Все главы Ex-husband, I'm No Longer Your Substitute : Глава 1 - Глава 10

Ava’s POV “Today, CEO Williams Anderson formally introduced his first love, the renowned Olivia Thompson, to the company. Are they finally tying the knot now that the famous model has stepped back into the spotlight?”I replayed the news over and over again as my eyes lingered on the television screen. My throat bobbled up and down as I watched the photo being displayed below the news headline. In the picture, my husband, Williams, stood with a strangely familiar woman who had the same eye colour and hair colour as me. His hands were wrapped around her waist in a protective way, while she smiled sweetly at him. A cold shiver ran down my spine as the elegant mask I wore cracked, revealing a storm of disbelief and hurt. A slow burn started in my chest, crawling up my throat like bile. My eyes stung with tears, but I pinched myself to stop the tears from falling. That wasn’t me, even though she looked so much like me— same eyes and hair colour. Who was she? Olivia Thompson? First lo

Ava's POV I woke up to a dull throbbing ache in my head. My body felt heavy and my throat was dry, like I hadn't taken water in days. I blinked against the harsh fluorescent light as my surroundings became clear— I was still at the hospital. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain, like invisible claws raking through soft tissues, shot through my lower abdomen. I winced in pain as my eyes moved down to the dress I wore and widened in shock. There were blood stains on my dress. What the hell happened to me? Why did I feel like something was being torn away from my stomach? Like I had just had a terrible cramp? The door creaked open and a doctor stepped in. He froze when our eyes met. “Mrs. Anderson, you are awake.” He said softly, cautiously. I stared at him, my mind reeling with numerous questions. “What… happened?” My voice was barely above a whisper. He moved closer, his face clouded with sympathy. “Mrs. Anderson, you fainted during the transfusion. We had to run a full scan to e

Ava's POV My breath hitched and my heart raced as William's words reached my ears. He was the last person I wanted to see right now because everything about him now irritated me. I turned around, facing him. He was calm, too calm, his expression blank and unreadable as he stood by the door. “Williams!” I called out, my voice weak and I hated it. “I gave you the chance to be my mistress, Ava. However, you chose the other option, leaving me no choice but to take everything from you.” A smug smile stretched on his lips. Rage blasted through me that my hands became shaky and my breathing became erratic. Everything this asshole was talking about and wanted to take from me had always been mine until I got married to him. Until I foolishly handed everything to him. I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to choose the option of being his mistress. But I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. “Fine!” I said weakly, my voice trembling with unshed tears. I was too tired to

Ava's POV The question rolled off my tongue effortlessly, like I'd done this a million times. Like there was no big deal in what I had just said. I was asking a man I barely knew— a stranger— to marry me for a year, not because I had feelings for him. Never. But because he looked like the perfect tool to exact my vengeance on Williams and Olivia. I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me that he was wealthy. He had a custom black Porsche. He was currently in a Presidential hotel suite that cost several thousand dollars per night. Everything about him screamed wealth! And to top it all, he was single. Since the universe had sent him my way, I wouldn't hesitate to make use of the opportunity. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as his dark grey eyes bore into me. Suddenly, the corners of his lips curled into a sinister smirk, amusement glistening on his face. A cold chill raced down my spine in an instant.There was something about the way he just smirked that made fear crawl over my skin an

Derek's POV They say revenge is best served cold, but when the enemy's ex-wife suddenly showed up with a storm in her eyes asking for a marriage of convenience, you don't ask questions. You just wonder who's pulling the strings? In my own case, Williams is the enemy and Ava had no idea who I really was until now. Her eyes were wide like saucers the moment she heard my full name. Derek Lancaster! The same name she must have heard several times from my step-brother— Williams Anderson. Neither of them knew the face behind that name. I didn't want them to, until I carried out all my plans. However, now, my plans are changing for Ava Smith— the one woman Williams thought he could substitute for the one he loved. When she asked if I could marry her for a year, I knew immediately that the bastard had divorced her because Olivia was back. “You are really Derek Lancaster?” She asked, her tone shaky as confusion clouded her features. I responded with a bob of my head as I leaned back in