# Chapter 489: Why Don't You Stay With Me?
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 489 of "The Untouchable Ex Wife" — a chapter full of old wounds, quiet manipulation, and one very dangerous moment of hesitation.
Shirley lifted her head, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. Her gaze found Xavier's, and there was a softness in her eyes that she rarely allowed anyone to see. She looked at him as if he were the answer to every question her heart had ever asked. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she spoke:
"So... You've been worried about me all this time. You still care about me, don't you?"
The question hung in the air between them, fragile and hopeful. But Xavier's face was like ice. Not a flicker of emotion crossed his features. No warmth. No tenderness. Just that cold, familiar wall he had built between them the day he decided she was part of his past.
"I just think it's better for you if you further your studies now," he replied, his voice flat and devoid of feeling.
But even as he said those words, something deeper stirred inside him. He couldn't simply erase Shirley from his life. She was a part of his history, a wound he had learned to live with but never truly healed. And if he was honest with himself, the reason he didn't want to see her hurt wasn't love anymore — it was memory. Habit, perhaps. Pity, maybe. But also something sharper.
He didn't want to watch the eyes of the woman he had once loved get gouged out.
Shirley was someone who had once meant everything to him. And Stefan was his childhood friend. Both relationships were precious in their own way — one built on love, the other on loyalty. If they destroyed each other because of him, he would never forgive himself.
So, sending Shirley away was the cleanest solution. Let her leave Beach City. Let her disappear somewhere quiet, somewhere Stefan couldn't reach her. That way, no one would bleed for the ghosts of the past.
What surprised Xavier most, though, was her response.
" I'll go," Shirley said, and for the first time since this entire storm had begun, there was no resistance in her voice. "If you think I should leave Beach City."
Xavier's icy expression cracked just a little with genuine shock. "You agreed?"
He remembered clearly how differently she had responded just days ago. When he first suggested furthering her studies abroad, she had cried. She had accused him of trying to ruin her. She had clung to her place in Beach City with everything she had.
But now... she was simply surrendering.
Shirley laughed softly, a hint of playfulness in her voice. "Rumors keep following me, and you don't care about me. Maybe you'll fall in love with me again if I leave Beach City and come back in two years."
On the surface, the words sounded like a lighthearted joke. But beneath them lay a sharp and painful truth.
Shirley had been drowning. Thanks to Leia and Santiago's fans, negative news about her had spread like wildfire. They dug up every bad thing they could find about her and exposed it to the world, spinning everything into a black cloud that followed her everywhere. Santiago's fans adored Leia, and they waged endless online wars with Shirley's fans on Leia's behalf. In the process, they had unearthed enough dirt to stain Shirley's reputation for years.
And Santiago himself had only made things worse. He released a statement, not just defending himself, but publicly calling Shirley out. He hoped, he said, that Shirley would manage her fans well and stop troubling innocent people. He also made it unmistakably clear that he never wanted to work with her again. As the entertainment industry's top male actor, Santiago's words carried enormous weight. He had shares in major companies and influence over countless subsidiaries. One by one, those companies closed their doors to Shirley.
Soon, the entire industry followed the trend. Santiago had openly boycotted her. Xavier had long since abandoned her. And no one was willing to give her a chance anymore.
It had been a long time since Shirley received any real opportunity. Every door that once seemed open had slammed shut in her face. So, if she went abroad now to further her studies, she wouldn't just be running away — she'd be escaping smartly. She could leave the battlefield behind while making her fans see her as an innocent victim of a vicious industry. The rumors would fade without her presence to keep them alive.
To her, it was killing two birds with one stone.
"I'm glad you've realized," Xavier said, and there was a faint note of satisfaction in his voice. Finally, he thought, she understood his good intentions. He didn't need to argue with her anymore. He didn't need to convince her. She had come to her senses.
He took a moment to study her, his eyes traveling over her one more time. Then he glanced toward the club, as if making sure everything was safe. When he found nothing amiss, he relaxed slightly.
"Okay, I'm going," he said casually, already preparing to walk away.
But before he could take even a single step, Shirley moved quickly. She approached him, reached out, and held his arm. Her fingers wrapped around him as if letting go would break her.
"Don't!" she said urgently, her voice soft but desperate. "Since I might be leaving, why don't you spend some time with me?"
The question hung there, bold and vulnerable. She had nothing left to lose now. Her career was crumbling. Her reputation was shredded. And the man she once loved was walking away.
In this final moment, she wasn't asking Xavier to save her reputation or fix her career. She was simply asking him to stay — one last time.
But would he?
---
**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
Well... this chapter was absolutely gripping. There is something so tragic about Shirley's arc here. She has finally realized the harsh reality of her situation, and instead of fighting blindly, she's strategically choosing to retreat. But even in that calculated decision, you can see the little glimmer of hope still alive in her heart — hoping Xavier will chase her, miss her, fall in love with her again.
Xavier, on the other hand, is a fortress of contradictions. He claims not to care, yet he still shows up to protect her. He tells her it's best to leave, yet her touch makes him pause. He is torn between the woman he once loved and the friend he refuses to betray. And Shirley's bold "Don't!" at the end? That was the perfect cliffhanger.
This chapter balances emotion, strategy, and unresolved tension beautifully. I'm giving it a **⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars**.
---
**Next Chapter Prediction:**
Now that Shirley has grabbed Xavier's arm and refused to let him go, I predict the next chapter will bring us a tense confrontation. Xavier might freeze, caught between pity and obligation, but there's a strong chance Leia will witness this tender scene — and that will ignite an explosive wave of revenge. Shirley mentioned Leia would seek revenge after tonight, so Leia's next move might be swift and merciless. Meanwhile, Stefan might soon catch wind of Xavier and Shirley spending time together, making Xavier's complicated web of loyalties even more dangerous. Will Xavier finally reveal the real reason he wants Shirley gone — or will the truth about their past destroy everyone?
---
To listen free the next reviews chatpers, please access website novelsaudio.com and search keyword: The Untouchable Ex Wife or click the link in the description of this video or if you want to listen or read full the The Untouchable Ex Wife please access website novelsaudio.com