All Chapters of Ten Years of Waiting, One Chance to Love Her: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Rory's voice was deep and cool, carrying a chill that seemed to cut even deeper than the snow swirling around them.Alisha lowered her eyes. "I was just heading home."Rory glanced at the road behind her, showing no obvious emotion on his face. Yet his gaze was enough to make embarrassment prick sharply at her skin.As Jason's closest friend, he knew perfectly well that she was driving in the opposite direction from the Bellemont Estate.He also knew what Jason had been doing with other women all these years and, no doubt, how thoroughly their marriage had become a source of gossip and ridicule among their social circle.Unwilling to linger any longer in the company of anyone connected to Jason, Alisha glanced at the wrecked cars and said, "Send me the repair bill once you get the estimate. I'll transfer the money."Rory's eyes moved over the crushed sections of the two vehicles before settling on her face.The corners of her eyes were still red from crying, and when his gaze dr

Alisha walked straight past Jason without so much as blinking."Think I'm filthy?" he called after her with a sneer."Aren't you?""So what? No matter how filthy I am, you’re still the one who’s moaned beneath me all these years."Before marrying Jason, Alisha had heard countless stories about unfaithful men.Childhood sweethearts, soulmates, starry-eyed lovers—no matter how beautiful their beginnings had been, so many of those relationships eventually ended in betrayal and tragedy.She had always believed she would be different.She had been naïve enough to think Jason would never betray her, that their marriage would stay happy, that the two of them would love each other forever, and that they would eventually have children together as the natural, tangible proof of everything they had built.But reality had other plans.Her marriage had become a complete disaster. She and Jason would never have children together, and instead of cherishing the years they had shared, they now

Alisha kept her gaze lowered, her long lashes casting delicate shadows over her pale face.An IV needle was taped securely to the back of her hand, while her other hand held an open medical textbook. Beneath the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor, she looked almost unnaturally fragile.Rory stood some distance away, his eyes fixed intently on her until her lashes fluttered, and she looked up.Alisha hadn't expected to run into him at the hospital again so soon. A faint smile touched her lips, and she gave him a small wave.Rory's jaw tightened. His expression remained cold and unreadable as he turned and walked away without a word.Alisha slowly lowered her hand, embarrassment creeping over her.Susan hadn't been entirely wrong about her temper, especially when she was a rebellious teenager. Back then, the more someone resisted her, the more determined she became to chase after them.When Rory stonewalled her during high school, she had resorted to spoiled, aggres

Alisha knew perfectly well why Jason refused to sign the divorce agreement.It wasn't because he couldn't bear to lose her. He simply couldn't stand the thought of giving her what she wanted.Three years ago, when she first caught him cheating, she had chosen to look the other way, desperately hoping to preserve whatever remained of their marriage.On the surface, the storm seemed to pass.Jason came home every evening, called her "babe" with practiced tenderness, and carefully tiptoed around her feelings.But behind that hollow façade, Alisha spent countless nights lying awake, unable to sleep.During that period, she could barely concentrate on her medical work, and even the simplest daily tasks felt exhausting.Eventually, she took an extended leave of absence from the hospital. Every morning, she would pretend to leave for work, only to wander aimlessly around the city for hours.She couldn't tell whether fate had been merciful or cruel, but one afternoon, she happened to s

Rory stood in the room wearing a perfectly tailored suit, his back straight as he faced the window and let the morning light silhouette his tall figure.When he turned and looked at Alisha, his expression was cool and distant.For a fleeting moment, the man standing before her seemed to overlap with the 17-year-old boy who had once sat beside the classroom window, watching her with that same unyielding chill.Alisha quickly composed herself and gave him a slight nod. "Morning."Rory said nothing, but his eyes carried a silent question.Steeling herself, Alisha stepped past him and placed the bakery box on the bedside table beside Shannon. "I came to check on your mother."Rory remained silent, but the sharpness in his expression said he didn't buy it.Alisha had no defense; she had indeed approached his mother with an ulterior motive.Oblivious to the tension between them, Shannon smiled warmly. Seeing Alisha reminded the older woman that Rory was nearly 30 and still unattached