Chapter 1

My father had suddenly suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the emergency room. I anxiously waited outside the operating room and trembled as I called my fiancé, Heath Summers.I was hoping he would come to the hospital and stay with me. But before I could even speak, Heath interrupted me."Naomi, you finally decided to call me. Don't take what I said to heart. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, will you?" On the other end of the line, Heath kept repeating Naomi Wright's name over and over.I felt like the blood in my veins had frozen.In the past, whenever Heath and I argued or gave each other the silent treatment, he never apologized—it was always me swallowing my pride to make amends.I had thought his refusal to apologize was simply a matter of pride, a stubbornness he could never overcome. It turned out that he was only prideful when he was dealing with me.I had no time to dwell on the hurt or to think about our relationship. My mind was consumed by the image of my fathe

Chapter 2

I had arranged my father's funeral without inviting anyone from Heath's side. After the funeral, I threw myself back into work without missing a beat.Life as a working professional left me with no room for grief. No matter how much pain I felt, I had to keep going and get my job done.Still in my mourning clothes, I had just reached my desk when my boss, Castiel Sartori, handed me a stack of documents."This is a collaboration project with Summers Corp. There's no room for mistakes. Do a good job, and the manager position will be within reach.""Understood," I responded as I took the documents. This particular project was a partnership with Heath's company to develop Hunsberg. The land at Hunsberg was worth billions. It seemed Castiel wasn't just making empty promises. If my team could complete this project successfully, I really could be looking at a promotion and a raise.Upon noticing my all-black attire, Castiel uncharacteristically asked a personal question. "Did someone i

Chapter 3

My team and I worked for an entire month before finally submitting our proposal. During the meeting, Castiel had openly praised our work. "This proposal is thorough, meticulous, and highly forward-thinking."However, when the proposal was handed over to Heath's side, he found endless faults with it. "This proposal needs further discussion. Have your team lead come to our office."Even so, I knew his nitpicking was clearly intentional. Castiel had volunteered to accompany me, and I gave him a grateful look.Yet when we arrived at Heath's company and he saw Castiel with me, his brow furrowed deeply. "I specifically asked for Penelope to come alone. Mr. Sartori, why are you here?""I didn't feel comfortable letting Penelope come by herself," Castiel replied with a gentle smile. "I have more experience. If there's anything to discuss, feel free to direct your questions to me."Heath let out a derisive laugh. "If you don't trust Penelope, why assign her the proposal in the first place?

Chapter 4

When I returned to the office, I went straight to Castiel and said, "You should assign this project to someone else. Heath and I have unresolved issues, and he'll never approve my proposal.""I understand," Castiel replied. "I'll hand the project over to Naomi, but I won't forget your contributions. Your team's proposal was excellent. I'll assign you another project."Hearing Naomi's name made me feel a little disoriented. I then remembered that Naomi was pregnant, with a fragile condition prone to miscarriages.For her sake, I suggested, "Maybe you shouldn't give it to Naomi. She's—"Before I could finish, Naomi walked in and interrupted me. "I'll handle the project. Don't worry, Mr. Sartori.""But you—" I started to protest. The words "you're pregnant" didn't manage to escape my lips before Naomi shot me a warning glance. "Penelope, since you've stepped away from this project, you have no say in who it's assigned to, do you?"Well, there went my good intentions. "Fine," I rep

Chapter 5

The next morning, when I woke up, Castiel looked at me with concern. "No matter how much you care about the project, you shouldn't push yourself this hard."You ended up with alcohol poisoning and a stomach bleed. The doctor said if it had been any later, it might've been too late to save you."His words sent a chill down my spine.Castiel tried to reassure me. "But your efforts paid off. James agreed to build the plaza and mall in the economic development zone."I let out a sigh of relief. "As long as the project moves forward, then I suppose it was worth it."Picking up a bowl of oatmeal, Castiel smiled and said, "Here, open up. I'll feed you."I laughed at his gesture. "I'm not crippled." I reached for the bowl, but he pulled it away playfully.Castiel then teased, "You've always worked like a mule on my projects. Today, I'm the one working for you."It was rare to see my usually stern boss show such a lively side, so I didn't refuse. One mouthful at a time, I finished the b

Chapter 6

Heath grabbed my hand anxiously. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"I yanked my hand away. "I called you the night my father was critically ill. Do you remember what you said? You kept calling Naomi's name while begging for her forgiveness."The morning my father passed away? You were at Naomi's prenatal checkup. When you saw me at the hospital, you didn't even ask why I was there. You just told me to stop being unreasonable."Heath's eyes turned bloodshot. "I'm sorry, Penelope. I truly didn't know about your father…"I cut him off. "Enough. It's all in the past. There's nothing between us anymore. Even if I plan to start a relationship with Castiel, it's none of your business. Please don't interfere in my life again.""I won't allow it!" Heath cried as tears streamed down his face. "You're mine, Penelope! You've loved me for seven years and cared for me in every possible way. I can't live without you. How can you be so heartless and abandon me?""That morning when I

Chapter 7

Naomi lay on the hospital bed, and her husband, River Lawson, arrived from out of town shortly after. "Naomi, are you okay?" River asked gently as he stroked her cheek with care.Naomi responded with a venomous smile. "River, the child you've been longing for is gone again.""It's okay," River said with a forced smile. "As long as you're fine, that's all that matters. We're still young. There will be more chances for us to have children.""There won't be any more chances," Naomi said with disdain. "Do you know why I miscarried the last two times? "It's because I purposely ate food that would cause a miscarriage. The thought of giving birth to a rapist's child made me sick to my stomach.""Naomi, you—" River was utterly shocked.Naomi pressed on, "Every time we did it, I imagined you were Heath. That was the only way to stop me from throwing up."River's chest heaved as his breathing grew erratic. After a long pause, he broke into tears and said, "Naomi, our first time wasn't me

All Chapters of When He's by Her Side: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7