All Chapters of Old Promises, New Rings: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

After my fiance left me standing alone at the altar for the 23rd time because of his foster sister, I finally decided to leave. The moment I sent a message to Clement Halloway, my phone rang. "Rina, did he hurt you again? Stay put. I'll go teach that scumbag a lesson right now!"Before I could answer, Jace Larkin emerged from the study. I hurriedly muttered that it was nothing and hung up on Clement.Jace's brows drew together. "Who were you talking to just now?""It was just a telemarketer."He didn't buy it and insisted on checking my phone. Fortunately, he didn't recognize the number. After seeing the unfamiliar digits, he relaxed.That was typical of him. He never loved me, but he knew exactly how to keep me under his thumb.His demeanor immediately softened. He sat beside me, twirling my hair around his fingers. Having been with him for seven years, I knew that whenever he felt guilty, he couldn't help these small, telltale gestures."I shouldn't have left you again today

Chapter 2

Jace still hadn't come home at midnight. He had lied to me again.I didn't feel sad this time, and I stopped flooding him with messages.Since I was about to leave, I slept even more soundly than usual. …The following day, I woke up and started packing first thing in the morning. I stuffed all the gifts Jace had ever given me into a torn bag and dumped it in the trash downstairs.Before leaving, there was one last thing I had to do. I dialed the number I'd called countless times. "I'd like to cancel my wedding. You no longer have to prepare anything."The wedding planner knew how much I had been looking forward to it and only canceled after confirming it with me several times. At some point, Jace had appeared at the doorway. "What did you cancel?" Celine was standing beside him.I was about to come up with an excuse, but he didn't give me the chance. "Forget it. Cece's the one who matters now."His tone left no room for argument, and when he talked about what had happened

Chapter 3

The following day, Jace left for work, leaving Celine and me alone at home. The air was thick with tension.I was calling my assistant to confirm my schedule for the evening when Celine waddled over with one hand on her back. "Don't think your little act of obedience yesterday will make Jay like you!"I looked up at her. As soon as she met my eyes, it was like a switch had been flipped inside her. "Mrs. Larkin was right yesterday. The baby in my belly is Jay's!" Right after saying that, she arched her back a little to make her belly stand out. I received a message from my assistant. "The flight will be delayed because of the rain."My brows knitted. Celine mistook it as me reacting to her words and raised her chin. "You've been with Jay for seven years and still haven't had a child. Is it because you don't want one?"Covering her mouth, she giggled. "You probably don't know this, but every time he's in bed with me, he says that you're so dull, like a dead fish, and I excite him

Chapter 4

Because there was still a wedding to finalize, Jace messaged me, yet he didn't get a response. When he returned home and didn't see me, he finally realized that everything in my room was gone. He questioned his assistant, who stammered, "M-Ms. Hollis seems to have taken a flight to Germaine."Jace raked his hands through his hair in agitation. "That's impossible! She loves me too much to just leave without a word. Besides, she severed ties with her family because of me. How could she possibly go back?" He pulled out his phone and fired a barrage of calls at me, but he received the same message every time. My phone had been turned off.When he couldn't get through to me, he continued to text me. "Rina, did you run off to Germaine because you're mad at me?""Let's just make up, alright? I'll spend more time with you from now on. I even bought the baby's breath flowers you love so much.""Please come back as soon as you see this message. I'm waiting for you."Yet, he never rece

Chapter 5

For once, I slept soundly through the night. By the time I finished getting ready and went downstairs, Clement was already sitting upright in the living room."Clem has been waiting for you for almost two hours," Dad chided. Clement shook his head. "I just got here a little while ago. You're exaggerating, Mr. Hollis."He took me to a bridal boutique. Ever since I was little, I would take ages to decide on clothes, often going through dozens before settling on one.When I emerged in a wedding gown, Clement couldn't take his eyes off me. "You're so beautiful…" he murmured, almost like he was talking in his sleep.Not once did he sound half-hearted. No matter which gown I wore, he would compliment me and share what he thought. He was nothing like Jace.When Jace took me to try on wedding gowns, Celine had called him away countless times. The one time he had stayed, he kept checking his phone and replying to her messages.The way he had curled his lips impatiently had left me feeli

Chapter 6

Celine stepped forward to support Jace. He abruptly recalled that she was there and hurriedly pulled away.In the days he couldn't reach me, he'd realized there was no one else he could count on to come at a moment's notice. Celine spent her days pestering him for designer bags or clinging to him coyly, and he'd grown tired of it."Let's stay away from each other from now on. I don't want Rina getting the wrong idea. After we return home, you don't have to show up to work anymore."Celine's eyes widened. "I'm carrying your baby, Jace! How can you do this to me? You're going to pay for this someday!"Jace shot me a panicked look. "Shut up! That child isn't mine!"I remained stoic, massaging my throbbing temples. Clement caught on and asked the store staff to show them out. As Jace was being kicked out, he kept yelling that he would be back. After reserving my wedding gown, I let out a sigh of relief. Clement wrapped his arms around me from behind and whispered into my ear, "Relax

Chapter 7

Even after getting a beating, Jace still didn't learn his lesson.When I ignored him, he started bombarding my phone with messages. I was too busy to check my phone, but my parents and Clement weren't. They were the ones who saw the string of nasty things he sent.Clement's gaze hardened. "I must've gone too easy on him. I can't believe he still has the time to harass you again."My father called the security team at the villa and had the man wailing at our gates thrown out.Then, Dad and Clement made a few phone calls."Within three days, I want Larkin Group to go bankrupt.""Three days is too long, Clem. Let's make sure that punk can't even crawl out of Germaine tomorrow!"For once, Clement and my father saw eye to eye. The gleam in their eyes sent a shiver down my spine.…On our wedding day, Clement grasped my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. "You're finally mine, Regina!" The love in his eyes was overflowing, and he unconsciously deepened our kiss. We were st

Chapter 8

Because of Celine's embezzlement, Jace was implicated and sentenced to prison. His mother panicked and flew to Germaine to beg me to save him. Dropping to her knees before me, she clutched my pant leg. "We wronged you, Rina. Please save my son! If you do, we can still be a family."I looked down at her, looking cold and unmoved. When Clement returned home after a long day and was greeted by this scene, his exhaustion exacerbated his anger. "This is our home. Please leave!"He tried to be polite, but he couldn't stand Mrs. Larkin's shamelessness. Collapsing to the floor, she looked like she would never get up unless we agreed to save Jace. Like mother, like son—they were shameless to the core.Clement immediately called the cops. Mrs. Larkin was deported and blacklisted for trespassing, so she could never come looking for me again. …I didn't hear another word about Jace, his mother, or Celine until the morning Clement and I boarded the plane for our honeymoon. My assistant was th

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