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Loved Him First, But Not Forever
Loved Him First, But Not Forever
Author: Perfect Timing

Chapter 1

Author: Perfect Timing
I quietly removed myself from the family plan.

Logan Atkinson's phone chimed.

He glanced at it, his brows pulling together, exhaustion in his eyes. "What are you starting now?"

I gave a small, indifferent smile. "Nothing. Just making it easier for you two."

A trace of impatience showed between his brows.

"Whitney, I want you to be reasonable, not sarcastic. As for Regina, I've said this a hundred times: I treat her like a sister. She's sick, so I take care of her. That's completely normal. I've never cheated on you."

I cut him off before he could say more. "Enough. I'm tired of hearing it."

I had heard the same speech too many times.

"Whitney, what do you actually want?" His voice rose without him noticing. "If you're upset, then argue, yell, whatever. Just don't act like a victim. You're making it sound like Regina and I did something unforgivable."

I looked at him calmly. "I don't care what you two do. I don't want anything, and I'm done arguing."

I checked the time and smiled faintly.

"You should call her. Otherwise, your dear 'sister' won't be able to sleep again. Oh, and sleep in the guest room tonight. I don't want to fall asleep listening to your late-night whispers."

His expression shifted.

I remembered the first time I realized he was falling asleep on the phone with her.

I had woken up in the middle of the night with cramps, barely able to stand. And there he was, earbuds in, coaxing Regina to sleep with a soft voice.

We fought the entire night.

He told me she had severe depression, that if no one stayed with her, her thoughts would spiral.

He insisted he only saw her as a sister.

I pulled myself out of the memory.

Logan was slumped into the couch, rubbing his temples.

"Stop this. Don't forget, you were the one who brought Regina home. You were the one who told me to treat her like family."

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  • Loved Him First, But Not Forever   Chapter 8

    When Logan first came to my house, he was like a stray cat someone had dragged in out of the rain. He wouldn't eat or drink. He just hid in the corner, arms wrapped tight around himself.I tried bringing him different food, but he would only crouch there, unmoving.Until one day, I brought home a cupcake I had made in class.I dabbed a little frosting on his lips. He licked it off, and his eyes lit up."Is it good?" I asked. "Sweet enough?"He nodded.The first thing he ever finished eating was that cupcake I made.I remember laughing. "You don't even know your birthday, right? Then from now on, today is your birthday."He looked up from the cake, hesitating before he asked, "Then will there be cake every year?"I ruffled his hair and thumped my chest like I was making some big promise."Of course. Not just cake. You'll have me, too. Every year, I'll make you a cake, and we'll celebrate together."Something I said as a kid carried on for over 20 years.We celebrated so many

  • Loved Him First, But Not Forever   Chapter 7

    Logan leaned against his car, the setting sun stretching his shadow long across the ground."Whitney."It had only been a month, but Logan looked thinner. There was a worn-out look on his face. "I figured you might come out to the countryside. I went town by town, one after another. Guess I finally got it right."He took a step closer. "I missed you."I moved away before he could get near me, my voice flat."What are you doing here?"His hand dropped back to his side. He let out a quiet, self-mocking laugh. "We're married. A husband coming to find his wife… Is that a problem now?"I met his eyes, calm. "We're divorced.""I didn't sign anything.""I can file for a court divorce.""I don't agree." His gaze dimmed, the faint smile on his face turning bitter. "I'm not divorcing you. I made a promise at your dad's grave. I said I'd take care of you for the rest of my life."So he still remembered.I didn't answer."I've already sent Regina away," he said. "She won't show up

  • Loved Him First, But Not Forever   Chapter 6

    That night, Westport was anything but quiet.First, Logan, the man in charge of Logney Corporation, started a full-scale search. Hotels across the city were checked one by one.The back roads, usually pitch black on stormy nights, were lit up like daytime under searchlights.Rivers throughout the city were crowded with rescue boats, and more than 100 divers searched beneath the surface.Logan pulled every string he had.He even got other powerful families involved.He offered huge rewards, all for one thing: to find Whitney.Reporters swarmed the city, camping out everywhere.Photos of Logan, disheveled and out of it, spread fast. By the next day, Logney Corporation's stock took a sharp hit.-I had no idea about any of this happening in Westport.While Logan's search tore through the city, I had already made my way to Willow Creek.Ever since my grandfather's time, the Welches had cared deeply about education in remote, underdeveloped areas.Every Hope Academy built in th

  • Loved Him First, But Not Forever   Chapter 5

    The voice on the other end of the call kept going."Mr. Atkinson, since the startup capital for Logney Corporation was provided by Ms. Welch, she is requesting a division of assets…"Logan steadied himself, but when he spoke, there was still a trace of panic in his voice. "Wait. I'm coming in now."Regina pressed a hand to her chest, her eyes already glossing over with tears. "Logan, my chest hurts."His gaze turned cold. "If you're not feeling well, have my secretary take you to the hospital."Neon lights flickered past the car window. Behind Logan, fireworks still burned across the night sky.On the drive to the law firm, his thoughts wouldn't settle.He couldn't understand it. They had been together for 20 years and married for 10. Why would Whitney want a divorce?Was it really just because of the family plan?He had already explained everything. He didn't have feelings for Regina. He treated her like a sister.That was all.Logan walked into Baldwin & Associates with a

  • Loved Him First, But Not Forever   Chapter 4

    Logan came back just as the sky was starting to lighten.He had two orders of churros in his hand.They came from an elderly couple who ran a little morning stand. If you showed up too late, they would already be sold out.Back when it was just the two of us, we used to walk there every morning, hand in hand, to grab our favorite churros."You're up? Come eat."He leaned in and kissed my forehead, just like always.As if every fight we'd ever had could disappear as long as neither of us brought it up again.Logan set the churros down in front of me, warm and familiar."Try it. See if it tastes the same. When I got there this morning, their son and daughter-in-law were running the stand. He said the old couple's at home taking care of their grandkid now."His eyes lit up as he talked."Whitney, remember what you said? You said that when we're old, we'll run a churro stand, too. I'll make the churros, and you'll just sit there and take the money."He kept going, lost in his im

  • Loved Him First, But Not Forever   Chapter 3

    That was my tenth year married to Logan.We had just had a huge fight over Regina.He promised me, over and over, that he would stop getting involved with her. No more late-night calls, no more staying on the phone until she fell asleep.I believed him.People say the ten-year mark is the tin anniversary. Tin may be soft, but it holds up; just like a marriage that has weathered ten years and still stands.I told myself this was just a bump in the road. That what we had couldn't be shaken by someone like Regina.That night, I stood in front of the anniversary cake he made himself, flipping through the photo album he had put together of our years.And I believed in him even more.I closed my eyes and wished for another ten years together.When I opened them again, just a sliver, I saw him looking down, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.Behind him, the mirror caught the glow of his phone screen.On our anniversary, he was on the phone with Regina, sharing quiet breaths l

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