The Cast Aside Husband Rises Novels & Stories

"There is no amount of money that can fix this now. The only way out of this debt is marriage." Claire stood up so fast the chair almost fell back. "Marriage? Whose marriage?" Richard could not look at her. "Papa. Whose marriage?" "Yours," he whispered. "To Nathan Cole." For a moment, Claire could not speak. She just stood there, staring at her father, waiting for him to laugh, to say it was a joke, to say anything that would make this not real. "You cannot be serious," she said quietly. "I already spoke to his lawyer. The contract is ready. If you marry him, the debt disappears completely. If you refuse, they will take this apartment, they will take my medical care, they will take everythin

After signing the divorce papers, I dialed my mentor’s number. “Professor Mary, about that research project in the Arctic—the one developing a new drug—please add my name back to the team.” Mary’s excited voice burst through the speaker. “You’ve changed your mind? That’s wonderful! The military will send someone to pick you up in ten days. But Aurora, I have to remind you again. Once you join this mission, your personal information will be erased. Your husband… with his extreme need for control… will he agree?”

"Exactly. Everyone knows what it is like in this industry. Besides, Ms. Kidman is Mr. Moore's wife. I'm sure she would know better than us, right?" Every one of them fancied themselves to be a chivalrous gentleman with upright morals, when in reality, they were just seasoned veterans in a world of power and profit, experts at reading the wind and shifting their stance. They tried to wash their hands clean in just a few sentences. Yvonne could not be bothered with them. She nudged me with her chin, hinting for me to deal with it on my own. I snickered and looked at Jason. "You hear that? All the VIPs recognized me as your wife. Care to explain this new family member?"

He sat on the couch in front of me and raised an eyebrow with a playful smirk. "You're pretty ruthless." Looking up indifferently, I met his gaze and replied, "The same goes for you." He deliberately wore his shirt loose to show off his abs, exuding a rebellious, defiant attitude. From the way he looked, I knew he was my husband for this life, Jerome. In my past life, I'd seen him a few times at Hanson family banquets. He'd always come off as a playboy who couldn't stay away from women. I just didn't expect the wedding itself to be this absurd.

“Look at me! Breathe.” Slowly, I lifted my head. Margot Sinclair. She didn’t look like she did at the gala. She wasn’t smiling, she didn’t even look like she could afford to waste time on social conversations. “Claire,” she said slowly. “You shouldn’t be alone right now. Where’s your husband?” I laughed — a broken sound that startled even me. “I don’t think I’m married anymore,” I said. Her grip around my arm tightened. “Come with me.”

I ran my hands over every muscle of his chest, and when I kissed his neck, he sighed, bringing his hands to the hem of the thin-strapped floral dress I was wearing, and soon, it too was on the floor. I had my eyes closed, and when I opened them, it wasn’t my husband I saw. I saw the look of desire in Jayden’s eyes, his slightly parted pink lips, the mischievous face he made when he whispered dirty things in my ear, and only then could I surrender. I bit my lips so hard that I felt blood on them, trying not to call out Jayden’s name while making love to my husband. When it was over, I felt empty, realizing that I would never again be satisfied in the arms of any other man but Jayden.

This wasn't a dream. Castor Rowland, my husband, was a politician. An assembly man for the state of Kansas. He was supposed to be an angel who'd walked into my life two months ago when my family was practically drowning in debt and offered to save us. He was supposed to be a knight in shining armor who had proposed to me, professing his love for me and his desire to take care of me. Touched by his kindness, I'd agreed to marry him quickly. Castor had bought over and revived my mother's restaurant that was being taken away due to debt. He'd given us hope again.

His words are heavily drenched in his accent. "You'll never get the opportunity to find out," A deep voice booms through the restroom and instantly I sigh with relief. "If you want to survive long enough to at least attempt to hurt me. I suggest you let my wife go or I will put two bullets into the back of your fucking head you Italian scum." My husband's voice is cold, calculating and full of fury. Castello's eyes never leave mine and he sighs, "Pitty, I was hoping to take your wife for a test drive myself. Since I'm about the only man she hasn't spread her legs for." He growls with his breath fanning my face.

“You’re thirty-three. Do you think you’re still young? This isn’t the old days. Stop clinging to nonsense ideals. Marrying her will be good for our family’s reputation. You’re a businessman, Ian. You should know the benefits.” Her tone softened for one poisonous second. “As long as she can be a good wife, that’s enough.” My fists tightened. The same manipulation, the same woman who once praised me as the perfect daughter-in-law. Ian’s face didn’t move. “I know, Mum.” “You always say you know,” she said. “But you never act on it.” The call ended. Ian slid the phone into his pocket and exhaled. I ducked deeper behind the pillar, certain he’d sense something was off. I waited—then heard his voi