Secrets and Second Chances
Maria Stone felt she had everything, love and the man she thought loved her by her side.
But everything came tumbling down when he threw the divorce papers at her.
She had to leave and when she came back five years later.
She wasn't alone; her triplets were also with her, and she was ready to give love a chance.
Not to him but to someone else.
But when he came begging, she told him. “I have moved on, and I have my kids and I. So, bye, billionaire ex-husband”.
In an instant, Maria's life changed; the man she thought loved her, Ethan Woods never loved her in the first place. He was only with her to pass the time and to gain his inheritance.
After the 3-year contract ended she was hoping that the unborn child would bring them together and he would love her again but she got the shock of her life when she got back home to give him the good news, there professing his love for another woman was Ethan and the woman was no other person but her cousin who was his college sweetheart but kept it away from Maria. The truth was that they had been dating secretly without her knowing.
As if that wasn't enough, he threw the divorce papers at her and asked her to sign them.
Maria tried to leave because there was no use staying back.
But Ethan and Susan couldn't let her; she had to suffer all through her days of pregnancy until she gave birth through forced labor.
Her heart shattered into thousands of irreplaceable pieces when her aunt told her that Ethan had finally married her cousin Susan.
With the pain and betrayal in her heart, she left the city never to be seen again.
Read
Chapter: Chapter 18: Expectations Met With Disappointment I tried to wrap my head around her reason for appearing that way and I ended up shooting point-blank “Take this,” she handed the documents to me before I could ask what they meant. “What's this about? I still don't get it,” I asked with a hint of confusion after examining the documents. “I'm pretty sure you can read, don't you?” She mocked me with the response. I stopped asking questions. Instead, I glanced through the documents to grasp their content. “The court restraining order. You want me to sign it on Ethan's behalf?” I asked after reading through. “You certainly haven't lost your reading ability, have you? Isn't that what you want?” She asked me. I nodded my head in response as she handed me a pen. I thought about countless things as I signed the agreement. Despite how small the pen was, I still found it difficult to hold it firmly. My hands keep trembling like a kid being forced to write to him in the classroom. Maria snatched the documents from me
Last Updated: 2025-05-07
Chapter: Chapter 17: Susan's Breakthrough Susan's POV“Once again, I apologize for making you feel that way. Can we please talk about this?” Paul asked nicely shortly after dropping the bombshell that left Maria flabbergasted. I didn't say a word to contribute to the issue. My presence has already caused a major disaster. All I care about is making a difference and amending my wrongdoings. “Mom,” a tiny voice distracted us and forced us to a halt. Shortly after, Maria's triplets ran to embrace her. They weren't alone because Andrew, Maria's new man, accompanied them. Seeing Andrew made me want to vanish into thin air. His presence automatically reduced Ethan's chances of coming out of prison. It would have been better if Paul and I just had to deal with Maria alone. We were this close to getting her to our side.The look is written all over her face already. No, Paul and I have to put in some extra effort if we want to scale through. “You again?Haven't you done enough? What are you doing in our home?” Andrew raged
Last Updated: 2025-05-06
Chapter: Chapter 16: Maria's Den Of Utmost ConfusionSusan's POVTo him, I wasn't sounding too convincing. With a few lines, I had to ensure Paul put his trust in me. Fortunately for us, Paul's outfit best describes a perfect gentleman and a potential client. As I watched Paul approach Maria's gate, I prepared myself to swing into action. I avoided every distraction that would cause me to take my eyes off Paul for a second. I was scared when no one showed up to attend to Paul. It feels like my whole life was shattered. Not just me, I could picture Paul losing all hope and confidence from a distance. He might not have admitted it, but his reaction says it all. I lost count of how many times he facepalms. I won't be surprised if he starts walking back to the car after several failed attempts. Suddenly, I heard the door opening from inside just when it seemed like all hope was lost. Paul was already making plans to leave the scene when he heard the sound from the gate and returned. Since I was away, it became too difficult for
Last Updated: 2025-05-05
Chapter: Chapter 15: Penetrating Maria's WallsSusan's POVYou asked me to join you outside. I am here now. What do you wanna discuss with me? I am losing my patience already. I don't know how long I intend to put up with this," I asked Paul after I stepped outside. His body language made it difficult for me to predict his next move. So I stood there glaring at him and widened my ears to avoid missing out on every detail he intended to divulge. Before I could speak further, he entered my car and made it seem like he wanted to steal it. However, my fears were allayed when I realized that Paul wasn't seated in front of the steering wheel. Despite that, I was still bothered. Paul has barely said a word since we stepped outside. "What's this about? I'd be lying if I said I understand what's going on right now. You're making it difficult for me to like you. How's that so?" I poured out my heart. I was tired of pretending for the sake of peace. There's no point pretending to be perfect when my head is blank like the pages of
Last Updated: 2025-05-04
Chapter: Chapter 14: Susan's Dilemma Susan's POVI was stuck between exposing the truth about Ethan's arrest or keeping mute.“Why aren't you saying a word? He was arrested, wasn't he?Damn! I knew it,” Paul concluded really fast without verifying from me. My silence was enough for him to harbor such thoughts in his head.“Why did you hide It from me, his cousin? Where are you now? We need to speak,” Paul won't stop raising his voice at me. I tried to calm his nerves and I sucked at it.He hated the fact that I kept the arrest away from him. He felt neglected and insulted.“I will be heading to your home in a bit now.” I lied. It would have been a risk to tell him that I was at her station. Once he gets to know about that, he'd definitely ask for the address.“I'd be waiting.Don't leave me hanging,” he said.He ended the phone before I got the chance to speak further. I felt a giant relief when he ended the phone. The way he interrogated me about Ethan's arrest was quite shocking and alarming.He hit the nail on t
Last Updated: 2025-05-02
Chapter: Chapter 13: Hard time Convincing Ethan Susan's POVMy lips keep trembling as I thought of ways to disclose the shocking news to Ethan without adding to his list of worries. I wouldn't want to be the reason for his tears when I ought to prevent that. The situation got messier when the female cop reminded me that we had a few minutes left. From the look on her face, she couldn't wait to take Ethan back to the cell. Instantly, my senses returned to normal. I knew I needed to speak faster to avoid missing out on the golden opportunity. The next few minutes can't be predicted in Ethan's case. After confronting Maria in such a despicable manner, I wouldn't be surprised if she started thinking of pressing charges against Ethan.The fact that I got her kids involved in the shit made it more complicated. I should have known that she doesn't joke with them. “You just heard what the cop said, didn't you? If you are not going to speak up, I advise you to leave now. You could have at least stayed back home if you're coming he
Last Updated: 2025-05-01
LOGIN
