Share

Chapter 0004

Author: Author Emmy
last update publish date: 2025-02-26 01:04:12

Janet’s POV

I walked into the hostel Rowan had booked for us already, my chest heavy with exhaustion. My head pounded, and my legs felt weak.

I dropped my travel bag on the floor, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

It was past midnight. The anniversary. The trip. All of it. Ruined.

And the baby.

Without thinking, I reached into my bag and pulled out the pregnancy test paper.

Yes, I had planned to tell Rowan the good news on our wedding anniversary. But now, as I thought about how he always defended Flora, how he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—see her manipulations, I felt my certainty slip away. For the first time, I questioned everything.

Is this child coming at the right time?

My hands tightened around the test.

“This has to end,” I whispered to myself. I stood, pacing the small room. Every step felt heavier. My body told me to sit, to rest, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. I needed to tell Rowan. I needed to lay it all out.

Walking into the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, the icy sting bringing me back to reality. I stared at my reflection. My eyes were tired, my skin pale. I looked… broken.

I dressed quickly, packed my things, and zipped up my bag. It’s time to leave. Time to stop this mess.

Just as I was about to pull the zipper, the door swung open. Rowan walked in, the smell of alcohol hitting me before he even spoke.

“Where the hell are you going?” His voice was sharp, his tone unfamiliar.

I didn’t look at him. “Where I go isn’t your business anymore. Why don't you return to your darling Flora? ” I said, tugging the zipper closed, my hands trembling slightly.

Rowan stepped forward, blocking the door. “Stop being difficult, Janet. Why are you being so heartless? She was upset throughout the dinner thinking she’d hurt you.”

So he was more worried about Flora being upset than how his wife felt? I froze, my jaw tightening. “Excuse me?” I echoed, my voice rising. “Didn't you see how unreasonable she was to me at the dinner table? Are we talking about the same person?”

Rowan’s frown deepened, but his voice stayed steady. “Flora lost her husband, Janet. She’s been through hell. It’s quite normal for her to be emotional. She just needs people around her right now. Why can’t you understand that?”

“Understand?” I spat the word back at him, my heart pounding. Tell me what’s more heartbreaking than hearing your own husband defend another woman! “Is that why you spend hours with her? Nights, even? Is that why you’re so willing to drop everything for her? Because you ‘understand’ her? Or is it because she was your first love?”

Rowan’s face darkened, his lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re my wife. She’s just a friend. I really don’t get why you’re attacking her like this. Please, just be generous.”

Oh, so now I’m his wife— when he needs me to play the role of the ‘generous’ partner. How convenient.

The pregnancy test report still sat in my pocket.

Suddenly, I felt too tired to keep arguing, too exhausted to keep pretending.

“Alright, Rowan, just tell me one thing, if Flora’s so fragile and needy, why doesn’t she just hire someone to look after her? Why you?”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning ice-cold. “Money can’t fix everything, Janet. Not her situation. Don’t assume everyone’s like you.”

I froze. His words sliced through the air, hitting me harder than I expected.

My chest tightened as I stared at him, my voice trembling when I finally spoke. “So, this is how you see me, huh?” I forced a bitter laugh. “You think I’m just here for your money. That’s all I’ve been to you these past three years? The whole bloody time? A paycheck?”

Rowan stepped closer, his expression hard. “Watch your mouth, little girl. That’s not what I meant—”

“Don’t,” I interrupted, my voice shaking. “Don’t you dare twist this. You know what? I don't think we can continue this marriage anymore. Rowan, it’s time we—”

Before I could finish, His hand was at the nape of my neck, pulling me close. His grip was firm, his eyes blazing. He had me pinned against the wall, his cologne and dominating presence invading my senses yet again.

“What the hell are you doing?” I struggled, my heart racing as he leaned in, his face inches from mine.

“It’s time we what? Divorce?” His voice was a low growl, rough and filled with a simmering anger. “Who the hell gave you the courage to say that?”

His lips crashed against mine before I could respond. I pushed against him, trying to break free, but he was too strong. His kiss was desperate, almost angry, and for a moment, I was too shocked to react.

“Rowan, stop!” I gasped, raising my hand to slap him, but he caught my wrist, pinning me against the wall. His body pressed against mine, his breath hot on my skin.

“Don’t even think about it.” he whispered.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. My mind was spinning, my body betraying me as I felt myself softening against him. His scent, his warmth—it was all too familiar. Too overwhelming.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, breaking the moment.

Rowan stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides as he turned toward the sound. “I’ll get it,” he muttered, heading for the door.

I pushed past him before he could reach it, my heart still racing. “Yes, come in,” I called, my voice steadier than I felt.

Rowan shot me a look but said nothing as he disappeared into the bathroom.

The door creaked open, and there she was—Flora, standing in the doorway, holding out a covered plate and a blanket in her arms.

“What are you doing here?” I asked coldly, frowning.

Instead of answering, Flora stepped into the room, her eyes sweeping the space with practiced indifference. She quickly noticed the absence of Rowan.

“Where’s Rowan?” she asked, her tone light.

“He’s in the shower,” I said, sitting on the bed.

Her eyes flicked to my neck, then to my wrist, where faint marks from Rowan’s grip still lingered. A small smile curled her lips, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“I noticed you’d be staying here, so I brought you a blanket,” she said, holding it out. “So you won’t freeze.”

She lifted the lid from the plate, revealing a piece of cake. “And since you left early, I figured you’d be hungry.”

I raised an eyebrow, unable to hide my surprise. “When did you start working as hostel service staff, Flora?”

She blinked, her smile faltering before she replaced it with her usual delicate expression. “You misunderstand me, Janet. I was just worried about you and Rowan. About what I said at dinner… don’t take it to heart. It wasn’t intentional.”

I stared at her, and didn't say a word.

Flora’s expression tightened, but she quickly recovered. “Do you hate me, Janet?” she asked, her voice soft. “Why are you always so mean to me? I know people think widows like me are bad luck or homewreckers, but I thought you’d be different.”

“No, Flora,” I said calmly. “I don’t hate you. I just want you to take care of yourself—and leave Rowan out of it.”

Her eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, she looked genuinely hurt. “If you don’t hate me, why are you so harsh? Why do you make things so hard for Rowan? He’s been through so much since Jared passed. Don’t you see how much it hurts him when you act this way?”

“Flora, I don’t care if you and Rowan had a thing in the past. But maybe it’s time you stopped interfering in his family now.”

Her smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of anger before she quickly masked it. “I never meant to upset you, Janet. Can’t we just stop this fight?” She reached for my hand, but I pulled away.

“Don’t touch me,” I said firmly.

Her eyes flashed, and before I could react, she shoved me. Hard.

I stumbled back, falling to the ground with a thud that sent pain shooting through my ankle.

In an instant, the plate slipped from her hand, crashing to the floor with a loud shatter.

Flora’s movements were sudden and wild. She grabbed a shard of the broken plate and slashed her arm with it, her scream piercing the air.

The bathroom door burst open, and Rowan rushed out, his eyes darting between us. “What the hell is going on?”

"I didn't do anything wrong to you, Janet," Flora suddenly said with tears streaming down her face. She held her bleeding arm and winced.

"What did you do?" Rowan's dark eyes shot up to meet mine.

Flora’s voice trembled as she spoke again. “It’s my fault, Rowan. Janet didn’t do anything. Please don’t be upset with her…”

“She’s lying!” I started, but the sharp pain in my foot and the weight of Rowan’s disappointed stare stopped me mid-sentence.

Rowan ignored me entirely, his focus solely on Flora as he helped her to her feet. My chest tightened as I watched him scoop her into his arms like she was the only one who mattered.

Pain shot through my ankle, but I bit back a cry, refusing to let them see.

“Rowan…” I began, but he didn’t even glance at me.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    chapter 180

    Janet's Point of ViewThe apartment was quiet after Rowan left.I stood near the window for a while and looked at nothing in particular. The street below. The movement of people going about their evening without any awareness of what was happening in this apartment or in hospital rooms or in government detention facilities or in any of the complicated invisible spaces where the lives of people like us were being pulled in too many directions at once.Who was coming after Rowan?I had turned the question over while he was still here. Had felt the shape of an answer forming in the back of my mind and had stopped it before it reached my mouth. Because I was not certain. And saying an uncertain thing out loud about something this serious could cause damage I wasn't prepared to be responsible for.I needed more than a feeling.I needed to think.But the more I thought, the more the answer I wasn't ready to say kept presenting itself in the same shape. The same face. The same careful, patie

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 179

    Janet's Point of ViewI lowered the phone slowly.The call had lasted less than four minutes. Four minutes to say what needed to be said. To ask the favor I had spent two days deciding whether to ask. To hear the confirmation I had needed.I exhaled.Long. Slow. The kind of breath that carries the weight of something you have been holding without fully realizing how heavy it was."Thank you," I had said. "I owe you this."And the call had ended.I sat with the phone in my lap and stared at the wall across the room and felt something settle in my chest that had not been settled in three days.He was out.Rowan was out.I had not allowed myself to feel the full weight of what it had meant to watch him on that television screen. Handcuffed. Being walked out of his own building while cameras recorded every step. I had managed it. Compressed it into something I could function alongside. Told myself it was concern for Grandma primarily. Told myself the tight feeling in my chest every time I

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 178

    Rowan's Point of ViewI heard the door before I saw it open.Different footsteps this time. Not the flat hard-soled authority of the guard. Something more measured. More deliberate. The walk of a man who had decided exactly how he wanted to enter a room before he entered it.The door opened.He was neatly dressed in a way that felt almost aggressive in the context of where we were. Dark suit. Crisp shirt. A briefcase held at his side with the ease of someone who carried it as a tool rather than an accessory. He was somewhere in his fifties. Silver at the temples. The kind of face that gave very little away and had probably been giving very little away for decades.He looked at me across the table.Then he set the briefcase down and pulled out the chair across from mine and sat."Mr. Thayer," he said. "My name is not important right now. What is important is that I am your legal representation and I am here to get you out of this room."I looked at him."I didn't hire a lawyer," I said

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 177

    Rowan's Point of ViewThe room was cold.Not the kind of cold that comes from poor heating. The deliberate kind. The kind that is maintained carefully because discomfort is a tool and someone in this building understood how to use it.The light above the metal table was dim and yellow. The kind of light that makes everything look slightly worse than it actually is. The walls were grey. The floor was grey. The table was metal and the chair beneath me was hard in a way that stopped being merely uncomfortable after the first hour and became something closer to punishment.I sat with my arms stretched out in front of me on the table.To my left were the two men who had walked me out of my own building. They had not introduced themselves. They had not needed to. They were the kind of men whose function was self-explanatory. They sat with their hands flat on the table and their eyes forward and their faces arranged into the particular blankness of people who had been told to be present and

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 176

    Janet's Point of ViewThe hospital room had its own kind of silence.Not the comfortable kind. Not the kind that rests. The kind that presses. The kind that sits on your chest and reminds you with every passing minute that something important and fragile is happening in this room and there is nothing you can do but wait and watch and stay.I had been waiting and watching and staying for three days.The chair beside Grandma's bed had become the shape of my body. I knew every crack in the ceiling above me. I knew the particular sound the monitor made when it cycled through its readings. I knew the shift change times of every nurse on this floor.I had not slept properly. I had barely eaten. Peter had brought food at some point yesterday and I had picked at it without tasting anything and set it aside.Grandma lay in the bed to my left.She looked smaller than she had ever looked. The woman who filled rooms with her presence, who gripped lapels and swung canes and threatened to disown gr

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    chapter 175

    Edward's Point of ViewThe knock came at exactly the time I had scheduled it.I had learned over the years that punctuality was one of the first things that told you about a person. About how seriously they took what they were doing. About whether they understood that your time had value.Marcus was punctual. He always had been.He came in and closed the door behind him with the quiet efficiency of a man who had learned that certain conversations required that kind of care. He stood across from my desk. Dark suit. Straight back. The face of someone who had spent years doing difficult things and had made peace with all of them."Everything is moving as planned," he said.I looked at him."He should be behind bars within the next few days," Marcus continued. "The agents have what they need. The documentation we arranged has been placed correctly. The inquiry is accelerating."I leaned back in my chair slowly."Good," I said. "I want it fast. No delays. No procedural slowdowns." I held h

  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    chapter 0015

    Janet's Point of ViewTracy's question hit me hard. I froze for a second, not because I didn’t want to answer, but because I didn’t know where to start. My past wasn't something I was proud of, and I never wanted to bring any of it into this fresh beginning with my new family—especially not anythin

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-18
  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 112

    Flora’s Point of ViewI left the café without waiting for Claire or Tiffany to follow.The door swung shut behind me, cutting off the noise of their voices, but the silence outside didn’t make things better. My chest felt tight, like something inside me was slowly closing in.I walked without think

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-05
  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 110

    Flora’s Point of ViewI sat alone in my apartment, staring at the empty space on my coffee table where the box should have been.My hands trembled as I gripped the armrest of the couch.I had searched Rowan’s room carefully that afternoon. Every drawer. Every closet. Every corner where he might hav

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-05
  • DIVORCED, BUT SPOILED BY MY FIVE BROTHERS    Chapter 114

    Janet’s Point of View I walked into a small restaurant nearby and sat at a table in the corner.The smell of food filled the air, but when the meal arrived, it tasted like nothing.I pushed the plate around absentmindedly.“Janet?”I looked up.Professor Collins stood beside the table, surprise wr

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-04-05
More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status