All Chapters of In the Wake of the Shattered Promises: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Richard's breath hitched, his heart slicing open like a fresh wound."You bitch!" He kicked her savagely.Lotta lay battered and bruised, finally collapsing into unconsciousness. Yet Richard's eyes held zero pity, viewing her as mere filth scattered on the floor.The bodyguards entered at the noise, and he instructed, "Dump her in that place. Ensure she gets 'special care' every day. Photograph her suffering and send it to me."He spat on her in contempt and marched out for more important things....Meanwhile, in Ashaihill.Kimberly had just arrived at the Shaw Mansion when she learned of Elmer's grave illness. There, she met her aunt and her only living relative, Cheryl Williams."You're finally here," Cheryl said, scrutinizing her with disdain. "Why the gloomy look? And what's with the bandages on your body? What happened?"Kimberly instinctively shielded her arm; the knife slashes would need time to heal fully.Cheryl's face twisted in displeasure. "Elmer prizes poise and

Cheryl's words sent a jolt through Kimberly. She turned sharply. "Am I a person or a tool to you?"Cheryl blinked, taken aback. "What? I'm looking out for you!""Looking out?" Kimberly scoffed. "From the moment you forced this marriage, I knew it was a transaction. But I refuse to be a pawn forever. Believe it or not, I'm kind to Elmer because he saved me once. This is repayment."Cheryl rolled her eyes. "You're nuts, talking about repayment with a tycoon's son? Focus on extracting value from him. Slip this into the porridge. It's potent; he'll crave you."Kimberly frowned, knocking the powder packet into the sink."Hey!" Cheryl yelped in distress. "What a waste! That stuff's expensive!"She met Kimberly's icy glare and clamped shut."I'm not like you. I won't use dirty tricks to screw people over," Kimberly said. "Even if Elmer never touches me post-wedding or cancels it now, I won't complain. If you pull this crap again, I won't hesitate to expose your past. Mrs. Shaw despises

Kimberly's barbs struck sharp and resolute, her eyes brimming with finality.Whispers spread among the guests, many recognizing Richard."Isn't that the CEO of the Munoz Group? So shameless, hijacking a wedding for the bride?""Ah, he was secretly married? Just heard he threw a lavish wedding for his assistant days ago.""Typical scumbag. Men only act right when nailed to the wall."At the last quip, Elmer squeezed Kimberly's hand, whispering in her ear, "Not me."She blinked. "What?""I'm no scumbag," he replied, throwing an arm around her waist and swatting Richard's hand away. "Guards, what are you waiting for? Can't you see this guy's wrecking my wedding?"Two bodyguards charged in, flanking Richard and hauling him out."Continue the ceremony," Elmer said, slipping the ring onto her finger, his eyes overflowing with gentleness.As he kissed her, he murmured, "This time, you finally stood up for yourself. In seven years, you've grown."Kimberly's heart raced, and her visi

Worried that Elmer might resort to something violent, Kimberly quickly messaged: [There's no need. He's not worth dirtying your hands over.]Elmer: [Don't worry. I have my ways.]Before long, Richard's business empire began to crumble under mysterious pressures.A disgruntled former employee from the Munoz Group defected and publicly exposed a slew of internal scandals: executives coercing subordinates into illicit affairs, widespread bullying and psychological manipulation of lower-level staff, and even blatant tax evasion schemes.Richard rushed back to Veromoor to contain the damage. With his hands full managing the crisis, he had no time left to harass Kimberly, allowing her to finally breathe in the quiet she craved.Elmer wrapped his arms around Kimberly from behind, his voice soft and reassuring. "While I may have pulled a few strings, in the end, it was his own actions catching up to him."Kimberly nodded, her thoughts drifting back through the years. "When he first start

By then, the store was empty, devoid of customers.Jennifer carefully concealed the sedative in her pocket, glancing around furtively before stepping inside with feigned casualness."Kimberly, dear, I'm stopping by to see how you're doing," she said, forcing a saccharine smile. "Business seems to be thriving here."Kimberly stood in the center of the shop, appearing absorbed in admiring her newly acquired eco-tank. Then, without warning, she reached inside.In the next instant, Jennifer caught sight of something and let out a piercing scream.Kimberly withdrew her hand slowly, and a striking corn snake with red eyes coiled sinuously around her arm, its body undulating in slow, mesmerizing waves.The snake sensed Jennifer's presence, hissing menacingly as it flicked its forked tongue in her direction.She cowered. "W-Why do you keep a snake?"She had always been domineering and abusive toward Kimberly, bullying those she deemed beneath her. But everyone had their vulnerabilities