All Chapters of Standing in Line to Marry a Man Already Taken: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

After sending that message, I opened my umbrella and walked into the rain.The wind was so strong that it snapped the umbrella's ribs.By the time I made it back to the house, I was soaked through. My trench coat clung to my body, my lips had turned blue from the cold, and my fingers were stiff and numb.When I opened the door, the living room was warm and brightly lit.Emma Lewis was curled up on the couch in my silk nightgown, holding a glass of warm milk.Her Samoyed lay at Seth Farrelly's feet while he gently dried her hair with a towel.At the sound of the door opening, he looked up at me.His brows immediately snapped together. "What happened to you? You know the house rules. You're not supposed to step into the house dripping wet."I looked down at my feet. Rainwater was dripping from the hem of my dress, leaving a small puddle on the marble floor.Yet right beside it, Emma's dog had left a trail of muddy paw prints.Seth had always been a clean freak. During the seven

Seth's hand froze in midair, his face darkening."What's wrong with you?" he asked in a low voice. "I already told you I'd clear my schedule and get our marriage certificate tomorrow."And about the necklace, Emma was already upset today. I was just trying to make it up to her. Do you really have to be so petty?"He had broken his promise and given away the thing that was supposed to be mine, yet he was blaming me for being petty."I'm not petty," I said, looking straight into the eyes of the man I'd loved for seven years. My eyes were dry and aching, but I didn't even feel like crying. "Give her the necklace. Give her the rug, too. Give her whatever she wants. I don't want any of it anymore."Seth stared at me in disbelief.He opened his mouth, then closed it again, clearly assuming this was just another passive-aggressive game of mine."Audrey, there's a limit to these tantrums," he scoffed, slamming the glass onto the kitchen island so hard that water splashed out. "Do you ev

The car was quiet. I leaned back against the leather seat, watching the streets slide past outside.My fever still hadn't completely broken, but my mind was clear."No regrets?" Ronan asked, resting one hand on the steering wheel."No," I said softly.Honestly, what Ronan had offered me was unbelievably generous.He was giving me shares in some of the Farrellys' core businesses, and the agreement explicitly stated that we'd keep out of each other's personal lives. If I wanted out after three years, he wouldn't stand in my way.He didn't need a real wife. He just needed someone presentable, sensible, and unaffiliated with rival families, someone who could keep the press, socialites, and relatives from pressuring him to settle down off his back.And I needed a clean break from my past.It was a fair trade. We both got what we wanted.Half an hour later, we had our marriage certificate in hand.I looked down at the certificate for a long moment.For seven years, I'd done everyt

Seth froze, his face draining of color.Just then, Emma came running over with tears in her eyes and grabbed his sleeve. "Seth, please don't be angry with Audrey. This is all my fault. If it weren't for me...""Get lost!" Seth growled. He shook her off so violently that she fell hard onto the cold marble floor.Clutching her chest, Emma cried out, "Ah! My heart... It hurts so much..."In the past, Seth would have panicked and rushed her to the hospital. But now, he only stared at her with disgust, as if he barely recognized her."Your heart hurts?" His voice was hoarse and menacing. "Emma, I saw your medical report six months ago. I let you get away with everything because I owed Jamie my life. But when you started targeting Audrey, you crossed the line."He crouched down, grabbed Emma by the collar, and pulled her close. His eyes were bloodshot with rage."You threw those chicken bones on the rug on purpose. You deliberately asked for that necklace when she came downstairs with