
After the Divorce
"Some loves are written in the stars. Others are carved in sin."
Sophia Chen never met her stepfather; she was too busy living her dream abroad to attend her mother's wedding. Two years later she returns home exhausted and broken from a failed relationship, the man who opens the door isn't just her mother's husband.
He's everything she never knew she needed.
Marcus Reid is hot, tall, intelligent, and trapped in a loveless marriage with a woman who sees him as nothing more than a convenience. The moment he meets Sophia, something shifts inside him, something dangerous, something he can never act on.
For months, they orbit each other in agonizing silence. Late-night conversations. Stolen glances. A tension so thick it threatens to suffocate them both. Marcus struggles against thoughts that invade his most intimate moments with his wife, while Sophia battles a desire that grows stronger every day.
Then Diane asks for a divorce.
Six months later, they bump into each other again, no longer bound by marriage, no longer forbidden by law. Just two people who've denied a burning desire for too long.
But freedom comes with a price. Because Diane didn't just leave Marcus for another man.
She left because she knew.
She'd watched them fall for each other in real time. She'd heard Marcus moan Sophia's name in their bed. And now that they're finally together, she's going to make sure they pay for every stolen moment, every forbidden thought, every lie they told themselves.
Some secrets destroy families. Some loves are worth the ruin.
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Chapter: Chapter 35: Fractured SilenceSophia’s POVI couldn’t be happier. Lunch with him felt like one of those traditions you have without forcing yourself for too much.He had listened, laughed at some jokes that I cracked. Leaving had been the hard part. But when I saw the way, his features changed when he picked up his phone, I knew that I had to leave. I had taken much of his time already, he had to sort things out.Now, coming home to this silence, this was the part that I hated the most. Mom wasn’t around and I was thankful for that. I guess I didn’t have to hang around her for more than I should.I didn’t need her screechy voice shouting in my ears.“Good of you to finally pick,” Lily said into the phone.“She has been ignoring us, I feel like we aren’t her friends anymore,” Kyla echoed.I shook my head as I settled on the bed; it had been a long minute since I spoke with my girls. “I am sorry, I have been the worst…”“The very worst,” Kyla cut in.I shook my head at her words. “I am sorry, I have been trying to…
Last Updated: 2026-06-09
Chapter: Chapter 34: The Best PartMarcus POV “Someone looks less grumpy,” a voice teased as I walked into the office. I ignored him, my eyes looking ahead as I pushed the door open. I knew what he was trying to say, but I wasn’t going to play into that. I was happier, if that was a thing. Lighter and there was a reason for this, a person actually. And the interesting part. I didn’t have it in me to feel guilty, couldn’t let myself spoil this little moment that I was having. My mind wandered back to the dinner we had, the little disappointment of a night that had turned out to be the best thing I had ever had. The way she had curled up to me, hiding her face from the horror that played on the screen. Shit! I was a shithead for that, knowing she hates scary movies and still picked one. Watching it gave me a reason to sniff her hair without looking like some creep. It was a good thing. “Last night must have been really crazy to have you grinning like this,” Noah teased as he walked into the office. “Tel
Last Updated: 2026-06-09
Chapter: Chapter 33: Wrong PrioritiesSophia’s POVIt was easier to keep my hands busy than actually think about what could and should have been. My ears were peeled to the door upstairs, he wasn’t awake yet. Or maybe he was avoiding me, I couldn’t say which. But I hoped it was the former.The sound of the front door opening snapped me out of my thoughts, my eyes finding my mother walking in with dishevelled hair and a face with rough makeup.“What are you looking at?” she snapped.Of course, and an attitude that could turn a sunny day gloomy.“Are you hungover?” I asked, staring at her in shock.She glared, “and if I am? What are you going to do?”I clamped my lips shut, keeping my eyes on the cleaning I was doing. When she is like this, things will always get messy.“Could you be a darling and fetch me an aspirin?”I glared at her, nodding stiffly as I picked up the drug container, “wild night?” I asked, setting the water and the drug before her.She huffed, “A few friends were in town and well, I thought it would be f
Last Updated: 2026-06-04
Chapter: Chapter 32: One Inch CloserSophia’s POV“What movie are you watching?” he asked with a defeated look on his face.I couldn’t hide the grin that formed on my lips.“Anything you would like? I am not picky with movies, just pick something and I will have this plated up,” I said, taking the bag from his hand as I rushed into the kitchen.I was not even trying to hide my excitement anymore, not with the way I was feeling. Mom was gone and I guess this was something nice. A movie night with Marcus! That was a good deal.When I returned to the living room, he was sitting in the spot I had vacated, his eyes on the television as he browsed through the horror film collections that were displayed.My chest tugged. Horror. Great.Of course, he had to be one of those people who liked weird things.“I was hoping we could watch the nun, haven’t really had the chance to see it,” he said, his eyes barely looking at me.My hands trembled as I looked at the screen, fear surging through me, of course he had to pick something that
Last Updated: 2026-06-04
Chapter: Chapter 31: Ghost OrchidsSophia’s POV“Sure.”Just a word and yet everything in my body instantly relaxes. A wide grin spread across my face, “I know a nice spot we could walk to,” I said, hoping that my tone didn’t sound too eager.He nodded, his hands in his pockets as he waited for me to lead the way. I did, keeping slow steps to keep myself away from actually skipping as I walked. “Fuck, Sophia, you have to calm down,” I muttered to myself.“What?” he called out.My cheeks reddened. “Nothing, just…” I let out a nervous chuckle. “Lily and I used to come around here to stalk her boyfriend… Well, not really her boyfriend, but she kind of had a crush on him so…”“So, you have stalked a guy?” he asked, his tone low as if he was trying to process what he had heard.“Well… we were young and had time on our hands,” I let out a chuckle.He shook his head. “You are something,” he muttered, with a smile on his lips.I kept my gaze on his collar. I couldn’t bring myself to look at his face, not when I still felt ho
Last Updated: 2026-06-03
Chapter: Chapter 30: The Wrong CompanyMarcus’s POVThree hours in the gym felt like seconds. My body was slowly getting into these little things I did for distractions.The house was quiet when I walked in, a weird setting I hadn’t experienced in a long while. The reason I was back home this early? Diane had a date planned. I took a look around the living room, just to be sure that she wasn’t here.We might have fixed our differences, but that didn’t change the fact that something about her presence still bugged me. Being her friend would mean having to deal with and live with guilt. A burden too heavy to bear.“You are back,” Diane smiled, her eyes unfocused, a sign that she had just woken up from sleep. “I was beginning to think you had cancelled on me.” Her lips brushed mine.I forced myself to smile, my hands tightening around her waist. As I held her tight, I understood her worry. Leaving early and returning late was becoming a strain in something we were trying to fix.“I couldn’t think of any other thing apart fr
Last Updated: 2026-06-02