All Chapters of After the last "I do": Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I was the one who was supposed to be consoled, yet here I was, trying to make sure everyone else was okay. My chest felt heavy, like something was dragging me down. I had joined the others again, and the grave was already covered. Seeing the last trace of my mom disappear under the earth broke me all over again.I burst into tears.The sound of my sobs felt too loud against the whispers of the crowd. My knees buckled, and I dropped lower, not caring that the hem of my dress touched the mud. I pressed my palm into the ground like I could still touch her through it, like I could hold her back from being gone forever. My dress was stained, but I didn’t care.The pain of knowing all my mom ever wanted was love stabbed at my heart. All she ever wanted was to be loved by the only man she gave her heart to, her first love, her everything.And right here, that same man stood holding another woman, one who already had a son almost my age.The sight was unbearable.I cried uncontrollably, my

I stood frozen with the file still in my hands. My fingers trembled as though the papers carried a pulse of their own.My heart beat wildly, and my eyes burned with tears that refused to stop flowing. Who could it be? Who had murdered my mother? The questions circled in my head, tightening my chest until breathing became almost impossible.Tears rolled freely down my face as I walked back into the hall, trying not to look suspicious. Everyone else was busy leaving, exchanging hugs and handshakes.To them, it was simply another burial. To me, it was a war just beginning.Aria suddenly came up beside me. Her eyes softened, her voice was low. “Are you okay?” she asked.I hesitated. For a moment, I wanted to hand her the file, to cry on her shoulder and share this heavy truth. But then Aria have been occupied trying to please me and show me how sorry she was for sleeping with Liam.I remembered the way Aria looked at him all through the day, though she tried hard to hide it.She wanted him

Damian had used me to get to Chris. He took my phone to pick that call and he did it on purpose, knowing Chris would hear me begging for a kiss. He seduced me only so Chris could listen.The thought made my chest tighten and my stomach twist. I was burning inside. Anger gripped me like fire racing through my veins. I ran my fingers roughly through my hair, tugging at it until my scalp hurt. I rattled in frustration, pacing my room like a caged animal.I felt like exploding, like screaming until my voice vanished, but I couldn’t. He was still my boss, and as much as I wanted to spit my rage in his face, I couldn’t risk it. He had the power to crush me, and he knew it. That made me feel smaller, like nothing but a pawn on his chessboard.My phone started ringing. Aria. I stared at the screen, letting it vibrate over and over again without touching it. I couldn’t bear to talk to anyone. My throat was clogged with unshed tears, my heart with disappointment.All the little hopes I had buil

I paced around my room, my chest heavy, my mind restless.I had called her countless times already. The phone just kept ringing. She wasn’t picking.“She really left?” I muttered under my breath. My hand raked through my hair, tugging at it out of frustration.Each second that passed without her answer felt like someone was tightening a rope around my throat.With panic boiling inside me, I dialed Agnes.She picked on the second ring. “Good day, sir,” she said in that calm, steady tone of hers.“Yes, Agnes. Where is Rachel?” I demanded.There was a pause. “I have no idea, sir. Let me try and get a hold of her.”I exhaled hard, my jaw clenching. “Do that.”I ended the call and threw the phone on the bed.I sat down, but I couldn’t keep still. I stood again, pacing like a madman. Was I waiting for Agnes to call back? Or waiting for Rachel to return on her own? I didn’t even know anymore.“What kind of staff leaves the house unannounced?” I growled to myself.My hands gripped my hair aga

I rushed to the middle of them immediately, my body trembling as if I was running into a fire. My hands stretched out, trying to keep space between the two men who looked like they could kill each other with their eyes alone.“What is going on?” I asked, my voice shaky, my eyes darting from Chris to Damian. My chest rose and fell quickly, and I knew I had that worried look all over my face.Chris was the first to speak. His jaw tightened, his fists clenched by his side. “This man,” he said through gritted teeth, nodding toward Damian, “should not be here, Rachel. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”Damian’s lips curved, not into a smile but into something darker. He stood tall, his shoulders broad, his face calm but his eyes blazing. He took one step forward, his gaze never leaving Chris.“ You act like you know me”Chris let out a sharp laugh, though there was no humor in it. “I know enough. Enough to keep Rachel away from you.” He shifted his stance closer to me, as though shield