. “I’m sorry, Shanty. I kept the truth from you because there was a part of me that hoped
something would spark between Evan and
I know I am a bad friend and aunt to
Lucas!”
Hearing her friend, Shantelle wound up gasping for air. She sat still with her eyes widening. The words that left Karise’s mouth
seemed to have quieted into the air. She could not think properly; all she grasped was how her best friend liked Evan, which was
part of why she had said nothing to her in those seven years since Lucas was born!
At the end of Karise’s explanation, she hugged Shantelle on the side, but her friend did not reciprocate. Karise wound up letting
go and asking to leave.
Shantelle guided her back to the door, where Karise asked, “Will you forgive me, Shanty?”
“I-I can’t hate you, Karise. I will always love you because you are my friend, but I can’t help but be hurt by what you told me,’
Shantelle said. “Give me time.”
Shantelle was about to close the door when
she asked, “I want to know one thing. Do you still have those feelings for Evan now?”
“No. God, no.” At the door, Karise sighed,
saying, “He probably realized I would not tell him about you that he stopped seeing me. He was only meeting me, hoping he
would know where you were it was all
about you, Shanty. I haven’t seen Evan for
years. I can’t even remember. Those feelings are long gone, but I just wanted to be honest. with you.”
“In the past, I would never say this, but seeing Evan now and how he is with Lucas – knowing how he still loves you, I want you
to know that I honestly felt he was very

regretful about your divorce, Shanty,” Karise added.
Karise held Shantelle’s wrist and continued, “And I’m not just saying this for the sake of Lucas. I’m saying that maybe, you
should also give yourself a chance – a chance to fall in love again.”
“A chance to get hurt again?” Shantelle asked with a hint of irony.
“Well, that’s what love is all about. It’s all
about taking risks. Otherwise, you will be left wondering for the rest of your life. I know it’s hard to fall in love again, especially
with your past with Evan. It might not work, but what if it will?” Karise said. “You know what
they say; love is sweeter the second time around. Think about it, Shanty.” 2
Karise embraced Shantelle, relishing in her warmth. She said, “I miss you, Shanty. Take care, and I hope we can get back to how
things were – you know – not like this when we are both uncomfortable with each other... Goodbye, Shanty.”
After that talk with Karise, Shantelle was primarily silent. Karise’s words gave her
something to consider. Time went by so fast she failed to notice how it was time for the Thompsons to leave. 1
At the door, Evan kissed Lucas goodbye. He told Shantelle, “I’m going to be very busy in the next few days, but I’ll drop by every
evening, no matter how late. I hope that’s
fine.”
“It’s fine,” she replied. “I don’t have work,
remember?”!
“You’ll have work soon,” Evan insisted,
reminding her of his plan for her career. 2
“Well, Dad and I are taking a break,
regardless. I haven’t been this free to do anything but lounge for years. I might as

well enjoy it for at least a month,” Shantelle answered.
“You should. You deserve a break,” Evan responded. “I should go now. Father is tired. On the weekend, I can take Lucas home
with
me?”
Shantelle nodded.
They both said their goodbyes. Evan had ushered his father into the car, and he was
about to hop into the front seat when
Shantelle walked down the driveway. She
asked, “Evan!”
“Shanty?” Evan asked, turning in her
direction.
“They say love is better the second time.
around. Why is that Evan?” Shantelle asked.
Evan was taken aback. He gulped air down his throat before finding the words to say, Well, Shanty. I think second chances work
better because we learn from previous mistakes.”
His mouth parted for some time until he promised, “I won’t make the same mistakes again, Shanty. I swear I won’t.”
Shantelle simply blinked and declared, “I was just thinking, you know-
hypothetically. I don’t mean anything by it.”
“Sure.” Evan smiled. “I love you, Shanty. I always will. And that’s not hypothetical.”