All Chapters of Her Love Was Just a Game… Until the Divorce Wasn't: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

A fresh set of divorce papers with Maeve Sinclair's name signed on it was shoved at me.It was that same game. She was starting it again at Dad's funeral, just after I'd lost my only family.I looked at her, at the beautiful face.For the past three years, every time she brought out those papers, I would play along by crying and questioning until she finally laughed, tore the papers to shreds, and coaxed me back.She called it fun, a way to keep our marriage fresh, and I believed her.But right now, Dad was lying in his casket.Before he passed, he held my hand tight and fixed his eyes on the door. He was waiting for Maeve, his daughter-in-law, whom he'd always treated like his own flesh and blood, to show up for one last goodbye. But she never came.Standing before him, I gave him a farewell kiss before turning around to take the pen from Maeve.Instead of crying or screaming, I signed my name, letter by letter, under her watchful eyes."Done."Maeve froze.The breakdown

Chapter 2

"You're the one who can't tell the difference," I snapped at Maeve and hung up before returning to the interview.The job was a simple administrative role at a small firm. The pay was modest, but it was enough for me to get by.The interview went well, and I was set to start next Monday.…That evening, I returned to my apartment to find two people waiting outside my door. It was Maeve and Zane.Maeve's expression was thunderous, while Zane stood back with the smug look of someone enjoying the show."You've got some nerves, Nolan. Are you actually being serious?"She stepped forward to block my way."Serious or not, none of that matters between us anymore," I said and tried to sidestep her to reach my door, but she grabbed my wrist with a bruisingly tight grip. "Come home with me, and I'll pretend none of this happened.""Let go." My voice was cold."Don't push your luck, Nolan!" From the sidelines, Zane added fuel to the fire. "He's just doing this on purpose to get your

Chapter 3

The heavy smell of cologne hit me the second I stepped into the hallway.At my door, Zane stood like he owned the place and looked at me with open disdain."What are you doing here?" I coldly asked."Just checking in on you to see how miserable you are after Maeve dumped you."He looked me up and down, taking in my soaked, disheveled state, and laughed. "You look rough. You lost your job too, didn't you? Maeve said she's going to make sure you can't survive in Marinia until you crawl back and beg her.""Tell her to keep waiting."I decided I was done with him and unlocked my door to step inside."Still acting tough, huh?"He followed me in, walked straight to Dad's portrait, and picked it up. "If your old man knew how ungrateful you are right now, would he roll over in his grave?""Put that down," I demanded, my voice shaking."Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" He tossed the frame lightly in his hand. "What if I accidentally drop it…""I said put it down."Zane let out a mock gasp an

Chapter 4

I looked at the shattered frame on the floor, at Dad's splintered smile.Suddenly, nothing else mattered. In the face of Dad's death, my dignity, future, and freedom were all weightless.Slowly, little by little, I bent my knees.Zane's eyes lit up, while Maeve's expression softened slightly. She seemed pleased with my submission.Just as my knees were about to touch the floor, knocks came from the door. Three light and rhythmic taps.All of us frowned, and Maeve frowned. "Who is it?"No one answered. Instead, there were three more knocks.She impatiently marched over and yanked the door open. A woman in a black suit stood outside with two others dressed the same beside her. She was tall and poised, though her eyebrow twitched ever so slightly as she took in the scene in the room."Pardon me. Is Mr. Nolan Woodward here?"Her tone was polite, but it carried an authority that couldn't be ignored.Maeve was visibly taken aback. "Who are you? What do you want with him?""Our C

Chapter 5

It was Sabrina. She'd matured significantly since our school days, and the soft edges of her face had sharpened.When her eyes fell on me, she froze for a split second before frowning. "How did you end up like this?"I looked down at myself, soaked to the bone with dried blood on my arms. I was a total wreck. "It's a long story.""Get in. We'll talk in the car."The Maybach smoothly pulled away from the rundown apartment complex.In the car, Sabrina handed me a soft blanket. "I just returned to Marinia and was handling business when Gordon told me about what happened to Mr. Woodward. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said, her voice low and heavy. "It's not your fault," I replied, shaking my head. If she hadn't shown up today, I couldn't even imagine what would've happened."What exactly happened?" Her eyes fell on the gashes on my arm.I sat in silence for a moment before telling her about my marriage and Dad's death. There was no exaggeration; just the silent, plain statement

Chapter 6

That was when Maeve finally remembered me.She tried everything and finally managed to track me down, cornering me in a coffee shop I used to frequent.She looked gaunt. Her makeup was smudged, and her suit was wrinkled and gray."Nolan," she croaked.I stopped in my tracks and shot her a cold look. "It was you, wasn't it?" she asked."Yes," I replied, not bothering to deny it.It was as if I'd drained the last bit of strength from her. She stumbled back and leaned heavily against the wall."Why? Is it because of that game and that I didn't pay for your dad's surgery?"She let out a broken laugh that sounded more painful than a sob. "Do you have any idea that firm was my life's work?""And do you have any idea that my dad was my only family?" I countered.She choked on her words. "Nolan, we're husband and wife—""Not anymore," I interrupted. "You deserve this, Maeve. You loved playing poor, and now I'm just making your dreams come true.""You can't do this to me! All thos

Chapter 7

Maeve opened her mouth to speak, but not a single word came out."Nol… I…""Don't call me that. It disgusts me."I stepped around her, walked to Dad's headstone, and gently placed a bouquet of white lilies."I'm here, Dad. I'm doing well, so don't worry."I softly told him about how Sabrina helped reclaim the company and how Maeve was finally bankrupt, talking to the stone as if he were standing right beside me.Behind me, Maeve was still kneeling, completely still. When I finished and turned to leave, she suddenly lunged forward and grabbed my leg. "Nol, please don't go! Don't leave me!"She started wailing like a child, "I have nothing left. You're all I have! You can't just leave me here!"I looked down at her, at the face I once loved so deeply, now reduced to nothing but pathetic desperation. My heart didn't soften for a second."Maeve, you love role-playing, don't you?" I asked, crouching down to look her in the eye."You played the bankrupt loser so well, didn't you?

Chapter 8

All of a sudden, it struck me that it'd been a long time since I'd looked at anyone this earnestly.I pushed the agreement back across the desk.Seeing the flicker of disappointment in Sabrina's eyes, I pulled a pen from my bag and added one final clause to the bottom of the agreement."Party A must promise to love only Party B for a lifetime, with no falsehoods or role-playing."With that, I signed my name."Now, it's your turn," I said, handing her the pen.Sabrina froze for a second before she picked up the pen and solemnly signed her name. As soon as she finished, she threw her arms around me and held me tight."Thank you, Sabrina," I whispered in a trembling voice.Breathing in the faint scent of her hair, I could feel the weight in my chest finally being lifted.…Life with Sabrina was peaceful and filled with happiness. She took care of me in ways I never expected and made me believe in love again.We worked together, traveled together, and turned our lives into somet

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