All Chapters of A Decade of Misplaced Devotion: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

...That kick had packed my full force, and Laurent Reilly winced in pain.The employees who'd been mocking me alongside him fell dead silent. Everyone stared at me in shock because they all knew he was Stella Stafford's golden boy.Offending him was the same as offending her. And I was known as her top simp, always bending over backward for her.Laurent clutched his chest, shooting me a venomous glare. "Can't take a joke, huh? You're way too sensitive. Stella, my chest hurts like hell. I think my ribs are broken."The next moment, security guards clamped down on my arms from both sides. Stella, in her high heels, slammed her foot into my abdomen.She'd trained in ballet for over a decade, so the force in her legs was no joke.Pain exploded through my body, draining the color from my face as cold sweat beaded on my forehead. Uncaring, she glared at me like I was her enemy, not her husband-to-be."Have you lost your mind?" she spat. "Laurent was just trying to liven up our weddi

Chapter 2

Stella's hesitation vanished in an instant."I know you've always been jealous of Laurent, which is why you kicked him so hard," she said resentfully. "But why do this at our wedding? Are you trying to humiliate me? I need you to apologize to him now!"I let out a bitter laugh, then strode over to Laurent and slapped him across the face. "There! How's that for a sincere apology?""What is wrong with you?" Stella roared.In a flash, the bodyguards tackled me, forcing me to grovel like a dog at Laurent's feet.Looming above me, he grabbed a bottle of champagne and poured it over my head. Not only did Stella not stop him, but she smashed the empty bottle against my skull.Sharp pain radiated through my entire body, but she wasn't done. Her icy voice echoed in my ears. "We'll get married once you grovel and beg Laurent for forgiveness."She looped her arm through Laurent's and started to walk away.I glared at them, growling, "If you care about him that much, you don't deserve to b

Chapter 3

Six months ago, Laurent carelessly tossed a cigarette butt, starting a fire in the conference room. To let him escape first, Stella used my body as a shield.In the end, my back got third-degree burns.I lay in bed, groaning in agony, while Stella took the unscathed Laurent on a so-called stress-relief trip.A month later, on the day I got discharged, she finally showed up with nothing but mean words. "You chewed Laurent out in front of everyone that day, which put him in a bad mood and led him to smoke in the conference room. He's had nightmares for a month. Go apologize to him, and then we'll get married. Deal?"I'd caved for love back then. But from that moment on, my feelings for her started to fade. Until the wedding, when she left with Laurent, my love for her died completely.Unsettled by my silence, she hurled a few more harsh words and stormed out.After the doctor checked me over, I grabbed my phone to hire a caregiver. But as I scrolled through my feed, I saw Laurent h

Chapter 4

Catching the chill in my stare, she paused, then lied through her teeth, "The pipes burst, and Laurent came to fix them. His clothes got soaked, so I let him shower here."Laurent shot me a mocking glance. "Yeah, I was fixing the pipes. Total flood. Sprayed me good."I balled my fists, ready to punch him, but Stella, catching my intention, jumped in front of him, snatched a baseball bat from the corner, and jabbed it at me."Fresh out of the hospital and losing it again?" she warned. "I haven't settled the score with you yet. Touch Laurent, and I'll send you back there."The scene was all too familiar.Ten years ago, she'd thrown herself in front of me like that, and it'd hooked me for life. Ironically, a decade later, she was shielding someone else.For a moment, it all felt pointless."This is my house. Get the hell out!" I ignored them, heading straight to the bedroom.The soiled bedsheets from the Husky had been changed. Along with them, our wedding photo had been replaced

Chapter 5

...Stella was pleasantly surprised, so much so that she didn't clock the trashed paste."What gift are you giving me and Laurent?" she asked eagerly.I flashed a cryptic grin. "You'll find out on the wedding day. Oh, and you forgot again. I'm allergic to peanuts."...The wedding day rolled around fast.I wore the groomsman getup Laurent had picked out for me, hanging back quietly as he and Stella posed sweetly for photos.When the photographer suggested a kissing shot, Laurent played coy. "Hold up. I'm not the groom today. The real one is over there."The photographer followed his finger to me, jaw dropping.Stella waved it off. "It's just a picture. Don't be a stickler, Matteo."I shrugged indifferently and gestured for them to proceed. "Do what makes you happy. Don't mind me."I even adjusted their poses to make them look more affectionate.Stella stared, stunned, but I smiled faintly and strolled off, whistling an upbeat tune. My reaction somehow brought her a gnawing

Chapter 6

I beamed back, my voice thick with excitement. "Welcome my bride, Lynn Hayes!"The guests gawked, utterly bewildered."Isn't this Matteo and Stella's wedding? Now there's an extra groom and bride?""I'm confused as hell.""Can't you see? Their relationship fell apart. He's got a new girl, and she's got a new guy."Stella turned livid with anger. "Matteo, what the hell does this mean?"I ignored her, heading straight to my bride. "It's been a while."Lynn smiled sweetly. "Long time, my groom."..."Did you bring her here to spite me?" Stella snapped, losing her composure.I stayed ice-cool. "Using my lifelong happiness to spite you? You think too highly of yourself. Allow me to introduce my bride, Lynn Hayes. Lynn, this is my..."I trailed off, stuck on how to label Stella without it getting messy. Lynn caught my hesitation and winked playfully. "Your ex, right? Hi, Ms. Stafford. I'm Matteo's childhood friend and his bride today."She possessively linked her arm through mine

Chapter 7

"Why do you carry your marriage certificate around?" Stella asked suspiciously."Can't help it." Lynn shrugged. "Matteo is too hot. Got to fend off anyone with ulterior motives."The color drained from Stella's face. "No way. This can't be real."Her parents snapped out of their shock and rushed up to confront me. "How dare you cheat on Stella? You think we're pushovers? Explain yourself, or we won't let you off!""Me, cheat on her?" I scoffed. "Stella, why don't you shout for everyone to hear who the real cheater is? Your side piece is standing right next to you. And the most damning evidence is right in your hand."Stella's lips quivered, words failing her. Her parents saw her hesitation and pieced it together.Her mother, Miriam Stafford, tried to placate me. "Matteo, there must be a mix-up. Stella has been a good girl her whole life. She'd never pull something like this.""Never?" I sneered, whipping out my phone. "Then feast your eyes on what she has been up to behind close

Chapter 8

Vernon continued, "If you're still sore, we'll let you have your fun on the side. Open marriages are all the rage these days, right?"His shameless bullshit made me laugh in disbelief. I didn't even bother responding. Instead, I announced to the room, "My wedding with Lynn is next door. Anyone interested is welcome to join and offer blessings. But if you're there to cause trouble, don't blame me for not holding back."I took Lynn's hand and headed for our venue.Stella, ignoring her swelling cheek, hiked up her gown and chased after us. "Matteo, wait! Who said you could marry that woman? I am your bride. You promised me forever!"She jabbed a finger at me, playing the victim. I only gave her a cold shoulder. "Go away!""I wasn't serious with Laurent," she pleaded. "I never meant to marry him. He told me this was a way to test your true feelings for me, and I foolishly believed him."She turned and grabbed Laurent, demanding sharply, "Explain it to Matteo now, or I'll make sure yo

Chapter 9

"I've got tons of videos on my phone. You really want everyone to see how sluttish you are in bed?" Laurent added, whipping out his phone.Stella panicked. "You bastard! Forgot who put you on the map? Leak those, and I'll bury you alive!"Laurent didn't back down. "Bring it! Worst case, we'll go down together. Dragging the Stafford Group's CEO down with me? Totally worth it.""You psycho!" Stella shrieked, winding up for another slap.Laurent dodged, and soon they were clawing at each other like wildcats. I watched the circus without a shred of emotion, just like the rubberneckers around me.Miriam barreled in, joining her daughter to pummel Laurent. "This is all your fault, you homewrecking gigolo! You ruined my daughter's marriage! If we can't be happy, neither will you!"Miriam was built like an ox, with the strength of a grown man.Laurent quickly lost ground under their assault. His face darkened with malice. The next second, he kicked Stella hard in the abdomen.Her agoni

Chapter 10

The police arrested Laurent for intentional assault.To weasel out, he hounded Stella nonstop, but she grew a spine this time, determined to make him pay the price.Laurent, seeing no way out, got spiteful and dumped their sex tapes online.Overnight, Stella became the poster child for "nympho" in the city. The Stafford Group's stock tanked hard.Meanwhile, I deliberately spread word that I was withdrawing all investments and cutting ties with them permanently.Partners who'd given them business on my account pulled out one by one. In just a few days, the once-thriving Stafford Group was on the brink of bankruptcy.Her parents banged on my door a few times, but I avoided them. Finally, Stella hit me up through a mutual friend, begging me to visit her in the hospital.I mulled it over and went to see her, determined to put a final period on those ten years.In the hospital bed, Stella looked like a shadow of her former self: sallow skin, listless eyes, nothing like the radiant w

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