All Chapters of Far From Perfection: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

The sound of shattering glass cut through the private lounge, silencing the laughter and noise instantly.Embarrassed, Lewis Carter, the man who had demanded a kiss sneered darkly. "Ethan Graves, what’s this? You get a kiss, but I don’t? What, is Victoria your wife or something?"Victoria Hale glanced at Ethan with pleading, pitiful eyes.The air grew so tense that everyone seemed to hold their breath. After all, everyone knew that Ethan Graves was long since married and famously henpecked.Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ethan didn’t even spare me a glance. He simply reached out and took Victoria’s hand.A quick-witted employee shouted, "Damn, so it’s true? Ms. Hale is your wife? No wonder! It would take a powerhouse like her to land a guy like you."Ethan said nothing. Victoria blushed, leaning shyly against his chest.As the one who’d started all this, Lewis wore a look of disbelief before breaking into loud laughter. "Alright, you sly bastard. Guess you pulled it off. If nob

Chapter 2

I waited at home until midnight before Ethan finally returned.When he opened the door and saw me sitting on the couch, there was neither any trace of guilt on his face nor the urge to explain.Instead, he barked an order, "Run the bath for me. And pour me a cold drink."When I didn’t move, he pressed his fingers to his brow in irritation. "Maya, what little tantrum are you throwing now? I’m exhausted, alright?""Exhausted from drinking? Or from making out with another woman?" My words dripped with sarcasm. "And you still expect me to treat you with respect?"Ethan gave a short, cold laugh. "I’ve already told you, it was business. I was playing along. You’ve been out of work for years; you wouldn’t understand. But even you must see it was because Victoria and I acted the part that Lewis signed the contract so quickly."His words hit me hard, stealing my breath and planting seeds of self-doubt.It was true. At first, Lewis had kept stalling, but the moment he was led to believe E

Chapter 3

I obeyed Ethan’s command and stopped going to the office. It wasn’t only because he dismissed me. Instead, I couldn’t stand Victoria calling my name with that superior air.I wanted her to call me Mrs. Graves.Sadly, Ethan refused to take me anywhere. He claimed that showing up with me now would expose the lie to Lewis and jeopardize the deal.I ordered him not to bring Victoria either and to go alone. However, Ethan only scolded me for being unreasonable. "Who goes to these events without a spouse?"I snapped, "And what about the past few years? Because I was stuck caring for your mother, I never had a chance to go anywhere with you. No one even knows I’m your wife! You didn’t need a spouse back then, so why suddenly now?"At the mention of his mother, something in him snapped. His face twisted with irritation. "Yes, you took care of her, and I’m grateful. But haven’t I provided for you all these years? Food, clothes, shelter… have I ever shorted you? Stop throwing my mother in m

Chapter 4

One of Ethan’s legs was pinned under the fallen chandelier, trapping him in place. Even then, he reached a hand toward me, his voice frantic."Baby, are you alright?"The crushed leg was no illusion. Neither was the raw fear and concern on his face.My mind tangled like a ball of knotted string I couldn’t unravel. At the same time, it felt blank, like an empty page with nothing written.Pain twisted in my stomach, and before I could stop it, I fainted.When I woke again, it was to Victoria’s sneering face. "Well, well. You’ve got the nerve to wake up? Anyone would think you were the one crushed under that chandelier."I opened my mouth, but my throat was so raw that words caught painfully.While I was still clearing it, Ethan’s voice cut in, sharp with anger, "Victoria, is that how you speak to my wife?"I turned my head. He was in a wheelchair with one leg heavily bandaged as a nurse pushed him into the room.Victoria stomped a heel, huffing, "Ethan, I’m only standing up for

Chapter 5

Ethan’s breathing quickened. His throat worked as he forced out, "I’m taking care of you."I rolled my eyes. "You know what I meant. Why abandon Victoria all of a sudden? Why start pretending to care about me?"It took him a long time to answer."To be honest, when I saw you this afternoon, I just felt irritated to death. I wanted you gone. That’s why, when you handed me the divorce papers, I didn’t even think. I just signed."His voice cracked, softer now, "But when you walked away without looking back… my heart clenched. And when that chandelier fell, my body just moved on instinct. You cannot get hurt. You cannot leave me."My tears spilled before I could stop them.Ethan’s eyes went red. He fumbled for tissues, trying to wipe my tears.I caught his wrist and took the tissues myself.He froze, then scrubbed his own face roughly. "Baby, I was wrong about everything. But I swear, it was just business with her. And since my mom passed, seeing you… it just reminded me of her. It

Chapter 6

Ethan hadn’t gone into the office at all. Besides wanting to win me back as well as recovering from his injured leg, he stayed home and got employees to bring him reports directly.To avoid suspicion, he had even reassigned Victoria to another department so she wouldn’t cross paths with him.Of course, Victoria had been desperate to see him and explain herself, but Ethan’s firm stance left her no opening.Until today.She stormed straight into our—no, it was now my—house. Ethan had already moved out after we split everything, tactfully renting the place next door. He said he wanted to court me properly, from the beginning.So when Victoria barged in screaming, Ethan came hobbling in on his crutch, breathless from rushing.He snapped at her, his voice sharp, "Victoria, you’ve crossed the line. An employee has boundaries. Keep this up, and don’t blame me for firing you, no matter how many years you’ve worked for me."Her laugh was hollow and tragic. "Fire me? Fine! Then, what abou

Chapter 7

I had no interest in meddling with Ethan’s mess.My days became simple. I only ate, slept, exercised, and cared for my body.I was still young and rich, and I refused to let my life be cut short.Nevertheless, the gastrointestinal disease clung to me like a shadow. No matter how carefully I ate, pain would flare again and again.This time, I chose not to ignore it or hide it. I decided to consult the hospital about surgery. I already had all my scans on file, so the process was quick. We scheduled the operation for the third day after my divorce would be finalized.I didn’t expect to run into Ethan at the hospital lobby that day. He was hobbling on his injured leg while supporting Victoria with an arm around her.Behind them was the obstetrics and gynecology department.I rolled my eyes and slipped away before they noticed me.Of course, Victoria couldn’t resist showing off. Her sharp eyes caught me. She patted her stomach with smug pride. "Maya, don’t blame Ethan. We’re not ge

Chapter 8

If Victoria wanted to let her child be branded illegitimate and she wanted to be a mistress, why should I stand in her way?Let’s see who could outlast whom.However, Ethan and Victoria must have had underdeveloped brains, because on the day we were supposed to collect the divorce papers, Ethan didn’t show up.His phone was switched off.Instead, Victoria called me, her voice dripping with mockery, "Ethan built this company with his own hands. How can some people be so shameless?"At the courthouse, the staff told me that if my husband didn’t appear, I’d have to wait another full month for a new cooling-off period.I was livid.I stormed straight into the company. Ethan wasn’t there; he was probably hiding from me.Fine. He wasn’t the one I needed anyway.I now held half the company shares. Half of it was mine. If he wouldn’t let me live in peace, then no one was going to have peace.I ordered the finance team to export all transaction records. Then, I went to Ethan’s rented

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