All Chapters of Built Like Karma: The Plus Size Girl's Guide to Comeuppance : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Jalen’s POVAs I get home, I take a deep breath and step inside. The place is quiet and empty.And yeah, I’m sad about that part. It’s lonely as hell, not having anyone around.But at the same time, I’m relieved.Because Talia’s not here.And that means I can finally breathe, think, be sane in my own damn house. So yeah, I’m okay.I was thinking, how did I end up with Talia? I’ve dated just about every kind of woman there is, from the high-end socialites with money and class to the ones who work at Burger King just trying to get by. I’ve been with women who had everything and women who had nothing, big and small, short and tall, but none of them, I mean none of them, ever made me feel what Aria makes me feel.She’s my one.My two and three, and I need all of her.And right now, I’m missing my one.I don’t know how to function without her. Sure, I go to work every day, do my job like I’m supposed to, I show up for my family when they need me, but something’s off. Something’s missing.I

Jalen’s POVBy the time Wednesday rolls around, I’m back to my usual routine.The first thing I do like clockwork, is send my good morning text to Aria.Even if she’s dating someone else, I still have to keep my foot in the door.The house is quiet. Peaceful with no Talia stomping around, no fake apologies, no tension.She hasn’t called, hasn’t texted, hasn’t done a damn thing. And honestly, that’s fine by me.I go through my morning workout, shower, suit, and breakfast. As I’m finishing my coffee, and check my email from Michael asking me to come into the office and what time I should be there. He says he’s got new information, and I can tell from the tone of his message that it’s big. So I plan to stop by his office before heading to work.On the drive over, my phone lights up again and it's Aria.> Hey, your wife texted our company saying we can’t move forward with the contract. She claims she’s a shareholder and all shareholders have to agree before anything can be signed.I stare

Jalen’s POV Walking back down the corridor toward Conference Room A, I see a group that stops me cold, damn it's Leonard Kingston and his two man crew standing with his team as they walk into Conference Room B. I let a low whistle slip out. Of course, Aria’s pulling in some big players. Of course. My dad’s at the door, eyes taking them in like the old shark he is. “Son, you see who that is?” he asks. “Yeah,” I say. “We definitely need to link up. That’s some serious wealth right there.” He nods. “Maybe Patrick can talk to Aria and she can help us and introduce us to them.” I chuckle. “Say less.” Small bunch wraps, lawyers gather their folders, the signature parade finishes. We all stand, shake hands, move toward the exit. My dad asks casually, “So what did you need to talk to Aria about?” “Nothing personal,” I lie. “Just confirming who actually holds controlling interest before we move forward.” We pile into the black SUV, the driver closes the doors like it’s ceremonial.

​Jalen’s POV ​Saturday morning, I wake up with a shot of adrenaline already running through me. No coffee, no alarm, just that natural jolt that hits when your soul knows today’s gonna be different. Today, I’m seeing my woman, and I’m going to treat her exactly how she deserves to be treated. Not like some prop in my fantasy, not like a damn afterthought, but like the treasure she is. That woman’s been through enough, and I’m done watching her settle for anything less than the way she should be loved. ​I swing my legs out of bed, stretch, and drag myself into the bathroom. The shower’s running hot, steam rising, and I just stand there a second, letting it roll off my back, thinking about how she looked the last time I saw her. My cock started to twitch, and I quickly shook my head, got myself together: lined up the beard, brushed my teeth, hit the face cream, sprayed some Versace pour Homme cologne, the whole routine. I throw on a gray jogger set, my best sneakers, and spray

Explicit Scenes Ahead Jalen’s POV ​I chuckle when I saw her looking through the snacks I brought. The first thing she grabbed which was not a surprise was the Garrett Popcorn Chicago mix. She scooted back on her pillows with the TV remote. I grabbed the pack of Twizzlers and settled in next to her. ​"So, what are we watching, ma'am?" I asked. ​"Let's go down the Jordan Peele rabbit hole and start with Get Out," she replied. ​I chuckled and said, "Okay, not really a scary movie, but more of a psychological thriller." ​She hit play and used the remote to turn off the lights. ​By the time Chris was strapped to the chair, learning about his fate and going to the Sunken Place, Aria had scooted closer to me. She was now lying down, not really eating. When the movie ended, and she rolled off the bed. ​"Where are you going?" I asked. ​"I want to clean off the bed and get under the covers for the next movie Us," she said. "It's a lot scarier than Get Out." ​I chuckled a