บททั้งหมดของ No Longer His Ugly Wife: บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Lucy’s POV“I always thought you and Tom were happy,” Mom said softly once we were settled in the grand living room.“So did I,” I admitted bitterly. “But clearly…he never was.”She reached over to take my hand just as my father went into the kitchen to grab me a drink of water. I looked up at my dad with a grateful, sad smile. “Thank you.” “If I had tried harder to stop you… I should have done something…”My mother’s voice trailed off, her tearful eyes fixed on the bay window overlooking their one-hundred acres. I was glad that the anger and ‘I told you so’s’ that I’d expected once I returned were kept at a minimum. “Mom, you did everything you could. I was the one who made that decision…and it was a mistake.” My voice cracked. “I’m sorry for not listening.”“Tell us what happened, Lucy. It breaks our hearts to see you like this,” Father said with a heavy sigh.With that gentle invitation, the floodgates opened. I decided to pour out everything about my nightmare of a marriage.“T

Lucy’s POVAfter the confrontation with Tom and Blair, I couldn’t bear to see either of them for another second.“Leave! Get out now!” I screamed, my voice shaking with rage. “This house is mine!”I grabbed a vase and hurled it across the room. Then the lamp. Then anything within reach.Tom glared at with disgust, while Blair let out a startled gasp.Without another word, they stumbled toward the door, and I didn’t stop until it slammed shut behind them.Two hours passed, and I stood there still, frozen in that room, staring at the disheveled bedding that once held my soon-to-be ex and his mistress. The stench of her cloying perfume still stinging my nostrils.I couldn't sleep in that bed anymore, let alone the room. I grabbed most of my things and went to the bedroom downstairs. I wanted to be as far away from that memory as possible.I cried, wondering how I was going to proceed with this situation. Tom wouldn’t give me a divorce unless I gave him a million dollars.But how? Where

Alaric’s POVMy eyes stayed glued to my food, as time ticked by. I counted the minutes till this dinner was over. “You haven’t been home in a long time, Alaric.” The low rumble of my father’s voice cut through the still silence of our tension-filled dinner on the veranda of the luxurious Kingsley villa. “I’v been busy with work, interviews, deadlines…I don’t have much time for visits.” I replied, my tone flat and disinterested.I could feel his gaze boring into me as I picked over the food on my plate. I’d always seem to lose my appetite whenever I was around him.The silence grew suffocating until I finally looked up. In those steely gray eyes, I saw a mirror of myself—the same sharp jaw set in tension, the same hooded stare weighed down by unspoken burdens. “You could make time.” he countered with an entitled air.“Like you once said-it’s not easy to drop the reins for the menial things in life?” I retorted, reminding him of his past philosophies.The scowl newly displayed on my

Lucy’s POVThe Grand Starry Hotel-it wasn’t just luxurious, it was extravagant-a golden opulent, sumptuous shock to the system. Amanda and I walked in, immediately stunned by the lavish decor that shimmered beneath towering ceilings; my family’s grandiose villa was greatly understated in comparison.It was a stark reminder of the life I’d left behind with my family.“This is hella swanky,” she gasped with a grin. “Come on, let’s get to work. Maybe we can wander around and explore a bit before we leave.”I’m sure that was ideal for Amanda, but it certainly wasn’t for me. I responded with a simple nod and we moved to arrange our deserts; a delicate array of macarons, mini fruit tarts, chocolate strawberries, mini cheesecake, and more. As we started to prepare we noticed the bristling traffic of celebrities that were in attendance.At first I’d hoped that no one would notice me, but then I remembered how unrecognizable I was compared to the thin, shapely heiress years ago.While I wasn

Alaric’s POVAs I ripped away my ruined clothes, and changed into my new suit, the fury in me only seemed to grow.Years had passed and Lucy didn't even recognize who I was...did she?She certainly didn't seem to. But I recognized her. Almost the moment I laid eyes on her. And she had changed—so much that it caught me off guard.Her once luscious, strawberry curls were pulled back in a dehydrated ponytail, a few wisps hanging from the sides. The ill-fitting uniform clung to a frame that where once was curvaceous and beautifully taken care of was fat and sloppy. She’d completely let herself go. It was laughable.And all I could think about was that time in our lives that placed us right in this moment.It’s been three years. Over Three years since she'd ripped my carefully constructed world apart-a world that while I didn't ask for, I was all too ready to accept for her. Three years since she'd stood defiantly against our families, against our arranged future together-against me, to c