“Those are divorce papers. Sign it,” He instructed, his voice cold as usual. I stared at the papers in shock and despite knowing the answer, I still asked. “Why?” “Because you aren't needed. I married you only because my father made it the only way to inherit his properties. I wasn't going to allow my hard work to go to the snake that is my younger brother and now that I've inherited almost everything, you're not needed.” “That is all I was?” I inquired knowing fully well his answer would hurt me but he didn't bother giving me an answer. “You'll be paid for your years as my bed warmer—” Bed warmer? “—and the moment my lawyer receives the signed document, you'll have the money sent to your card. In addition, you can stay here for an extra month.” I smiled through gritted teeth. “Fine. A hundred and thirty thousand grand is all I need.” “You can get more.” “I need just the amount I specified and don't worry, I'll sign right now. Just send the money now,” I told him before signing the document and handing it to him. *** After Shawna ends her loveless marriage she finds out that she's pregnant for her ex-husband. Now she has to figure out how to take care of herself, her kids, and her sick mother. When Damien comes back into her life and is willing to share her burden and take care of her. Will she forgive him and come back to him after everything he has put her through?
Lihat lebih banyakSHAWNA
When I thought of marriage, my eyes would light up as I imagined being in bed with my husband, giggling as he whispered sweet words of affection to me. I had looked forward to cooking with him and having food fights every time we did. A sad smile settled on my face as I stared at the ceiling. “How naive I was,” I muttered, my voice breaking. If I had been told I'd be married at age twenty-two, I'd surely believe that but I wouldn't have believed my marriage would be loveless and the complete opposite of all that I had imagined. With a sigh, I sat up in bed. It had been two years since I got married yet it was still the same so thinking about it and regretting it was pointless. I gently got out of bed and sat back down because of how sore I was between my legs and a scowl settled on my face. “Even if he doesn't like me, can't he at least be gentle,” I muttered, frustrated because I was almost always sore anytime I had sex with my husband. As though he heard me, the door to the bathroom swung open and Damien, my husband, strutted out in loose pants and a shirt that had the two top buttons unbuttoned. One wouldn't know we'd just had sex with how clean and cold he looked. Even without a smile on his face, he still looks handsome. I mentally slapped myself at my thought before standing up, holding the duvet to my body so I wouldn't be bare before him. Despite him seeing me naked multiple times, I still wasn't comfortable around him. “Wait,” I blocked his path as he walked towards the door, freezing when his hatred-filled eyes locked mine. Taking a deep breath, I smiled softly. “Please stay the night,” I started to say to him. “We've—” Without waiting for me to complete my sentence, he shoved me aside and resumed his journey to the door, not sparing me a word as he left the room and slammed the door behind him. “It's not like I wasn't expecting it,” I muttered to myself as I blinked back the tears in her eyes. Dropping the duvet, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and a teardrop rolled down my face. I wrapped my arms around my body as the tears rolled down in torrents. I felt like a low-level prostitute that didn't deserve pay. That was what I was, not a wife. Looking to the edge of the bed, my eyes landed on the red heels and black dress I had prepared for that night on the floor. The outfit was carefully selected so he'd at least desire me but I doubt he had noticed it and even if he did, he didn't care. “Wife to the wealthiest billionaire,” I recalled the headline to one of the many articles on us. “Everyone wants to be me. I wonder what they'd think when they find out what it's really like.” It wasn't his fault and perhaps that was the reason why I couldn't hate him. The only person I could blame was myself and my family. As the eldest son and the CEO of the largest food company in America, Damien has several rivals and enemies including his younger brother, Kyle. Out of jealousy and a desire to be the heir to the company, Kyle had drugged Damien and paid my family to send me to his bed. I hated the offer but agreed because my mother needed the money for her treatment and despite my wealthy background, my relationship with my family wasn't the best; I knew they wouldn't help me with my mum's treatment without getting something in return. I didn't know he had been drugged by his brother and if I had known, I can't say that I wouldn't have accepted the money. All I wanted was to save my mother. It was supposed to be a one-night stand—that is what I was told but later I discovered that it was a set-up for Damien and to keep his position as the heir, he had been instructed by his father to get married to me. Despite all his efforts to change his father's mind and prove his innocence, he had to marry me and I couldn't refuse either because my mother was still in the hospital plus I had put him in that mess. I got married to him even when I knew he didn't love me. Despite knowing he hated me more than he hated his brother because I had separated him from the woman he loved, I still married him. For a while, I also hated myself but learned to forgive myself. I doubted he ever will but deep down, I hoped he did. To others, he acted like the perfect husband but when he was alone with me, he was a cold-hearted demon. He had never raised his hand or voice against me but he was cold and distant. The only time he came close to me was when he wanted to have sex and immediately afterwards, he left for his room. Even that was because his father wanted grandkids yet we hadn't had children despite it being two years. I stepped into the shower. “You were damn naive, Shawna,” I muttered. I had assumed if I was a good wife who was kind, caring, and patient, we would be a couple who'd grow to love each other but that didn't happen. No matter what I did, he wasn't moved and I had given up on trying. Just as I stepped out of the shower, my phone rang and my heart skipped two beats when I saw it was the nurse in charge of my mother calling her. “Is my mum okay?” I immediately asked. “It’s not your mum but it's way worse than that, Shawna and you need to come down here.” My face fell. “Don't tell me it's…” I trailed off feeling anger coursing through me. If it wasn't my mom, it could only be one person. “Yes, it's her.”PHOEBE“What’s going on, Phoebe?” my dad asked the moment we stepped into my office.I blinked, confused. My parents stood near the window with worried expressions. My stomach turned. What were they doing here?“Why didn’t you tell us anything?” my mom added, arms crossed tightly like she was holding herself together.“Tell you what?” I asked carefully, closing the door behind me.“About you and Ramon,” Dad said. “His uncle told us you two are having problems. That you’re... fighting.”I sighed. Of course. Richard.“I’m fine,” I said, walking around them to my desk, pretending to look for something. Anything. Just so I wouldn’t have to meet their eyes. “There’s nothing going on.”“Don’t lie to us,” Mom said sharply. “We’re your parents.”“Exactly,” I snapped. “Which is why I don’t want to talk about it right now.”“You should’ve told us!” Dad shouted. “We shouldn’t have to hear it from someone else!”I turned, my hands shaking a little. “Told you what? That I’m figuring things out? Th
RAMONI walked into the house, tossing my keys on the console table and kicking off my shoes. I was tired. The day had been long and dragging, and all I wanted was a cold drink and a hot shower.But then I saw the extra teacups on the coffee table. Two of them. Not ours.I paused and frowned. “Uncle Richard?” I called out.He was in the kitchen, swirling a drink in his glass like he always did when he was pretending to be deep in thought.“Yeah?” he replied without looking at me.I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “Did we have visitors?”He nodded and took a sip from his glass. “Mhm. Phoebe’s parents came by.”I blinked. “What?”“Yeah,” he said like it was no big deal. “They were just here. Not long ago.”“You didn’t tell me they were coming,” I said quickly.“I didn’t know they were. They just showed up. I entertained them.”“What did they say?” I asked, already uneasy.“They seemed surprised to hear you and Phoebe are having problems,” he said with a shrug.I
PHOEBEI walked out of my office, curious about the sudden noise and murmurs coming from the main hall. The moment I stepped out, my eyes caught her immediately. She was standing by the entrance, like she owned the place. Her long, straight hair fell perfectly over her shoulders. The bold red lipstick she wore made her lips stand out sharply, and the short red dress hugged her figure in a way that screamed for attention.But what shocked me most was that she wasn’t on the guest list. I hadn’t invited her. Yet here she was, standing confidently, watching me as if I were the one intruding in her world.I stopped right there, my heart skipping a beat. Then I narrowed my eyes, feeling a rush of irritation mixed with caution. Slowly, I took a step toward her.“Excuse me,” I said sharply, my voice cold and steady. “What are you doing here?”She turned to face me, a slow, smug smile spreading across her face. “You must be Phoebe.”“And you are?” I asked, keeping my tone firm, not letting her
SHAWNARichard nodded, calm as ever. Too calm. Like he’d just said, the weather was cloudy.“Yes,” he replied, his tone flat. “It happened a long time ago.”I blinked, my mouth slightly open, trying to process what I’d just heard. My eyes moved back to the photo like it would explain more if I stared hard enough. My stomach tightened.“Oh my God,” I whispered. “That’s... that’s awful. Who was it?”Richard didn’t answer right away. He looked at me for a brief second, just enough for me to catch something in his eyes, maybe hesitation or a flicker of discomfort. Then he looked away, standing up slowly and walking back toward the couch.“Doesn’t matter now,” he muttered, sitting down and leaning back like we’d just been talking about the weather or some minor inconvenience.My husband leaned forward, clearly just as thrown off as I was.“Come on, Richard. It matters. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t be telling us.”Richard shrugged, his eyes on the floor. “I just thought you should know.”I st
SHAWNA“I’m worried about Phoebe.”Damien rubbed his eyes and sat up a little, the room dimly lit by the moonlight slipping through the curtains. “She said she was just tired.”I shook my head, tugging the blanket tighter around my shoulders. “No. Something’s not right. She’s been quiet. She didn’t even argue with the boys this morning. That girl could be in a boxing ring with them most days, and today… nothing. Her eyes looked swollen. Like she cried all night.”Damien sighed, glancing at the doorway as if he could somehow see down the hall to Phoebe’s room. “You think something happened with Ramon?”“I know it did,” I whispered. “She won’t say it, but I can feel it. It’s in her silence, in how slow she moved today. She wouldn’t even touch her breakfast. And you saw her face…flat, no spark. She’s not just tired, Damien. She’s hurting.”He nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “Maybe they fought.”“Maybe,” I said, then paused. “But what kind of fight makes her cry all night and pretend like ev
PHOEBEMy phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. Over and over again, the screen lit up beside my plate as I tried to focus on my breakfast. I didn’t even have to check, I already knew who it was.Ramon.The buzzing felt like it was shaking the table itself, each vibration louder than the last.“Seriously, Phoebe,” Jasper groaned from across the table. “Can you tell your boyfriend to chill? We’re trying to eat here.”“Yeah,” Billy added, stabbing at his pancakes like they offended him. “The constant buzzing is killing my appetite.”I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even look up. I just stared at the food on my plate…eggs, toast, a few slices of fruit. It looked fine, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat.“Phoebe,” my dad’s voice cut in, calm but firm. He set his fork and knife down with a soft clink and gave me that serious dad look. “No phones at the table.”I let out a tiny sigh and nodded. “Sorry.”I reached for the phone and slid it into my bag, the buzzing still going even as I zipped it up. I
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