Novels by Celestine S

Tessa didn’t want to stay there a second longer, listening to the insults hurled at her. She refused to be humiliated.“If you get up, I’ll tie you to the bed.” Nathan’s threatening voice froze her in place.How could he know exactly what she was thinking? Was she really that easy to read?“You don’t have the right to control me!” she snapped, her voice sharp with anger. “You’re just—”A sudden cough cut her words short.In an instant, Nathan was at her side, pressing a glass of water to her lips. She reached to take it, but he didn’t let go. He held it steady until she drank it all. The cold water cooled her burning throat and eased the dryness.“Look at you. Your body isn’t built to survive like this,” he murmured, brushing his damp thumb across her lips.Tessa swatted his hand away. His touch was too warm, too close, too intimate. It pulled memories she thought she had buried deep—when Nathan had once sworn to love her. She believed she had erased those days, yet his touch tore the

Tessa groaned. A stabbing pain in her stomach made her whole body tense. She curled up, trying to fight off the relentless waves of agony.“What’s wrong?” Nathan’s voice was tight with panic. His worried expression startled her, but she was too busy fighting the pain to care.“I’m fine… just go,” her voice cracked, tears spilling from the sharp burn inside her.“Did those bastards hurt you?” Nathan hissed. His hands moved frantically over her shoulders, down her arm, and stopped at her stomach where her fingers pressed hard. “Here?”She shoved his hand away. The touch only made it worse. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her body trembling from the pain.Nathan rubbed her back for a second, then suddenly scooped her up into his arms.“You… what are you... ” Tessa choked.“We’re going to the hospital,” Nathan said firmly, his jaw clenched.“No! Not the hospital!” Tessa blurted. She knew she couldn’t afford it. Her family’s insurance had died along with her father’s bankruptcy.“Tess, yo

The man pointed at Tessa with a smirk. “Nath, she’s your ex-wife, right?”Tessa froze, her chest tightening as panic shot through her. Nathan didn’t even glance at her. His eyes were locked on the man’s hand gripping hers, his stare sharp enough to kill.“Yeah, yeah! You’re Tessa Caldwell!” the man burst out laughing. “The daughter of that criminal.”Tessa yanked her hand free, spilling the drink she’d been holding all over his pants. Without looking back, she bolted.“You filthy bitch!” the man shouted after her.She rushed into the bathroom and locked the door. Her whole body shook, and the nausea she’d been fighting finally ripped through her. The yogurt she’d eaten hours ago came up, burning her throat on the way out.Gasping, she slid down against the wall, clutching her stomach. “I need medicine,” she whispered. She forced herself back out, dug through her purse with trembling hands, and searched desperately. But the painkillers she needed were gone.The throbbing in her head gr

A year later.Tessa shoved a few spoonfuls of yogurt into her mouth and almost choked. She was running late again, and her sleazy boss would have plenty to yell about.Her stomach still ached with hunger, but she had no choice. She left the bowl on the table.Smokey, the gray cat she had been taking care of for the past few months, watched her from the corner of the apartment.“I’ll be back later, Smokey. Don’t cause trouble, okay?” she said, rubbing his ear.The moment she stepped outside, she ran down the stairs and slammed right into the one person she least wanted to see.Mr. Hayes. The landlord.“Great…” Tessa quickly stepped back, glancing left and right for an escape. Too late. He had already spotted her.“Finally caught you!” the old man barked, snapping his folded newspaper against his palm before jabbing it at her chest. “You’re two months behind on rent!”“I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes… I’ll pay as soon as I get my paycheck.” She gave him her best pleading look, trying to slip past

“I want a divorce!” Tessa exploded. She slapped Nathan’s hand away when he tried to touch her and stormed toward the car.Nathan bent down, scooped up the ring that had fallen to the ground, then grabbed her wrist before she could escape. He forced her to stop and meet his eyes.Those blue eyes that used to feel calm now burned with rage. “You want a divorce?” His brow lifted, mocking. “It should be me saying that. Marrying the daughter of a criminal is humiliating. I’m done.” His voice thundered, but Tessa caught the crack beneath the surface.His words hit her like a blow. Her throat tightened, her chest shaking with a mess of anger and grief. She drew a deep breath and answered coldly, “Fine. Whether it’s you or me asking for the divorce, what matters is that you stay away from me.”Nathan’s grip only tightened. Then he shoved the ring back into her palm. The weight of it pressed heavy, thick with memories she could barely hold back.Her chest ached as she stared down at the ring.

The moment Tessa stepped out of the courthouse, she was blinded by the flash of cameras exploding around her. Reporters shoved forward, voices colliding, each question sharper than the last. “Tessa Caldwell, is it true your own husband testified against your father?” Millions of viewers watching the trial on TV had been stunned. The mysterious CEO, who’d managed to stay anonymous for years, had finally shown his face, while testifying against his father-in-law. “How does it feel to be betrayed by the man you married?” She tried to push her way through the swarm, but the crowd pressed tighter. Someone yanked her hair, another grabbed her arm, and not a single cop moved to help her. Breathless and shaking, Tessa finally shoved herself into her car and slammed the door shut. “Move!” she screamed, pounding the horn, but it was useless. The questions didn’t stop. She pressed her hands over her ears. She wanted silence. She wanted every voice in the world to disappear. Her husband,