All Chapters of The Bride She Should've Been: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1 The Ones I Carried Home

With Cyrus in one arm and Chloe in the other, I turned to close the car door and stopped cold.Standing a few feet away was someone I never expected to run into again.Eleanor. My ex-fiancee. The woman who ditched me at our own wedding three years ago and ran off with her true love.Balancing both kids against my chest, I kept my voice polite. "Excuse me. I'm in a hurry."Eleanor's expression darkened instantly.Instead of stepping aside, she blocked my path, her voice sharp and accusing. "Who are these kids?"I shut the door with a quick kick, not planning to engage.But Chloe looped her arms around my neck and asked, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Daddy, why is this lady so mean?"Eleanor's face tightened even more."Why is she calling you Daddy?" She sounded almost frantic. "I was only gone for three years. How could you already have children? Did you have kids with someone else the second I left?"I kept my tone even. "What did you expect? That I'd stay loyal to you f

Chapter 2 Wedding Day Betrayal

Before I came, I had told my wife Gemma Hayes that I'd be picking her up with the kids.Luckily, her call arrived just in time to save me from an awkward situation.That night, before bedtime, I read stories to our twins.Chloe, her wide, innocent eyes fixed on me, asked, "Daddy, does that strange lady like you?"Before I could answer, Cyrus jumped in from the side. "Of course she does! Daddy's so handsome!"I felt my cheeks heat up and quickly told them not to tell their mother about today. We'd had three years of a happy marriage. I didn't want to stir up misunderstandings.After tucking the twins in, I returned to the master bedroom.Gemma was already lying on the bed with her back to me.I turned off the main light, and as soon as I slipped beside her, she rolled over and pinned me gently. "Ethan, I didn't know you were such a hit. Women actually hit on you in public?""How do you know that?" I asked, stunned.She hummed softly and pinched my cheek. "Our kids told me ever

Chapter 3 The Taste of Contempt

Seeing that I ignored them, Eleanor tapped Lucas on the arm. "Lucas, enough. Ethan's had a rough time. I heard his family kicked him out. He doesn't even have a job right now. That's why he looks a little shabby. You can't mock him for that."I froze, unsure where she had heard such nonsense.Then it hit me. Back at my wedding, Eleanor had caused such a scene that my mother's heart condition flared up, landing her in the hospital.My father, furious, had kicked me out of the house, telling me to go reflect on my mistakes and stop being a burden.He had even forced me out of the family business, insisting I learn to survive on my own. I had to prove myself before I could think of inheriting anything.Yeah, I had been down and out."Ah, so that's how it was." Lucas sneered, his lips curling in smug satisfaction.He grabbed a bottle of fine red wine from the table, uncorked it, and poured himself a glass. The rich aroma filled the room."I had a friend bring this all the way from

Chapter 4 The Price of Pretending

The whole table went still.No one had expected to drink something this pricey at a simple classmate reunion. One bottle of that wine probably cost as much as eating here a dozen times.Lucas' eyelid twitched. He forced out a mocking laugh. "Boss? Him? What kind of boss could he possibly be?"Eleanor chimed in, equally stunned. "Right? He doesn't even have a job. When did he suddenly become a boss?"Convinced I was putting on some kind of show, Lucas tried to expose me in front of everyone."Hey, you," he called to the server, "did he pay you off? I'll give you double. Just tell me the truth."The server looked at him like he'd lost his mind. He clearly hadn't expected his own boss to have classmates like this.Still, he replied with professional calm, "Sir, this hotel is indeed one of our boss' properties. Our company owns eleven more across the country. The pay and benefits here are excellent. Even if you offered double, I wouldn't leave."Then, following my small signal, he

Chapter 5 The Truth Unraveled

My words wiped the color from Lucas' face.He snapped his head toward Eleanor, his voice cold and sharp. "You went to see him?"Eleanor jumped up, clearly flustered, and made for the door. "I… I just remembered something. I have to go."Her guilt was obvious.Lucas wasn't about to let her slip away. In just a few quick strides, he grabbed her wrist. "I asked you a question. Why are you dodging me?" He jabbed a finger at me, standing there like a bystander. "Do you still have feelings for him?"Eleanor's expression flickered between pale and furious. She yanked her arm free and snapped. "Fine! Yes! I never got over him! Yes! I regret everything! So what?"She didn't care about appearances anymore. She was done hiding from Lucas."What else do you even have besides pretty words?" she fired back. "You're useless. Three years, and what have you accomplished? Gaming all day, watching women dance online, living off others, and still having the nerve to mock anyone else? I'm embarras

Chapter 6 Crossing the Line

The moment I recognized the voice, I immediately released my hold.But Lucas landed a punch across my face before I could react. Blood welled at the corner of my mouth, and a sharp sting ran through my jaw. I gasped, more from shock than pain.Gemma's heels hit the floor as she strode forward. She didn't hesitate. The second she saw Lucas strike me, her hand shot out and smacked him across the face with a force that made his head snap to the side.Lucas' anger exploded. He raised a fist to strike back, but froze when he finally registered who stood before him."You're Gemma? But you—" His words faltered, confusion written all over his face.Gemma let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Want to know why I'm still alive?"She lifted a brow, eyes sharp. "If I hadn't claimed I was dying, how would I have known whether you ever truly cared about me?""You lied to me?" Lucas' voice trembled with rage. "You actually lied to me!"Gemma crossed her arms, scanning him like a predator. "I just

Chapter 7 What the Moon Revealed

Night had already settled by the time we walked out of the station.I hadn't expected Eleanor to say exactly what I did in her statement. She didn't shield Lucas at all.She even claimed he'd been hitting her for a long time, that the bruises across her body came from him.I let out a long breath.She'd had a perfectly good path ahead of her, yet she chose a man who used his fists. If she ended up suffering, it was a road she picked herself. Hard to feel sorry for her.Eleanor hurried after me, stopping just behind my shoulders. Her voice was soft, uncertain. "Ethan, could we talk for a minute?"I was ready to refuse, but Gemma turned, shot me a cold look, and said, "Wrap it up."Then, she walked straight to the car and got in, leaving me to handle it.I realized she had a point. Brushing Eleanor off would only keep her circling back. Better to spell everything out now and put an end to it."You actually married her?" Eleanor looked at me with red, swollen eyes.A few years a

Chapter 8 Broken Lines

The last time I saw Eleanor was at the hospital.She was there to terminate her pregnancy.She had broken up with Lucas, but before that, she had found herself carrying his child.I watched her, pale and fragile, leaning against the wall as she slowly sank onto a bench. A knot of emotions twisted in my chest.When she saw me, Eleanor instinctively tried to look away, but there was nowhere to hide.So, she raised her eyes to meet mine and forced out a weak, pitiful smile. "Wow, fancy seeing you here. What are you doing?"I had one hand in my pocket, the other carrying a thermal food container. "My wife's about to give birth. I came to bring her something to eat."Her face went even paler.We didn't speak. I raised an eyebrow and walked past her quickly, but then I caught the faint sound of sobbing.I sighed quietly.Just as I rounded the corner, a man's furious voice cut through the corridor. "Eleanor! How dare you! Do you even care about my child?"I took a step back and tur

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