Início / Romance História curta / Spring Without Return / Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

Todos os capítulos de Spring Without Return: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

12 Capítulos

Chapter 1

I stood there, staring blankly at the gravestone, when the old cemetery caretaker walked over and spoke to me.“Miss, what relation are you to the elderly couple from the Ferguson family? I do not think I have seen you here before.”His simple question struck me like a knife to the chest.Yeah. What was I?The place beside Ethan Ferguson, the place that should have belonged to his wife, already had Olivia’s name carved into it. The letters were neat and permanent.I stood under the sunlight, yet I felt like a rat that belonged in the shadows. I felt small and ashamed, like a person with no identity I could admit out loud.I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and answered quietly, “Just a distant relative.”The old man nodded.“That makes sense. If you were close family, there is no way you would have missed the memorial ceremony Mr. Ferguson held three years ago.”“You should have seen it. The whole thing was grand. Mr. Ferguson organized a private memorial for his p

Chapter 2

However, that time, for the first time in my life, I argued back.“No! I am not giving up my baby no matter what! Even if I have to raise this child alone, I will never get rid of him!”I tried to run away in tears. During the struggle, I lost my footing and fell down the stairs.When I woke up, I lay in a hospital bed.The baby was gone, and Ethan was not there.There was only one message on my phone. He said an important overseas meeting had come up and that he would be away on a business trip for a few days.Back then, I believed something serious must have happened for him to leave me alone at the weakest and most painful moment of my life.I finally understood the truth.He had not left because of work. He had gone home with Olivia and their child so he could tell the world that she was his rightful wife.The realization cut through me like a blade. My chest tightened, and tears blurred my vision.I wandered back to Stormbay in a daze. I did not go home. I went straight

Chapter 3

So this had been Ethan’s plan from the beginning.Everything I had, everything I worked for, had been turned into a stepping stone for Olivia. I had been foolish enough to feel touched by his fake devotion and to make excuses for why he kept delaying our marriage.I spun around and rushed out of the gallery. I needed to hear the truth from him myself.By the time I reached the company building, I ignored the secretary’s panicked attempts to stop me and walked straight toward the CEO’s office.“Daddy, I want ice cream!”The childish voice made me freeze.Inside the office, Ethan sat behind his desk with a little boy, about three years old, resting in his arms.Olivia, dressed in an expensive designer gown, leaned against his shoulder and spoke to him with a soft smile.I already knew about the child after seeing the photo at the cemetery.Seeing them together in person still hit me so hard that it felt like my heart stopped.Olivia noticed me first. Her face turned pale as she

Chapter 4

Ethan froze for a moment before his expression darkened even more.“It is only money. As long as you stay with me, you will never worry about food or a place to live for the rest of your life. Why are you so obsessed with this? Olivia is raising a child on her own. Treat it as helping her and let this go.”He pulled a checkbook from his drawer and tore out a check. “How much do you want? Fill it in yourself. Stop making a scene.”“I do not want your charity.” I did not take the check. “I only want what belongs to me. My copyrights, my awards, my recognition. I am taking all of it back.”Ethan lifted his eyes toward me. Something cold and dangerous settled inside them.“You would not dare. Do not forget, everything you eat and everything you own was given to you by me.“Half the business world in Stormbay answers to me now. If you insist on turning this ugly, do not blame me for forgetting our past.”My whole body stiffened.In that instant, my heart turned completely icy.I ha

Chapter 5

Silence fell on the other end of the call.During those few empty seconds, I stood beside the officer with my heart lodged in my throat.I still held onto one last bit of hope. I believed that no matter how angry Ethan was, he would at least tell them I was not a thief.When he finally spoke again, my entire body froze.“I understand. Handle it according to normal procedure. Thieves these days are getting bold. Maybe this will teach her a lesson so she will not act recklessly again.”In that instant, I understood everything.Ethan had known about Olivia calling the police from the beginning.Because I disobeyed him and upset Olivia, he decided to use this chance to punish me and force me to lower my head.After the officers hung up, they completed the paperwork and locked me inside the detention center.The days there were dark and miserable. The women sharing my cell saw how quiet and withdrawn I was, so they found different ways to bully me.I could not fight back. I curled

Chapter 6

Ethan stood in stunned silence for a long moment before snapping back to reality. He turned to the staff member and demanded sharply, “Who posted her bail? Did they leave a name or contact information?”The employee checked the system again and shook his head.“The bail was handled through an attorney. The lawyer provided complete legal documentation, but no personal information was left behind.“We verified the lawyer’s credentials according to procedure, and everything was valid. However, when we later tried to contact them, the phone number on file had already been disconnected.”Ethan’s expression darkened until it looked like a storm was gathering across his face.He called his assistant at once.“Find out who bailed Vivian out. I do not care what methods you use. I want that person’s identity.“Check her recent calls and spending records. Do not overlook anyone who had contact with her.”“Yes, Mr. Ferguson. I will arrange people to investigate immediately and report back

Chapter 7

As she spoke, Olivia turned and hurried out of the office.Her steps were unsteady, and when she reached the doorway, she glanced back one last time before tears slid down her face.Once she left, Ethan remained alone in the office. He sank heavily into his chair while the anxiety and irritation inside him grew stronger.For the first time in his life, he felt powerless.He had wealth, status, and power. He had everything people spent their lives chasing. Yet even with all of it, he still could not hold on to the one person who had followed him without hesitation when he had nothing.Meanwhile, I lay in the bedroom of a villa.The door opened softly, and my father and older brother walked in.“Vivian, are you feeling any better?”The moment I saw their familiar yet distant faces, tears rushed into my eyes.My father’s hair had turned much whiter over the past five years, and the wrinkles around his eyes had deepened.My brother stood taller and steadier, with a calm maturity

Chapter 8

Olivia had spent the past few years at Ethan’s side, gentle and attentive. She took good care of the child and obeyed Ethan in everything. A woman like that seemed incapable of doing something so cruel.“This is ridiculous.” Ethan let out an icy snort and tossed the letter onto the desk.For some reason, the words in that letter clung to him like a thorn buried under his skin.He could not ignore them.Olivia had returned at the exact moment his company began to recover.Every now and then, she would casually ask about the company’s finances.Details he once overlooked connected together in his mind, one after another, and the uneasiness inside him grew stronger.Someone knocked on the office door.His assistant hurried inside.“Mr. Ferguson, we found something.”The assistant stepped forward and handed Ethan a file.“We have continued searching for Ms. Quinn’s whereabouts. We have not located her yet, but during the investigation, we uncovered suspicious information regardi

Chapter 9

Charles stared at the evidence spread across the desk. His body trembled, and his lips shook so badly he could barely speak.“I will give you one last chance,” Ethan said coldly. “Tell me everything you and Olivia did. Every detail. If you cooperate, maybe I will let you suffer a little less.”Charles hesitated, his eyes darting around the room.He knew exactly what kind of man Ethan was. If he stayed silent after falling into Ethan’s hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.He was also terrified of Olivia finding out he had betrayed her.Seeing him waver, Ethan gave a small glance toward the bodyguards.The two men stepped forward at once.“You should understand by now,” Ethan said, his voice icy, “that I did not get where I am today through kindness.”The threat in Ethan’s tone shattered the last of Charles’s resistance.“I will talk. I will tell you everything.” Charles nearly broke down crying as he confessed.Back when the Ferguson Group collapsed, he and Olivia ha

Chapter 10

“You think I would not dare?”Ethan’s eyes burned with fury as his grip tightened around Olivia’s throat.“Of course you would not.” Olivia shouted recklessly, as if she had nothing left to lose. “You are one of the top three richest people on the Forbes list now. You have money, power, and status. You would never throw all that away.“You are just an idiot who got played by a woman. Vivian was the only one stupid enough to stay by your side.”“You still dare mention Vivian?” The rage inside Ethan exploded. His hand tightened so much it seemed like he might crush her neck.Around them, the sounds of cameras snapping grew louder. Phone flashes lit up nonstop.The assistant rushed forward and grabbed Ethan’s arm.“Mr. Ferguson, not here. This is getting too much attention.”Only then did Ethan snap back to his senses.He looked around at the crowd gathering nearby and the dozens of phones pointed at him.Grinding his teeth, he released Olivia.She collapsed onto the floor, cou

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