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Home / Romance Short Story / The Last Rain Before Goodbye / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of The Last Rain Before Goodbye: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

Auremburg, Carmoria.The Buxtons had this stuck-up tradition—some fancy end-of-year bash where outsiders weren't welcome.Except this time, someone didn't get the memo.Enter Gianna Payne. Calvin Buxton's ex. His "one true love."They strolled in late, dinner already in full swing. Calvin had one arm around her, and guess where they headed?Straight. To. Me.I looked at his smug face, and my eyes started to burn.He was the only guy I'd ever loved. Three years married, and I still hadn't made it past the velvet ropes into his heart."Get up. That's not your seat."No shame. No hesitation. Just straight-up humiliation in front of everyone.And yeah, he was right. That chair wasn't mine—it belonged to 'Mrs. Buxton.'Legally, that was me. Emotionally? I might as well have been a ghost.Now that his precious Gianna had slithered back into Carmoria, I was supposed to just... vanish.Every pair of eyes in that room turned into knives.I couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Years of s

Chapter 2

I had just closed the closet when the front door creaked open downstairs.Gianna's voice floated in first, then came the click of her heels. She latched onto Calvin's arm like she owned him.Honestly? She looked more like the lady of the house than I ever did.Calvin spotted me and raised a brow. "Gianna doesn't have a place to stay in Carmoria. She'll be living with us for a few days.""Alright."Didn't bother asking why, out of all his mansions and penthouses, this was the only option.Asking would've just made me look pathetic.I kept my voice low. "Should I move out? Save you the hassle?"He frowned, clearly not loving the optics. "No need. Just give up the master bedroom.""Okay."No fight. No drama. I just turned and started packing. Guest room it was.As we passed each other in the hallway, Gianna dialed up her voice. "Calvin, you KNOW I'm a clean freak. Have the housekeeper disinfect the room—I can't deal with dirty spaces."My steps froze mid-stride. I looked at Ca

Chapter 3

She kept going. "Calvin said you're REALLY good at it. You don't mind letting me try, do you?"I was ready to shut it down—hard—when another transfer lit up my screen.Calvin.Note: [For your trouble.]Nice. The kind of tip they usually toss to a maid.Guess I'd officially been downgraded—Mrs. Buxton, now playing the help.I let out a dry laugh, hung up, and accepted the cash.Divorce was coming anyway.Might as well get paid while I still had the title.By the time I got to the hotel with the soup, it was 2 a.m.The suite door was cracked open—like they'd been expecting me.I stepped onto the plush carpet, and there it was—Gianna's voice, floating out."Calvin, I heard that when Ms. Astor's mom died, you held her on the bed all night. Is that true? Did you fall in love with her?"I froze. Barely breathed.I'd already made up my mind to leave.Didn't stop my heart from pounding like a drumline.That night came rushing back—the storm, the silence, the way I let myself be

Chapter 4

I was just about to cross the threshold when Calvin's voice stopped me cold."I know you went to the hospital."***"You... You know?" I asked.He gave a low 'mm', then hesitated. "Someone saw you there. Are you... okay?"I froze, caught off guard.He goes, "Your mom's doctor's still in Carmoria. I can call him if you need."Oh. So that's it. He thought I was sick.He had no clue... I was pregnant.My lashes fluttered, but weirdly? I felt calm. Like, seriously? Now he cared?Pity round two.Except this time, I wasn't some stray. I was the family dog—sick, and suddenly the owner remembers I exist.I shot him a bitter smile, then side-eyed Gianna. Her fake smile was holding on by a thread."Just dropped in for a checkup," I said.Then I dipped, before Calvin could play doctor detective.The next morning, I packed up to leave. Stepped out and—boom—ran into the housekeeper mid-sweep.She didn't even blink. Like she'd marked it on her calendar.Honestly? Wouldn't be shocked

Chapter 5

The hint of a smile froze on Calvin's face.[Eight weeks pregnant.]When? Why hadn't she said anything? Was she skipping treatment to keep the baby? Was she seriously risking everything?Frustration kicked in hard. "Where did Angela go?"The housekeeper stalled, then shrugged. "That woman left with her bags this morning. Didn't say where."Calvin's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean 'that woman'? Who is she?"The housekeeper flinched, shot a nervous look at Gianna, then mumbled, "Sorry. I meant Mrs. Buxton. She left this morning. With her luggage."Calvin stared at the housekeeper, but Angela's words from last night hit harder: "And you didn't used to just stand there while people bullied me."He used to think slapping the title "Mrs. Buxton" on her meant she'd automatically get the respect that came with it. But truth was, without his backing, she was just decor—pretty, silent, invisible.Too late now.Gianna, sensing the shift, leaned in to peek at the notebook

Chapter 6

He turned around. Gianna's eyes were red.Cleared his throat, guilt catching in it, and answered the call."Hello, Mr. Buxton. I'm Luke Cohn," came a firm voice. "Angela Astor's attorney. She's officially filed for divorce. I'll be handling the proceedings."***Calvin's eyes went cold. Whatever desire was there? Gone.Gianna scoffed and strutted to the vanity, swiping on a fresh coat of bright lipstick. Gotta stay pretty, gotta keep the spotlight.Calvin gave her a quick glance, dropped his voice, and slipped out the door.She was about to trail after him—until something on the floor caught her eye.A notebook.She picked it up, smirking—until she saw what was inside.Her face soured.She could stomach Angela holding the Mrs. Buxton title for a while.But pregnant? That was a threat. One she couldn't ignore.In the study, Calvin stared at the divorce agreement Luke had emailed over, barely keeping his anger in check.The mansion. The cars. The shares. Angela didn't want

Chapter 7

Angela's POVKenny ended the call and spun toward me, oozing attitude. "Mr. Buxton says once you're done throwing your little tantrum, you should crawl back and apologize to Ms. Payne. That divorce talk? Not cute for her image."I glanced at my mom's smiling face on the headstone and whispered, "I'm not going back."Kenny didn't even flinch. Just rolled his eyes and strutted off.I knelt, laid fresh tulips at Mom's grave, and brushed the dust off her picture. "I'm leaving Calvin, Mom. Don't worry—I've got real family now."My hand settled over my stomach. "We're gonna be okay. Even without him."The breeze was warm, the sun high. I paid for thirty years of upkeep, grabbed my bag, and headed straight for the airport.***Third-Person POVBuxton mansion.Deborah clutched Gianna like she was some fragile treasure and shot Calvin that trademark mom-glare. "I told you, girls like Angela? No manners, no backbone. She's threatening divorce over nothing—what does she think this famil

Chapter 8

Angela's POVWhen Luke told me about Gianna's face after she caught him and Calvin talking divorce, I cracked up.No surprise the signed divorce papers showed up the next morning. Gianna must've freaked Calvin would back out, so she definitely pushed Deborah on purpose.To shut down rumors that the CEO of Buxton Corp had cheated, the Buxtons spun the narrative. According to them, Calvin and I were already divorced, and Gianna was the future Mrs. Buxton.Money worked miracles. Flash enough cash and lawyers erase problems. PR teams? They can turn a scandal into a bedtime story overnight.I sipped the chicken soup Colleen had just set down, tapped my phone, and shot Luke the final payment.His last text blinked on the screen: [Congrats on being single.]I smirked.When I first bolted from Carmoria, I half-wondered if Calvin would chase after me. Cute thought. Luke's daily stack of evidence killed that daydream fast.Calvin and Gianna jetted to Veyora for some spring flower fest,

Chapter 9

Since the gala—aka the night Gianna hijacked the spotlight to drop the engagement bomb and Luke clapped back with divorce papers—things between Calvin and Angela had been ice cold.They looked close, sure, but the vibe? Totally off.Calvin, still out of it, blinked at the woman in front of him. Same eyes. Same soft tone. His mouth moved before his brain caught up."Angela..."Barely a whisper, but it hit like a lightning strike.Gianna's face? Ghost white.Calvin pulled her in, his stubble grazing her hair as he caught a whiff of roses.Then his face dropped.The second he saw her clearly, he shoved her back."Don't touch me. Angela wouldn't like it. And Angela's my wife—quit playing."Silence. Total dead air.These were the same people who used to crack jokes about Angela. Gold-digger this, tantrum that. Some even placed bets on how fast she'd come crawling back for cash.Angela had heard it all once—just trying to get a wasted Calvin home.To them, she was never a wife.

Chapter 10

Calvin went pale, like it finally hit him how gross his words actually sounded."Don't do this... Let's just go home, okay?"Home? Please.I smiled, slow and sarcastic. "Yeah, no. I haven't had a 'home' in a long time. Your wife's probably redecorating the nursery already, remember?"I paused, then let it rip."This baby? Call it me doing you a favor. Finishing your PROMISE. A little mercy gift—from you to me."We don't want your money. We're not coming after the Buxton vault. If it helps you sleep at night, we can sign papers. Cut you out completely. Done deal."Every word gave him the out he clearly wanted—and still, he just stood there. Stone-faced.Then he grabbed my wrist. "What do you WANT from me? Everything I own? Don't be greedy."I laughed, even as tears slid down. "Wow. Still the same Calvin Buxton. You really think everything's a transaction?"To you, everything's got a price—love, kids, me. What's next? Starting another betting pool with your frat bros?"Newsfla

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