All Chapters of Cheated On, Traded Up: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

The voices around the dinner table kept going. Tori Glover couldn't bear it any longer."Forget the medication," she said. "Three years ago, Jace jumped into the river to take his own life. Julian's father did everything he could to save him, but Jace went berserk and shoved him under the water until he drowned. "Come on, Erica. Anyone who saw that video would think he did it on purpose. It made perfect sense for Julian to sue him for murder."She paused for a bit before continuing in a measured voice, "But to keep Jace out of prison, you deliberately became Julian's legal guardian. Then, you signed a letter of forgiveness behind his back. "Jace walked away scot-free, alright. But Julian was left with severe depression. He's been blaming himself every single day. If he ever finds out the truth, he'll break."Erica Inman frowned in frustration, but her tone was cold and resolute. "Jace didn't do it on purpose. He was drowning! Those movements were unintended. Kenneth died tryin

On the desk, there was an exquisite velvet box that housed a stunning sapphire watch. I knew at a glance that it was a priceless piece that one might not even be able to buy, no matter how much one was willing to pay.I had always loved sapphires because I was drawn to their cool, aloof beauty. But Erica had only ever given me ties and brooches.She always said, "Accessories like brooches are more distinguished. Besides, they make your striking appearance look even more refined."I believed her sweet flattery back then.Instinctively, I took the sapphire watch out of the box to look at it. It was beautiful, dazzling even. The sapphire at the center was about the size of a thumb, surrounded by tiny diamonds that sparkled with every slight movement.I flipped it over and saw the engraving on the back—JS. One name immediately came to my mind… Jace Swenson.My breath caught in my throat, and I felt dizzy. Enduring the searing pain, I fled the prison of love she had built for me.E

The moment Erica heard what the officer said over the phone, she froze for a moment and couldn't react. She rarely showed this kind of response.It was as if she hadn't understood the meaning behind the words, and it took her a long time to process it.She then responded with disbelief, "Suicide? You must be joking! My husband would never kill himself by jumping into a river! Is this some kind of scam call? And what letter of forgiveness? I did write one, but there's no way it ended up in my husband's hands!"The officer on the other end hadn't expected such a response.Still, he calmly repeated the details of the case. "We received a report at around 9:00 pm that someone had jumped into the river. Surveillance footage shows a young man in his 20s wearing a white shirt and jeans. At the scene, we found a suicide note and a pair of shoes he left behind. "After three hours of searching downstream, we recovered the body of your husband…"Erica slammed on the brakes and pulled over

By the time I received the news overseas, the New Year had already come and gone in Crevon.I wasn't dead. From the moment I decided to divorce Erica, I had contacted the agency to stage my death.When I saw the headlines, I merely stared with indifference. I had let go of my love for Erica. Now, I only wanted one thing, and that was to watch them suffer and fall into ruin.Maybe Dad would never get the justice he deserved in a legal sense, but I could still make use of the power of public opinion to make sure those who had wronged me would never have peace.Isoria was frigid all year round. The long nights and cold weather led to a lifestyle that was more isolated and alone. But then, this place suited me perfectly. To adjust more quickly to life here, I enrolled in a language school and began systematically studying Wessic and Isorian.Leaving turned out to be easier than I'd imagined. In fact, I felt lighter and freer.But after news of my "death" broke, the once-composed an

After hearing what I said, Erica stood where she was, stunned and motionless.In the next second, she grabbed my wrist and forced herself into my arms.Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Julian, we can still have a future together. You said you'd love me forever. Let's have a child together. We'll be a small, happy family of three…"Upon hearing that, I couldn't help but laugh."Erica, do you remember what you once said? You said that a child who isn't wanted by their mother shouldn't be born into this world. And now you say you want to have a child with me? "Back when you were secretly switching my antidepressants for sterilization pills, did it ever occur to you that I, as a man, might want a child too? "When you filled your study with page after page of another man's name, did you even stop to think how heartbroken I would be?"If apologies could undo all kinds of damage, then there wouldn't be grudges or suffering in this world.Upon hearing this, Erica's face went ashen.