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Home / Romance Short Story / The Christmas He Lost Her / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of The Christmas He Lost Her: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

13 Chapters

Chapter 1

The crowd roared as Leon Fabian clasped a two-million-dollar gemstone bracelet around the wrist of a nightclub hostess—Chloe Sutton.Not long ago, he'd chased that same bracelet at any price for me."Wynne, happy birthday. Let this be your present. Sound good?"He'd said it with that smug, confident smile.Now the bracelet glittered on the wrist of a girl he'd met five minutes ago.A sharp ache spread through my chest.Leon caught my expression and casually pulled out a necklace, tossing it my way."Bad luck. The bracelet was the winner's prize. But you behaved tonight, so here's your reward."The pendant was a gemstone too.Just flawed.The second it touched my skin, the rough edge dug in. My eyes stung.Chloe drifted over, a glass of wine in hand.Then she "stumbled."The full glass of red splashed straight across my face.The room went dead quiet.For five years, every side chick who won the draw pulled the same stunt.And every time, I'd lost it like a maniac—once b

Chapter 2

Leon leaned against my shoulder and scoffed."I knew you were just playing hard to get. If you really don't care, why are you crying?"I said nothing. Just turned off my phone."I was just thinking... the way I used to act was like a madwoman."Looking back at those hysterical five years, I barely recognized the person I'd been.Leon grabbed my chin and turned my face toward him. Then he kissed away my tears, rough, almost like punishment."Now you finally get how much you've embarrassed me all these years."His breathing grew heavier.Then Chloe's voice called from outside the door.Something sharp flashed in Leon's eyes."How about the three of us... together?"My expression froze.Like the moment had soured, he brushed his thumb across my lips."Wynne, being my wife isn't the same as being the Wronski family's heiress. You need to be a bigger person. Behave a little better, and next year I'll take you to my family's estate for Christmas with my parents."I dropped my g

Chapter 3

I took some hangover meds and headed to the mansion's little bar to find Leon.Through the glass window, I saw him inside with his buddies."Leon, whoever wins the draw is just you saying the word. Wynne's been the punchline for five years. Aren't you worried she'll figure out you've been rigging it the whole time?"My hand froze on the doorknob.My chest tightened.Leon sounded totally unconcerned."She still doesn't know how to be Mrs. Fabian. How could I bring her to my family's estate? And even if she finds out, so what? I'll sweet-talk her a little. She won't make a fuss."The heated floor warmed my feet, but the rest of me felt like I'd dropped into an ice pit. I shivered.All the tricks I'd used trying to win that draw...Turns out I was the joke."Maybe Wynne won't make a fuss," someone said. "But what about her family?"Leon paused. Then his voice came back, easy and sure."They're too far away. The Wronskis can't do anything."Three thousand kilometers lay betwee

Chapter 4

They went at it until the middle of the night.By morning, when the door opened, clothes and used condoms were scattered all over the floor.The sheets were wrinkled, smeared with sticky fluid. My favorite set of bedding.The maid stood in the doorway, looking at me awkwardly, unsure what to do.I glanced at the mess, face cold. Not a flicker of emotion."Throw it all away."Chloe fed Leon a glass of milk, the faint red marks on her chest impossible to miss."Sorry for messing up your room so much."I kept tending the potted plants on the balcony and ignored her.Before, every time Leon brought a side chick home for the night, the disgust would have me throwing up nonstop.Now that I didn't care anymore...It was actually a lot easier.Seeing no reaction from me, Leon spoke, almost like he needed to get a rise out of me. "Where's the pendant I gave you?"My hand paused while trimming a branch.Just for a second.I set the scissors down and brought out a neatly kept box.

Chapter 5

My tone stayed calm. "Didn't you want me to give it to Ms. Sutton? Or if you'd rather give her something else, that's fine too."Leon's eyes narrowed. He forced the words out through clenched teeth. "Fine. Fine. Fine! If you're gonna act like this, then get out of this house and give the title of Mrs. Fabian to Chloe!"I paused. "Right now?""Yes. Right now." He sneered. "What, can't stand to leave?"I didn't answer. Just lowered my head and packed.Five years in this house, and everything I owned fit in one twenty-inch suitcase.Leon's face kept getting darker.Right as I reached the door, he stopped me.One finger hooked my coat. "This coat—I bought it. Now I think it suits Chloe better."I glanced at the snowstorm outside, then back at Leon.No hesitation. I unbuttoned the coat and draped it over Chloe's shoulders.Then I met Leon's annoyed stare and said flatly, "What else do you want? I can give her anything."His jaw tightened. Then he shoved me straight out the door.

Chapter 6

Bernard yanked the car door open and pulled me into his arms, his voice already sharp with anger."Wynne, why are you dressed so lightly? How did you end up like this? What exactly did that bastard do to you?"All my strength gave out. Tears rushed down my face."Bernard... you finally came. I want to go home..."His face tightened with guilt. "I'm sorry. I should've protected you. They're gonna pay for this."Wrapped in the warmth of the car, the tension finally slipped out of my body. Sleep started creeping in.Bernard took my hands and feet. The frostbite had already eaten into them. His voice caught."These hands were meant to play the piano. What kind of life have you been living with the Fabians all these years?"I looked out the window, my mind drifting back.One year knowing Leon. Four years dating. Five years married.In Nowevik, I was the crazy woman everyone talked about.In Solmierz, I used to be the socialite splashed across society pages."Bernard, I want a di

Chapter 7

Wynne's POVWhen I woke up in the hospital, Christmas was already over. A whole day gone.Bernard sat beside my bed, eyes swollen like he hadn't slept.My throat felt raw. "Bernard... I'm sorry. I made you run all over the place for me. I even wrecked your Christmas."He brushed a hand through my hair. His eyes reddened again."Silly girl. I found you." He shook his head. "That makes this the best Christmas I've ever had."Back then, I'd ditched my whole family just to marry Leon.Even Bernard—the brother who'd always spoiled me rotten—finally shut it down.Didn't matter. I was dead set. I grabbed my documents and ran off with Leon overnight."How are Mom and Dad?" I asked, careful."Not great. Same as me—they miss you every day." He put on a mock glare and flicked my nose. "Oh, and yeah. I gave Leon a little reality check. Wanna see?"I blinked and took his phone.The screen lit up—Leon's arms were locked down by two bodyguards. Panic all over his face."Bernard, why ar

Chapter 8

For the next few days, Leon showed up outside my hospital room right on schedule.Leaning on crutches, wrapped in bandages, he stared at me like some sad puppy.Didn't help.In under a minute, the bodyguards dragged him out again.I didn't feel bad for him.The frostbite wrecked my hands and feet.For the rest of my life, I'd never play the piano or dance ballet again.Bernard blew up. "Wynne, that bastard won't sign the divorce papers. After what he did to you, he still has the nerve to show his face?!"I kept eating from my plate.Food from home. I hadn't tasted it in forever."It doesn't matter if he won't sign. There are other ways to get a divorce."Late that night—Leon slipped into my room while the bodyguards weren't looking."Wynne! Wynne!"I jolted awake.He dropped beside me and grabbed my hand tight. "Wynne, forgive me, okay? At first I just wanted to teach you a lesson. I figured you'd come home on your own. I sent people to look for you, but they couldn't f

Chapter 9

The next day, Adeline—Leon's grandmother—showed up.It was my first time meeting her.In the Fabian family, you only got to meet this old lady if you'd shared Christmas Eve dinner with them.In five years, all kinds of Leon's random side chicks had met her.Me?The legally married granddaughter-in-law?Yeah. I never did.Adeline looked gentle as she sat across from me. First thing she did was pull out an emerald pendant."Wynne, I've finally met you. Such a good girl." She slid it across the table. "This is from my private collection. Take it as the Fabian family's apology."I forced a polite smile. "Ma'am, please take it back. It's too valuable. I can't accept it."She leaned forward, voice soft but firm. "Wynne, that boy Leon—I scold him every year. He's a real piece of work. Now your brother beat him up, and I did too. He knows he was wrong. For my sake, can you forgive him this once?"She sighed. "Marriage always has bumps. I can see you two really love each other. You c

Chapter 10

Leon kept dragging his feet, refusing to sign.Every day he blasted my phone—calls, texts, emails, anything he could get through to me.I couldn't take it anymore. I blocked him one contact at a time.Bernard's expression went cold. "If playing nice doesn't work, we hit them where it hurts."Over the next two weeks, Fabian Corp's stock price tanked.Leon's father got exposed for having three or four kids from his affairs. The scandal spread fast.Leon's mother? Police started investigating her for embezzlement and workplace abuse.Wronski Corp teamed up with several smaller companies Fabian Corp had kept under its thumb for years and launched a full-on attack.We were determined to bring them down, even if it came at a great cost.The Fabian family's so-called century-old empire started falling apart fast.The day Leon's mother was sentenced, Adeline got so furious she was rushed straight into the ICU.At the same time, my divorce papers arrived at the Fabian estate.Leon c

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