All Chapters of When A Quiet Woman Snaps: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I slid into the silver Bentley and drove straight to the private pier.In the passenger seat: a goodbye letter, a pill bottle, and a crumpled ultrasound report. Three tiny heartbeats, clear as day.No one knew I was pregnant.I didn't tell Jackson. To him, I was just another thing to control. He wouldn't care about the babies either.I sat on the bench, sea breeze slicing through me.Shivering, I popped the cap off the bottle and tipped one pill into my palm.Tears hit my barely-there bump."Mommy's such an idiot," I whispered. "I'm sorry, babies."Then—movement. Soft. Real. Like tiny hands knocking from the inside.They were there. They'd been there all along.My eyes snapped open. My hand shook. The pill slipped and hit the ground.A voice in my head: 'Isabella, you can't die. You're not alone anymore.'I ditched the stupid idea and drove back.By the time I pulled up, it was pitch black. Lights on. Jackson's Rolls out front. He was already home.I wiped my face, fixed

Chapter 2

By evening, Jackson dropped me off at my parents' mansion.He leaned in, kissed the corner of my mouth—hard. "Don't embarrass me, baby. Act like a proper lady tonight."The party was supposed to be about Lina going back to Yale for grad school.It was actually just a setup to humiliate me.Yeah, she got into Yale Law—but still clung to Jackson's arm like she was the wife.Smart on paper, shameless in heels.Beaming, she announced, "I'm Jackson's new legal advisor."Exactly what he wanted—someone with a Yale pedigree to prop him up in elite circles like he belonged there.He needed her for offshore accounts, shady wire transfers, and handshake deals in dark corners.They weren't in love. They were using each other—he wanted clout, she wanted power.Our parents had moved to the countryside for "health" reasons. Not a single blood relative showed up.Lina stepped onto the stage in a blood-red off-shoulder gown, soaking up the spotlight. Glass raised."My sister's finally home.

Chapter 3

I was shaking, eyes blurring with tears.Lina smirked. "You'll never have kids, right, Bella? Always so sick and frail... Remember all those surgeries? The doctors warned you—you'd never carry."She leaned in, fake-sweet. "You really think Jackson would waste his future on your broken body? He's a mafia boss, heir to a billion-dollar empire. He needs a legacy, not some orphaned charity case."They all thought I couldn't get pregnant. That's why it was open season.My fingers went numb with rage. Lina, with her usual fake innocence, reached out and took my hand."Don't stress," she purred. "When I give him his first baby, you'll be the first to know. You'll make such a cute aunt."That was it."Lina!"Tears blurred my vision as I ripped my hand away and slapped her.She hit the floor, her scream echoing down the hall."Isabella! You hit me!"Before I could even breathe, I heard his footsteps.Jackson burst in. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"He scooped her up.Lina clun

Chapter 4

Nobody cared I was bleeding. Lina kept up the waterworks while Jackson wrapped her in his arms."You... are you okay, Isabella?" he asked eventually, voice as fake as a soap opera.I backed away, terrified, instinctively shielding my stomach."Isabella... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."Lina's sniffles filled the room. She took a few slow, dramatic steps, sucking all the air out of the space.Jackson's voice turned cold. "Apologize to Lina, and we'll pretend this never happened."Not a request. A verdict.Tears blurred my vision as I stared at him.This man... was this really who I promised forever to?Lina ducked behind him."I didn't mean to make you guys fight," she whispered, like I was the psycho ruining the peace.Then she took off like she was the one who'd been broken. Jackson watched her go—then followed.Right before walking out, he looked back. "You really let me down. Don't wait up. I'm not coming home."His eyes were ice.I stepped outside, only to realize—

Chapter 5

It was almost 3 a.m.After the mess with Lina, I started bleeding. Not a lot, but enough to freak me out.Luckily, a friend at the hospital helped me check in online. The babies were okay—for now. But I was running on fumes, and one more hit might break me.An hour later, the door unlocked.Jackson walked in."Why are you still up?" he frowned.He tossed his jacket over the couch, headed to the bar, poured himself a whiskey. Same old routine."The party sucked. Lina gave me a ride and bounced. You should've left earlier—quit picking fights with her."Still acting.He'd just rolled out of my sister's bed and now stood there like nothing happened.I shot up. The chair crashed behind me.Jackson flinched. "What are you doing?"I didn't answer. Just staggered into the bathroom, stomach twisting, head spinning.I dry heaved over the sink—nothing.Hadn't eaten all day.But I couldn't break down now.Couldn't let him wreck me and the babies again.Like I was drowning, I clung

Chapter 6

Dawn had barely broken when I opened my eyes.I stared at the face I used to love. He slept like nothing had happened—like the lies and betrayal meant nothing.I sat up, palm brushing my barely-there bump. A soft flutter kicked me fully awake.Quietly, I slipped out of bed and started packing. Every move was slow, controlled.Before I left, I turned back for one last look at the man who shattered me, stole my pride, and made me small.Goodbye to the cage I built myself.I whispered to the lives inside me, 'Mommy's got you now.'I caught a cab straight to the hospital where my adoptive mom, Francesca, was staying. She was all I had left—the only one who didn't shut the door when I walked out on that nightmare.The second I stepped into her room, she pulled me in tight. That's when I finally broke—sobbing like a little kid."How could they do this to you, Bella? What did they put you through?""I need to get out. For good." My voice barely held.She didn't even flinch. "Then I

Chapter 7

Jackson's POVSeven months later, just past midnight, the penthouse at Champagne Bay was glowing. I slumped on the leather couch, eyes locked on the photos my guys sent from Italy.Isabella in a baggy charcoal coat, cradling a newborn. Two more tucked in a stroller beside her.She looked pale, but there was this soft, almost-smile on her lips.Three baby girls. All mine. All looked like me.She'd been pregnant and said nothing. Vanished from New York. Gave birth alone, overseas.That pic? Snapped three days after her C-section. Not one call. How the hell did she make it through that?"Jackson, have a drink." Lina leaned into me, silk cami sticking to her skin, perfume heavy, voice dripping sugar.I shoved her off. "Don't fucking touch me."Her eyes iced over. "You've been distant. You think this baby's not yours?""Is it?" I snapped, flipping open my cigarette case. "Lie to me and I'll wipe you out."She opened her mouth—nothing came out. Color drained from her face.A knoc

Chapter 8

Isabella's POVSince landing in this new city, life finally stopped feeling like a car crash in slow-mo. No more drama.Jackson tried hitting me up a few times—mutual friends, random numbers—I shut it all down. Didn't even flinch. Didn't look back.Three years ago, I was set to debut my first solo show in Paris. My mentor had poured a year into it, saving every sketch I'd ever done—even the ones from the orphanage.Then, a month before the show, Jackson stole my portfolio. Wrapped me in his arms like that could soften the blow."Bella, it's not that I don't believe in you. But Lina needs this more. You're my girl—you don't need the spotlight. I'm just protecting you."He sealed my cover with wax and slapped Lina's name on the submission.That night, I sat in my studio holding an empty frame. Didn't move. Didn't blink.After that, I never touched a brush again.After leaving the U.S., I brought Francesca here to heal.I finally started painting again—this time, I signed my own

Chapter 9

One day, I spotted a ghost from my past outside the gallery.Jackson. In the flesh. He looked wrecked—like some washed-up gambler who bet everything and lost.He just stood there, frozen, staring at the sign. Then he saw the girls dash past."They're... ours?" His voice cracked.I nodded. "Yeah. Your daughters."His gaze dropped to the baby in my arms. "And him?""He's mine. And Samuel's.""You remarried..." He staggered back, color draining from his face. "Four kids..."Right then, I watched him break. Totally. Like his whole world just bottomed out."Do you... hate me?" he whispered.I didn't say a word.Right then, Lily—one of my girls—ran up and handed him a crayon drawing. "Mister, is this you?"She pointed to a shadowy figure—chained, crying.Jackson's hands started to shake. His eyes went bloodshot. "How does she even...""Kids feel everything," I said. "Even the stuff you never say out loud."He left that night, wasted and muttering, "She could've lit up the worl

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP