All Chapters of Abandoned by Love, Embraced by Fortune: The Heir Returns: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I turned to leave after watching the last firework fade from the sky, but my fiancee, Cheryl Landeau, yanked me back."Nathan, are you trying to embarrass me in front of the whole company?" she snapped. "I already told you that once Jason's mother passes or her condition stabilizes, I'll divorce him. You and I have been together for so many years. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"I stared at the ring on her finger, a bitter taste in my mouth.Yeah. We'd spent so many years together… yet I still didn't even have the right to call myself her husband.Cheryl reached for my hand, but I pushed her away. "I'm fine waiting for you," I said. "A year, two years… even the eight years that I've already wasted. But what I've been waiting for is an answer, Cheryl. And I don't see one."It was pouring that day, but I waited for you down here the whole time. I didn't even dare to get an umbrella because I was afraid I'd miss you. And what were you doing then? You were getting h

The wedding, huh?I clenched my fists. Well, who was I to ask about Cheryl's wedding?On the way home, I drove past the park where Cheryl and I used to go all the time. It was a beautiful place, with a big lake and flowers planted all along the bank.I remembered something that happened seven years ago.In a daze, I could almost see 20-year-old Cheryl again, crouching in front of the flowerbeds. Her fingertips had been smudged with dirt as she'd looked up at me with a smile. "Nate, can we use these flowers for our wedding someday? Red roses mean eternal love."Back then, we'd just scraped together enough for a down payment and were renting an old apartment near the park. Every weekend, she would drag me over to feed the fish.I'd looked into her bright, innocent eyes and ruffled her hair. "Sure. We'll have our wedding here in the future."She'd pointed toward the pavilion in the middle of the lake. "We'll have the ceremony right there. You'll wear a white suit, and I'll wear a

Cheryl was so anxious that she didn't even notice the call wasn't going through.Right on cue, Jason strolled in, looking completely relaxed. "Why are you so panicked?"He waved the folder in his hand. "I just submitted a proposal to Garrison Group. Their marketing director said they're willing to discuss it.""Really?" Cheryl's eyes lit up. She immediately grabbed his wrist. "You're not lying to me, right?""Of course not." He raised an eyebrow. "Garrison Group is an industry giant. Once we're bound to them, those small partners are nothing. With this proposal in, we've got to make sure we latch onto Garrison Group…"She nodded. "Alright. We'll go to Horsville. We have to show them that we're serious about this."…I'd just arrived home. Everything was still arranged the way it had been when I'd been in university. The familiar layout made my eyes sting the moment I walked in.Eight years. It had been a full eight years.Mom poked her head out of the kitchen; she had flour on

The once-expensive coat Cheryl wore was now wrinkled and faded."Nathan, I'm divorced!" She looked up at me, her bloodshot eyes full of a crazed desperation. "Look at my divorce certificate! I just got it!"Her hands trembled as she pulled a piece of paper from her bag and waved it frantically in front of me. "We can get married now! Right now! Let's go to the city hall!"She was so loud that people walking by turned to stare.Seeing her so disheveled and hysterical made my stomach turn, but not out of pity. I only felt a sharp, overwhelming disgust and repulsion.I yanked my arm free from her grip, and she stumbled back a few steps."You're being crazy, Cheryl." My voice was devoid of warmth."I'm not!" Tears streamed down her face. "I did all of this for you! I divorced Jason—he's a complete bastard! After Landeau Group went bankrupt, he ran off with the remaining money."Nathan, I know I made a mistake. I really do! Let's start over, okay? We can go back to how things used t