Startseite / Romance Kurzgeschichte / Ten Years His Secret, Another Man's Bride / Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

Alle Kapitel von Ten Years His Secret, Another Man's Bride: Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

10 Kapitel

Chapter 1

Inside the office building, after the executive meeting ended, I walked toward Nicholas Greene's office, holding a ring I'd prepared in advance.The door was slightly ajar. What I saw froze me in place.The new hire, Tiffany Leary, was blushing as she curled up in his arms. In her hand was a red ring box. Inside it lay a diamond ring, at least ten carats, catching the light and reflecting it brightly."Do you like it?""I love it! But isn't it a bit too big?"Affection filled Nicholas' eyes as he laughed softly. "Only something like this suits your status."A blissful smile spread across Tiffany's face. As she shyly turned her head away, she happened to spot me standing at the door. Her eyes flashed with a flicker of delight before she hurried over and grabbed my hand. "Ariana, you're here. Sorry for lying to you before. I'm not an employee here. I'm Nicholas' fiance."I had personally mentored Tiffany for a month, so we'd grown quite close. The sudden news caught me off guard.

Chapter 2

"Are you still mad? What I said this afternoon wasn't sincere."I looked at Nicholas, numb, and replied flatly, "You're engaged to Tiffany. So, why are you still dating me?"His expression remained indifferent. "I don't like her. Our marriage is a family arrangement. Love is love. Marriage is marriage. That's how wealthy families work. I thought you knew that."I suddenly felt like laughing. "I didn't. If I knew, I never would've been with you."I never would've given my heart to a man like this. I never would've wasted ten of the best years of my life.Clearly annoyed, Nicholas lit a cigarette. "Ariana Hudson, you've always been a smart woman. Cinderella marrying the prince only happens in fairy tales. We're from different worlds. Dating is fine, but marriage was never possible."He flicked the cigarette ash, unconcerned. "But that doesn't affect our relationship. My marriage to Tiffany is just for show. I'm still yours."Looking at the man in front of me, the one treating my f

Chapter 3

Nicholas pulled me into his arms and fastened the expensive necklace around my neck. "I don't like relationships that go nowhere either."After graduation, I helped him secure several more projects. At my busiest, I drank so much that I ended up with gastric bleeding. I worked myself like a dog, repaying his support, and trying to catch up to him.From the ages of 19 to 29, I devoted myself to protecting our relationship, trying to become someone worthy of him.But the one who remembered that promise was only me. Perhaps he didn't forget and just chose to pretend for the sake of his so-called "greater plans."Nicholas acted as if everything had been perfectly arranged and casually answered a phone call.In the quiet living room, I heard Tiffany's soft, sweet voice. "Nicholas, I miss you."His tone turned gentle. "Wait for me."After hanging up, he turned to look at me. "Ariana, do you remember everything I just said?"My face was expressionless. "I remember."Satisfied, he nod

Chapter 4

I froze. A bad feeling surged through me."She's in the trunk."The surroundings were dead silent. No one else was around. I yanked the trunk open. The person lying inside made my whole body go cold. It was my mom.My blood seemed to freeze. I was unable to move.Just two days ago, she'd told me to get more rest. Now, she lay twisted inside the cramped trunk, wearing the blouse I bought her in college. Her graying hair was soaked in blood.My hands trembled as I lifted her out. She was so thin. It felt like I was holding nothing at all.Tiffany stared at me in shock. Her voice slithered into my ears like a venomous snake. "Ariana, are you insane?"Ignoring her, I took off my coat and pressed it against the torn wound in my mom's abdomen. "Call an ambulance. Now! The person you hit is my mother!"Tiffany's eyes widened. Shaken, she stumbled back. After hesitating, she finally made the call. But the voice on the other end was Nicholas'. "Hello?"With reddened eyes, Tiffany s

Chapter 5

Nicholas' head snapped to the side from the slap. When he heard me ask for a breakup, anger flashed across his face. "Ariana, do you even know what you're saying?"He curled his lip, speaking each word slowly. "You're serious? Without me, you're nothing.""Is that so?" Chandler suddenly appeared, stepping in front of me. His tone was ice cold. "There are plenty of people who like her. Without you, she's better off."Nicholas lifted his gaze and stared at Chandler. "You're just a cover. What right do you have to interfere?"The frustration in my chest surged. I purposely said, "I'm already with him."Chandler froze for a second, while Nicholas clearly didn't believe it. He let out a mocking laugh. "He's not into women. I'll wait for the day your little act falls apart. Ariana, you're the one who turned down the money. Don't come crying to me later."After that unpleasant encounter, I submitted my resignation and blocked all of Nicholas' contact methods. I wanted a clean break.Wh

Chapter 6

"R-Register our marriage?"Chandler nodded. "You said you'd help me, didn't you? Didn't Nicholas explain it clearly?"Nicholas had indeed mentioned we'd cover for each other in front of family, but he never said anything about actually getting married. Had I misunderstood?Seeing me silent, Chandler lowered his gaze. "Forget it. That was too forward of me. It's fine if you don't agree. It's not the first time I've been rejected. I'm used to it."I hurried to explain. "That's not what I meant…"After a moment's hesitation, I gritted my teeth. "Fine. I'll agree. But we need an agreement. When things ease with your family, we'll get divorced."His gaze dimmed slightly. "Okay." Then, he smiled, his aloof demeanor softening. "Pleasure working with you," he said as he held out his hand. His fingers were long and slender. When I took his hand, his palm was burning hot.I registered my marriage with Chandler. He put a diamond ring on my finger. It was even bigger than Tiffany's. "

Chapter 7

Chandler lifted his eyelids. "Only when you stop relying on me do you have the right to ask me to do something."The words made the veins on Nicholas' temples bulge.Chandler smirked lazily. "If I remember correctly, wasn't the deal you closed last week handed to you by me?"Nicholas' face flushed red. He couldn't say a word. The atmosphere at the table turned strange until Mr. Greene Senior arrived and broke the tension.Nicholas quickly composed himself. As he placed food onto Tiffany's plate, he sneered at Chandler. "Chandler, do you think a gay man can really date a woman? Can they even sleep with one?"I frowned. He was clearly trying to provoke him.Before I could speak, Chandler grabbed my chin with one hand and kissed me in front of everyone.Nicholas' eyes widened in disbelief. His face darkened instantly. But Chandler remained calm and said, "I don't know about your question. But when I date someone, this is usually how it is. Actually, we're not just dating. We're alr

Chapter 8

When Nicholas saw me, his eyes lit up with joy. "Ariana, let's talk."There was nothing left to say."Nicholas, we're over. Can you stop bothering me?"His eyes turned red. His hands curled slightly as his sides. He looked aggrieved, as if I were the one who betrayed him. "I never agreed to break up."He looked up at me carefully and continued, "Ariana, we've been together for ten years. You can't treat me like this."I lifted the corners of my lips. "When you got engaged to Tiffany, did you think about us? When I begged you to call the ambulance and save my mom, did you think about us? Nicholas, you were the one who pushed me away. So, what are you acting pitiful for now?"Nicholas opened his mouth. "I…"I shoved him aside, annoyed. "Leave. If not, I'm calling the police."His breathing grew uneven. "You're the one I've always loved. But I need Tiffany's support. Once I settle everything, I'll divorce her. We can still be together."His eyes were red as he added, "I'll give y

Chapter 9

"It turns out Ariana went to my school too. I've already reported you to the dean. I hope your degree gets revoked. You're welcome!"I laughed out of exasperation.@ItsAriHere: "With just a few lines of text and some photos, suddenly I'm the mistress? It's far too easy to spread rumors these days. The truth will come out. And to the murderer, don't delete your post. I'll make sure you regret it. @TiffyBaby."My reply pushed two more hashtags onto the trending list.#ArianaThreatensTiffany. #TiffanyTheMurderer.The Internet exploded as people scrambled to keep up with the gossip, overwhelmed by the constant twists of events.While monitoring the trending hashtags, I organized everything—my chat history with Nicholas, his transfer records, my mother's medical report, and my first resignation record.Pride always mattered to me. I didn't want to depend on my boyfriend. So, just two months into our relationship, I had already resigned. During that period, I returned every dollar he

Chapter 10

"I feel like a clown.""Was it fun messing with everyone?""Damn it! Apologize to us!"…Tiffany couldn't believe Nicholas would speak up for me, but he did. She deleted her Twitter account overnight. The accident she thought money could bury was now impossible to hide under the weight of the trending posts. The next day, news broke that she had been taken in for investigation.Worried I'd be harassed again, Chandler took me to his apartment. But even there, I still saw Nicholas waiting outside.Usually so polished, he hadn't even shaved. He looked utterly dejected. "Ariana…"Chandler stepped in front of me without a word."After seeing what you posted, I realized I didn't treat you well. I was wrong," Nicholas continued.Chandler laughed coldly. "Your mistakes were obvious to everyone. You're just late to the realization."Nicholas laughed too, but it sounded bitter. "We were together for ten years. I thought you'd wait for me."I stepped out from behind Chandler. "Ten ye

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