All Chapters of A Promise Unfulfilled, a Lover Unreturned: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I took the divorce agreement, read it carefully from start to finish, and was prepared to sign.Clara Black finally spoke, which was unusual for her. Her voice held a tension she didn't seem to notice. "Sebastian Hale, think it through. Once you sign, there's no turning back."My hand didn't falter. The pen traced a clean, decisive curve across the page, and I signed."I'm packing my things and leaving right now," I said.How could I possibly regret it?In my previous life, I had believed that bringing Leonard Frost home was just another way for her to get back at me. I had foolishly thought that after so many years of entanglement, she must have felt something for me.How ridiculous.She and Leonard had two children within three years and stayed devoted to each other for the rest of their lives. I, on the other hand, had existed in that house like an unnecessary piece of furniture. I had endured half a lifetime of awkwardness, with people pointing and laughing at me.It wasn't

Chapter 2

Over the years, in order to be a proper live-in husband, I had pushed myself to exhaustion at Black Group during the day. At night, I still had to cater to my demanding parents-in-law.I was barely in my early 30s, yet strands of gray had already appeared at my temples, making me look far older than my years.I turned back to the bedroom and began packing the meager luggage I owned. I was already thinking about where to go first to properly unwind once I had the money.I didn't notice Clara following me inside.She said, "It's late. There's no need to move out immediately. Leave tomorrow instead."Isn't the villa on the west side of the city still empty? You can stay there for now. I'll visit when I have time."Sebastian, I know you love me. Don't act out of spite."She gently rested her hand on her still-flat stomach. "But I truly can't stay married to you anymore. I can't let my child be labeled illegitimate from birth."I said nothing. I simply lifted my suitcase, walked pas

Chapter 3

"You worked for her family for over a decade, and in the end, you got so little from the divorce. Seb, I really feel for you," Frank said.It was far more than a decade. In my previous life, under my leadership, Black Group had once ruled as the country's most powerful company.Yet in my later years, I couldn't even afford a box of painkillers. In the end, I was thrown out by Leonard's children and died of illness beside a pile of trash on a winter night.The business empire I had spent my entire life building ultimately benefited Leonard and his children.At that thought, I drained the glass in one go. The sharp liquor burned its way down my throat, yet it ignited the fire deep in my chest.I was going to make them see for themselves whether they could still live so comfortably without me.…The next day, news of me registering a company spread like wildfire, and everyone in the circle reacted immediately. Some saw opportunity and arrived overnight with proposals, hoping to i

Chapter 4

During this time, Leonard sent plenty of people to cause trouble. Their actions were nothing more than petty, underhanded tactics, all of which I defused with ease.After years in Glenford, the connections I had built far outmatched Leonard.Several veteran employees at Black Group whom I had personally trained were already tempted to join me when they heard that I had started my own company. After all, ever since Leonard was parachuted into the company, he had been constantly suppressing them, leaving them miserable and stifled at work.I didn't rush to have them come over to my side. Instead, I let them stir up minor trouble in their company before they left, as a way to show their loyalty to me.Leonard thought that losing a few employees was no big deal and even secretly felt relieved that he had cleared out the remnants of my influence. But what he didn't understand was that the departure of certain people could cripple the company at its core.One project after another fell

Chapter 5

The voice came from Margaret Sullivan, another heiress in Glenford and Clara's longtime rival since childhood.She walked over gracefully and looped her arm around mine with practiced ease. She affectionately leaned her head on my shoulder and teased, "Darling, I've been waiting for you in the parking lot forever. Turns out Clara's been barking at you here."Clara trembled with rage, pointing at me. "Sebastian! Explain yourself! Why did you betray me?"Then she seemed to realize something, her face lighting up with a self-satisfied expression. "I get it! This is all an act, isn't it? You deliberately brought Margaret here to make me angry!"Margaret rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and pulled me along. "Don't waste your time talking to idiots. It only lowers your IQ.""Stop!" Clara shouted.She tried to catch up with us, but her heightened emotions and the clumsiness brought on by her pregnancy made her lose her footing.A sharp pain shot through her abdomen. "Ah—"Clara bent over

Chapter 6

Clara's voice suddenly rose, tinged with hysteria. "If you hadn't messed the company up, would I have had to beg him?"Leonard tried to retort. "I—"The door to the hospital room opened, and Bella walked in carrying a thermal container. Seeing the mess on the floor and Clara's pale face, she instantly boiled with anger. "Leonard! You're really getting more and more outrageous!"She slammed the thermal container onto the table and pointed at Leonard, scolding him. "Can't you see that Clara isn't feeling well? Why are you yelling like this?"Bella grew angrier as she spoke. "If Sebastian were here, he would already be at home making chicken soup for Clara. He wouldn't be like you. All you do is throw a fit here.""Sebastian! Sebastian! It's him again!"Leonard instantly snapped and snorted coldly. "I'm not him! I'm not going to do the housekeeper's work!"He crossed his arms, squared his shoulders, and snapped back. "What are you trying to do? Why do you have to make me cook when

Chapter 7

I furrowed my brow. "Ms. Sullivan, if you just want to rile up Clara, you don't need to waste your efforts on me."Margaret's eyes sparkled like stars set ablaze. She laughed suddenly, her tone carrying a hint of playful pride. "I'm not that bored. I actually like you."Her gaze was so intense that I instinctively tried to step back, but she grabbed my sleeve. Her fingers were soft and warm to the touch.She gently shook my arm, her voice softening into a playful coaxing tone. "Come on, do it for my sake and have dinner with me."She winked at me playfully, lowering her voice. "I'll tell you a secret about Clara."The refusal on the tip of my tongue somehow faltered. "Okay."Just then, a loud crash at the door startled both of us.A young receptionist followed behind Clara anxiously. "Mr. Hale, I'm sorry. This lady insisted on coming in, and we couldn't stop her—"I waved her off, signaling her to step out. My gaze moved past her and landed on a group of uninvited guests at the

Chapter 8

Clara's expression shifted instantly. "Margaret? What are you doing here?"Margaret sneered, her presence becoming utterly commanding. "Why shouldn't I be here?" she asked."If I hadn't shown up, I never would have realized just how bold you are, having impersonated me all this time and using my kindness to manipulate the man I love!""You… You're lying! Shut up!"Clara shrieked with hollow bravado, "I was the one who supported him!""Is that so?"Margaret pulled out her phone, swiped across the screen, and held it up to my face."Sebastian, look for yourself. These are the records of every payment I made through an anonymous charity to your accounts from high school through college. I'm the one who's been sponsoring you all these years," she said.My mind went blank, buzzing in shock.The screen clearly displayed a long list of transactions. The dates and amounts matched the scholarships that I had received down to the very last cent. The transactions went to my high school s

Chapter 9

Margaret looked a little annoyed, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on."I didn't mean to use this to coerce you! Don't get me wrong! If you don't actually like me, you don't have to force yourself to be with me just because I helped you in the past."As I watched her look so flustered yet adorable in her defiance, the gloom in my heart vanished instantly, and I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "I won't."I softened my tone while keeping a firm hold on her wrist. "I just really, really want to have a meal with you."I looked into her eyes and asked again with absolute sincerity. "So, Ms. Sullivan, what do you say?"Her cheeks flushed deeper under my gaze, and she answered with a subtle nod.…To prevent Clara from bothering me again, I threw a wrench into some of Black Group's overseas projects. I had no intention of destroying her company. I merely wanted to keep her too occupied to harass me.However, the foundation of Black Group had long since been hollowed ou

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