All Chapters of The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

"Do you take that long to get dressed?"Billy's toneless, wrathful voice burst out at me. Callum was standing by the doorway of the bedroom, flipping his watch over for the third time. He didn't even glance at me in the mirror where I was sliding between me and the last pin in my hair."I just wished to be correct for this evening," I panted, smoothing the silver evening dress I'd picked hours ago. My hands trembled as I smoothed the material, wishing he'd notice."You could put on a sack and it would make no difference," he growled, tightening his cufflinks. "No one cares about you."My throat closed. "You're married to me. You'll be sitting next to me. They'll be looking at us."That, he actually looked at me in the mirror. His eyes were piercing, bordering on sarcasm. "Don't deceive yourself, Zephyrine. You're here with me only because I was thrust into matrimony. Had Evangeline been ready sooner, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."I remained there. My mouth fell open,

It was quiet on the drive home from my father's house, but not a calm kind of quiet. Callum had insisted on going even though I hadn't wanted to. As his wife, he said, it was my responsibility to stop declining family dinners. It had been painful to be there. Evangeline found every opportunity to talk down at me, and my father's cold gaze never left my face. For the majority of the evening, Callum remained silent, only speaking when my father questioned him about business. I tried to hold back my tears as I gazed out the window of the car. My hands were shaking uncontrollably in my lap, and my chest felt heavy. Callum's grip on the steering wheel was tense, his jaw clenched as if he was biting something back.When we got home, I didn't wait for him. I opened the door and got out quickly, then stepped in. My heels clicked on the floor, too loud in the silent house. My heart pounding with anger, fuming with every step.By the time Callum closed the door, I was already waiting in the l

I spent my first divorce morning in my grandfather's study. The thick drapes were half drawn, letting in a beam of light across the papers piled high on the desk. Grandfather, Edmund Hale, read from a sheet of paper, his glasses low on the bridge of his nose.I shifted in my chair, rolling my hands into fists. My own body remained limp from the hospital, but the child inside me was the only reason I kept going.He set down the paper and looked at me. "Zephyrine." His voice was soft, but it carried with it importance."Yes, Grandfather?"He leaned back in his chair. "The doctor came to see me. You're pregnant."My chest tightened. I looked down at my lap. "Yes. I didn't mean to keep it from you. I just… I wasn't ready to say the words myself."He took a breath, then stood up and moved around the desk. His hand settled lightly on my shoulder. "You are bearing life, my dear. That child—no, those children—are part of my blood as well. And I will not let anyone harm them. Do you hear me?"