All Chapters of Today, I Return You to Your First Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Alright, we'll make the changes right away. Would you like us to notify Mr. Foster ahead of time?" the wedding planner asked after some hesitation.I calmly looked at the screen. "No."The call ended, and my computer screen went dark.I glanced around the house that Julian Foster and I were supposed to move into next month after the wedding.It was a three-story villa exuding elegance in every detail.Yet the crystal chandelier in the living room was there because Madison Hart thought it looked more sophisticated.The silk bedding in the master bedroom was one that Madison insisted felt better against the skin. Even the diffuser in the foyer carried her favorite bluebell scent.I felt like a guest who had wandered into someone else's home.I headed to the bathroom to wash my face.A used Tom Ford lipstick sat prominently on the marble countertop. It was Madison's signature vintage red.Beside it lay a delicate pearly earring.I stared at the lipstick. I knew exactly whose i

Chapter 2

At 10:00 pm that night, Julian and Madison entered the house one after the other."Olivia, here." Julian handed me an unwrapped black velvet box.The lid popped open. Inside was a delicate diamond pendant necklace.Around Madison's neck, however, was the dazzling ruby statement piece.The blood-red gem stabbed straight into my eyes. My fingers paused slightly.On our first anniversary, I had once stopped in front of a boutique window to look at a similar ruby necklace.Julian had pulled me away immediately. "It's too flashy. It'll look tacky on you."The rubies weren't tacky after all. They just looked tacky on me."Julian was so clueless that he didn't even bother with a gift box," Madison said as she touched the ruby around her neck and smiled. "The diamond pendant suits you, Olivia. You don't really go out much anyway, so you don't need anything better."I calmly closed the cheap black box."You're right. It would've been wasted on me."Julian froze. Something in his gaze

Chapter 3

There was a two-second silence on Julian's end.Then, Madison's breathless voice came through. "Julian, my chest still feels tight…"The next second, Julian whispered, "Maddie just got through another episode. Her heart has always been fragile. She can't be left alone right now."Curled up on the carpet, I felt as though knives were twisting through my stomach."It really hurts."There was another brief pause before Madison's voice drifted through the speaker. "Julian, maybe you should go check on Olivia?"Before she could finish, Julian cut her off, "Don't push yourself."He turned his attention back to me. "Stop overthinking. A heart condition is serious. You just have a stomachache. I'll call an ambulance for you right now."The call ended.I stared at the closed master bedroom door upstairs.The staircase was no more than a few yards from the living room, yet even that short distance was too much for him to make.Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. But Julian still did

Chapter 4

"What surprise?" Julian asked. Genuine anticipation shone in his eyes as he looked at me.I hadn't seen that look in a long time.Back when we first started dating, I made him a birthday cake. The frosting was uneven and crooked, but he held it in his hands and stared at it for ages."I love anything that's from you, Olivia," he said.Back then, I mattered to him.I hadn't been wrong about him. He just wasn't that man anymore.I was about to reply to him when Madison leaned in. "What surprise? Did you get Julian a gift too?"I didn't respond.The nurse came over to remove my IV. As the needle slid free, a bead of blood welled up on the back of my hand.Julian glanced down at it. For a moment, he looked concerned."The ceremony's in a few hours. Get some rest. I'll see you there."I pressed the cotton ball against my hand and looked up at him."Julian, what if I told you I don't want this wedding anymore? What if I wanted to leave today instead?" I began. "Would you come wit

Chapter 5

The cabin erupted into chaos. First-class passengers frowned and pressed the call button, demanding answers from the crew.Yvette turned sharply toward me. "Has Julian lost his mind? Did he really just ground an international flight?"I lowered the window shade."Don't bother with it."The purser hurried down the aisle with a table. After checking my number, she looked at me."Ms. Sinclair, we've received urgent instructions from air traffic control. Foster Group has agreed to cover all compensation for the delay of this flight. You are required to disembark for a discussion."Before I could respond, the curtain at the front of the cabin was suddenly drawn back.Julian strode in wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. Behind him were two airport staff members and several bodyguards.His breathing was uneven. A thin layer of sweat sat on his forehead.His eyes swept across the cabin, then locked directly onto me. "Olivia."He got closer to me and slammed an invitation card on

Chapter 6

"Last month," I replied, taking my phone back.That decision wasn't made yesterday. It was made last month.I just finally stopped hesitating yesterday. I submitted the application right after he postponed the wedding yet again.It was when he took Madison on a global shopping trip and left my wedding dress fitting notes untouched on the side.Julian stared at me.The certainty he always wore like armor had begun to crack for the first time. "You planned to leave without telling me? Do you even know what day it is today? If you walk out now, what's going to happen to the Foster family's reputation?""That's your and Madison's problem," I spat back. "Aren't you two childhood sweethearts? Didn't you say that whoever got married first would take the other on a trip around the world? Isn't this perfect? Once you marry her, you get both the honeymoon and the trip."His jaw tightened. Before he could respond, his phone rang.The screen lit up with Maddison's name. It stood out like a

Chapter 7

13 hours later, our flight touched down in Luten. It was a misty morning outside the window.I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned my phone back on. The screen immediately flooded with missed calls and messages.Other than a few notifications from friends checking in, the rest were news alerts from back home."Foster Group Heir's Wedding Marred by Last-Minute Bride Swap.""Childhood Sweethearts Finally Together? Inside Julian's Wedding Drama."Yvette leaned over and glanced at the headlines. She snorted. "Looks like things are getting rowdy. That wedding planning company really knows how to get things done."I dismissed the notifications and blocked Julian's number."Come on, let's get to the office."We left the airport and climbed into a car waiting for us. Our driver headed straight for Visage's Luten headquarters.I leaned back against the seat. My stomach still ached a little.Compared to the years I'd spent wearing myself down, though, it was nothing. I'd finally left that

Chapter 8

Emily slid a file across the table."The cover shoot for Vantier, an ultra-luxury brand, is scheduled for tomorrow. Their regional ambassador just got caught up in a major scandal. The brand wants a completely new concept, and they want it in three hours."She looked up and held my gaze. "If you can pull it off, the lead writer position is yours. If not, we'll have to send you back to Borginia."Yvette muttered a curse behind me.It was a test.Vantier was one of the world's biggest luxury houses and was notorious for being difficult to work with. Rebuilding an entire campaign in three hours would be a challenge for any team.I picked up the file and skimmed through it. "I can do it."Emily looked at me.I closed the folder."I need Vantier's current couture lookbook," I said, opening my laptop and starting to type. "The ambassador is no longer the issue. The brand's priority is distancing itself from the scandal and redefining the campaign."The old concept focused on who wo

Chapter 9

Rain in Luten never seemed to last long.On the day Vantier released its Invisible Presence cover, the fashion world erupted.There wasn't a model in sight. The cover featured layers of silk and lace suspended against the city skyline, drifting through the morning light.Traffic to Visage's website was so heavy that the servers crashed.Emily couldn't stop herself from laughing in the office. She even poured me a glass of champagne."You've pulled off the impossible, Olivia."I set down the report in my hands. My phone buzzed. It was an update from Yvette about Borginia.Foster Group's stock had collapsed. Julian's stunt on his wedding day had become the business story everyone was talking about.His attempt to blacklist me overseas had drained an enormous amount of capital. Several major projects had gone to his competitor before he could stop it.That competitor happened to belong to James.The office door opened. James walked in.He had rolled up his sleeves to his forear

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