All Chapters of A New Beginning: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

“Tess, go and get Claire some clothes.”James Tennant, my husband, sat shirtless on the bed, lighting a cigarette as he ordered me around.Clothes were scattered all over the floor, evidence of what had happened the night before. I stood still, not moving, and simply glanced at him.Wrapped in a blanket, Claire Fisher beamed at me. “Mr. Tennant, isn’t this a little inappropriate? After all, she’s Mrs. Tennant.”She said “Mrs. Tennant” so casually, without a shred of guilt. Instead, her tone carried nothing but pride and provocation.The blanket slipped down her shoulder as she moved, revealing skin covered in red marks.“Besides, I doubt Mrs. Tennant has anything in her closet that would fit me.”With that, Claire deliberately pressed her upper body against James’s arm, giggling. “She’s nothing like me. Ha!”Expressionless, I turned and walked toward the door.“Tess! I was talking to you!” His voice came from behind, laced with irritation.I paused for a second but didn’t loo

Chapter 2

James nodded. “I’ll take you there in a bit.”Claire smirked proudly, then turned her gaze on me. With obvious provocation, she said, “Why don’t you come along too?”I understood exactly what she was doing. She just wanted to humiliate me.“No thanks, I have things to do.”Suddenly, James frowned and said coldly, “You’re coming too. I don’t like repeating myself.”I knew better than to defy him at that moment, so I simply lowered my voice and agreed.Seven more days were all I had to endure. Then, this would all be over.James had rented out an upscale boutique, leaving only the three of us inside. He stood close beside Claire, his eyes never leaving her.In a tone I had never once heard directed at me, he said softly, “This one looks good. Try it on.”Claire giggled as she took the dress, her voice sweet and coy. “How did you know I wear a 36E?”Then, she lifted her eyes, glancing at me with a look that seemed like she was challenging me.The sales associate quickly rushed

Chapter 3

He scooped Claire into his arms and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll take you to the hospital.”Leaning against his chest, Claire cried pitifully, “Will it leave a scar? How am I supposed to face anyone after this?”“It won’t. I’ll take you to the best doctor right away.” He comforted her in a low voice and walked out without a single glance back, leaving me behind, battered and covered in blood.I forced myself to endure the pain as I went to the private hospital I usually visited.Just as the doctor was about to clean my wounds, James rushed in and pulled away the anesthesiologist.“Quick! Claire’s in so much pain. Get her some anesthesia immediately!”“But this lady–”It was only then that James seemed to notice me. He frowned and was about to speak when I said calmly, “It’s fine. Go ahead.”The doctor hesitated but eventually followed him out the door.I turned to the other doctor beside me. “Just remove the glass shards.”The doctor froze. “But without anesthesia, it’ll hur

Chapter 4

After landing at the airport, I pushed my suitcase toward the exit. A tall, charming-looking young man was standing at the pickup area, holding a sign with my name. His smile was bright and genuine.“Miss Griffin, I’m here to pick you up. The company sent me. My name’s Liam Conroy. I’m just an intern.”He quickly took my suitcase from me, glancing at me with curiosity.“Wow, I didn’t expect you to be so young! I thought tech experts were usually older.”I smiled faintly but didn’t bother to explain. His energy and straightforwardness reminded me of my college self—the old version of me who was once full of passion and ambition.When we got to the parking lot, my phone finally caught a signal. The moment it powered on, it buzzed nonstop.I glanced down. My entire screen was filled with messages from James. Without opening a single one, I calmly deleted them all.Liam placed my luggage in the trunk, then looked back at me with a smile. “Miss Griffin, that’s a lot of calls. Do you

Chapter 5

Maybe he had never been treated like that before, but slowly, the calls stopped. The messages also went silent. At last, I could start adjusting to a new life.At first, it felt strange being in an unfamiliar place and a brand-new job all by myself. However, little by little, I realized I could actually find joy in it.Life began to feel meaningful and purposeful again. The part of me that had been suppressed for years was finally breaking free. Sometimes, though, my thoughts would drift back to the past, to those unforgettable moments that had carved themselves into my heart.Whenever those emotions surfaced, Liam was quick to notice. He always found excuses to make me laugh, or he would drag me into trying something new and exciting. Gradually, I began to adapt. I stopped letting the past hold me down.One day, the woman I considered my second mother, Ms. Grey—the director of the orphanage—phoned me.Her voice was still as gentle as ever. “Tess, how have you been lately?”“I’m

Chapter 6

I hesitated for a moment before clicking the link. In it were countless gossip posts about James and Claire.The headlines were more outrageous than the ones before.“James Tennant and Claire Fisher—Wedding Bells Soon?”“Claire Fisher to Become the Future Mrs. Tennant?”There were also clips of Claire giving sly, suggestive answers in public.When asked if she was dating James, she simply smiled and said, “Anything’s possible.”Her vague hints only fueled the rumors further. What surprised me most was that James never once denied them. His silence was taken as agreement, and the public quickly bought into their so-called “love story.”After reading them, I felt nothing but exhaustion. Claire’s intentions were obvious. She was paving the way for herself, trying to claim the position of “Mrs. Tennant.” It was also her way of flaunting and provoking me.However, what I couldn’t understand was why these things were still coming to me, even after I had left.I didn’t want to care a

Chapter 7

“At the time, I was too cold and too full of myself. Now, I realize you’re the one who’s truly worth cherishing.”I looked at him coldly, saying nothing.He sighed, seeming a little lost, and continued, “I’ve taken care of everything from the past. Claire isn’t a problem anymore. I hope… you’ll give me a chance to start over.”I raised an eyebrow slightly, my tone indifferent as I asked, “Start over?”“Yes.” He nodded eagerly.“If you like your work now, you can stay abroad. But if you want to come back, I can help you start a company and do whatever you want. I just hope…”He paused, then added, “We never had a proper wedding. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll throw a grand wedding and make sure everyone knows you exist. This time, everything is up to you.”He sounded sincere and desperate, but to me, it was absurd. I didn’t even want to listen anymore, so I turned to leave.He reached out to stop me. “Tess, listen–”At that moment, Liam walked by and immediately stepped in betwee

Chapter 8

His persistence left me feeling helpless, but there was nothing I could do to stop him, so I just went along with it.One day, Liam had to leave work early because of something at home. I told him not to worry and to get home safely.“But Miss Griffin, if I leave early, who will take you home?”“It’s fine. I’ve been living here long enough to know my way around. Don’t worry,” I replied.He hesitated for a moment, but since he had pressing matters, he didn’t argue further.After work, I walked home alone. The setting sun painted the city streets in a warm, red glow.Suddenly, a voice called out behind me. “Tess!”It sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it immediately. Hence, I stopped and turned around. The sunset’s rays hit my face, making me squint.The figure hurried toward me, and as they got closer, the blurry outline became clear. To my surprise, it was Claire. She looked nothing like the glamorous, confident woman I remembered. Her hair was messy, her face pale, and d

Chapter 9

Her words were all over the place, clearly showing she had completely lost control.I knew I couldn’t confront someone who had lost their mind head-on, so the only option was to keep her calm.“Claire, calm down,” I said softly, trying to make my voice sound as gentle and harmless as possible. “I know you’re upset, but put down the knife and we can talk this through.”She sneered instead, gripping the knife even tighter. Her eyes burned with an uncontrollable madness.“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. Today is the day you die!”With that, she lunged at me with the knife.My heart skipped a beat. I instinctively stepped back, but she forced me into a corner with no way out.Just as the knife was about to strike, a figure suddenly leapt in, shielding me. The blade, carried by its momentum, slashed hard across the person’s arm.I heard a muffled grunt and looked up, only to see James standing there in front of me. His face was pale, and cold sweat was running down hi

Chapter 10

“Let’s just treat the past seven years as a mistake. Now, let both of us move on.”This time, he didn’t argue.The doctor began stitching, and he no longer mentioned refusing anesthesia. He lay quietly on the hospital bed. There was a melancholic look in his eyes, as if he finally understood that there was no going back.When the stitching was done, he let out a soft sigh. He looked at me, his voice low and hoarse.“Tess, you’re right. I never truly understood what you wanted. I’m sorry, and thank you.”He finally exited with dignity, and I, too, finally ended this endless tug-of-war, ready to restart my own life.A year later, I returned home. My first stop was to visit the orphanage and Ms. Grey. The orphanage was just as warm as I remembered. Laughter and playful shouts from the children echoed the yard.When she saw me, her smile was gentle and kind. “Tess, it’s good to have you back.”We sat on the wooden chairs in the courtyard and caught up.I told her about my work abr

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