The Unwanted Wife
A love that perseveres, a heart that breaks, and a choice that changes everything.
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Lara married the man she cherished most, believing their vows would bind them forever. But love, as she soon learned, was not always enough. Lucas Gabriel Dela Merced never wanted her. To him, she was nothing more than a wife in name-an unwanted presence in his life.
Still, Lara refused to surrender to despair. She clung to hope, determined to prove her love and salvage their broken marriage. She poured her heart, hoping, praying that one day he would see her, choose her, love her. But fate was cruel. Lucas' heart was never hers to begin with.
Faced with the agonizing truth, Lara stands at a crossroads. Will she keep fighting for a love that may never be hers, or will she finally find the strength to walk away?
Will she finally allow herself to heal from the wounds of unrequited love or will she continue to confine herself within this loveless marriage, forever branded as Lucas Gabriel Dela Merced's Unwanted Wife?
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Chapter: Author's Note & Book 2 Announcement The Unwanted Wife has finally come to an end! ✧ To be honest, this wasn’t how I originally planned to finish the story. But somewhere along the way, my heart changed, and so did the ending. I know some of you may be surprised that the epilogue was written from Lucas’ point of view, but I chose to write it not to justify his actions, but simply to tell his side of the story. I genuinely felt like he deserved that. And truthfully, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night unless I shared his backstory, and that’s how the epilogue came to life. Though, I didn’t expect it to grow so long, it could practically be its own story at this point. But, I guess it turned out that way because it wasn’t just Lucas’ backstory, it was also a reflection of the entire journey, seen through his eyes. I tried my best to give his character the depth and meaning it needed. I hope I was able to convey that well. But in the end, it’s up to you, my dear angels, to decide. To all of you who’ve made it t
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: Epilogue (Finale)The annulment proceedings moved quickly on paper, but for Lucas, each step felt agonizingly slow. Like watching a slow bleed you couldn’t stop.He had only appeared in court twice, each time merely to affirm his consent and confirm the obvious, that he was letting go of the only woman he’d ever truly loved.Everything moved in motion. The world didn’t stop. Life didn’t pause for his heartbreak.In the aftermath, he buried himself in work. The Guzmans had pulled out of all joint ventures. Their companies severed ties almost overnight, and damage control consumed his days. But even then, even amid the corporate fires, business realignment, and endless meetings, his thoughts would wander—always back to her.Lara.He thought of her often. More than he cared to admit. Some nights, she came to him in dreams, always just out of reach, always walking away. And each time he woke up alone in his cold, quiet bed, the ache sharpened.He missed her. Fiercely. Completely. And he knew with aching ce
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: Epilogue (Part 24)The lawyers waited in silence, eyes on Lucas, as the question hung in the air. Would he contest the petition?Lucas stared down at the file in front of him, his fingers curled lightly into fists.There was nothing to contest.How could he argue against her truth? How could he say it wasn’t real when it was all she ever lived through?He lifted his eyes to Lara and saw her watching him, not with anger or resentment, just calm, steady eyes. Still, he could see it in her guarded expression. She was bracing herself. Maybe expecting him to deny it all, to twist the truth one last time.But there was nothing to deny.Only the truth.And so, he gave it to her.He shook his head.No.He wouldn’t fight her on this. He couldn’t.It was the least he could do. After all this time, after the silent pain he had inflicted on a woman who had done nothing but try. What right did he have to make her fight for freedom?He didn’t look at the lawyers when they warned him of the implications. How the court
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: Epilogue (Part 23)A few days later, Lucas arranged a meeting with Lara and her lawyer to finalize the settlement agreement and discuss the annulment petition. He arrived at the law firm of Atty. Francesca Mendez, Lara’s lawyer, twenty minutes ahead of schedule, accompanied by his own counsel, Atty. Rocco Velasquez.Atty. Mendez greeted them and led them to the conference room. Lucas muttered a distracted thank you, barely aware of the space around him.His thoughts were elsewhere. On Lara. On how this meeting would unfold. On what it would feel like to face the woman he still loved, knowing he was about to let her go for good.He took the seat at the far end of the long, polished conference table. The cold gleam of the mahogany surface stared back at him, smooth and immaculate, everything he wasn’t. He sat up straight, folded his hands, and tried to settle the thrum in his chest that had been steadily building for days.He hadn’t seen her in days.Each one stretched longer than the last. He barely slep
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: Epilogue (Part 22)The moment the gate closed behind her, the umbrella slipped from his hand and fell to the wet pavement with a soft thud.Lucas’ body trembled as he collapsed to his knees, the rain drenching him as violently as the grief inside. He couldn’t breathe past the sobs tearing out of his throat. His cries echoed through the quiet street, lost in the downpour.He had to accept it now.It was really over.Lara was gone for good.And he had no one to blame but himself.He stayed like that, knees on the ground, as the rain poured over him. He didn’t care who saw. He didn’t care about anything. He cried until his vision blurred, until the rain and tears became one, until time ceased to matter.Headlights eventually appeared at the edge of the driveway. He didn’t even lift his head when the car stopped.“Lucas,” a familiar voice called gently.His father.Lucas felt his presence kneel beside him. For a moment, they just stayed there, the sound of rain between them. He didn’t ask questions. Didn’t
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: Epilogue (Part 21)After that day, Lucas tried to stay away.He truly did.He told himself that giving her space was the right thing to do. That he’d respect her peace, even if it destroyed him inside. That maybe, somehow, his absence could speak the apology his lips never learned to form on time. But every passing day without Lara felt like slow death. Sleep evaded him. Food lost its taste. The silence that followed was unbearable. Every hour without her voice was a punishment. Every empty night was another sentence in the hell he built with his own hands. Every quiet second was a reminder of the life he could have had… if only he had loved her sooner. If only he hadn’t been such a coward.He tried pouring himself into work, letting endless meetings and pointless reports drown out her memory. But even the weight of the world couldn’t distract him from the heavier burden of regret pressing against his chest.So, he turned to alcohol again—not to feel numb, but to sleep. To stop himself from imagining he
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Tangled And Claimed
Trapped in a deal she never made... and a love she never expected. Will she risk being completely claimed?
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Eliana only wanted to make some quick cash to buy her aunt a birthday gift. So when her best friend Mica, falls sick and begs her to take her place at a mysterious meet-up, she reluctantly agrees. After all, how hard could it be to play the role of a date?
Simple, right?
Wrong.
Instead of a harmless gig, she finds herself face-to-face with Xavier Grey Montgomery, a ruthless, dangerously alluring man, and expecting a fiancée, not a stand-in. Turns out, Mica wasn't just meeting him for fun, she was supposed to be his contract wife. And now, thanks to one reckless lie, Eliana is tangled in an arrangement she never signed up for.
Walking away should be easy. But when Xavier makes her an offer she can't refuse, will she fight to escape or risk being completely claimed?
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Chapter: FavorChapter 8: Favor Eliana Maxine It’s been almost four days since our sleepover at Mica’s place, and now, I’m on a mission. I’m sitting cross-legged on my bed, laptop balanced on my thighs, scrolling through job listings with a deep frown on my face. Aunt George’s 40th birthday is coming up next month, and I’m determined to buy her something special. She’s not just family to me—she was my everything. After my mom passed away when I was eight, and with no dad in the picture because the pathetic excuse of a man ran the second he found out my mom was pregnant, it was Aunt George who stepped up without hesitation. She raised me like her own. Sure, I still have my grandparents back in the Philippines, but here, in this country, Aunt George is all I have. My only family. My rock. So for her 40th birthday, I wanted to show her just how much she meant to me. There’s no way I’m using the allowance she gives me to buy her gift. That would defeat the whole point. It wouldn’t mean anything if
Last Updated: 2025-07-25
Chapter: Purely PlatonicChapter 7: Purely Platonic Eliana MaxinePsalm? Liking me? Now that was just ridiculous.I’ve known him since junior high—way before I met the girls. If there was anyone on this planet who truly knew him, it was me.And trust me, I definitely knew his type.Tall. Sexy. Bold. Outgoing.I’d seen him date one girl after another, and they all fit the same mold. Confident. Flirty. The kind of girls who could turn heads the moment they walked into a room.Me? I wasn’t that.I mean, I wasn’t exactly shy, but I wasn’t naturally magnetic either. I’d take a quiet night with a book over a wild party any day. Sure, I could flirt, and I could hold my own in playful banter, but I wasn’t some effortlessly charming social butterfly.Despite growing up in a liberated country, I wasn’t exactly outgoing. Not in the way those other girls were. I was a little reserved, mostly because Aunt George never missed a chance to remind me how a proper Filipina woman should behave.I never even had a boyfriend yet
Last Updated: 2025-07-23
Chapter: DenseChapter 6: DenseEliana Maxine“Anyway, enough about me. What’s everyone doing this summer?” Mica asked, stretching her legs out on the carpet.I let out a dramatic sigh and flopped back onto the cushions. “Mine’s going to be absolutely thrilling. I’ll be home, binge-watching K-dramas and reading books all summer long.”Cassie snorted. “Of course you will.”Gladz grinned, nudging my foot playfully with hers. “At least you’re consistent.”Cassie looked at me with a smirk. “Why don’t you come bar-hopping with me sometime? There’s a ton of hotties out there, you’d love it!”I grinned. “Should I?”“As if, girl!” Gladz cut in before I could entertain the thought. “You still have a curfew.”The three of them burst out laughing, and I just rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Just wait till I turn twenty. I swear I’ll crawl through every single bar in this city.”Cassie laughed. “Can’t wait for that, girl.”“You stick with your K-dramas and books for now,” Mica teased.I perked up. “Oh! Speaking of K-
Last Updated: 2025-07-23
Chapter: Date For HireChapter 5: Date For Hire Eliana Maxine“So?” Cassie prompted, popping another strawberry into her mouth. “Are you gonna tell us where all this money came from, or do we have to torture it out of you?”Gladz nodded, her brows raised in curiosity. “Yeah, are we talking legal money, or are you making shady deals on the side?”Cassie leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “Is it drugs? Did you finally start that underground empire we always joked about? Be honest.”Mica groaned, rolling her eyes. “You wish.”Cassie smirked. “A little.”I narrowed my eyes at her. “Mica.”She sighed, grabbing another grape from the fruit tray and tossing it into her mouth like this was no big deal. “Fine. But if I tell you, you guys have to promise not to freak out.”Cassie gasped dramatically, clutching my arm. “Oh my God. It is a sugar daddy.”Mica didn’t even hesitate—she grabbed the nearest throw pillow and smacked Cassie with it.Cassie yelped, laughing. “Alright! Chill! Just spill already!”Mica sighed drama
Last Updated: 2025-07-22
Chapter: Sugar DaddyChapter 4: Sugar DaddyEliana MaxineThe three of us walked into Mica’s apartment building without issue. The security guard at the front desk didn’t even blink at us and just gave a lazy nod before going back to his phone. After all the times we’d been here, we were practically invisible to him by now.Cassie flipped her hair dramatically as we stepped into the elevator. “See? We’re basically VIPs here.”I let out a short laugh. “Right. Because nothing says VIP like being ignored.”Gladz smirked beside me. “Still better than being stopped at the entrance every damn time. That’s got to count for something.”Cassie leaned against the elevator wall with a theatrical sigh. “I mean, at this point, Mica should just give us our own keys.”I snorted. “Yeah, and you’d abuse that power in record time.”She gasped, clutching her chest like I’d wounded her. “Excuse you! I am a responsible adult.” Then she paused and grinned. “Okay, yeah, I totally would.”When the elevator doors opened on Mica’s
Last Updated: 2025-07-18
Chapter: BigChapter 3: BigEliana MaxineI had just finished eating lunch and was back in my room, curled up in bed and finally diving back into the novel I’d been obsessing over. I barely made it through two pages when my phone vibrated on the nightstand beside me.I groaned softly. What now? Couldn’t I just have a moment of peace? What was it with today and all these interruptions?I considered ignoring it, hoping whoever it was would get the hint. But then—Bzzzt! Bzzzt!Another buzz.Persistent much?With an exaggerated sigh, I reached for my phone and squinted at the screen.2 New Messages — Hot BratzI rolled my eyes. Seriously? Did Cassie rename the group chat again? That girl had this chaotic habit of renaming our GC every other week depending on her mood, or her latest drama.I tapped the notification, already bracing myself for the nonsense.Micaela: Hey losers!Micaela: How have y’all been? Still alive?I barely had time to process Mica’s messages before my screen lit up with an incomi
Last Updated: 2025-07-17
Chapter: Chapter 19: Eighteen The next day arrived, warm and glowing, as if the sun itself knew it was someone's special day.It's Sunday, and that means it's finally Ivan's 18th birthday. His party wouldn't start until 3 p.m., but Luna insisted we leave by 1 p.m. because, apparently, their friends were arriving early to hang out before the actual celebration. Naturally, she didn't want to miss even a second of it. Some of their senior high classmates were invited too, so the villa was going to be packed with people their age.Honestly? I had a sinking feeling I was going to feel totally out of place there.It was pretty obvious the crowd would mostly be around Ivan and Luna's age—kids who just graduated from senior high and a few just barely in college. And then the rest? Probably adults around Mama and Papa's age. So where does that leave me? Somewhere awkwardly in between, I guess.What was I supposed to do there? Sit around and smile like some wallflower on display? Be the older sister who tried not to look
Last Updated: 2025-05-31
Chapter: Chapter 18: Torn & Tempted My mind was a mess. I was still stuck on what happened earlier with Ivan in the kitchen. That damn smirk. That infuriating closeness. The way he looked at me like he knew exactly what he was doing to my body—and my brain. God, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard I tried. I was lost in a loop of overanalyzing every word he said when— “Ate Lou… hello?” Luna waved her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Ate Louela?” I blinked and looked at her, snapping out of the spiral in my head. “Huh? Sorry. What?” She eyed me curiously, one brow raised. “Are you okay? You’ve been zoning out since we got here. What’s going on with you? You’re totally out of it.” Crap. I forced a chuckle and straightened my posture. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I was just… thinking about what kind of gift would suit Ivan.” That was a lie. A big fat one. Luna squinted at me for a second, probably sensing something was off, but thank God she didn’t press. “Hmm. Okay, if you say so,” she muttered,
Last Updated: 2025-05-30
Chapter: Chapter 17: Tangled EmotionsThe hours passed without me noticing. I only came out of my room when I got a text from Mama saying they might be late coming home, and asking me to prepare lunch. I dragged myself out of bed and went to the kitchen. I washed the rice, and put it in the rice cooker. For the main dish, I decided on something simple—chicken curry. The smell of sautéed garlic and onion helped calm my nerves a little, grounding me. I kept myself busy, wiping counters and tidying up while the chicken simmered. Right at 12 PM, I heard the front gate open and the familiar sound of Mama and Papa chatting as they walked in. I quickly set the table, then knocked on Luna’s door to call her for lunch. We all ate together. It was quiet. Normal, at least on the outside. After lunch, I slipped back into my room right away. Luna volunteered to do the dishes since I cooked, which honestly, I was grateful for. I just wanted to crawl back under my sheets and pretend none of this week ever happened. I had no plans o
Last Updated: 2025-05-29
Chapter: Chapter 16: AftershockI ran—no, bolted—from the garden, leaving Ivan behind without a word. My heart was pounding, my skin burning, and my thoughts were an absolute wreck. I slammed the door shut behind me the moment I reached my room, my back pressing against it as I struggled to catch my breath. What the hell just happened? I slid down to the floor, my fingers trembling as I touched my lips—lips that still tingled from his kiss. Ivan kissed me. And the worst part? I kissed him back. I didn’t just let it happen, I leaned into it. Responded. Melted. God, what’s wrong with me? I covered my face with both hands, humiliated and overwhelmed. I liked it. That’s what scared me the most. I liked the way he kissed me. I liked the way he looked at me, how his voice dipped low when he said my name, how his eyes lingered on my lips like he was sure about what he wanted. How could something that felt so wrong feel that good? I dragged my feet to the edge of the bed and collapsed on the mattress, my thoughts
Last Updated: 2025-05-29
Chapter: Chapter 15: The Gift He WantsI moved from pot to pot, careful not to overwater—Mama always reminded me that too much water could be just as bad as too little. Every now and then, I’d gently pluck away a few dried leaves, letting the plants breathe a little easier.The rhythm of watering, the warm afternoon air, and the quiet rustling of the trees made the moment feel almost meditative. It was one of those little pockets of calm that made summer days feel endless.Just then, I heard footsteps approaching from behind.I instinctively turned my head, only to see Ivan making his way toward me.Great. Just great.My brows instantly furrowed, and I saw the faintest smirk lift the corner of his lips at my reaction, like he was already expecting it. Of course he was.“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent.“We’re on a break from practice,” he answered, casually eyeing the plants I was tending to. “Thought I’d step out for a bit and get some air.”I raised a brow. “And out of all the places in the
Last Updated: 2025-05-29
Chapter: Chapter 14: Birthday NewsI only meant to take a short nap. Just a quick power nap to recharge. But the next thing I knew, I was being jolted awake by a knock on my bedroom door.I groaned, my voice muffled against the pillow as I stretched out like a cat on my bed. My limbs felt heavy and my mind still foggy when the door creaked open and Luna practically skipped into the room, all bubbly, bright, and way too energetic for someone who went to bed at the crack of dawn.“It’s lunch time, sleepyhead,” she announced, hopping onto my bed without hesitation. “Get up!”I yawned and blinked up at her. “Alright, alright... I’m up,” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.Still half-asleep, I pulled myself together, and we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. The scent of warm food greeted us as we reached the kitchen. We found Mama and Papa already seated at the dining table. Judging by the faint traces of dirt on Papa’s shirt, it looked like they had just gotten back from work.They always tried to come home fo
Last Updated: 2025-05-29
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