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Chapter 4

Author: Plaster Head
"Mm." I gave a slight nod, showing no objection.

Leon's shoulders eased slightly as he stepped closer and took my hand. "Let's go home."

"Rachel?" Just as he finished speaking, a woman's voice called from behind.

It was Phoebe, dressed in a flowing white dress. She smiled brightly when she saw me and came over to take my hand.

"What a surprise to run into you here! We're having a celebration later. Would you like to come?" she asked.

Before I could respond, Leon turned her down for me. "She's not going."

The slight furrow in his brow showed that he didn't want me to have much interaction with Phoebe.

I didn't want to cause trouble, either. I was just about to politely decline when the department head, Neil Shapemen, came over. He had just finished speaking to reporters.

He greeted me warmly. "Rachel, you're here? We're heading off to celebrate, join us with Leon!"

As he spoke, he motioned for Leon and me to get into the car. Leon seemed a bit reluctant, but out of respect for Neil, he got in.

Through the window, I saw Phoebe biting her lip, staring at us with an unhappy expression.

…

At the celebration, everyone naturally arranged for me to sit next to Leon.

Before long, Phoebe pushed the door open and entered the room. She sat down at the seat farthest from him.

She had barely taken a seat when a guy recognized her. "Aren't you Phoebe Jones, the dancer? My sister loves you. She watches you on TV all the time!"

Phoebe smiled sweetly, showing her dimples. "Yes, that's me. Leon and I were classmates in high school."

"Wow! I thought Mr. Burton was impressive, but I didn't expect his high school classmate to be just as amazing!" the guy said excitedly.

"By the way," he added curiously, "I heard that you recently got divorced. My sister was so upset. Is it true?"

The question was blunt, but Phoebe wasn't offended. Instead, she admitted it and said, "Yes, I got divorced."

She gave the person a playful wink as she continued, "I came today to see if I might meet someone who's a good match. Everyone here is a scientist serving the country. You're all undoubtedly exceptional."

At her words, Leon looked away silently. His lips pressed into a thin line, and veins bulged on the hand gripping his glass.

I could tell that he was angry.

Phoebe wasn't just beautiful. She had a way with words. Before long, she started drinking with Leon's male colleagues. One glass after another, her cheeks turned red, but she kept drinking and chatting.

Finally, Leon couldn't stay quiet any longer. He stood and walked toward her. Taking the glass from her hand, he said firmly, "That's enough! You can't drink anymore."

Phoebe placed her chin on her hand, her gaze soft and slightly distant as she looked at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.
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  • When Love Ceases   Chapter 10

    Phoebe screamed, "Do you have any idea how much I hate you? You're marrying into a perfect life, so why did you have to steal Leon from me? He loved me first! Why does he think about you every single day? Why?"I kept my voice calm. "That's your own problem. It has nothing to do with me. You should leave now. Or I'm calling the police."I pulled out my phone to dial, but before I could, she lunged at me and knocked me to the floor. My phone flew out of my hand.She grabbed me by the collar, laughing maniacally. "You want to call the cops? You want to scream for help? Too bad. I already cleared everyone out. No one's coming. I'm here to end you today."As she spoke, she pulled a fruit knife from her waistband and thrust it at me. "Die, you bitch—"In a split second, a figure hurled forward and knocked her to the floor. The knife stabbed straight into his shoulder. It was Leon.Phoebe's eyes widened when she saw him. She scrambled to her feet, panic overtaking her. "N-No! This is

  • When Love Ceases   Chapter 9

    So that was how it really was. It all made sense now. If someone truly loved another person, there was no way they would go over five years without seeing them.What was pathetic was that Leon had actually believed it all. He had heard what the man said too, but before he could react, Phoebe clung to his leg again.She pleaded, "Leon, please take me with you. He's going to kill me, I swear—"Before she could finish, he kicked her hard and shouted, "Get off me!"The man looked like he was about to lash out again. However, with just one glance from Nathan, two bodyguards stepped in and pinned him to the ground.Leon turned to me, voice trembling. "Rachel, I made a mistake. I trusted the wrong person. Please, just give me one more chance. I swear I'll treat you right this time."I simply shook my head. "Leon, your chances are over."Then, I reached for Nathan's hand and spoke to him in a gentle voice. "Let's go. The family dinner's about to start."However, Leon still wouldn't giv

  • When Love Ceases   Chapter 8

    By now, many of the extended family members had arrived. When they saw what I was showing Leon, gasps echoed through the room."Oh my goodness! I can't believe Leon cheated during their relationship. No wonder Ms. Bates chose to marry his uncle instead!"The moment the screenshots were shown, Leon's face went pale. He stood frozen, stumbling for words. "Rachel, it's not what you think. Phoebe just had too much to drink last night—""Leon," I cut him off with a sigh. "Stop lying to yourself. I know it's always been Phoebe for you. You even named that asteroid after her, not me. I'm about to get married now. Let's stop dragging this out. Isn't it better for both of us to move on?""No! I can't!" My words seemed to snap something in him. His voice rose with emotion. "We were together for five years, and now you're just ending it like that? I can't accept—"Suddenly, he fell silent and stared at me in shock. "You knew about the asteroid?"I let out a cold laugh. "Did you really think

  • When Love Ceases   Chapter 7

    The entire room erupted in chaos. Camera shutters clicked furiously as reporters rushed to capture the drama.On the surface, Nathan remained calm, but the hand holding mine suddenly tightened. "Leon, what are you trying to say?" he asked.But Leon didn't answer him. Instead, he stepped toward me and tried to grab my hand. However, I quickly stepped back and avoided him. His eyes turned red instantly."Rachel, what's this supposed to mean?" he asked, voice trembling. "Didn't you say you loved me? How could you suddenly agree to marry my uncle?"The tension in the room was growing by the second. Harper quickly rushed forward, pulling Leon by the arm and forcing a smile. "Leon's had too much to drink," she said. "He's not making any sense…"Then, she turned to Nathan and tried to smooth things over. "Nathan, Leon is just confused. You won't hold it against him, right?"Nathan gave her a slight smile. "Of course not."Seeing that he wasn't upset, Harper breathed a sigh of relie

  • When Love Ceases   Chapter 6

    Leon was jolted awake by a phone call. It was his mother, Harper Pearson, reminding him not to forget about Nathan's engagement banquet.He got dressed and glanced at Phoebe sleeping beside him, a deep frown creased his face. After they left the hospital yesterday, they had gotten into an argument. One thing led to another, and the fight ended in bed.He checked his messages to me again. I hadn't replied since he sent that text last night. He knew I wasn't the kind to get upset over something so minor, but still, he called me.After several tries, there was still no answer. Unease settled over him. Phoebe was still fast asleep, and he didn't have the heart to wake her, so he left the hotel alone.When he got home, he immediately noticed the bodyguard standing at the door. The bodyguard gave a slight bow. "Mr. Burton."Leon nodded and, seeing no one inside, turned to ask, "Where's Rachel?"The bodyguard paused for a moment before replying, "Ms. Bates has already returned to Rivell

  • When Love Ceases   Chapter 5

    When Leon stayed silent, Phoebe grabbed an empty glass and began pouring herself more wine.But before she could pour the wine, he snatched the bottle away. She fought back for it and sneered. "Mr. Burton, we're nothing more than old classmates. Don't you think you're being a little too nosy?"I couldn't stand watching them argue anymore, so I got up and headed to the restroom. But just as I passed them, Phoebe suddenly lost her balance. She stumbled backward and dragged me down with her.A shelf behind us toppled over, and a bottle of liquor came crashing down on my abdomen. The sharp and overwhelming pain hit me instantly, and I curled up on the floor, clutching my stomach. However, what I heard next wasn't concern for me. It was Leon's panicked voice shouting, "Phoebe!"Phoebe had fallen hard onto the floor, the wine glass in her hand shattering into pieces. Jagged shards pierced her skin, and blood began to flow freely. She looked up at Leon in a daze, terrified and unsure

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