Home / Romance / MINE. STILL. / Goodbye Cats, Hello Hell

Share

Goodbye Cats, Hello Hell

Author: Tara Danielle
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-10 14:13:40

The morning began with the sound of crying. And no, it wasn’t my heart sobbing because I was moving back in with the man who used to be the center of my universe and now couldn’t even remember the right way to break me.

It was my mother.

Specifically, my mother clutching an apron that read La cocina es mi reino like it was her third child.

“Oh my poor daughter,” she wailed, dabbing her tears with the same apron she’d used yesterday to wipe cooking oil. “Why is your life like a Venezuelan soap opera, blended with a Colombian drama, then slapped around by a Turkish series?”

I stood in the doorway in a wrinkled pink hoodie, ripped jeans (not fashion, just tragic laundry), and two massive suitcases at my feet.

One for my clothes. The other… packed with things I could throw at Claudia if she ran her mouth too much.

“Ma,” I sighed, rolling my eyes, “I’m not going to war. It’s just Theo’s mansion. A giant house full of bitter memories, nosy secretaries, and an ex-mother-in-law who could pass
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • MINE. STILL.   If Looks Could Kill, I’d Be a Widow (Again)

    The car slid smoothly down the Upper East Side, and I sat in the backseat like a CEO dodging paparazzi. Except I wasn’t running from fame. I was on my way to see my amnesiac ex-husband who thought our life was still some rom-com from 2018.My right hand was busy scrolling through my phone while my left propped up my chin in an elegant pose that was really just camouflage for my emotional exhaustion.A notification pinged.Subject: “So… WHEN are you back, Di?”From: Nicole, my overly enthusiastic colleague who treated Fridays like a religious holiday.I typed quickly while glancing out the window. New York blurred past like a film montage, and I… was still stuck in the same act.To: Nicole“Monday. I’ll be back Monday. Enjoy two more days without me. Consider it a blessing.”Send.Of course, she replied two seconds later.“YES! God bless Monday. Reggie nearly set the office on fire because he swore the AC was broken, but turns out he just messed with the thermostat.”I bit back a laugh

  • MINE. STILL.   Room for Two

    I stood in the doorway, staring at a room that, if I didn't know any better, could be mistaken for the set of a billionaire vampire movie with unresolved childhood trauma and suspiciously tasteful interior design.This room was too big. Too neat. Too Theo.Dark maple walls met floor-to-ceiling windows that looked straight out onto a sea of pine trees. Like someone had said, "You know what would be great? A bed for two... and the elite Manhattan version of the Forks forest as a view."Seriously. It was Twilight, upgraded: not a cabin but a castle. Not a forest but a private park the size of Central Park. And not Edward Cullen, but Theo Rodriguez..sexier, darker, and, unfortunately, emotionally more destructive.In the center, a king-size bed sat with a textured black leather headboard, gray linen sheets, and pillows arranged so symmetrically my OCD felt personally addressed.An industrial chandelier hung elegantly from the high ceiling. The floors were original hardwood, interrupted by

  • MINE. STILL.   Goodbye Cats, Hello Hell

    The morning began with the sound of crying. And no, it wasn’t my heart sobbing because I was moving back in with the man who used to be the center of my universe and now couldn’t even remember the right way to break me.It was my mother.Specifically, my mother clutching an apron that read La cocina es mi reino like it was her third child.“Oh my poor daughter,” she wailed, dabbing her tears with the same apron she’d used yesterday to wipe cooking oil. “Why is your life like a Venezuelan soap opera, blended with a Colombian drama, then slapped around by a Turkish series?”I stood in the doorway in a wrinkled pink hoodie, ripped jeans (not fashion, just tragic laundry), and two massive suitcases at my feet.One for my clothes. The other… packed with things I could throw at Claudia if she ran her mouth too much.“Ma,” I sighed, rolling my eyes, “I’m not going to war. It’s just Theo’s mansion. A giant house full of bitter memories, nosy secretaries, and an ex-mother-in-law who could pass

  • MINE. STILL.   Table of Silence

    After a lunch full of overpriced pasta, too much laughter, and two best friends who clearly enjoyed my misery way too much, I went home.My parents’ house stood as arrogantly as ever. A classic façade with wrought-iron balconies, tall windows, and a front garden so perfectly manicured it could almost hide the fact its inhabitants were dramatic as hell.I slipped inside, hung my coat on the rattan hook by the door, and was immediately hit by the familiar scent of Mom’s kitchen: garlic, tomatoes, and something that would almost certainly make me regret having eaten lunch earlier.“Dianna? You’re home?” Her voice carried from the kitchen, followed by a clatter of pots far too loud to be an accident.I didn’t answer. Just climbed two steps at a time and drifted into my room.The second the door shut, I collapsed onto my bed, face tilted to the ceiling, phone clutched in my hand.PING.One notification.The name across the screen: Claudia Rodriguez.I inhaled deeply, opened it, and there i

  • MINE. STILL.   Queen of Trauma

    After the last spoonful of soup disappeared into Theo’s mouth and he leaned back with the satisfied expression of a man who’d just had a private dinner at a five-star restaurant, I stood and drew in a long breath.Time to go before I threw the tray at his face.“I’m leaving,” I said quietly, smoothing the edge of his blanket in an automatic gesture.Not because I cared. But because… okay, maybe a little. A little. And maybe because I needed an excuse to avoid looking into his eyes for too long.Theo turned his head. “Wait. Why don’t you stay here tonight?”I froze for half a second. Then spun toward him. “In a hospital bed? In a room that reeks of antiseptic with blinding fluorescent lights?”He shrugged. “You could sleep with me.”My eyes narrowed. “Maybe if you were in a coma and the doctor begged me, I’d consider it.”He laughed. “Fine. Then at least stay until I fall asleep. The doctor gave me something, and I’m already getting drowsy. I just… I don’t want to be alone.”There was

  • MINE. STILL.   Aspen, My Ass

    I inhaled.Then again.And again, until my lungs protested.If I didn’t get my breathing under control, I was two seconds away from yanking Theo’s IV pole and smacking him with it until he realized this wasn’t Disneyland anymore and we didn’t live in the fairyland of “happily ever after.”Though, honestly... Claudia would probably didn’t love that. And I was far too classy to give her that satisfaction.So, with a face I hoped looked calm, though my jaw was locked tight and my left hand was gripping the hem of my coat like I was bracing for a 6.0 earthquake, I nodded. Slowly.“Aspen, huh?” I repeated.Theo’s smile lit up like Lucifer being praised for not peeing on an expensive rug. “Yeah. You said you wanted peace and quiet. Away from everyone. Just us.”Oh, God.I wanted to laugh. Loud. Roll on the floor of this hospital pointing at his face, screaming, ‘Just us? Bro, we can’t survive five minutes in the same room without wanting to set each other on fire!’But if I didn’t at least

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