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A game of pretense
Last Updated:
2025-04-25 17:36:23
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Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Cracking under pressure
Chapter 85Jason pov I woke up to a sharp, hammering pain in my head, I groaned dragging a hand down my face as I sat up. It felt like someone was pounding my skull with a hammer. I opened my eyes wider, but everything still looked blurry.“Shit,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes until my vision cleared. I looked around the room.Claire wasn’t there.Where did she go this early?I swung my legs off the bed and stood up, only to stumble, catching the edge of the nightstand to steady myself.I needed some water. My mouth was dry, and I could still taste the whiskey from last night.Just as I was about to call out for someone, the door creaked open.Claire walked in, with a maid holding a bowl and a jar of water.“Good morning, sir,” the maid greeted.I ignored.“You can hand it over to me,” Claire said to the maid. The maid gave her the tray and left.She marched toward me, handing over the bowl like she was doing me a favor she’d rather not.“Here. Hangover soup,” she said stiffly.I blink
Last Updated : 2025-04-26Ex-Husband’s Nemesis The proposal
Chapter 86Andrea's pov I still couldn’t believe all of this was for me.The room was packed — Employees,friends, and people I barely even knew filled the hall for my promotion dinner. The music was loud, the glasses kept clinking, and everywhere I turned, someone was laughing or talking.It felt overwhelming but in a good way.I ran my hands down my dress for the hundredth time, trying to settle my nerves. The emerald satin clung to me, the slit running high up my leg, and the crystals stitched into the neckline sparkled every time I moved. I had gone for simple diamond earrings, a bracelet, and a soft updo with a few strands loose around my face. Classy, but not trying too hard. I caught my reflection in a nearby window — A proud smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the woman I was seeing in the mirror.Across the room, Jake was laughing with some of the guests, his hand tucked casually in his pocket, he looked good as usual.We’d been making more public appearances together la
Last Updated : 2025-04-27Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Between Duties and Desire
Chapter 87 Jake's pov The cheers from the crowd were deafening, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heartbeat.I held her hands tightly, feeling the faint tremble in her fingers against mine. She looked a bit shaken like she didn’t know where we were anymore. The effect of the kiss, maybe.I hadn’t planned for that to happen, but seeing how the guests cheered us on, it would’ve been weird if a couple didn’t kiss during their engagement.Still, when my lips touched hers, nothing else in that room mattered to me.It felt real.But I was sure Andrea didn’t see it that way. Maybe it was the heat of the moment messing with my head that had to be it.It was just a kiss.Just part of the show.I told myself that over and over, gripping her hand a little tighter like I could force the lie to stick.Cameras were still flashing around us. I already knew that by the time we woke up tomorrow, the engagement would be all over the news.I lifted our joined hands in the air like we’d just
Last Updated : 2025-04-28Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Tangled rules
Chapter 88Andrea's pov I stretched as the morning sun kissed my face, its light pressing against my eyelids even though they were still closed. I groaned softly and placed my hands over my eyes like a shield from the sun. Something cool brushed against my skin.I opened my eyes.And there it was.My engagement ring, sitting bold and undeniable on my finger.For a moment, I just stared at it, my breathing shallow, my chest tight. It looked foreign. Out of place. Like it belonged to someone else’s story, not mine.I sat up slowly, the sheet pooling around my waist, and stretched in the direction of the sun. The stone caught the light, throwing fractured rainbows across the walls. I turned it, watching the way it glittered.Heavy.Flashy.Blinding.God, looking at the ring right now reminded me of last night.A lot had happened last night.A lot more than I had planned.The memories came flooding one after the other.Jake on one knee.The crowd reaction.The cameras flash.And then…T
Last Updated : 2025-04-28Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Blessings built on lies
Chapter 89The phone was still pressed against my ear, Jason’s heavy breathing crackling through the line like static. My hand tightened into a fist at my side.“Who the hell do you think you are,” I hissed, “telling me who I can and can’t marry?”There was a pause, and then Jason’s laugh — low, bitter — spilled into my ear.“You think this is just anybody?” he said, his voice cutting sharp. “Jake isn’t just some fling you picked up, Andrea. He’s my stepbrother. The world will eat you alive for this. You’ll look like a—”“I don’t care what you or anybody thinks,” I yelled, my voice shaking with anger. “And maybe you should be more worried about your sinking company. Investors are pulling out every damn day because of your little scandals. That’s the real headline, Jason. Not who I’m marrying.”“You’re doing this to get my attention,” he said suddenly like he’d found the answer and it pleased him. “All of this… this little stunt… it’s all for me.”I let out a laugh so cold it startled
Last Updated : 2025-04-29Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Guilt between us
Chapter 90Jake’s POVAndrea’s parents had left us to have some time alone, but the only thing we had now was silence.Andrea stood by the window, arms folded loosely, back turned to me as she stared outside.I wondered what was running through her mind. Her choosing to look out the window instead of at me was no coincidence. Since the engagement, Andrea had been cold whenever we were alone. Around other people, our smiles were bright. But behind closed doors… we barely spoke.Did I do something wrong?Did she hate the idea of being tied to me this much? Was pretending in front of her parents that unbearable?“You’ve been quiet,” I said, finally breaking the awkward tension between us.“I’m just tired.” Her voice was calm—but it didn’t sound convincing.“You sure?”She hesitated, then gave a small shrug. “Jason called me”That pulled me to attention. I sat up straighter, tension settling in my shoulders. “When?”“Right before I came downstairs.”She finally turned to face me. Her exp
Last Updated : 2025-04-29Ex-Husband’s Nemesis When lotality turns
Chapter 91Jason’s POVI couldn’t breathe.Not in the exaggerated way people say it—I mean it literally. My chest was heavy, like something was sitting on it, and no matter how hard I tried, the air just wouldn’t come.Andrea. Engaged. To Jake.The words kept hammering through my head like a chant. Like a curse. Every time I tried to shake it off, it came back—stronger, louder—choking the air out of my lungs.She ended the call. She hung up on me like I was nothing. Like I didn’t matter.I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white. The glass of whiskey beside me trembled with the weight of my shaking hand.She was mine. Mine.How the hell could she be marrying Jake of all people? Jake.The man I hated more than anyone walking this earth.The one person who had always tried to compete with me, outshine me.Jake always looked at me like I was beneath him.And now he had Andrea.No. No, this was a joke. Some twisted plan to get under my skin.Andrea is mine—and mine alone.
Last Updated : 2025-04-29Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Trapped
Chapter 93 “You’re lying,” I looked at Claire with disbelief.“I wish I was. I’m carrying your baby.” Claire placed her hand over her stomach like a damn crown jewel, head held high, daring me to speak.I took a step back, almost tripping over the leg of the chair I’d shoved earlier. My mouth opened, but no words came.She’s pregnant. With my child.My child.A part of me wanted to call it good news—hell, I needed an heir. I’d always planned to have one, just that the timing… the timing was wrong. Not when everything around me was falling apart, and Claire—Claire was slipping through my fingers and acting like a completely different person.“This… this isn’t the time,” I muttered, dragging a shaky hand down my face.Claire raised a brow. “Excuse me?”“I said this isn’t the damn time!” I snapped, my voice louder than I meant it to be. “I’ve got a million fires to put out, and now—this? You’re telling me this now?”“I didn’t plan the timing, Jason,” she said flatly. “I didn’t exactly s
Last Updated : 2025-04-29
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Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Finally safe
Chapter 102Poom…Poom…Poom…That was the first thing I heard.Soft. Steady. Like a heartbeat, but outside my body.I didn’t know where I was. My eyes were still closed. Everything felt heavy. My arms, my chest, even my thoughts.But that sound kept going.Poom… poom… poom…Like it was reminding me I was still here.My fingers twitched. The air around me was cold, sterile, but safe. Different.I blinked slowly, once, then again. Light rushed in, too bright at first. My lids fluttered open, and everything looked blurry, like I was underwater.It took a few seconds, maybe more, for things to settle.White ceiling. Pale blue curtains. Machines.The beeping beside me made sense now.A soft weight tugged at my hand. I turned slowly, my head barely shifting. A clear drip was taped into the back of my hand, the IV line running up to a bag hanging beside the bed. My wrist and foot were wrapped. Cleaned. Bandaged.I was in the hospital.I was alive.My chest rose shakily. Tears pricked my eye
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis The Escape
Chapter 101Andrea’s POVI knew something was off the moment I woke up.The mood was different tonight.No footsteps echoed in the hallway, no keys jangled, no harsh voices barked orders. The house was filled with the normal coldness, but it was lively.Beyond the metal door, I heard it. Music. Laughter. The clinking of glasses. Voices muffled but happy.They were celebrating.My stomach turned, not from hunger this time, but anticipation.I stayed still for a moment, my back against the cold wall, heart pounding so loud I was afraid someone might hear it. My wrists were sore and scabbed from the ropes, but my mind was clear and sharper than it had been in days.Something’s different.They hadn’t done their usual check. No footsteps outside my door. No voices. No shadows under the crack.Maybe… maybe this was it.The metal shard I had hidden days ago pressed against my thigh beneath the blanket. My one sliver of hope. I’d been waiting for the right moment. Waiting for the smallest cra
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Helpless
Chapter 100Jake’s POVThat’s exactly how I felt. Two days—forty-eight damn hours and still no trace of Andrea. Never in my life had I ever felt this restless. I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since she disappeared. And whenever I did doze off, nightmares followed. The same one every time, Andrea, crying out for help, begging, afraid. I’d jolt awake, drenched in sweat, unsure if the dream was real or not.I poured myself another glass—the third one tonight. The first had done nothing. The second only made my head spin worse. My hands trembled slightly as I lifted the glass.These past few days had forced me to face something I’d been avoiding for a long time—how much I truly cared about Andrea. How much I loved her.Yeah. Love. I hadn’t wanted to admit it before, but this fear, this desperation was the kind of pain that only love brings.I dropped onto the couch and ran a hand down my face. I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. But what else could I do? We’d already gone to the po
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis The edge of survival
Chapter 99Andrea's pov There was no clock in the room. No window, no sun, no ticking hand to mark the passing of time. But somehow, I knew it had been close to two days. My body told me. The aching bones. The heaviness behind my eyes. The way my stomach twisted and turned—not just from hunger, but from fear.Two nights. Two damn nights.I had slept. I wasn’t sure when or how, but the dreams had been hollow and sharp-edged, like broken glass on repeat. Every time I woke up, I hoped it was all over. That the door would burst open and I’d be rescued from this pain and torture. But no. Same walls. Same cold floor. Same silence.Except when they came.They didn’t speak. They just came in—faces masked, eyes dull—and dropped food like I was some stray they had to keep alive. After the last time I’d tried to run, they no longer untied my hands. One would hold me still while the other brought the spoon to my lips. No words. No looks. Like I wasn’t human. Like I wasn’t even there.My throat b
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Disappeared
Chapter 98 Jake's pov It had been 24 hours since we had heard nothing from Andrea. No calls, no texts, nothing—no sign. The silence was deafening. Everyone in the house was in a panic. Andrea’s mother had been restless. She sat scrunched on the edge of the couch, her eyes swollen from crying, hands wringing a tissue that had long since given up holding anything back. Her father paced by the window, arms folded tightly, a muscle ticking in his jaw every time his phone lit up with nothing. “Where could she be?” her mother whispered, barely audible over the ticking clock. “What if… something had happened to—” She burst out crying, unable to finish the sentence. Andrea’s father walked to her, holding her hands, trying to console her. “She’s fine, darling. Andrea is a strong girl. Nothing has happened to her. Maybe she needed space. Maybe she’s trying to clear her head.” But even he didn’t believe it. None of us did. I sat there, my leg bouncing uncontrollably, trying to calm the
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Tied and Terrified
Chapter 97Andrea's pov I jolted awake, my neck aching from the awkward position I’d dozed off in. I must have slept off out of tiredness, or maybe I just wanted to escape this terror so badly. For a fleeting moment, I hoped it was all a nightmare—that if I just closed my eyes and slept, I’d wake up in the comfort of my bed, thinking about the bad dream I had.But reality slapped me faster than any pinch could.I was still here. Still tied. Still trapped.The same damp air filled my lungs. The faint buzz of that godforsaken light above hummed in my ears. I blinked, trying to clear the haze.I shifted slightly. The ropes binding my hands and feet hurt my skin. My mouth was dry, and my stomach growled in protest.“Can I have some water?” I called out weakly.But there was no response.“Is anyone there?” I screamed.Still no response.“Ughhh…” I breathed out in frustration.Time seemed to blur. I had no idea how long I’d been here. Minutes? Hours? A whole day?Panic trickled in slowly—n
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Where's Andrea???
Chapter 95Jake's pov I checked my watch for the third time in ten minutes.Four hours.Four whole hours.I’d been sitting here, surrounded by wedding gowns and impatient whispers from the boutique staff, waiting for Andrea to walk through that door. But nothing.No call. No text. Nothing.My phone sat heavy in my palm, screen dim. I tapped it, then called again. Her number went straight to voicemail like it had the last four times. I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled slowly, trying to keep calm.Maybe she got stuck in traffic. Or maybe her mum dragged her into something.But something about this—this stillness—wasn’t sitting right.The boutique door finally opened with a jingle. I looked up, half-expecting to see Andrea, annoyed or flustered, maybe rolling her eyes at how late she was. But it was her mum.“Sorry I’m late,” she said, smoothing her purse strap as she walked in. “I had a few things to sort out. So, how many gowns has she tried on?” she asked with a smile as she go
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis Kidnapped
Chapter 95When I opened my eyes, everything felt wrong.The first thing I noticed was the ache in my neck, a pulsing stiffness that crawled down my spine like ice. The second was the bitter sting of rope cutting into my wrists, binding me to the arms of a wooden chair. My legs were tied, too—--- -tight, I couldn’t move. My heart launched itself against my chest.Panic bloomed before I could stop it.Where the hell was I?The room was dim, too quiet. Cold air brushed against my skin—cement floor, no windows. There was a faint hum from somewhere above, like the buzz of a fluorescent light, but nothing else. No footsteps. No distant voices. Just… me.And fear.I tried to remember. The last clear moment was getting into that taxi—yes, I’d told the driver where to go, buckled my seatbelt. Then… the car slowing, a strange silence, and his hand—gloved—pressing something over my nose.A handkerchief.My blood ran cold.“Oh my God,” I whispered, the words scraping out of my dry throat. “No, n
Ex-Husband’s Nemesis The Ride
Chapter 94I was already dressed for work when my Mum knocked on my door.“Andrea,” she’d said in that sugary tone she always used when she wanted something. “Darling, you’re not going to the office today.”I’d stared at her, halfway through buttoning my blouse. “Why not?”She smiled like it was obvious. “Because you have a wedding dress appointment. You’re getting married, remember?”Right. The wedding. The thing that now dictated my entire schedule.And just like that, I was “canceled” for the day.I didn’t argue. There was no point in doing that. So I changed into a more casual dress, trying not to roll my eyes every time I caught my reflection. I just wanted this wedding circus to be over. Honestly, at this point, I didn’t care what gown I wore. I’d walk down the aisle in a paper bag if it meant we could skip the drama and move on.As I adjusted the strap of my sandal, I heard soft footsteps behind me. I turned and froze.“Annabel?”She smiled gently from the doorway, her apron fr
