All Chapters of Once His Wife, Now His Regret: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

***CHARLOTTE’S POV*** The moment the meeting ended and the contract was signed, I pushed back my chair and rose to my feet, ready to leave. But just as I reached for my bag, “Ma’am,” my secretary called. “You still have another meeting in two hours. And you’re scheduled to personally pick up our principal client at the airport.” “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can make that.” I said quickly, already heading for the door. “But we can’t afford to offend him. This contract means everything to us, and we’re not the only company bidding for it.” “Then you’ll have to fill in for me. Please.” I replied and didn’t even wait for her response before I rushed out of the boardroom, heading straight for the parking lot, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. As I walked briskly to my car, my eyes kept darting to my wristwatch every few seconds. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. “I really hope I make it. I can’t afford to miss this.” I slid into the back seat of the car and immedi

I quickly looked away from him, so he wouldn't see me checking him out but curiosity tugged at me again, and before I could stop myself, I tilted my head slightly, sneaking another glance, my hand absentmindedly scratching the back of my neck. And just then, our eyes met again. As if he had never taken his off me before. A strange unease fluttered in my chest. Heat crept up my neck and I turned away shyly, lifting my glass to my lips and taking a long sip. Fuck Charlotte, what are you doing? “So, is it a boyfriend or a girlfriend that got you in the mood?” his husky voice drawled, low and smooth. Was I that obvious? Or had he overheard our conversation? I fiddle with the straw in my drink, using it to mix the drink around. “Sort of.” I decided to say with a soft nod, remembering what happened again; the way they hugged each other on the stage. The way Genevieve told me she’s not coming with me. And Clyde… Thinking about it more, my chest tightened painfully and I find tears laci

***CLYDE’S POV*** Staring outside the window, with my hands buried deep in my pockets, Jake, my secretary, gave a brief summary of everything that had taken place at the company in my absence. "And lastly, sir, I've completed the task you assigned. Your wife's access to the joint account has been frozen." "Good." I breathed the word out slowly and turned to face him. But the satisfaction I had been expecting never arrived and instead I felt a weird feeling settling somewhere beneath my ribs that I couldn't quite name. "Now let's see how long she lasts out there without access to my money. It's time she remembered what she actually is without me — an ordinary orphan with no connections, and no single root to anchor her in this world.” It had been a week since Charlotte left this house in anger. A full week without calling to inform me of what she’s doing or where she was. Something she had never done throughout our years of marriage. Regardless of how strained things were

***CHARLOTTE’S POV***“You know,” I said softly, keeping my tone measured, “now that I think about it… I think I may have overreacted.”Clyde turned away from me and poured himself a glass of water, the sound of it filling the silence between us.“I thought you left,” he said after a moment. “I assumed you weren’t coming back.”“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my husband. This is my home.” I paused just long enough, taking in my lower lip. “And moreover Genevieve is here. You know she’s the only one I have.”He said nothing, but I felt the shift in him. I didn’t need to look up to know the smirk had settled on his face—that slow, satisfied curve of the mouth that said; ‘I knew she’d come crawling back eventually, begging me to take her back.’Let him have this moment. It won’t last long.He set his glass down. “So what is it that you want, Charlotte? The other day you made it very clear you couldn’t stand living under the same roof as Flora. And now suddenly you’re here.”I quickly walked clo

I stood before the mirror for a long moment, taking in the woman before me wearing the deep blue gown that swept to the floor, its open back cool against my skin, and the high slit at the leg daring with every movement.And I couldn’t believe this was really me.My hair was pinned up with a few loose strands framing my face, and the diamond earrings I chose were simple enough to say I wasn’t trying too hard.Was it too much?I turned to the side, then the other, examining the line of the slit, the slope of my back, the way the dress clung just a little too perfectly.No. It’s not.My mind drifted, almost involuntarily, to Alexander. Those blue eyes. That beautiful dimple. The audacity of a man who kissed a complete stranger in a bar as repayment for being made to wait at an airport and somehow made it feel like the most natural thing in the world. I pressed my lips together, heat creeping up my neck at the memory.“Well,” I muttered softly to my reflection, “he already knew I was h