All Chapters of Her 49th Affair Was Her Last: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The social platform practically crashed.Gideon Bender and Jesse Knapp's announcement shot straight to the top of the trending page. In less than ten minutes, it had already racked up more than 100,000 comments."Ms. Knapp is so romantic! Now that's what I call true love!""What did Gideon do in a past life to get this lucky?""@AnthonyHolmes, take a look, husband of the year! Your wife found another soulmate!"I set my phone down without so much as a flicker of emotion and took a slow sip of my coffee.A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.Jesse's parents stormed in.Her dad, Dominic Knapp, was practically purple with rage. He let out a heavy sigh, then turned to me. "Anthony, Jesse's gone too far this time. I bought you a yacht—take it out for a few days if you need to clear your head."Her mom, Haleigh Marshall, rested a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Anthony, you're family. You're Jesse's husband, and that will never change. Those random men she fools around with? Not

On the way to the courthouse, Jesse kept a tight grip on my hand, as though she thought I might bolt the second the car stopped."Anthony, it's only for one month. I promise."Outside the window, the snow was falling harder, and the sight of it brought back a memory from ten years ago.Jesse and I had gotten our marriage license on a snowy day just like this one. Back then, she had tucked my freezing hand into the pocket of her coat and whispered, "Anthony, I'll never let you face anything alone again."I lowered my gaze to the fingers wrapped around my wrist and managed a faint smile, thinking how once someone stopped loving you, even the same gesture felt like a joke.I gently pulled my hand free, but Jesse immediately grabbed it again."Gideon and I won't announce the marriage. There won't be a wedding, and no one outside the family will even know." Her grip tightened. "As far as everyone else is concerned, you'll still be my husband."I said nothing, but my mind was already

I walked straight into Jesse's office and found Gideon sitting sideways on her lap, holding a grape to her lips.The door opened so suddenly that he nearly slipped off.Jesse frowned when she saw me. "Anthony? What are you doing here?""Working." I tapped the employee badge around my neck that read, "HarborPoint Insurance."Then, I smiled at her. "Ms. Knapp, how about helping your ex-husband hit his sales quota?"Gideon let out a quiet laugh. "Anthony, this is quite the career change."Jesse's frown deepened. Apparently, having an ex-husband who sold insurance was embarrassing for her too. She asked, "Do you need money? The divorce settlement gives you two properties, plus—""I'm thinking long-term," I cut in. "Property isn't a career. It's about time I built something of my own."She studied me for a few seconds before waving her hand impatiently. "I already have more insurance than I need. I—"I pulled a contract from my briefcase and placed it on her desk. "This one's diffe

Everyone turned toward me."Jesse's memories are the proof," I explained calmly. "Reverie Technologies can recover fragments of a deceased person's memories, as long as the procedure is done soon enough after death. If Gideon's telling the truth, we'll know."The smugness vanished from Gideon's face. His voice faltered. "Memory extraction? What is that supposed to prove?""Whether your marriage was real." I held his gaze. "Gideon, are you willing to find out?"His jaw tightened, and his fingers curled around the hem of his shirt. He remained silent for several seconds, clearly weighing his options.Then, almost suddenly, he smiled. "Of course. Jesse and I loved each other. Why would I be afraid?"...That evening, the Knapp family's living room looked more like a temporary courtroom than a home. Attorneys and a notary were present, while a few police officers stood near the entrance to ensure everything recovered from Jesse's memories was properly documented.At the center of t

Gideon's hand was still trembling over his mouth, and the silence in the living room had turned icy.Dominic tightened his grip on his cane and slowly stepped toward him. His voice was dangerously quiet. "What did you just say? Say it again."Gideon backed away until his shoulders hit the wall. "I was angry. I didn't mean it, Dom...""Who the hell are you calling that?" Haleigh shot to her feet, her face twisting with anger. Then, she turned sharply toward the attorneys. "Where's the estate lawyer? I want his claim to Jesse's estate reviewed now."One of the attorneys promptly reviewed the estate documents. "Mr. Knapp, the primary assets within Jesse's trust have already been allocated to the three children. However, as her surviving spouse, Gideon might still have a claim to—"Before he could finish, Gideon suddenly pulled his briefcase tightly against his chest.The movement was so abrupt and instinctive that everyone noticed.After a moment, he slowly opened the case and pull