All Chapters of Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

In the third year of her marriage, on the day Caleb Hampton's older brother died, Sydney Wilson asked for a divorce.Caleb frowned in confusion. "All because I took a slap for Penny?"'Penny. How affectionately he said her name,' Sydney thought.The truth was, Penelope Monroe was his sister-in-law.Sydney smiled coldly. "Yeah. That's why."Could a single slap really shatter a marriage? The red mark on Caleb's face that night was hard to ignore. He had shielded Penelope so openly that even the Hampton family had been stunned. Only Sydney had not flinched.Three days earlier, on their wedding anniversary…Sydney had planned a surprise trip and taken a late-night flight to the city where Caleb worked. Instead of a warm reunion, she overheard him chatting with two friends."Caleb, man, I gotta say it. Running off every year on your anniversary? That's cold. Sydney's been nothing but good to you."Caleb, usually composed and gentlemanly, looked weary. "You think I want this? If I d

The next morning, Sydney woke naturally, her internal clock working as usual. She pulled open the curtains and found the world outside buried in white.The forecast hadn't said a word about snow. Yet this wasn't some light dusting—it was a full-on storm. Even through the glass, she could feel the cold.She changed into a knit dress and had just started washing up when loud noises echoed through the hallway. They were jarring. If she didn't know better, she might've thought a demolition crew had shown up."Nancy, what's going on—" Sydney twisted her hair into a loose knot and opened the door, stopping short mid-sentence.It wasn't a crew. It looked like an invading army had torn through the place. The pristine house was in ruins. Throw pillows that belonged on the downstairs sofa sat by her door, stained with dark brown gunk. A porcelain vase had rolled across the floor and shattered.The one-million-dollar oil painting in the hallway was ruined.It was chaos.Nancy trailed after

When Caleb took the gift box from her, he felt something brush his chest. It was quick and light but sharp enough to catch his breath. It did not exactly hurt, yet it made breathing slightly more difficult.The bow on the box had been tied with painstaking care. It showed how much effort she had invested and how long she had planned this gift. Meanwhile, he was a complete bastard, harboring selfish, shameful thoughts.Before Caleb could speak, Sydney had already moved to the entryway. She slipped on a beige wool coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck, her delicate oval face mostly hidden. Only her dark, clear eyes remained visible.Then she left, but her stride seemed off.Caleb was about to ask what was wrong when Penelope gasped beside him. "Ahh! That hurts…"He immediately focused on her and helped her sit down. "Are your knees still that bad? Let me take you to the hospital.""I don't want to go." She bit her lip and glanced at the box in his hands, muttering, "And you say

Upon hearing her calm, matter-of-fact tone, something sharp jabbed Caleb's chest. He frowned. "Why are you suddenly throwing it away? Didn't you treasure that wedding dress?"Sydney did not deny it. For three years, she had kept a spot in the closet just for that dress. Each year, she had it professionally cleaned and preserved. She had treasured it because she believed people married only once in a lifetime, and a wedding dress was something to keep.But now, they were divorcing. Knowing Caleb would likely bring his new love into this house soon after, that dress, like her, had become redundant.Sydney gave a faint smile. "It's ruined. I noticed the other day it has a huge tear.""Even so, you can't just toss it like that." Caleb studied her forced smile, assuming she could not bear to part with it. "Tell you what—I'll have someone from the boutique take a look. Maybe it can be repaired.""Don't bother." Sydney shook her head and met his eyes. "Some things, once broken, can't be

Nancy ignored Timothy's crying and focused on Sydney's face. "Ms. Wilson, are you alright? You know how nasty the Internet can be. Those photos could be fake. Just wait for Mr. Hampton to come home and talk to him in person."Sydney hummed softly, spooned her stew, and took slow, careful sips. Real or not, it didn't matter. She had seen it all with her own eyes last night. There was nothing left to ask.Only then did Nancy notice the swelling around her eyes. After a brief pause, she turned and went upstairs to call the Hampton residence."Yes, Madam. Ms. Wilson probably saw the news already. She skipped lunch, and her eyes are swollen from crying," she reported.…No one at the Hampton residence had been following celebrity gossip. But once the news reached them, chaos erupted.The younger brother and the widowed sister-in-law? What kind of scandal was that? How was the family supposed to face society now?Dorothy popped two heart pills, but they didn't help. Furious, she faint