All Chapters of Ten Years of a Misplaced Heart: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

"Ms. Colson, once the wedding planning is canceled, we'll deduct 20% of the deposit per the contract. Please sign here if you have no objections."After confirming with me again, the staff member handed over the contract and a pen, giving me a detailed run-through before guiding me to sign on the marked line. She was young, and there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she held back.It was understandable.I had booked this wedding planning service three years ago. My fiance, Jacob Locke, and I had finalized the plan twice and even gotten to the point of having rehearsals, yet things had fizzled out both times.To this day, the wedding had yet to happen. And there I was, there to cancel it.Anyone would've been curious to know what had gone down. But they didn't know, nor would they ever know, that it had only taken one night for me to change my mind. I'd gone from wanting to marry the man I'd loved for ten years to deciding the e

Late that night, Jacob's overseas call came as expected.The moment I picked up, his furious roar blasted through, slamming against my eardrums like bullets. "Lindsay says you didn't pick her up. She had to take a cab home herself, and you didn't even make her dinner. She tried to order takeout, and you complained that she spends too much."Is this how you treat my sister when I'm not home, Ingrid? If you don't fix your attitude, I'll need to reconsider our relationship!"I made a noncommittal sound when I heard that. "Let's meet when you're back in the country, then. We can sort this out face-to-face."My unexpected response made Jacob go quiet for a moment. Then, he sneered. "What's there to sort out? That wedding plan again? If you've got that much free time, maybe invest in yourself more."You're always thinking about getting married—don't you feel embarrassed? I'll be back the day after tomorrow. If you want to convince me, let's see how you perform."He softened his tone, b

From that moment on, Jacob and I would only be debtor and creditor.I wanted to see what would happen when he no longer had me. He'd lose a free housekeeper, an on-demand ATM, and an ever-obedient workhorse in one go.I couldn't wait to see how he would care for his bedridden mother, handle his vain sister, and face the precious junior that he worshipped like a goddess.I just hoped that when he saw the bill for 3.84 million dollars, he could keep acting like he was above it all.…After blocking and deleting the numbers of all the Lockes, I threw myself into work. The headquarters took the new company's development very seriously. If I could deliver results, moving up wasn't out of the question.A new company, a new job, and a new start—I was starting from scratch, and the week had me spinning.Every night, when I closed my eyes, my mind would be crowded with our newly developed food promotion plan. I thought about what sales routes to take and which spokesperson would be the b

Jacob was caught off guard by my slap. The force of it made his head snap to the side. He stared at me incredulously, and the confidence in his eyes shattered. His voice cracked as he cried, "Ingrid Colson! You… You actually hit me! How dare you!"I took advantage of his unraveling to yank free of his grip and step back. "Why wouldn't I dare? We've broken up, yet you hauled your family here to harass me. Why can't I hit you? I'm warning you, Jacob. Keep this up, and hitting you won't be the only thing I'll do. I'll call the cops, too!"This was my first major event since joining the new company. I'd planned it myself, and I wouldn't let anyone ruin it. I beckoned to the security guards nearby, who were slow on the uptake. "Someone's obstructing work here. Throw them out!"As soon as I said that, the guards moved in and grabbed Jacob by the arms, wanting to lead him away.Just then, Marie, who was in a wheelchair with Josie pushing her, suddenly struggled up and dropped to her knees