All Chapters of Not Good Enough to Be His Bride? Then the Wedding's Off: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Don't be mad, Cecilia. It was just a joke."Or are you afraid to see the results because you really did cheat on Mr. Carter?"Chloe Reed covered her mouth, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.Frank Carter had been smiling too, but his expression hardened at once."Cecilia Bennett, you're engaged to me!"I yanked my hand out of his grip."Listen carefully. I said you're the one who isn't good enough to be my husband!"The wedding's off. Go marry someone who's good enough for you. I'm done."I ripped off my veil and tossed it to the floor. Only then did Frank's expression finally falter.Just like every other time Chloe had hurt me in the name of a joke, he took my hand and tried to coax me into letting it go."Come on. It was just a joke. If you don't like the result, I'll have them redo the vote."It's our wedding day. Don't ruin the mood."Frank raised a hand, and the results instantly flipped to 100% yes.I didn't feel any better.Ever since Frank had hired Chloe straight out of c

Chapter 2

I took a cab straight to the hospital and called my father back in Bayhaven."Dad, I lost the bet. Book me a flight home for three days from now."Pull all our investment out of Carter Group. I'm coming home, and I'll do things your way from now on."The moment I hung up, the tears finally came.I couldn't understand how Frank and I had ended up like this.We had once loved each other so fiercely.When my mother's keepsake went missing, Frank had faced down an armed man with nothing but his bare hands to get it back for me.For his sake, I'd willingly walked away from a six-figure job. Then I spent six years at home caring for his bedridden mother so he could focus on his career.For seven years, Frank and I had stood by each other through the darkest times of our lives.Poverty, illness, even bankruptcy - none of it had torn us apart.I'd truly believed we would be happy together for the rest of our lives.But promises, it turned out, could be broken so easily.All it took was one new

Chapter 3

It became even harder to breathe. I forced the words through clenched teeth."That was my heart medication. I have a congenital heart condition!"Frank, take me to the hospital..."Before I could finish, Chloe suddenly cried out and grabbed her ankle."Mr. Carter, I twisted my ankle."What am I supposed to do? The company's IPO event is in three days, and I'm supposed to speak on behalf of the company."I don't want to limp onto that stage and have everyone laugh at me."Frank didn't hesitate. He scooped Chloe into his arms."I'll take you to the hospital."I grabbed the hem of his jacket and pleaded with him."Frank, please take me first."I have a heart condition..."He jerked away from me."Chloe will be representing the entire company up there. Can you be reasonable for once?"Besides, didn't you already have bypass surgery? Don't get jealous over Chloe now. You're just making yourself look petty."Be good. Get a cab to the hospital yourself, and make sure you take care of our baby

Chapter 4

I curled up on the floor, buried my face in my knees, and let the tears fall silently.At some point, I must have passed out.By the time I woke up, it was already morning.Frank stood in the doorway in a crisp suit, acting as if nothing had happened.He gave me a quick look and said flatly, "Get ready. We're going to the venue."At the IPO event, I stood at the edge of the crowd.Then I looked up and saw Chloe in the center of the room. A butterfly brooch was pinned to her dress.My mind went blank.It was my mother's keepsake.On her deathbed, she'd pressed it into my palm and told me, "Whenever you miss me, just look at this."I'd kept it tucked away in the back of my nightstand drawer, carefully wrapped in velvet.And there was only one person who could have taken it.Frank.I rushed over to Chloe."Why are you wearing that brooch?"Chloe looked down at it and smiled innocently."Mr. Carter gave it to me. He said it was handmade by a designer, and the diamonds on the wings alone ar

Chapter 5

Frank's face drained of color.My father raised a hand, his face expressionless."Carter Group's IPO is off."Chloe clearly refused to believe what she'd just heard.She looked my father up and down and scoffed, "Her father? Seriously? You expect us to believe that?"Cecilia, I know you're still upset about that little joke from a few days ago."But did you really have to bring this guy here and make up some ridiculous story just to ruin our IPO event?"I told her, "I'm not like you. I don't get a kick out of messing with people."If we're going to play, let's play for keeps."Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but the phone in her pocket rang.It was someone from the company's finance department.She'd barely heard a single sentence before her voice shot up."What do you mean the funding's been pulled?"We signed a contract!"Frank sensed something was wrong and took the phone from her.He was told that Carter Group's largest investor had pulled its funding.Several business partners ha

Chapter 6

I slapped Chloe across the face."That was for being shameless."You're a woman too. You knew exactly how humiliating it was, yet you made me stand on the street in nothing but my underwear."Her cheek immediately began to swell, and she looked at Frank with a wounded expression.Before she could say anything, I slapped her again."And that was for being vicious."I was three months pregnant, still in my first trimester, and you poured cooking oil all over the restaurant floor."If the restaurant owner hadn't gotten me to the hospital in time, I could've lost my baby and my own life."Frank, who had been silent until then, jerked his head up and stared at Chloe in disbelief."Didn't you tell me she was fine? You said she was just faking it because she couldn't take a joke..."He grabbed my hand and tried to explain."I'm sorry, Cece. I really didn't know that day..."I pulled my hand away in disgust and wiped it with the handkerchief Walter handed me.Then I turned back to Chloe and sl

Chapter 7

I went back to the house Frank and I had bought for our future together.I called the real estate agent and the buyer over.With neither Frank nor his mother there to interfere, the transfer went through quickly.I also sold the car I'd bought to give Frank as a wedding gift.I still held some pre-IPO shares in Carter Group. I couldn't be bothered to deal with them, so I sold the whole stake to Frank's biggest business rival.He was decent enough. After hearing what had happened between Frank and me, he even asked if I wanted him to make Frank's life difficult.I didn't say yes, but I didn't say no either.After all, whether Frank lived or died was none of my concern anymore.I boarded my family's private jet and arrived in Bayhaven that same night.After seven years away, I thought my hometown would feel unfamiliar.But the moment I landed, I breathed in the damp air and felt the breeze off Bayhaven Harbor.That was when I realized something.Home was still home.Some memories ran too

Chapter 8

I couldn't help laughing.Still, I told Lewis I needed some time to think about it.My last relationship had hurt me too deeply.I had nothing against an arranged marriage, but I wasn't about to walk into another marriage that called itself love while feeling more like a cage.Lewis said there was no rush and promised to give me all the time I needed.Then, that very afternoon, he moved into my family's mansion with all his belongings.He took care of my every need and patiently walked me through the financial reports I could barely make sense of.Whenever I went back to the hospital for a checkup, he was even more nervous than I was.He peppered the doctor with questions and filled an entire notebook with instructions and things I needed to watch out for.Thanks to him, within a month I'd reconnected with business associates, relatives, and old friends I'd nearly forgotten.At the many parties and receptions I attended during that time, I also heard plenty of stories about Lewis.I he

Chapter 9

As soon as Lewis finished speaking, he hurried me into the car as if I were something precious and sped away from the hospital.Frank tried to chase after us, but he tripped over a loose stone and fell awkwardly to the ground.All he could do was watch as our car disappeared into the distance.After we picked up our rings, Lewis couldn't wait another second. He took me straight to City Hall to make it official.By the time we walked out, we were officially husband and wife, and he was grinning like an idiot.Then he took me to Bayhaven Harbor, where he put on a fireworks display that lasted through the day and well into the night."Are you really that happy?" I asked. "We were going to get married sooner or later anyway."Lewis beamed."Of course I am!"Cece, I've been waiting almost twenty years for this."Twenty years?I counted it out on my fingers.Lewis had apparently liked me since I was seven.And that was the same year his family had moved to Bayhaven.Embarrassed, I gave him a

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