After The Vows Novels & Stories

Alpha Kael Blackthorn’s childhood sweetheart was pregnant. On the night of our ninth anniversary, he brought her home and spoke as if assigning ordinary household matters. “She’s carrying a pureblood heir. Her appetite is delicate, so her meals can’t repeat.” “She startles easily at night. Clear out your things and move into the guest room.” I said nothing. I picked up the suitcase I had packed long ago and walked toward the door. The house steward looked ready to stop me, but Kael only laughed. “Let her go.” “She won’t last three days before she comes crawling back.” That made everyone laugh. Right in front of me, they placed a ten-million wager that I would be back before morning, begging him to let me in. After all, for nine years, no matter how much he hurt me, I always came back. But this time, the black sedan outside had already been arranged. This time, I was really leaving.

I had hosted a late-night radio show for ten years. On the final call before the program went off the air, a male college student came on the line. "Mr. Miles, hello. I am in a lot of pain. I fell in love with my college professor. "She is married, but she treats me differently. "When I get sick, she cooks for me. When I am upset, we chat late into the night. She even takes me out on trips to clear my head..." After listening patiently, I spoke slowly and tried to counsel him. "It is normal to develop admiration for someone excellent and older than you, but right now, the most important thing is finishing school. "Actually, I once had a crush on a student teacher in high school. It was not until I met my wife that I understood what mature love really was. I hope you meet the right person one day too." The boy laughed in a way I could not quite read. "Well, good for you, Professor Cole's hubby."

After seven years of marriage, Marisol Speight's husband, Lucian Muller, is unpredictable and treats her with cold indifference as if she's nothing. She once believed that after marrying Lucian, she would one day win his heart and live a happy, fulfilling life. However, on a snowy anniversary that only she remembers, she finally realizes that Lucian and his family are happy enough without her. She'll never be anything more than an outsider who can't blend in. He hates her for making him break his promise to marry his childhood friend; their son mocks her for falling short in every way when compared to said childhood friend… Marisol is doubly betrayed by her husband and son. They're as intimate with another woman as they never were with her. She laughs self-deprecatingly at the mess that is her life. Then, she loses hope in them and asks for a divorce. She gives up custody of her son and leaves, later becoming a globally renowned fashion designer and genius painter—her work isn't accessible to just about anyone. Unexpectedly, her husband and son refuse to let her go despite her already giving up on them. Her son cries, "You're my mom! You can't hold other children!" Her husband, who has always been cold and indifferent, turns clingy and refuses to agree to the divorce. "You're the one who chose me, so you have to bear the responsibility for life! You want a divorce? Dream on!"

On our wedding day, the big screen glitched—then flipped to kissing shots of Caleb Gorman and his "girl best friend," Holly Beech. Holly shot up, hand over her mouth, smiling all fake-innocent. "Relax, everyone. We were just messing around. Caleb and I go way back. Guess that makes me wife number two." Caleb smiled, soft like always. "That's just her. She's a total blabbermouth. Don't take it seriously." I looked at him. Calm. "She plays kissing pics of you two at our wedding and calls herself your 'wife number two.' That's messing around?" His face tightened. Annoyed. "It's a few photos. We've been together five years. You're really gonna nitpick something this small and not let it—" I raised a hand, cutting him off. "Yeah. I am. I'm not letting it go." That hit him. He wasn't used to me standing firm. I turned to the crowd. "This wedding's over."

“I want you back, Lexi,” Ryan confessed with teary eyes and a squinty expression. “Dream on, Mr. Ryan Middleton. I came here for business, and so, let’s face it,” Lexi asserted in a cold voice. Ryan’s heart broke by the kind of response he got from Lexi, his ex-wife. He didn’t need to be told that it was really over because the woman sitting prettily in front of him has built barricades around her heart. . Alexandra Lexi married Ryan Middleton because she thought she could escape poverty, but things went south when Ryan blamed her for trying to break his love story with Jasmine Stevenson. Despite having his baby, Ryan maltreated Lexi, and she endured everything until she couldn’t take it in anymore. Lexi took the bold step and walked out of the marriage. She found out about her real identity on the same day. What would Ryan Middleton do when the same woman he despised returned three years later as the heiress of an elite family and the head of the biggest conglomerate in the country? Would he try to win her back or wallow in his regret? What would Lexi do when she meets her ex-husband, who caused her nightmares in the past? Would her heart soften, or would she take revenge with her newfound power and resources?

At one in the morning, the general manager posted the project assignments in the group chat and tagged everyone. I reviewed my responsibilities carefully, going through each detail to make sure I understood exactly what was expected of me. When I was done, I typed a simple "OK" and hit send. Two seconds later, my phone rang. It was him. As soon as I answered, his voice came through, icy and sharp, filled with unmistakable disgust. "Eric, I'm very disappointed in you. I must have been blind to trust you with anything important." My mind went completely blank. "What… what do you mean?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them. What he said next was something I never could have imagined.

When Benita McCracken is sold into marriage to her late father’s ruthless business rival, the very man she once shared a forbidden night with. She expects chains, not vows. But instead of a cage, she’s handed a ring…and the possibility of a dangerous love. Damien Blackwell, cold and unyielding owner of Blackwell Holdings, has never forgotten the mysterious woman he fell for, one night in Paris. When fate delivers her back into his arms as his bride, his hunger turns into obsession. Benita swears she will never forgive him, not with her father’s company hanging in the balance. Yet under Damien’s touch, her hatred falters and her heart betrays her. Can she risk trusting the man who stole everything, or will she fight back, even if it costs her the one thing she swore she’d never give him?    Benny's and Damien’s battle of hearts begins here.

Because of a last-minute business trip, my husband missed the Thanksgiving family dinner. I spent the entire day helping out at my in-laws' place in the countryside with our five-year-old son, only to receive a complaint from the downstairs neighbor just before dinner. "Ari, could you please close your kitchen window when you're cooking? I can smell the hot sauce from all the way here. My husband has a lung condition—he can't handle it." My neighbor's words shocked me, and I immediately called my husband, who was allergic to chili peppers. "Honey, did someone break into the house? The neighbor said there was smoke coming from the kitchen." His breathing hitched for a second before he let out a casual laugh. "No break-in. My flight got canceled, so I was home alone cooking. When are you two coming back? I really miss you." I smiled and told him we'd stay a couple more days, but in the middle of the night, I packed up our son and drove straight home.

At our college reunion, I let slip about the three great catches I was dating online. One ran a successful law firm, the other was a researcher at a leading institute, while another was an up-and-coming tech mogul on the Forbes list. My so-called best friend, Cassie Young, paused halfway through her plate of ribs. Giving me the side glance, she voiced her sarcasm. “I feel sorry for your future husband. Of all the women he could have, he had to marry someone with a rich history.” I took a sip of my juice and responded, “Honestly, I’m pretty stressed about the whole thing. They are all amazing. I can’t decide between them. Cassie, does anyone tickle your fancy? You can have one.” As her cutlery clattered on the table, Cassie widened her eyes. “A-Are you for real?”

I'm having a mental breakdown as I face a clogged drain with my feverish and fussing daughter in my arms. Meanwhile, my husband has reserved a hotel to celebrate another woman's birthday. My mother-in-law spits on the floor. "This is what you deserve. You can't even capture a man's heart!" I clench a fist around the winning lottery ticket in my pocket. I want to get a divorce.