Semua Bab You Want That Watch? Then Watch Me Leave: Bab 1 - Bab 9

9 Bab

Chapter 1

As we exchanged rings, I held Yasmin Walsh's hand, and my gaze fell on her wrist. An old silver watch hung there, its dial yellowed with age, its hands forever frozen at 3:07. "Take off the watch," I said. Her smile stiffened. Instinctively, she pulled her hand back. "Jayden Burke, stop it. Everyone is watching."I didn't move. I repeated myself softly, but loud enough for the entire hall to hear, "Take off the watch."Her expression changed at once. Panic flickered in her eyes—an intensity I had never seen before. "What do you mean? You know what this watch means to me," she said."I know." I released her hand and took out a document I had prepared long before today. "And because I know, I want a divorce."She stared at me, stunned, then looked at the document labeled "Divorce Agreement". Her body trembled. "Jayden, say that again.""I said I want a divorce. All because of that watch." I opened the page where my signature already waited and pushed it toward her. The cro

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 2

I turned away, pulled out my phone, and called my assistant, Sam Glenn. "Sam, release everything. I'm ready for the divorce."My voice was calm, edged with icy satisfaction.Dad was the first to storm onto the stage. A lifetime in the military did nothing to contain his fury. He slapped me hard across the face. "You ungrateful brat! Get on your knees! You won't say a word today. I'll skin you alive if I have to!"Pain exploded across my cheek. My head snapped to the side, and I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. Mom rushed toward me, tears streaming down her face, grabbing my arm. "Jayden, tell me what's going on. You and Yasmin grew up together. We watched your love blossom. How could a watch lead to this?""Exactly!" Dad shouted, pointing at me. "Do you forget who brought you water every day? Who stayed by your side for three days when you were sick? It was this woman. And today, you treat her like this? Do you have no conscience?"Yasmin sobbed in Mom's arms, nearly coll

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 3

I didn't know who recorded the wedding, but the clip of me looking cold and contemptuous toward Yasmin spread like wildfire. Within hours, it had been turned into countless memes. Overnight, I became the century's worst scumbag.One comment read, "Who does he think he is, canceling a wedding over an old watch? Just another pampered heir throwing a tantrum."Another said, "Yasmin is so pitiful. Ten years of her youth wasted, only to be humiliated publicly."A third read, "I heard the watch belonged to a deceased friend of hers. Jayden is jealous of the dead? How narrow-minded. Is he even a man?"The online community even dug up my company address and home. Every day, people threw eggs and paint at my door. Burke Corporation's stock lost billions in a single night.Dad held a press conference to announce he had severed ties with me, making it clear that everything I did was personal and had nothing to do with the Burke family.Relatives and friends who once clung to me for benefits

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 4

"There are rumors that you already have a new lover, and that the watch was just an excuse to divorce Ms. Walsh. Is that true?" one of the reporters asked. "Doesn't it bother your conscience to shame Ms. Walsh in public like this?" another asked. Countless microphones were shoved almost into my face.My expression remained calm. With security clearing a path, I walked straight into the courthouse.Yasmin was already inside. She wore black today. Her face was drained of color, tear marks still faintly visible at the corners of her eyes. When she saw me, she whispered hoarsely, "Jayden…"I walked past her without a glance and took my seat at the plaintiff's table.The hearing began. "I, Jayden Burke, request the termination of my marriage with the defendant, Yasmin Walsh," I stated clearly.The judge asked, "What is your reason for seeking a divorce?"Before I could answer, Yasmin slammed her hands on the table and cried out, "I do not agree to this divorce! Jayden, tell me wh

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 5

The large screen did not show any scandalous affair videos. Instead, it displayed a clear financial report. At the top was the header of a top-tier private clinic in Sornveil. The payments, however, came from a charitable foundation funded by me and managed by Yasmin.Over the past three years, the fund meant to support underprivileged children in remote areas had been siphoned off bit by bit. All of it had ended up in a single account at this clinic. The total amount reached nine figures. It was obvious to everyone that this was blatant embezzlement and corporate fraud.Yasmin kept screaming, trying desperately to block the screen, but it was already too late. I signaled Sam to pull up the next file.The screen switched to the clinic's official website, displaying its introduction. Most strikingly, it highlighted its featured patients.A large, high-resolution photo filled the screen. A young man lay on a hospital bed surrounded by advanced medical equipment. His eyes were close

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 6

Yasmin had been depressed for a long time. Then, one day, wearing that broken watch, she came to me and said she had decided to honor the marriage agreement between our two families. I was thrilled, thinking my devotion had finally won her over.We got back together, and I did everything she wanted. When she said she wanted to start a charity foundation, I invested over a hundred million dollars without hesitation. She said she preferred peace and quiet, so I bought her the most luxurious villa in the suburbs.Whatever she wanted, even the stars in the sky, I would have tried to give her. I truly believed we were heading toward happiness. But then I noticed she looked at that watch with more affection than she ever showed me.Late at night, when she thought I was asleep, she would whisper to the watch and call it "Joseph". Her sleeping habits hadn't changed, except that the person she held in her arms was no longer me but that cold, lifeless watch.From that moment on, I sensed som

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 7

"I'm going to avenge Joseph. If it weren't for you, I would already be married to him. He wouldn't still be lying in a hospital," Yasmin shouted, her voice echoing through the courtroom, raw and almost disturbingly intense.I watched her silently. Only after she finished did I speak, "Are you done?"I pulled a small USB drive from my pocket and handed it to the bailiff. "Your Honor, there is one final piece of evidence."The screen lit up again. This time it was an audio recording. The background was noisy, like a hospital corridor. A woman's voice came through. It was Yasmin."Doctor, the success rate is really only five percent? And the cost is another 30 million dollars?" she asked.A man's voice responded, "Yes, Ms. Walsh. This experimental treatment is extremely risky and expensive. The biggest concern is Mr. Milles' condition. He might not survive long."After a brief pause, Yasmin spoke again, her tone sharp and desperate. "Money is not a problem. After the wedding, all of

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 8

I had won the war, but I could not feel any happiness. Ten years of love had turned out to be nothing more than a carefully orchestrated lie. The person I had loved had never truly cared about me.Back home, I locked myself in my room and went through everything connected to Yasmin. Piece by piece, I threw it all into the trash.Finally, I picked up the watch she had smashed. The glass was broken, the hands twisted and tangled. I stared at it, seeing the ridiculous past we had shared reflected in the fragments. I threw it out the window with all my strength. It traced a curve through the air before hitting the ground and shattering completely.Two weeks later, Yasmin's case was concluded. She was sentenced to 12 years for multiple crimes. The Walsh family fell apart. Their company went bankrupt, their mansion was auctioned off, and her parents' hair turned white overnight as they moved into a tiny rental.Joseph, lying in the rehabilitation facility in Sornveil, lost access to hi

Baca selengkapnya

Chapter 9

Yasmin suddenly laughed. She laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face. "Hateful? Let me tell you, I don't regret a thing. If I could do it all over again, I would make the same choices. I love Joseph. I would do anything for him. I would still lie to you, use you, and even ruin you." She slammed her hand against the glass, eyes blazing with madness. "Do you even know what love is, Jayden? You're a cold-blooded, heartless monster. You wouldn't understand it at all."I listened quietly until she finished, then asked the question that had haunted me for ten years, "Yasmin, after all these years, was there ever a moment when you truly loved me?"Her laughter stopped. She stared at me for a long time. Her eyes were full of hatred, resentment, and something I could not read.Then, almost in a whisper, she said, "Yes." I froze.She continued, "In the winter of our sophomore year, you had a high fever and were alone in the dorm. I skipped class and rode the bus for three hours

Baca selengkapnya

Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi