All Chapters of Built Like Karma: The Plus Size Girl's Guide to Comeuppance : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Jalen’s POVPresent Day Thursday Morning, 7:00 AMI wake up late, way pass my 6 AM alarm. It’s been one of those weeks where I’ve barely managed to get a workout in, so I finally drag myself out of bed, throwing on some shorts and a t-shirt. Thank God Talia stayed in the guest room last night. If she’d been in my bed, I would’ve kicked her out the second I opened my eyes.Did I ever add her to my properties? No. Why? Her trust fund is worth more than double mine. Plus, we have a prenuptial agreement. Even the embryos are off limits unless the lawyers sign off on it, along with both of us and everything’s notarized.I head to my personal gym and get my workout in. I know I don't have to go into the office today, so I extend the session longer than usual. Afterward, I take a long, hot shower. But of course, my mind can’t help but wander to Aria, her moans, her cries, her mouth on me, her tongue, her kisses, and how her pussy felt as it clenched around me.Instantly, I’m hard. I grab th

Jalen’s POV – Present Day 12:49 PMI knew Talia was gonna act up. I fucking felt it. And deep down, I knew this was just the start.After breakfast, I sat at my desk, in my home office going over notes on the Bright Initiative Group for next weeks meeting, writing down key points for later. When I finally looked at the time and saw it was past noon with no Talia in sight, I could feel my patience thinning.Kira, bless her for knowing how this woman operates, must’ve sensed it too because she made lunch for us both. I sat down, unwrapped my corned beef and mustard on rye, and called the bane of my existence.“Hey. The jet is fueled and ready. Takeoff’s at 2 PM. Where the fuck are you?” I said, biting into my sandwich.“I told you, Jalen, I couldn’t get an appointment with Dr. Katz until today. You know I have to look my best,” she replied like she was doing me a favor.“Talia… who in their right mind gets Botox the day before an event?” I scoffed, chewing.“Me,” she mumbled. “I have a

Jalen’s POVThe ride to the Super 8 felt like a blur. Talia and her little minion got out first, the driver helping her wrangle one of her oversized suitcases. I stayed put, staring straight ahead, but my mind wasn’t anywhere near this parking lot.It was still in that Allmart beauty aisle.Still watching Aria and how she’d moved, how she’d laughed.God… she’s a bombshell now. No more than that. She’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. Her full lips. That laugh? It was like a ripple of something warm I hadn’t felt in years.And tomorrow, I have to see her again.With this woman, this constant reminder of every mistake I made.I couldn’t stop replaying it all. How I’d brushed off Aria’s real feelings back then. How I’d convinced myself that sleeping with Talia didn’t mean anything because, in my head, it was just sex. No emotion. No connection.But for Aria… it meant something.And the last words she’d thrown at me still cut deep: Why would I want a man like you?At the time, I

Jalen’s POVFlashback – Three years ago“Sir, are you okay? Sir?”“I....I don’t know,” I groaned, my side twisting in pain. It felt like fire spreading inside me.“You might need to lie down,” Teresa, my assistant, said, voice high with panic.I doubled over, clutching my abdomen, nausea rolling through me until I vomited on the floor. She knelt beside me, fumbling for her phone. “Yes, this is an emergency. I need an ambulance. Now.”Within the hour, I was prepped for surgery. Ruptured appendix. The pain blurred into anesthesia into a haze of monitors and voices.When I came to in recovery, Dr. Carr was standing over me. “Hi, Mr. Todd. You had a bad infection, but we caught it in time. You’re going to be fine.”“Thank you,” I mumbled, still groggy, my body heavy as stone.Then heels. Sharp, confident. A rhythm I knew too well. Talia.I closed my eyes again, pretending the anesthesia hadn’t worn off.“Hey nurse,” she said, her tone casual, almost bored. “When will he wake up?”“In the

Jalen’s POV “Hey, there’s Kendall,” I said to Talia, nodding toward my frat brother across the room.Her eyes followed mine, scanning the crowd until they landed on the woman standing next to him. Her jaw dropped.“Fuck, Jalen. That’s Camille Eubanks. The Camille. Number one supermodel in the damn world.”I smirked. “Yeah, and Kendall’s wife. Come on, let’s say hi.”“Wait,” she hissed, yanking at her dress and fussing with her hair. “Let me fix myself. I’m not meeting a supermodel looking basic.”I sighed and waited while she adjusted every thread like she was about to step on a runway. Finally, she gave me a dramatic little nod. “Okay. Ready.”We walked over, and I caught Kendall’s face the second he saw me. He was glad to see me, but the moment his eyes flicked to Talia, the warmth shifted. That disgust was hard to miss.“Hey, man, long time no see,” I said, clapping him on the back.“Jay, it’s been at least a year,” Kendall said with his easy grin. “You remember my wife, Camille?”