Chapter 1

That day marked the second anniversary of my marriage to Theodore Jenkins. It was also the first anniversary of his relationship with Janice Schaeffer.Janice was Theodore's assistant—a fresh college graduate exuding youthful energy. She was exactly the kind of woman Theodore liked. From our first year of marriage, she had been by his side, accompanying him to various events and functions.Some uninformed friends had even addressed her as Mrs. Jenkins. Gradually, her presence beside him grew more frequent. It was as if she had completely replaced my existence.I first met her on Theodore's birthday. I had been in the kitchen, as usual, making a cake for the occasion. As soon as the oven chimed, signaling that the cake was ready, I felt the world around me shift.When I regained consciousness, I found myself standing in the middle of traffic. My white pants were covered in mud, and my bare feet were cut by glass. In a panic, I rushed to the hospital for a full examination.The doct

Chapter 2

Theodore rushed out of the meeting room when he heard the commotion. He barely glanced at my blood-stained clothes before hurrying to Janice's side, checking her over repeatedly. The glass had left a small cut on her calf, with a faint line of blood visible.Theodore tenderly wiped the wound with his handkerchief, his eyes full of concern. He asked softly, "Does it hurt?" Janice blinked her tear-filled eyes and shook her head pitifully. The barely noticeable cut had somehow turned into a dramatic scene of heartbreak and concern between them.I could not help but laugh, drawing Theodore's attention. When his eyes met mine, the tenderness he had for Janice turned into cold indifference."Charlotte Bailey, did you hurt her?" he demanded icily.I raised an eyebrow and nodded mockingly. "She deserved it."Before Theodore could respond, Janice burst out, saying, "I'm just pursuing the man I love. What did I do to deserve this? Theo, am I not allowed to love you?" She had transformed

Chapter 3

The clatter of dishes echoed in the kitchen, waking me up. I rubbed my throbbing head and went to investigate, only to find Theodore in the kitchen. He had not been home in a long time because he had a new home with Janice, leaving me alone in this house.Theodore stood at the stove, wearing an apron, skillfully chopping vegetables as if nothing had changed. Noticing my gaze, he smiled and came over to ruffle my hair, saying, "Go wash up. Dinner's almost ready."I saw the love in his eyes and slapped his hand away, letting out a derisive laugh. "Theodore, stop acting."It was sickening to watch someone so familiar yet so distant pretend to be in love. He looked at his reddened hand, and his smile slowly faded. As I passed the refrigerator, I caught my reflection and stared at the bandage on my forehead in confusion. Looking back at the dining table, I saw the cake covered in candles.Although it was slightly damaged, I recognized it immediately. It was the one I had taken to his

Chapter 4

The photo featured Janice and Theodore together. Everyone was saying that she would soon become Mrs. Jenkins, and it marked the first time Theodore had publicly posted about a woman other than me.The post quickly went viral on Twitter, reaching the top of the trending topics with thousands of shares. Theodore was handsome and wealthy, while Janice was sweet and innocent. They seemed like a good match.While online users swooned over their relationship, someone soon dug up my existence. Shortly after, my own Twitter was flooded with comments, all seeking the "truth". It was clear that they were hoping for some messy drama—a showdown between the wife and the mistress.However, it was simply a mistress who could never officially take my place and a cheating man who would not leave his wife. There was not much more to stir up. That was until a live interview completely shattered this peaceful facade.The event had been hosted by one of Theodore's business partners. I had not wanted to

Chapter 5

I brought a bottle of whiskey and a box of smoked beef brisket to the cemetery. Dad's happiest moments were always when he came home from working in the fields and had a drink. Back then, we could not afford fancy snacks such as brisket. So, he would only treat himself to some peanuts. I used to joke with him, saying that one day I would make enough money to buy him truckloads of briskets. Now that I finally had the money, he was no longer here with me.I sat before his headstone, poured myself a drink, and downed it in one go while mumbling, "Dad, I ended up marrying Theodore anyway."I continued bitterly, "But he turned out to be such a bastard and a liar! He promised that he'd love me and stay by my side..."As I spoke, I broke down in tears. "Dad, even your little dolls couldn't bring us luck..."At that thought, I suddenly lifted my head, hastily wiped away my tears, and ran away from the cemetery. I realized that my wooden doll was still at Theodore's place.Dad was a humb

Chapter 6

I found myself trapped in a stark white void. I wanted to leave but could not find an exit, so I just kept walking aimlessly. Then, I heard Theodore's voice. He was crying and pleading with me not to leave him."I finally got you back, and now you're going to abandon me again? Charlotte, please just open your eyes and look at me!" He was still the same crybaby as before. I wanted to comfort him, but I could not speak.A moment later, I heard someone else speak. "Mr. Jenkins, I'm sorry, but we've done everything we can. Ms. Bailey originally had three months left to live. However, her emotional distress has caused the diffuse cancer cells to spread throughout her body. You need to make a decision soon."I heard something crash to the floor, followed by Theodore's angry shouts. "You're a bunch of useless doctors! I hope it's your wife who dies! I have money! I'll definitely find a way to cure her!"After that day, I kept hearing different voices. They all ended in sighs, and thei

Chapter 7

Ivan remained by my side constantly, only leaving to use the bathroom. He said he wanted to take care of me in Dad's place, but this was becoming too much.One day, while he went to pay the hospital bills, I snuck out of my room. As I walked along the hospital paths, I felt the sunlight generously warm my skin. It felt wonderful.Suddenly, a stranger called out to me. "Charlotte, what are you doing here?"I turned around and looked at him in confusion. "Do I... know you?"The man's face was contorted with grief as he struggled to hold back his tears. "Charlotte... It's me... Theodore Jenkins."I jerked my hand back as if I had been shocked. I forced a smile as I joked, "I know. I was just messing with you."However, his expression did not lighten up. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back toward my room. I did not resist since I could not remember where my room was anyway.As soon as we entered, he took a deep breath and solemnly asked, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that you we

All Chapters of Bitten by Reality: No Time for Regrets: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7