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Home / Mafia Short Story / After Reborn, I Divorced the Richest Man / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of After Reborn, I Divorced the Richest Man: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

What's the first thing you'd do if you were reborn?Me? I'd start by divorcing my husband, Finn Gallagher.Yeah, Finn Gallagher, the same man who runs half the underworld from behind closed doors. The Don.The richest man alive. The man women dream about; his face plastered on magazines, named "Sexiest Man Alive" five years in a row.In my last life, I tried everything to make him look at me like I mattered.I married him. I gave birth to his son. I swallowed every ounce of pride, trying to be the perfect wife.However, it didn't work.To him, I was no different than a waitress he might casually tip—forgettable, replaceable, invisible.So this time, I'm not begging. I'm not pretending. I'm handing Madeline Brooks the key to my place in his life, and walking away.She's Finn's first love, and also the shadow that haunted every day of my last life.Now Madeline was sitting opposite to me, blinked at me like she didn't hear me right."You tried so hard to push me out," she said slowly,

Chapter 2

I went straight back to the villa after leaving the café.Big, cold, and quiet as always.Sometimes I wondered why we even needed all these people around, the bodyguards, the maids, the housekeepers. What were they protecting, cleaning, or serving? I was the only one who actually lived here. Occasionally Henry, when he wasn't at school. And Finn? Finn showed up maybe seven days out of the whole damn year. If that.I wandered through the halls, heels echoing against marble floors. I passed the garden I once designed myself, every flower chosen to match Finn's taste. I peeked into his room. The one where I set everything up to make him stay. The room where I tried to trap him with a child.Memories hit me like a punch to the chest. The woman I used to be would've clung to them. But not anymore.I'd already signed the divorce. I had no business staying here.It was time to prepare for leaving.I started packing. Quietly. Until the housekeeper suddenly popped into the room, acting like

Chapter 3

The day Madeline moved in, everything changed. Loud, sudden, and sharp, like a storm tearing through everything I once touched.The first thing she did was to order the maids to redecorate the entire villa. Every wall and every curtain, except my room. She didn't touch that. Maybe out of pity. Or maybe she just didn't care enough.I watched it all happen in silence.The housekeeper, who used to talk down to me like I was a stray, suddenly became her lapdog. His voice was sugar-sweet now."Yes, Ms. Brooks.""Of course, Ms. Brooks.""I'll handle it right away, Ms. Brooks."And Finn just stood behind her the whole time. Cold. Quiet. Watching."All of it," he said, nodding once. "Do whatever Madeline wants."That's all. My peaceful morning was shattered, along with whatever little peace I'd tried to keep for myself.When I stepped out of my room and looked over the second-floor railing, I saw them downstairs: Finn, Madeline, the maids, the furniture movers. I didn't say a word.But Finn

Chapter 4

I was in the laundry room that afternoon, ironing one of Henry's shirts. It was a pale blue button-down, the kind he wore when Madeline took him out to some "important" family dinner, pretending like I didn't exist.The iron hissed against the cotton, smooth and rhythmic. That sound had become the closest thing to peace I had in this house.Until the door slammed open."Hey! What are you doing?" Henry's voice came sharp and loud, his sneakers stomping all over my quiet.I didn't turn. "Ironing your shirt.""That one?" he asked, stepping closer. "That's my favorite! Madeline got it for me."I nodded, pressing the last corner. "Yeah, I figured. You left it crumpled on the floor."He huffed. "Well, don't screw it up."I was about to answer when he suddenly reached for the board, trying to grab the shirt while I was still ironing. The iron slipped. My hand twitched. Before I could stop it, the edge of the iron caught the fabric, and in a blink, a dark, ugly burn bloomed across the chest

Chapter 5

I was sitting at a tiny cafe tucked into the corner of an old alley. Not some big-name spot. Definitely not Finn's Glory Cafe, even though they made the one coffee I actually liked. I didn't want anything that reminded me of him right now. I was poking at a slice of tiramisu, half-eaten, just watching the foam in my cappuccino melt.In my last life, whenever I got the guts to talk to Finn about how I really felt, it was always the same routine. He'd hush me with that look of his, calm me down with a touch on my hand, or drop some expensive gift in front of me like that was supposed to fix everything. And stupid me, I let it every time. Like his approval was the only thing that made me real.Thinking back on all of it now just made me laugh. God, I was pathetic.Then my phone buzzed. It was Finn."Don't forget what this marriage is about, business. Don't expect anything else from me. I'm not like other husbands. I never will be."Yeah, no kidding. Like I didn't already know that.Bu

Chapter 6

My last life didn't have a moment like this, as far as I could remember. But Finn always did the same choice, choosing Madeline over me. Except that last time I didn't survive.When I woke up, everything hurt. My head was pounding, my ribs felt like they were lit on fire, and the fluorescent lights above me made it clear I was in a hospital.No one was sitting beside me. Not a single familiar face, just a doctor with a clipboard and a bored expression.He looked up. "You're awake. That's good news."I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my side."Careful," he added quickly. "You've got a mild concussion and three cracked ribs. Nothing life-threatening. We'll keep you here for a few more days, just to be safe. Though if you're really itching to get out, I can clear you sooner.""Who paid for this?" I croaked out.He flipped a page on his chart. "Someone named Leo. Friend of yours? Husband?"I let out a bitter laugh. "No. Definitely not my husband."He didn't ask any more questions

Chapter 7

I didn't tell my parents where I went. Not because I didn't love them, I just couldn't bear to see the worry in their eyes again. After everything, I knew they'd drop everything to come find me. But I needed space. Space to breathe. Space to heal.So, I left.I packed a few bags, cashed out from the joint accounts under my maiden name.Thankfully, the Carter name still meant something, and I moved to Richmond.The same place where my parents used to take me every spring when I was a little girl. Back then, we'd stay at this tiny family-run inn near a cherry blossom park. We'd eat ice cream on the bench and count how many pink petals landed on our heads. My dad would lift me onto his shoulders when I got tired, and Mom would sing quietly under her breath.This city's different now. Bigger. Colder, maybe. But the air still smells the same in the early morning. A mix of grass, rain, and something sweet, like cinnamon rolls and jasmine. The moment I stepped off the bus, I felt it i

Chapter 8

I'd been running my flower shop in Richmond for almost a month now. Peaceful mornings, quiet streets, the smell of fresh roses and lavender, this was the kind of life I'd always wanted but never had.Garrick and little Cici would drop by now and then. She'd run between the pots, giggling and brushing her tiny fingers over the petals like they were her friends. And Garrick, he always brought this calm, gentle energy with him.Unlike Finn, he didn't try to control the room the second he walked in. I thought I could stay invisible here. Just me, with my flowers, my peace.Then my phone rang. I saw the name and already felt my chest tighten, Dad.I answered with a small sigh. "Hey, Dad."His voice came in sharp and annoyed, like usual."What's going on with you and Finn? He told me he hasn't heard from you in weeks. Jillian, you're a mother. You can't just play these childish games and disappear."There it was. The lecture. Always for Finn's sake, never mine.I bit my tongue, then said

Chapter 9

Ever since I hung up on Finn that night, things went quiet.I didn't hear from him again, not directly anyway. My father was the only one who occasionally called, and each time he did, it was the same damn thing."Jillian, you need to stop acting like a child. Finn's been flying all over the globe handling business."Yeah, right. Handling business. Probably with Madeline perched on his lap while signing off contracts. I didn't say that out loud, though. I just asked calmly, "And how's Madeline doing these days?"Dad sighed like I was the unreasonable one. "You're being ridiculous. She's not his wife. Stop acting jealous over a woman with no legal status in this family."That's when I knew. She was still living in my house. With my son. Like some damn stand-in mother.I didn't ask anything more. I just hung up and focused on what mattered: my flower shop, my peace, and little Cici, who had unknowingly become the highlight of my new life.One afternoon, we were arranging lavender bun

Chapter 10

Madeline never once took Henry to school.Not even on his first day back after the break. Not once. And Finn? He'd been gone for months. Europe, business, the usual. But while he was off playing diplomat with old men in custom suits, things at home were rotting.Henry was slipping. School had already sent two official warnings. He'd been skipping classes, getting into fights, sleeping through tests. The principal even said they'd consider dropping him if it kept up.Nobody helped. Nobody showed up.Madeline didn't care. She'd sleep 'til noon, sip champagne in the garden, then spend the rest of the day scrolling her phone like the world didn't exist. When one of the maids timidly asked her, "Ma'am, should we call the police? Henry hasn't come home all day...", Madeline barely looked up from her damn mirror."Relax," she said, waving her hand like they were talking about a missing sock. "He's probably wandering around, hiding to make a scene. That boy craves drama.""But it's almost

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