Lahat ng Kabanata ng Cheated On and Cashed Out: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

I looked up at the man. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a black suit with a white flower pinned to his lapel.He looked young. His gaze swept over me, traveling from my heels all the way up to the ring on my finger."You're married?""Just died.""Your husband?""My love life."I pulled off my wedding ring and stuffed it into my purse.The corner of his mouth twitched."I'm Kyle Hunt. 24. Second-year grad student."I couldn't help taking another look at him.24? That made him six years younger than me.He had firm, youthful skin, broad shoulders, and a lean waist.For a second, I almost understood Adrian Zeller. There really was something exciting about someone new.The difference was, Adrian had gone for Claire Bailey, the kind of cheap fake who threw herself at married men.Kyle, though, was the real deal, and just looking at him made my mouth water.I looked away. "So what do I have to do?"Kyle waved the check between his fingers. "My family's having di

At 7:00 pm, I walked into Hunt Estate with my arm linked through Kyle's.Georgia Lynch sat in the place of honor in the living room. She had changed into a long black velvet dress, and there wasn't a trace of grief over her husband's death left on her face.A man in his 40s sat beside her. He was in good shape and wore a gold watch on his left wrist.Kyle murmured, "Kevin Tuttle. My mom's personal trainer."I almost laughed. "Your mom has good taste.""Stay in character.""Got it."I immediately put on a suitably mournful expression.The moment Georgia saw me, she brought her teacup down hard. "Why did you bring her here?""Ms. Reyes said Dad left a message for her."Kyle pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down.Everyone in the room immediately perked up.People could skip a meal, but nobody could resist juicy gossip. A scandal at a rich family's funeral was even better. One story like that could keep the whole neighborhood talking for six months.Georgia stared at me. "

The livestream went viral. By the time I opened the flower shop the next morning, dozens of people were already lined up outside.One woman grabbed my hand and insisted I recommend something she could send to the other woman."A cactus," I said."Why?""Prickly, impossible to kill, and perfect for someone who doesn't know when she's not wanted."She bought ten of them on the spot.That gave me an idea. I put together a "Fresh Start" bouquet with shredded photos of cheating exes and priced it at 100 dollars.By the end of the day, I'd sold 800.I'd been doing floral design for five years. I had the skills, the customers, and a style that was all my own.But Adrian had always said a woman didn't need more than a little business of her own. He didn't want me putting myself out there.He kept everything I was capable of confined to one tiny shop, then used my profits to bankroll his company and support Maureen and Claire.Now that no one was holding me back, I finally realized I

Kyle walked in carrying a coffee. He wore a white shirt and jeans, with a backpack slung over one shoulder.He looked like the male lead in a college rom-com who had somehow wandered into a messy family drama.He came over, pushed the straw through the lid, and handed me the drink. "Less ice, no sugar."Then he looked at Claire. "And as for her being old, she's 30, and I'm 24. I don't mind, so why the hell do you?"Someone in the shop started clapping. A second later, everyone started laughing.Claire had always been smug about being younger than me. Now a man even younger than her was standing right beside me, making it painfully clear that her age wasn't much of an advantage after all.Claire looked livid. "He's just some boy toy you paid for!"I took a sip of my coffee. "You live off someone else's money and call it true love. I spend my own money on a hot guy, and suddenly I'm his sugar mama? Even if I am, at least I can afford it. Can you?"The scene at my flower shop hit

As my love life started looking up, Adrian's life started falling apart.After I received the first three million dollars of my compensation, his company ran out of cash.The investors found falsified numbers during due diligence and immediately backed out. Several suppliers demanded payment at once, and before long, his office was shut down.Adrian sold his car and his watch, but it still wasn't enough. Just when he needed Claire most, she disappeared.She sold off a few designer bags that weren't part of the asset freeze, took the 500,000 dollars in emergency cash Adrian had left with her, and planned to leave town.Maureen caught her at the airport, and the two of them got into a fight in front of everyone.Maureen grabbed Claire by the hair and screamed, "What have we ever done to you? Adrian even got divorced for you, and now you're trying to run?"Claire dropped the act. "His company's going under. What, I'm supposed to stick around and help him pay off his debts?""Aren'