CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 25: Heartbreaking Tyson

After her afternoon classes ended, Naomi Shaw was just about to head back when she received a call from Tyson. They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other since he’d confessed his feelings for her a while ago and been rejected. Whenever she returned to the Shaw Residence on weekends, Tyson was never there. Naomi Shaw knew he was avoiding her, but she didn’t know how to be the one to reach out to him.

So, she was delighted to receive his call this time. Clutching her phone, she walked toward the school gate with a sweet smile on her face.

"Yeah, what time do your classes end? I’ll come pick you up!"

Tyson’s voice was as doting as ever, as if the unpleasantness between them had never happened.

"I’m done with classes for today. I was just about to head back."

She laughed charmingly, and Tyson said,

"Well, come on out then. I’m already at your school’s gate. Oh, I see you now. Come on over!"

As Naomi Shaw hung up, she saw Tyson waving at her from a short distance away and jogged over to him.

"Tyson, what are you doing here?"

When Naomi Shaw reached him, she noticed the trash can next to him was filled to the brim with cigarette butts.

"Hey, why have you been smoking so much?"

Tyson just smiled.

"It’s nothing. You know I’m a heavy smoker."

Naomi Shaw pouted, about to scold him for smoking so much, when Tyson suddenly raised his hand and ruffled her fluffy short hair. His gaze was filled with deep affection. Naomi froze for a moment. Realizing his lapse, Tyson awkwardly dropped his hand and changed the subject.

"What do you want to eat? My treat tonight!"

For some reason, Tyson’s gaze made Naomi’s heart ache. She suppressed the strange, sour feeling, looked up, and smiled at him.

"Anything is fine. You know I’m not a picky eater!"

Tyson smiled faintly and opened the car door for her, just as he always did when he picked her up.

"Then get in, my Little Princess!"

Naomi Shaw got into Tyson’s car and they drove away, completely unaware that Julian Donovan’s car was also parked nearby. Julian happened to have business near her school today, and since he finished right as her classes were ending, he decided to give her a ride home. It might keep her from getting into trouble. But he didn’t have her number, so his only option was to wait.

He saw her from a distance, walking out of the school gate while talking on the phone, her smile brilliant. She was wearing a white chiffon dress, its hem fluttering in the breeze. With her radiant smile, she looked like an angel who had fallen to earth.

He was mesmerized for a moment. But just as he came to his senses and decided to get out of the car, he saw Tyson waving at her. His face fell, and he settled back into his seat. ’She just can’t keep to herself, can she? I just got rid of that other guy for her yesterday, and today she’s already hanging out with Tyson.’

He suddenly felt he must have been out of his mind to come all the way here to pick her up. Watching her get into the car, laughing and chatting with Tyson, he angrily turned the car around and drove off.

In the restaurant, Naomi Shaw paused her meal to ask Tyson, who was sitting opposite her without having touched any of the many dishes before him,

"Tyson, why aren’t you eating?"

"I’m not hungry..."

After speaking, Tyson reached for the cigarettes beside him, but Naomi snatched them away.

"No wonder you’re not hungry. Are you trying to live on cigarettes instead of food?"

Tyson glanced at her, his lips moving slightly.

"Naomi, I’m getting married..."

Naomi Shaw’s eyes widened in astonishment. She thought she must have misheard. It took her a long moment to process what he’d said.

"Tyson, what did you just say? I didn’t hear you clearly..."

Tyson simply took back the cigarettes she had taken, lit one, and then averted his gaze.

"She’s the daughter of another faction’s leader. That faction has always been at odds with my adoptive father, and his health isn’t what it used to be. I don’t want him to worry about these things every day."

Naomi was suddenly so sad she couldn’t speak. She knew Tyson had feelings for her, but she had assumed they were both still young. She thought that with time, he would gradually forget about her, meet another girl he truly liked, and build a family with her—not sacrifice his own happiness in a hasty political marriage.

Her heart ached for him as she looked at Tyson.

"But... but Tyson, shouldn’t a marriage be based on mutual love? Do you love her?"

Tyson took a drag from his cigarette and spoke flatly.

"It’s not about love. She’s good to me..."

’He also wanted a marriage based on mutual love. He wanted his wife to be someone he loved. But she had already shattered that fantasy. So, any woman would do, especially one who would benefit the Shaw Dominion.’

’He could tell the girl liked him. The way she looked at him, full of shy anticipation, was just like how Naomi Shaw looked at Julian Donovan. Sometimes, he saw a shadow of Naomi in that girl. He thought that might be one of the reasons he chose her. But unfortunately, she would never be Naomi.’

Naomi couldn’t accept this future for Tyson. She treated him like her own brother, and it pained her to see him sacrifice himself like this.

"Tyson, if you don’t want to marry her, don’t force yourself! I’ll go talk to Dad!"

Tyson stubbed out his cigarette, turned to her, and smiled gently.

"You’ve misunderstood. My adoptive father isn’t making me marry her. I’m choosing to do this myself."

Ian Shaw had never forced him to do anything. It was precisely because of this that Tyson respected and admired him like a father, making him willing to make this sacrifice.

Hearing Tyson say this, Naomi knew the situation was irreversible. She was too sad to know what to say. Tyson tapped her on the forehead as dotingly as ever and said with feigned cheerfulness,

"Right now, the thing you should be worrying about is what kind of wedding gift to get me, right?"

From this point on, she would only ever be his sister. His most beloved... sister.

The more relaxed Tyson acted, the sadder Naomi felt. She lowered her eyes and said softly,

"Tyson, I’m full. Can you take me home?"

’If they didn’t leave now, she was afraid she would start crying.’

After Tyson dropped her off, he left. Naomi stood in place, watching until his car disappeared from sight. She murmured, "Tyson, you’re such a fool..."

Sighing, her heart aching for him, she turned to go inside. She kept her head down, her mood heavy, when a cool voice suddenly reached her ears.

"So reluctant to see him go? Why not ask him to stay?"

Ahem, I estimate we’ll get to the steamy scenes in a Chapter or two, so feel free to get your hopes up. I definitely won’t tell you that Donovan says some pretty nasty things afterward.

Naomi Shaw glanced up at Julian Donovan, who stood by the gate of the house next door with a mocking look on his face. She immediately lowered her head and continued inside. Thinking about Tyson’s sacrifice for the Shaw Dominion left her so heartbroken she didn’t have the energy to deal with Julian’s taunts.

Her dismissive attitude made the anger simmering inside Julian explode.

"Naomi Shaw!"

"What is it, Julian? Did you need me for something?"

Since he was being so persistent, Naomi had no choice but to lift her eyes, muster her energy, and face him. ’Why did he look so angry again? I don’t think I did anything to provoke him, did I?’

"It’s... nothing!"

Julian Donovan bit out the two words through clenched teeth and turned to go inside. He had waited there to ask for her phone number. Since Ian Shaw had entrusted her to him, he felt he should take proper care of her. But seeing how she seemed to pine for Tyson and was now so listless with him, he instantly lost all desire to.

Tyson’s engagement had just been arranged. Naomi was the first person he had told; Ian Shaw and Julian Donovan were still unaware. Therefore, Julian had no idea why Naomi had been so sad and reluctant to part with Tyson.

Naomi, for her part, didn’t understand his baseless anger either. But then again, he was always like this with her, and she was used to it. She just kept her head down and went inside.