All Chapters of Love Trials: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Damn, Darren's got his girl on lock.""Seriously. A catch like Carrie as his soulmate, plus an obsessed girlfriend? Dude's living the dream.""Yo Darren, drop the game—how do you train 'em so good?"The laughter that followed was rowdy and indulgent. Darren Finch, grinning smugly, pulled Carrie Specter closer by the shoulder. The two stood intimately side by side.At a glance, they looked like the couple about to get engaged.Meanwhile, I—the actual girlfriend—stood there soaking wet amid the glitzy crowd, looking nothing short of pathetic.I was already unwell, and after half an hour in the ocean, my body was on the verge of collapse.Carrie smiled sweetly and said, "Seeing how hard you're willing to fight for Darren, I can finally hand him over to you with peace of mind."I let out a laugh. My head spun, but I forced myself forward a step, steadying my gaze on her."Are you his mother? What gives you the right to say that to me?"Carrie froze, caught off guard. The conte

Chapter 2

Orphan.The word pricked lightly at my heart, like a thorn. But it no longer stirred much inside me.Darren didn't know yet—my biological parents had found me years ago. They lived abroad, successful in their careers, with a comfortable life. They'd been waiting for me to return.The only reason I'd stayed behind, cleaning up the wreckage of the Finch family, was to repay my debt to Darren's father, who had raised me for ten years.I promised him I would keep the Finch Corporation steady, and keep a watchful eye on Darren. Until the day he could stand on his own, or until he found someone truly dependable.After his father's death, I exhausted myself filling the holes left in the company. I endured Darren's arrogance and whims, endured the petty humiliations he engineered with Carrie just to spite me.But now… I was tired. And I had done enough."Darren, just leave.""Paula! You dare kick me out? Don't forget, this house—"Darren was shaking with rage."This house was bought

Chapter 3

Darren's brows knit together, his voice laced with open irritation."Paula, what are you standing there for? Carrie already apologized. What more do you want? Come sit down and talk this through."He patted the empty seat beside him, as if doing me a favor.I drew in a deep breath, forcing down the emotions rising in my chest, and replied evenly, "I didn't come here to hear an apology. I came to hand over the Finch Corporation's affairs."From the briefcase at my side, I pulled out a neatly organized set of documents and resignation I had written long ago. I placed them on the table."These are the financial reports from the past three years, the contracts for all active projects, and the company's strategic plan for the next twelve months. And this is my letter of resignation. As of today, I will no longer be involved in Finch Corporation's operations."Darren, take care of it as you see fit."The moment my words fell, the room fell into stunned silence.All eyes turned toward

Chapter 4

I made one last trip home and took with me a box that had long been gathering dust.It was filled with letters.They were from a pen pal I'd met online during my first year living with the Finch family.Back then, I was living under someone else's roof. I was sensitive, withdrawn, and deeply insecure.My pen pal was a boy I had never met, whose warm and thoughtful words gradually melted the chill of my loneliness.We exchanged letters for an entire year, sharing everything—our happiness, sorrow, frustrations, and hopes.Until one day, I noticed a familiar envelope on Darren's desk.The handwriting was unmistakable.Stunned and overjoyed, I ran to ask him about it.He hesitated for a moment, then admitted, somewhat awkwardly, that he was the one behind the letters. That he had been "Skyler."He said he only wanted to watch over me silently, to encourage me from the shadows.And I believed him.From that moment on, something shifted in me. Gratitude became dependence. Depen

Chapter 5

Before Darren could respond, I hung up. Then I turned off my phone.The plane began to taxi. A deep, thunderous rumble filled the cabin.I closed my eyes and let the faint sense of weightlessness wash over me as the aircraft lifted into the sky.Ten years of entanglement—resolved in a single moment.Back in the private room of the club, silence fell like a curtain.Darren stood frozen, clutching his phone, the color drained from his face. All that remained was a pale, dazed expression.Paula was gone. Really gone.Not only had she left—she'd uncovered the secret he'd buried for ten years.That lie about the pen pal was the most shameful product of his adolescence: a mix of vanity and jealousy.Back then, he had envied the boy who called himself "Skyler," and the way he so effortlessly earned Paula's trust and affection. So Darren intercepted the letters and assumed the boy's identity.He thought no one would ever find out.He thought Paula would remain in the dark forever, l

Chapter 6

After Paula left, Darren's life became a waking nightmare.He tried everything to get in touch with her, pulling every string he had, calling in favors from every contact in his circle.But her phone remained off. Her social media accounts had all been deleted.He turned to her friends, pleading with them to help him reach her.But they either refused outright or gave him a cold, distant answer."Let it go, Darren. She's really done this time.""We all saw how you treated her. Why bother now?""Let her go. And maybe… let yourself go too."Their words doused the last ember of hope in him.Only then did he realize—between him and Paula, most people had been on her side all along.It was only her patience, her endless compromises, that had kept the peace.Now that she was gone, it felt as if the entire world had vanished with her.Darren shut himself indoors, his days consumed by despair and alcohol. He spiraled into a mess of rage and grief.That was when Carrie came knockin

Chapter 7

Meanwhile, in a foreign land far from home, I began a new chapter of my life.After returning to my birth parents, I finally experienced a warmth I had never known before.They were filled with remorse for the years we'd lost, and did everything they could to make up for it. Their love came without condition, their support unwavering. For the first time in my life, my long-wandering heart found a place to rest.I adjusted quickly to the new environment and took over part of the family business.Thanks to everything I'd learned at Finch Corporation, I demonstrated an unexpected talent—and resolve—for business.Within just six months, I had successfully expanded our operations throughout the Asia-Pacific region, earning widespread recognition for my results.I was no longer that girl who lived under someone else's roof, forced to watch her words and swallow her pride.I had reclaimed my light and rebuilt myself from the ground up. I was new, through and through.From time to time

Chapter 8

My voice was distant and cold, stripped of all emotion.Darren froze, clearly unprepared for such indifference."Paula… how can you be like this to me?"His eyes reddened. "We… we've been together for ten years.""Ten years of what exactly?" I let out a quiet laugh, as if he'd told a joke. "You mean the ten years you spent stringing me along? Or the ten years you treated me like a backup plan?"Darren, stop lying to yourself. There was never real love between us. Only your constant taking—and my stupidity."I didn't wait for his reply. I stepped around him, opened the car door, and got in.Darren, unwilling to give up, rushed to the window and began pounding on the glass."Paula! Don't go! Please, just hear me out! I love you! I've always loved you! I was immature before—I was wrong! Please, give me another chance!"Rain streamed down his face, blurring with what might've been tears. He looked utterly broken. But I started the engine and drove off without hesitation.In the r

Chapter 9

A few days later, Aokyle City held a grand charity gala for the business elite. My parents had received an invitation, and I attended with them as a representative of our family.The venue brimmed with nearly every prominent figure in Aokyle City's social and commercial circles.I was exchanging pleasantries with a few seasoned business leaders when I caught a glimpse—just out of the corner of my eye—of an uninvited guest.Darren.I had no idea how he managed to get in, but somehow, he had.He wore an outdated suit that clearly didn't belong in a room like this. His face was stretched into a forced, ingratiating smile, trying—and failing—to conceal his exhaustion.But the desperation in his eyes, the look of someone betting everything on one last chance, was unmistakable.He walked directly toward me, drawing curious glances from the surrounding guests.Those who knew us began murmuring, their eyes darting between us.I frowned slightly but kept a polite smile on my face, cont

Chapter 10

I rose slowly and looked down at him from above."Darren, enough with the pitiful act. You never truly loved me. What you loved was the Paula who obeyed your every word, who cleaned up your messes, who fed your ego and made you feel important."But that Paula—she died the night you and Carrie humiliated her, drowned in the cold sea."The woman standing before you now has nothing to do with you. Or with the Finch family. As for forgiveness?"I let out a faint, unbothered smile."You don't deserve it."With that, I turned away, linked arms with my parents, and walked calmly through the room under a sea of complicated stares.Behind me came the sound of Darren breaking down completely—his anguished cries echoing through the ballroom, blending with the rising tide of murmurs and whispers.I knew then that from this night onward, both Darren and Carrie would be finished in Aokyle City's social circles. Their reputations were in ruins. There would be no coming back.After the gala,

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP