Lahat ng Kabanata ng From Bride-To-Be to His Kept Woman: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Zara's POVThe apartment was on the 32nd floor. I could see half of the city's dazzling lights from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The fridge was packed to the brim with my favorite foods. Countless clothes hung in the walk-in closet, arranged by season.Even the toothbrush on the bathroom counter was the brand that I usually used.My phone was confiscated, and I was given one that James had specially prepared for me. He could see my every move.I helplessly collapsed onto the couch, finally realizing that I had become his canary in a cage.…James reeked of alcohol when he returned that night. A sympathetic look flickered in his eyes when he opened the fridge and noticed that I had left everything untouched."Are you planning to starve yourself to death to threaten me, Zara?" he asked.I looked up. "Let me go," I said hoarsely.James chuckled at that. Instead of getting angry, he approached me and crouched in front of me. His demeanor was almost gentle when he asked, "Where

Zara's POVI didn't understand what James meant at the time. I thought that he had suddenly found his conscience and was actually willing to let me go.I only realized that something was amiss when I returned to campus and noticed that everyone was looking at me with mockery and disdain in their eyes.It turned out that explicit photos of me were all over the university's forum.My mind went blank in an instant, feeling as if my entire world was turning upside down. My hands were shaking so badly that it took me a few tries to key in my password to unlock my phone."Breaking news! Fuller Group's CEO's secret lover is Ms. Sherwood, a senior at our university. He's been her long-term sugar daddy since her university days!"Although my face had been censored in the photos, anyone could still tell that it was me. I also recognized the bed in the photos. It was the same one that James and I used last night.I was absolutely certain that he didn't have his phone with him at the time,

Third-Person POVJames recognized the canvas shoe in the evidence bag with a single glance. He had bought it from the store near the university entrance during the fall of his freshman year.The shoes had only cost 100 dollars, but Zara had been over the moon with joy for a whole week. She even used an old toothbrush to clean the soles every night.Later, he bought high heels, sneakers, and custom-made shoes that were worth thousands of dollars for her. She accepted all of them, but every time she moved, he always found those canvas shoes at the top of her suitcase.He remembered teasing her and calling her stingy. She had refused to let go of the shoe box, sounding utterly serious when she said, "This is the first gift that you ever gave me. It's different."James reached out and brushed his fingers across the surface of the shoe through the bag. He couldn't stop his fingers from shaking.A police officer pushed the interrogation room door open, saying, "The suspects have given

Zara's POVIt was silent outside for about three seconds before James started hammering his fists against the metal shutter. The sounds were dull but frantic."Zara!" he shouted hoarsely. "Open the door, Zara. I'm begging you."I sat on the stool behind the counter and kept my head down as I counted the spare change.James spent a long time hammering his fists on the metal shutter. Eventually, the sounds of his fists morphed into dull thuds as he knocked his forehead against the shutter."You're not dead… You didn't die… That's wonderful…"He was crying.I separated the spare change and placed them into different compartments in the cash register.Daisy entered the shop from the back door. She looked between the closed shutter and me before asking, "Is he… looking for you?""I don't know him," I replied.She glanced at the shutter again. She looked like she had more to say, but in the end, she just walked into the backyard.James waited outside the shop for the rest of the a

Zara's POVJames disappeared after that night.The folding chair at the front of the shop was still there, gathering a thick layer of dust.Daisy told me that he had left before dawn broke on the horizon. He drove very slowly, idling at the entrance of the alley for a long time before he finally turned the corner.I kept the folding chair and placed it in the storage room.My days became peaceful again.…A month later, Daisy suddenly hollered for me when she was watching TV. "Look, Jane. Isn't that the man who kept crouching in front of your door?"James was surrounded by a throng of reporters as he stood in front of the courthouse on the screen. His suit hung loosely on his thin frame, but his eyes were bright and clear.The news headline stated that James had personally filed a lawsuit against his wife, Melanie, on suspicion of inciting sexual assault and intentional battery.The scene switched to the interior of the courthouse. Melanie was sitting in the defendant's seat.