All Chapters of The Earthquake Hit… and So Did Betrayal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Are you sure you don't want the wedding dress? You spent five months designing it."The bridal consultant looked confused as she glanced toward my fiancee, Leona Sampson, who was sitting on the couch by the entrance.We had set our wedding date six months ago. I'd put so much thought into the wedding that I even designed Leona's wedding dress myself. She had always patiently come with me to work out the little details of the dress, even rubbing my shoulders whenever I got tired.The staff at the bridal shop had always seen us as the perfect couple. But after what happened during the earthquake the day before, I couldn't even stand to look at the dress anymore.Leona claimed that she had just been showing the new intern, Matt Ryder, the ropes when the earthquake hit. Everyone was panicking, and someone had accidentally torn her blouse in the chaos. So Matt had lent her his jacket.I knew that it was a lie.We used to be so in love, but her heart had started to stray. And all I

Chapter 2

Leona suddenly told me she had to go on a business trip and asked me to help her pack.She had a terrible memory and could be pretty careless, always forgetting where she'd left things. Eventually, she just sat on the bed and left me to finish packing.I packed everything carefully, even making sure she had tampons with her. When she saw that, she walked over and wrapped her arms around me."Patrick, do you remember our first trip together?" she asked softly. "I forgot to bring tampons and ended up staining my pants. You tied your jacket around my waist, found me a restroom, and went out to buy me some tampons. That's when I knew I'd picked the right guy."The memories came rushing back, and I felt a lump in my throat.She remembered all of it, yet that hadn't stopped her from cheating on me.And there was one thing she had conveniently left out. That same day, she swore she would love me and only me for the rest of her life.It seemed she'd been quick to forget the promises she

Chapter 3

She instinctively grabbed my hand and explained, "Don't read too much into it. Young people these days just like pulling stuff like this. Matt only sees me as an older sister and is just messing around."She walked over and took down the banner, muttering under her breath, "Didn't I text you and tell you not to come? What are you doing here?"Matt scratched his head and gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, Patrick. I was just messing with Leona. I didn't know you were taking her to the airport. I hope you didn't get the wrong idea. Everyone at the company knows how much she loves you."As he spoke, a quick, almost imperceptible smirk crossed his face.I waved it off and said casually, "It's fine. You two can just go to the airport together. I'll head back."Leona hesitated, looking stunned as Matt ushered her into the car.Watching the car disappear down the road, I finally understood where the Porsche I'd given Leona had gone.She had given it to Matt as a birthday gift.Back then,

Chapter 4

For the first time, I didn't drive Leona home. I told her I had something to take care of.She nodded, surprisingly understanding. "It's okay. Don't worry about me."I knew she'd already been looking for an excuse to leave.Matt had been calling her several times. She'd ignored him only because I was sitting right there.Leona was distracted throughout the meal. But the moment I told her I needed to leave first, her eyes lit up.I pretended not to notice, hailed a cab, and headed to the bridal shop.When the bridal consultant saw me, she tried one last time to talk me out of it."Did you two fight? Maybe you should keep the dress for now, Mr. Casey. Couples fight all the time, and I'm sure you can work things out. If you two make up later, it'll be really hard to have the exact same dress custom-made again."I knew she meant well, but if she knew the full story, she wouldn't be saying that.While I was waiting for the buyer, I got another call."Hi, Mr. Casey. We're calling a

Chapter 5

Leona looked flustered, but Matt was smirking. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, we're here to pick out a dress for the wedding."I nodded. "Sure. I'll sell it to you."Matt reached for the dress, but Leona immediately grabbed his arm. "Don't touch that! I'm wearing it for my wedding to Patrick!"She pushed past him and came straight to me, taking my hand. "You spent five months designing this dress. How can you just sell it like that? What am I supposed to wear to our wedding then?"A cold laugh escaped me. She'd still be wearing it, just to marry someone else.I pulled my hand away. "Leona, we're done. The wedding is off."I'd always thought saying those words would break me, but when the moment finally came, I felt surprisingly calm. It was as if I'd finally found the courage to face reality.Tears welled up in Leona's eyes. "Patrick, what are you talking about? Our wedding is next week. We already booked the venue.""I canceled it," I said coldly. "There isn't going to

Chapter 6

The moment I stepped out of the bridal shop, I heard something shatter inside. I ignored it, pulled my coat tighter around me, and headed home.By the time I got back, Leona was already sitting on the couch.I put my resignation form on the coffee table. I didn't know how Matt had tricked her into signing it, but judging by her expression, she clearly had no idea what she had signed.Her voice softened when she saw me. "Patrick, you're back?"I nodded and didn't say anything.She stood up, walked over, and wrapped her arms around me from behind. "I know I've been buried in work lately and neglected you. You have every right to be mad, but you can't treat our marriage like a joke."We picked the wedding date months ago. I already told all my friends. And now you're suddenly calling it off. Do you have any idea how humiliating that is for me? I promise once I'm less busy with work, I'll make it up to you, okay?"I pried her hands off me and sighed. "Leona, I might not be on the bo

Chapter 7

Leona stared at the form in shock and rubbed her eyes several times.Once she recognized her own handwriting, realization dawned on her. "Wait... this is the document Matt got me to sign?"I nodded and pulled her hand away. "Yeah. I wish you two a long and happy life together."After leaving the apartment complex, I took a cab to my parents' house.My best friend, Ryan Duffman, was sitting on the couch, absentmindedly petting my cat. The moment he saw me walk in, he grinned cheekily."Well, well. Look who finally decided to come home. You walked away from your family and put your career on the line for love, and now you've got neither. Talk about screwing yourself over."I rolled my eyes and sank into the seat beside my dad.He closed his book and gave me a look. "Are you really set on starting over abroad? Or is this another impulsive decision for 'true love'?"Ryan threw an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry, Frank. As long as I'm around, this idiot isn't getting into anoth

Chapter 8

When I went downstairs, Leona carefully brought the dishes to the table. Even when a hot plate burned her fingers, she didn't utter a word of complaint.It was such a contrast to the woman I used to know. She'd never once set foot in the kitchen the entire time we were together.I pulled out a chair and sat down.My parents looked at Leona with a mixture of exasperation, disdain, and disappointment. They never expected that the first time they'd meet her in person would be when we were ending things.Leona ladled a bowl of soup and handed it to my mom. "Mary, try this. I made it especially for you."Mom reluctantly took the bowl. "You two aren't even married yet. Don't pretend to be so familiar with me."Leona faltered, then forced a stiff smile. "It's fine. We're practically family anyway. Patrick and I are getting married next week."I sighed and tried to get through to her one more time. "Leona, I already told you. The wedding is off. It's over between us."Rejecting her lik

Chapter 9

Matt scoffed, "Why should I? I didn't do anything wrong. Why would I apologize? And why should I quit?"Leona pulled my resignation form from her bag and threw it at him. "You did this, didn't you? You lied to me about needing a signature for an emergency procedure and tricked me into signing it. And what was it really for? Patrick's resignation form! You just wanted him gone!"All the warmth and affection disappeared from Matt's face. He grabbed Leona by the shoulders and shouted, "So what if I did? I did it because I love you! Once he was out of the picture, we could finally be together. Why can't you see that I'm the one who loves you more?"Leona slapped him hard across the face."What are you talking about? I told you, I only see you as a younger brother! If you hadn't come between us, Patrick and I would never have ended up like this!"Matt held his cheek and gave a bitter smile. "Oh, please. So now you're playing innocent in front of his parents? That's not what you said in

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