INICIAR SESIÓNTonya’s POVI stared at Rachel in disbelief when she called me a gold digger. She had never met me before tonight, yet she spoke about me as though she knew exactly what kind of woman I was. The disgust in her eyes was impossible to miss, and after everything that had happened at the party, I honestly didn’t have the energy to stand there and defend myself to another person.Jael’s face hardened. “Tonya isn’t a gold digger, Mom. She’s my friend.”Rachel scoffed, folding her arms. “Your friend? Since when do you bring your friends home and let them live with you? I’ve known you all your life, Jael. You have never been the type to keep one woman around for this long.”“Mom,” Jael warned.She ignored him and looked at me again. “Why have I never met her before? And what exactly is she doing in your house? Is she one of those numerous women you like to frolic around with?”I clenched my jaw. I had already had enough humiliation for one night, and I wasn’t going to stand there while his mo
Tonya’s POVThe drive back to Jael’s mansion was silent, but it wasn’t the peaceful kind of silence that came when two people were comfortable with each other. This silence was heavy and tense, filling the space between us as I sat beside him with my arms folded tightly across my chest and stared out of the window. The city lights passed by in a blur, but I barely noticed them because my mind kept going back to everything that had happened at the party.Philip’s smug face appeared in my thoughts first, followed by the sound of his voice telling me exactly where Jael was. Then I remembered opening that bathroom door and seeing Jael standing with that woman. I hadn’t even been able to see her face properly because Jael had moved so quickly to block my view, and somehow that made everything worse. After that, he had disappeared for thirty minutes, only to return and drag me away from Adrian as if he had the right to decide who I could speak to. And when we finally got outside, he had tri
Tonya's POVPhilip smirked as he watched my face, and something about that expression made my stomach turn. It was the kind of smile that told me he thought he had won. After everything I had said to Sonia about him being a waste of my time and Jael being better than him, he had finally found something he could use against me. He had planted the image of Jael with another woman inside my head, and now he was standing there, watching carefully, waiting for me to fall apart.I refused to give him that satisfaction.“That still doesn’t make you better than Jael,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady even though my chest felt tight. I looked him directly in the eye and added, “So wipe that stupid look off your face, Philip.”His smirk faded slightly, and his brows pulled together as though he hadn’t expected me to fight back. “Tonya, I’m only telling you the truth,” he said, his voice quieter now, but there was still something irritatingly pleased about the way he looked at me.“Good
Tonya's POV"A party?" I asked, still trying to catch up with what she'd just told me."Yes, ma'am. Mr. Blackwood said you'd be attending with him tonight." She gave me a small, practiced smile, the kind that came from years of not asking questions she didn't want answered."He decided that without asking me?"Her eyes dropped. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I was only told to bring the dress and make sure you were ready."She was gone before I could say anything else, the door clicking shut behind her.Jael was unbelievable. He'd known exactly what kind of week I'd had. He'd known I showed up with nothing but a suitcase and a marriage that had ended in humiliation, and instead of asking what I wanted, he'd simply decided for me. Again.I picked up the dress anyway.It was beautiful. Deep green, the kind of fabric that looked like it would move like water when I walked. I hated that some stubborn part of me was pleased.I put it on and stood in front of the mirror longer than I meant to. It fit l
Tonya’s POV“That’s enough, Mother.”Jael’s voice was calm, but there was a warning in it that made Rachel turn toward him.She looked at her son in disbelief. “Enough? You want me to stand here and watch you bring this woman into our home after everything that has happened? Jael, have you completely lost your mind?”Jael stepped closer to her, his face serious. “I haven’t lost my mind, and I’m not asking for your permission. Tonya is staying here. She has nowhere else to go, and I offered her a place to stay. You will have to learn to live with it.”Rachel’s eyes widened. “You cannot be serious. You know exactly how I feel about her.”“I know,” Jael replied firmly. “And I respect that you’re my mother, but this is my home too, and Tonya is my guest. I won’t stand here and let you make her feel like she has to leave because you don’t approve of her being here.”Rachel’s face tightened with anger. She looked at me for a moment before turning her attention back to him. “You are making a
Tonya’s POVJael’s words hung in the air, and for a moment, nobody moved.Philip stared at him with anger written all over his face, while I stood between them, my heart beating painfully fast. I had never seen Philip look at another man the way he was looking at Jael now.Jael, on the other hand, looked completely calm.His eyes remained fixed on Philip as he spoke in a low, firm voice. “I think you have done enough, Philip. You got your money, you got the divorce you wanted, and you got the woman you have always loved. So back off and leave Tonya alone. From this moment on, I don’t want you calling her, visiting her, or sending anyone to contact her. She has nothing to do with you anymore, and I expect you to respect that.”Philip’s jaw tightened, and he glanced at me before looking back at Jael. “You don’t get to decide that for her. She’s my wife, and whatever happened between us is between me and her. You have no right to come here and act like you own her just because you paid m







