All Chapters of Truth or Dare: My Boyfriend Is a Dad: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

The laughter and amorous tension in the house suddenly ground to a halt, replaced by a deathly silence.Tracy Sanderson was clinging to Alaric Lovell's arm, their proximity too intimate for comfort."You're back sooner than I expected." Looking guilty, Alaric stood up, only to blame me. "You could've called and said you were on your way home! You owe that much to your boyfriend, at least."Ah, so he was aware that he was my boyfriend, not that it stopped him from flirting with Tracy.I snorted. "So, the fact that you have a girlfriend hasn't eluded you, huh? I thought you were having too much fun to remember."Alaric scowled. "What the hell does that mean, Elena? No need to get all sarcastic. Are you seriously throwing a fit when you just got home?"A sense of weariness washed over me. I paid him no mind, scanning the matching cartoon slippers on his and Tracy's feet. Gone were the indoor slippers that had been mine.Oh, Elena, this was such a farce.I set my suitcase down and

Chapter 2

This whole thing felt like a ridiculously bad pantomime as I stared at the scowl that twisted Alaric's face."I'm tired."Having said this, I turned to grab the suitcase I'd set down not long ago, then headed for the door without so much as a backward glance.I felt a rough tug on my wrist just as Alaric demanded in a raised, impatient voice, "What's with the tantrum? You've been in a foul mood since you got back and have been lashing out at us for no apparent reason."When have you become so unreasonable, Elena?"I pulled my hand back roughly, the rage I'd been actively suppressing earlier cresting tempestuously in my chest."You're the one being unreasonable, Alaric! You texted me and told me you missed me, so I put in overtime to shorten my five-day work trip to three days. I hauled ass back here overnight just to see you, but what have you done?"Have you asked how I was doing since I opened the door? Do you even remember today is our fifth anniversary?"The accusations tum

Chapter 3

My phone vibrated with a message from Alaric. I clicked on it to find a series of voice notes. I tapped on each one, only to hear his breaking voice playing through the phone."Where are you, Elena? I'm worried sick about you.""I was wrong for treating you the way I did last night, but that was my favorite ornament. How could you have smashed it on a whim?""Whatever we said last night was all part of the game. Why won't you believe me? That joke shouldn't even leave a mark on our years-long relationship!"It was hilarious how he thought my lack of trust in him was the problem and not his relationship with Tracy.I replied expressionlessly, "Do you honestly not know what's wrong between us, Alaric? Stop playing dumb. You suck at pretending."No sooner had I sent the message than Alaric called me. "Come on, Elena, don't say that. I'm truly sorry."He sounded like he was on the verge of tears, the plea in his voice amplified by a sense of urgency. "Stop being angry, okay?"Just

Chapter 4

Alaric finally called me the next day.Sounding eager to please, he asked, "Are you still mad at me, Elena? It's Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary tomorrow. We said we'd go back and celebrate with them, remember?"They've missed you and won't stop talking about you. I… I miss you, too. Please come back. Let's make up."I remembered his parents' wedding anniversary, of course.In preparation for the big day, I'd even had someone craft a fine tea service as a present to Alaric's parents."Will Tracy be going as well?" I asked.There was a beat of silence on the other line, then Alaric answered slowly, "Well, my parents did watch her grow up… She's like a daughter to them, and it's a must for her to attend such an important celebration."Don't think too much of it, Elena. It's just a family get-together."I closed my eyes, the last warm sentiment in my heart vanishing like smoke. I asked coolly, "What time's the celebration tomorrow? I'll head over directly."Alaric heaved a

Chapter 5

Everyone's gaze converged on Alaric, whose face was ashen. It was as if he'd been stripped bare before the scrutinizing crowd, his true colors and form on full display.Alicia and Morgan were grimacing in their seats at the head of the table.The former clutched at her chest, her body swaying dangerously. And Morgan, who'd always been a grounded presence, seemed to embody the terrifying calm before a raging storm.Alaric was shaking violently as he lifted his chin, fixing his bloodshot eyes at me in a menacing glower."Well-played, Elena." He bit out hoarsely, "I can't believe you'd resort to such despicable means to ruin me! Did you look into my time at Franston? Stalk me, perhaps? You even went the extra mile to fabricate these just to destroy my reputation!"Taking a step forward, Alaric pointed at the screen and raised his voice. "We've been dating for five years, and this is the level of trust you have in me? You'd sooner believe these pictures and medical records from God-kn

Chapter 6

The lawsuit against Alaric went well, with the bank wire records and conversation screenshots forming a clear chain of evidence.In the end, the court ordered Alaric to pay me 500 thousand dollars, including interest, within six months as the sum he'd borrowed from me.500 thousand dollars was an astronomical figure for a family living on an average household income. Alaric had no money, so he turned to his parents for help.Morgan had no choice but to sell their only house and move out of a decent neighborhood into a dilapidated apartment building. I heard he fell severely ill after that, and Alicia had aged ten years in the blink of an eye.They used to sing praises of Alaric in front of their neighbors, but now, they'd become the biggest laughingstock in their neighborhood.Some might say I was being too cruel, considering old times' sake. I simply smiled and didn't respond.The fact that I'd used my parents' house as collateral for money hadn't even crossed Alaric's mind when

Chapter 7

Leslie called me one day. "Hey, Alaric used the money his parents managed to scrape together to set up a small arts and crafts supply store in the countryside. Should we drop by and congratulate him?"I was watering a pot of calla lilies when I heard this and laughed. "Nah, he's nobody."My studio had become a top-tier design company in the industry and covered projects all over the country. I'd bought a new place and a car, and I had my parents move in with me.A new chapter of my life had begun, and the names that were once synonymous with the hurt I'd suffered no longer riled me up or stirred my emotions.One didn't have to forget to let go of a painful past, but feel neither love nor hate at the casual mention of it. For example, I couldn't care less where Alaric's arts and crafts supply store was or if it was doing well despite catching wind of it.It was only because Alaric had nothing to do with my life anymore.After hanging up, I brought the calla lilies to the balcony.

Chapter 8

The woman stopped us, cutting us off like a relentless pest. "Let's get to know each other! I'm Nora Wilkinson, and I'm an investor. How about we exchange numbers, handsome?"Nathan frowned, disgust coloring his face.I shielded him and fixed Nora with an icy look. "Move.""Hey, you're a feisty young lady, aren't you?" Nora appraised me from head to toe, her gaze disdainful. "Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you speak to me that way?""I couldn't care less who you are." My voice was devoid of warmth. "You have three seconds to get out of my face, or I can't promise what will happen to you."Perhaps the frigid gleam in my eyes intimidated her, for she took her arrogance down a notch. Still, she refused to budge and turned to look at Alaric incredulously. "Is this your friend, Ricky? Where are her manners?"Alaric's head finally snapped up. He met my stare, his eyes full of unreadable emotion."Ms. Wilkinson," he began hoarsely. "She's… my ex-girlfriend. We've lost contact

Chapter 9

I thought my run-in with Alaric was nothing more than an insignificant interlude, but a few days later, I got an unexpected call from the police.The officer on the other line said, "Hello, is this Ms. Elena Harlow? I'm calling from the Southside police station."Alaric Lovell had taken his own life in our precinct and mentioned your name in his final letter. Please drop by the station so we can record your statement."I gripped the phone and fell silent for a long while.Alaric had taken his own life, an ending that surprised me, yet somehow made sense.He had been an exceedingly prideful man who'd lost everything, including his dignity. Life had beaten him down one too many times, and perhaps ending his own life was the only escape he could think of.I went to the police station as requested, and the officer in charge of the case handed me a letter. "He wrote this for you."I opened the envelope and saw a letter written on a flimsy piece of paper tucked within."Dear Elena, b

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