บททั้งหมดของ No Longer Theirs: The One They Can't Replace: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Joshua and Terence had a simple yet warm birthday celebration with Jessica.Originally, Terence had wanted to go all out, but considering Jessica had just recovered from an illness after returning from medical treatment abroad, they kept it low-key. Instead, they pinky-promised to plan a big surprise for her next year.As night fell, it wasn't until bedtime that Joshua and Terence realized they hadn't heard from Winter all day.Every evening, she would prepare a herbal soup for Joshua, set the bathwater to the perfect temperature, and light his favorite scented candle.She would help Terence brush his teeth, feed him warm milk, and even massage his legs to promote growth, ensuring he would grow tall and strong.But that night, Winter was absent, leaving Gretchen to fill in. She scrambled around like a spinning top being whipped back and forth."Gretchen, is this what you call bathwater? Are you sure it's not water to cook me alive?" Joshua, wrapped in a bathrobe, stood tall at th

The hospital director entered with a bright smile, bypassing Winter and heading straight for Joshua and Jessica. "Mrs. Stroud, please don't worry too much. I personally led our team of experts in examining your son, and he's fine now. He can be discharged after some rest."Jessica flushed when she realized the director had gotten the wrong person, but she didn't immediately correct him. Joshua merely stood there, cold and indifferent. He was about to speak when Winter cut in sharply."Doctor, I'm Terence's mother." She didn't call herself Joshua's wife because in her heart, she was already done with him and his callousness.The atmosphere turned painfully awkward.The director gaped at Winter, who was dressed simply in athletic wear. Then, he glanced at Jessica, who was decked out in designer clothes. His mind buzzed as he hurriedly apologized. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Stroud! Your son is fine, so please don't worry!"Jessica lowered her eyes, pursing her lips as a trace of resentment

Winter's eyes widened in surprise. For five years, she'd planned Joshua's birthdays meticulously, starting a month or two in advance. She would carefully select gifts and hide them deep in the wardrobe for a surprise.Hand-polished tie clips, hand-stitched suits, custom-blended fragrances… But he would barely spare the gifts a glance before stashing them away.Instead, he carried the fountain pen Jessica had given him everywhere—it was engraved with "JSJL", their initials intertwined. He fiddled with it constantly.And in those five years, Winter had never received a single gift from Joshua. Now, on the verge of divorcing him, he'd suddenly changed.Winter stared at the box in her palm, her fingers curling slightly as her long lashes fluttered.Joshua lowered his gaze, looking down at her imperiously. His thin lips curled slightly when he saw the emotion flicker across her delicate face.Women were all the same, after all—especially someone like Winter, who hadn't seen much of th

Winter lowered her eyes. "He doesn't know.""Hah! Joshua Stroud is supposed to be a genius who entered university at 15 and the youngest PhD holder from Halford Business School. All these accolades, yet he's still blind to the truth!" The man's voice was thick with indignation and heartache for Winter's struggles."Win, I know how much you poured into opening the market for Stroud Group's new energy vehicles. The JS9 Mate series you designed became a sell-out the moment it launched, sending Stroud Group's stock soaring. Joshua raked in millions and basked in glory, but he has no idea how much you burned yourself out behind the scenes."You're Nora, the muse of automotive design and a genius in AI. You gave up a brilliant future to cook and clean for him, yet he's messing around with your sister and looking down on you! He needs to take a good look at himself in the mirror and see what a piece of shit he is!""Alright, alright. That's enough." Winter took a deep breath and shook her

Winter's legs ached from crouching for so long, and they trembled at the sound. Even without turning around, she could tell the steady, deliberate footsteps approaching belonged to Joshua.Although they'd been married for five years, Joshua had moved to a separate bedroom after Terence was born. He'd claimed it was to make it easier for her to care for Terence.Countless nights, Winter had stood foolishly at the door, her heart pounding as she'd listened to his footsteps nearing her room, only for him to pass by without a moment's pause.Thinking back on her desperation, she felt like a discarded mistress who yearned day and night for her lover to bestow her with his favor.She was a legend in automotive design and a tech genius, yet she'd become a lovesick fool in this warped marriage. She'd allowed her mood to be constantly swayed by Joshua's every move.It wasn't until Jessica had waltzed into their lives and shown up everywhere with Joshua that Winter had belatedly realized al