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Chapter Two
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2025-03-04 14:48:57Celeste’s POV
Damien grunted, and his pleasure tore a cry from my throat. He whipped his face away from Vanessa to stare at me in shock. Then he called my name as he untangled himself from her.
The sight of them made me nauseous. I had to get away.
I shut the door and dabbed my face dry. Anger ignited next to the heartbreak. I would get Bonnie, we would leave and I would never see that unfaithful bastard again.
Mind made up, I hurried back the way I came. Damien’s voice echoed behind me and I ignored him until he grabbed my arm.
The suit I had picked out and carefully pressed was crumpled from their escapades. Vanessa sauntered over, unbothered, with her hair a mess.
“Celeste, please let me explain.” Damien begged.
I pulled my arm free from his grip. “I don’t want to hear it, Damien. There is nothing you could possibly say that will fix this.”
Vanessa reached us and tucked herself into Damien’s side. I could still see a hint of that satisfied smirk on her lips.
“I’m so sorry, Celeste. Neither of us meant for this to happen.” Her voice sounded genuine, while her eyes twinkled with glee. “Damien and I, we just have this connection—”
“Not now, Vanessa.” He interrupted.
Damien being with another woman just two hours before our wedding absolutely broke me. But Vanessa’s betrayal hurt, too.
“I loved you like a sister, Vanessa. How could you do this to me?”
She leaned closer to Damien. “Maybe you should have taken better care of your man, sweetie.”
Her condescending tone made my blood boil. I couldn’t believe I never realised how two-faced and selfish she was.
“Are you seriously saying it’s my fault you slept with my husband?”
Damien detached himself from Vanessa and reached for my hand.
“Look Celeste, if you’ll just calm–”
I stepped back, my voice rising to match my rage. “How long has this been going on? Since she started working for you?” They said nothing. “I can’t believe this!”
“I can explain. Please don’t throw our family away, Celeste.” Damien pleaded.
“You threw our family away when you slept with that backstabbing bitch. This wedding is not happening. I’m taking my daughter and I’m leaving.”
Damien shouted for me to stop and listen. I ignored him and hurried to the makeup room, my emotions in turmoil.
“Mommy, do you like my makeup?” Bonnie asked as soon as she saw me.
Kelly had done a great job. It was a pity it was all in vain.
“Yes, honey. It looks lovely.”
Kelly’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Mrs Kent, your eyeliner is smudged. Let me fix that up for you.”
“It’s alright.” I said as I grabbed my handbag and Bonnie’s hand. “You can go home now, Kelly. Thanks for your hard work.”
I left the confused makeup artist behind and made my way to the venue’s exit as quickly as Bonnie’s legs would allow. I needed to get out of here before Damien found me.
If he was even looking for me.
“Mommy, where’s your pretty white dress?”
“I don’t need it anymore, Bonnie.”
“Why?”
Her question shoved the knife deeper into my heart. I would have to explain to my daughter that our lives as we knew them were over. Our family had been permanently destroyed.
How do you tell a five-year-old that?
I took a deep breath. “Because Daddy and Mommy are not having a wedding anymore.”
“Why?”
I stopped and picked her up.
“Bonnie, Daddy did something bad with Auntie Vanessa.”
“What did Daddy do?”
Her pretty face was so innocent. I could never tell her the truth.
“It doesn’t matter, honey. But we can’t all live together anymore. We’re going home to pack our things and find a new home. Just the two of us.”
Damien may have destroyed our family, but I’d always be Bonnie’s mother and she’d always be my daughter. We’d start over together.
“But I want to live with Daddy and Auntie Vanessa!”
It felt like I’d been sucker-punched in the gut.
This final betrayal hurt beyond anything I could imagine. The child I cared for with all my being chose her father, who hardly had time for her, and her aunt, who never cleaned a single diaper or snotty nose, over me.
It was more than I could take.
Bonnie whined. “I wanna go down. I want Daddy!”
Damien and Vanessa had just come into the reception area. I let Bonnie wiggle out of my hold and watched numbly as she ran and jumped into Vanessa’s arms.
“Honey, are you sure? You won't get to hear a bedtime story from Mommy tonight,” I said, my smile feeling like a mask over the pain.
Bonnie just shrugged, like it didn't matter.
“It's okay, Mommy. Auntie Vanessa can tell me a story.”
“Fine, just don’t kick the covers off when you sleep tonight,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
I turned and walked away, my vision blurring as I left the wedding reception.
My suitcase bulged as I finished packing. But there were so many things I’d have to leave behind.
I took one last look at our bedroom. My stomach twisted as I wondered if Damien and Vanessa ever made love in our bed. If they hadn’t, they probably would now.
I slammed the door shut and dragged my suitcase downstairs.
My fingers trembled as I opened a little black box. The ring inside was the one I had been dreaming of for five years.
I would never get to wear it.
I left the ring on the coffee table, next to the divorce agreement I had printed and signed as soon as I got home. Damien would find them without a problem.
Leaving the living room, I dug my phone out of my bag.
6 missed calls from mom
Shit. I immediately called her back. She must have been frantic.
“Celeste, dear, what’s happening? Vanessa told the guests the wedding was off.”
The concern in her voice finally unleashed my tears.
“Mom, I’m so sorry. I should’ve listened to you when you warned me about Damien. I was so blind. So stupid.” My throat burned as I forced the words out. “I’m d-divorcing Damien. He’s having an affair, mom.”
The line was quiet for a moment.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”
The gentle kindness of her voice sent me into a sobbing fit. I wasn’t completely alone. My mother was still there for me.
“Don’t cry. It’s not your fault, you hear me?” She sounded stern.
I could only nod as I tried to calm down.
“I’m going to find that good-for-nothing bastard and make him regret the day he hurt my baby.”
The gung-ho determination in her voice actually made me laugh through the tears.
“It’s fine, mom. I’ve already signed the divorce papers and I’m leaving the house now.”
“Good. I’m proud of you, Celeste. You call me if you need anything at all, okay?”
I smiled, feeling a little less hopeless.
“Thanks, mom.”
I hung up and dried my face. If my family didn’t want me to be their wife or mother, then I would be myself. I had sacrificed everything for them, and they took it for granted.
It was time I rediscovered who I was.
With my suitcase in hand, I left my home of five years and I didn’t look back.
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Damien’s POV“Hey, Bon-Bon, did you miss Daddy?” I asked my daughter tenderly.But my attention was on the quiet couple. How dare they dine as a happy family where my business associates could see them? Bonnie nodded in response to my question, picking at her vegetables with an air of disinterest that rubbed me up the wrong way. Was Celeste’s plan to make our daughter forget me? Over my dead body.“Daddy missed you so much.” I cooed, taking the empty seat beside Ryan. “Mommy must have brought you here, hoping you’d run into me.”Bonnie shook her head. “Uncle Ryan is treating us to dinner.”I glared at the composed man next to me. “Is the plan to plant a roach in your food so you can have a taste of the life you can’t afford?”“For god’s sake, Damien.” Celeste lowered her voice, but it was still biting. “You are disturbing what was a lovely meal.”“I just want to see my daughter.” I said reasonably and leaned into my backrest.Anger flashed across her face, and my lips twitched into a
No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty Seven
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No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty Five
Ryan’s POVI stepped aside, watching Celeste crouch in front of her daughter with a sense of awe–she was in her element.“Honey,” she said gently. “Are you upset because Uncle Ryan’s gift only has twelve colors, or because he fetched you from school today instead of Mommy?”Tears sprung to Bonnie’s eyes, but she looked away stubbornly.“Were you disappointed Mommy didn’t come?” She asked again, stroking the girl’s arm.Bonnie grumbled. “No, that gift is ugly and cheap.”“It certainly isn’t as sparkly as that diamond bear necklace Daddy got you, is it?” Celeste said, gesturing to the necklace her daughter had been fiddling with.The girl clasped her hands in front of her and gave one firm nod.“I wonder…” Celeste tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Daddy has given you so many pretty gifts, but does he ever spend time with you? Does he play with you or pick you up from school?”Bonnie tensed, her voice becoming small. “Daddy’s busy.”My heart ached for this lonely girl. Damien had showered he
No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty Four
Celeste’s POV“Oh, my god Celeste!” Grace squealed, running over to me. “You need to see what’s on the third page of the Citrine.”I put down the design I’d been tweaking, curiosity piqued.“What is it?” I asked, taking the magazine.I blinked at a photograph in shock. A broad-backed gentleman was helping a woman wearing a deep maroon dress into a sports car. Thankfully, I’d turned my face away from the camera as I ducked in, but anyone who knew me would recognize that I was that woman.Grace tapped the headline, and my mouth fell open.“Spotted: Crown Luxe’s heir helps hot date into his tailor made Bugatti at Mars party.” I read the words, shell-shocked.“I read the article.” Grace said, leaning against my desk. “There’s only one car like that in the world, and it belongs to Maximilian’s son. How in the world was your assistant chauffeuring you around in it?”I shook my head. “He borrowed it from his college roommate.”“He went to college with Crown Lux’s heir! Are they close?” She a
No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty Three
Vanessa’s POV“Don’t even think about taking my car!” Damien bellowed from the top of the stairs.I furiously threw open the front door and clutched my purse. “Oh, you mean that piece of junk in the driveway?” I screamed back. “I’d rather walk to the mall at four fucking months pregnant, you unchivalrous asshole!”The door slammed behind me with a resounding thud.I stormed down the driveway, groaning in fury and frustration. That obsessive man had kept me up half the night arguing about Bonnie and his lameass car. If I saw his face for a second longer, I’d claw his eyes out.I smirked as I strutted past the cracked headlight and the scratched paint of Damien’s car. It felt good to put that self righteous bitch in her place yesterday. Out of sight of the house, I slowed to a stroll–there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d walk so far in my limited edition Jimmy Choo’s. I dug through my purse for my phone to call a cab and smiled when I saw the fat envelope beside it.Yesterday, I pawed off
No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty Two
Celeste’s POVI choked on my juice, sputtering at Bonnie’s question.Ryan patted my back and handed me a napkin. My eyes narrowed murderously at the amused smile he couldn’t hide. Bonnie’s brows scrunched together, and she asked, “Mommy, are you two dating?”I cleared my throat as I cleaned myself, mind frazzled. What was I supposed to tell her? We’d slept together, and I trusted him more than anyone, but we were nothing more than good friends?God, I’d made everything a complicated disaster with my failing self control.The silence stretched uncomfortably. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, my phone blared from my handbag and I scrambled for it.I’d never been more grateful.“Yes, hello?” I answered, walking a few steps away for privacy.“Celeste, are you out of your mind?” Damien’s panicked voice came through. “How could you kidnap Bonnie from school?!”I cursed myself for not checking the caller ID.“When are you going to learn not to take Vanessa at her word?” I hissed. “She dro
No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty One
Celeste’s POVKeeping my eyes on the road as I drove felt like climbing mount Everest. I kept glancing at the rearview mirror for reassurance that this was real and my daughter was, in fact, sitting in my backseat.Molly gazed at the cars out of the window, content. But Bonnie was consumed with picking at her nails, chewing on the cuticles and leaving her nail beds a torn mess.For someone who spent exuberant amounts of time and money on manicuring her nails, Vanessa had done a poor job of correcting this bad habit.“Hey girls, who wants to listen to some music?” I asked with a smile, hoping to distract Bonnie.Molly bounced in her seat. “Yes, please Auntie Celeste!”My smile faltered as Bonnie shrugged and looked away. At a red traffic light, I quickly found one of her favorite songs and hit play.“Yay! It’s Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!” Molly smiled.“This was one of Bonnie’s favorite songs when she was little.” I said, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.“That song is lam
No Way to Win Me Back Chapter Sixty
Celeste’s POV“I can’t believe I have to pick up this child myself while I’m pregnant!” Vanessa screeched loud enough to reach me from across the parking lot.My eyes narrowed as she strutted to the reading corner.Bonnie stood, carefully folding the cookie in the napkin. The way she brushed the crumbs into her hand like each one was precious made my heart ache. “Hurry up for god’s sake! I don’t have all day.” Vanessa yelled as she waddled toward her.My knuckles turned white from the force with which I held the iron bars. Was this how the bitch treated Bonnie when Damien and I weren’t around? She was lucky this fence was between us.“What’s that?” Vanessa asked, snatching the napkin from Bonnie’s hands.The girl jumped to take it back, yelping as her scabs cracked open.“Look what you did,” Vanessa scolded as she unwrapped the cookie. “And over this? Have some class.”“No! That’s mine!” Bonnie yelled, but it was too late.Vanessa ate the cookie, smirking as my daughter’s face fell.
