Novel & Cerita The Unworthy: A Novel

⸻ Her heart twisted. “I think,” she whispered, “I understand more than you think.” And that was the problem. She did. Too well. ⸻ For a moment, neither of them moved. The world shrinking down to just them. Smoke curling around their feet. Sirens wailing in the distance. Blood drying on marble. And a truth hanging between them. We are not normal people. We are disasters waiting to happen. ⸻ Then Damien exhaled slowly. Defeated. Not by the enemy.

“I really don't know for sure, I can only guess since he's been so distant lately. But he promised, he swore he would marry me especially after… after I got pregnant. He said he’d take care of us. He even bought this apartment for our future together. But then my family found out everything and disowned me. I had nowhere else to go, so I came here. I’ve been calling him nonstop… no answer. Nothing.” Her voice cracked on the last word. “My friend who is also disappointed in me told me he probably found his type.” Brad rose from the opposite sofa and moved to sit beside her on the same one, close enough that their knees nearly touched. “A man who uses someone until there’s nothing left and the

That unconsciousness was better than whatever came next. He lied. Daniel always fucking lied. And I fell for it again, like the stupid, desperate, pathetic girl I was. The world went black before we reached the door.

“It’s not like I even enjoy It with you. I only do it to perform a husband’s duty. Keep your used-up body to yourself.” The words struck harder than a slap. They sliced through me, deeper than bone, deeper than flesh. Used. Worthless. Disgusting. My throat burned, but no sound escaped. My heart twisted in on Itself, raw and aching, because some part of me wanted to deny It, wanted to fight back—but another part whispered that maybe he was right. Was this what I had become in hIs eyes? Nothing but a body to despise, a duty to endure?

The air smelled of roasted meat and arrogance. And at the far end, like a blemish on perfection, sat him. The unwanted son-in-law “Ethan Cross". He sat quietly, shoulders bent just slightly, gaze lowered to the untouched plate in front of him. His silence wasn’t born of shyness, but from years of enduring scorn. He had learned to swallow his pride, to lock words in his throat, to grit his teeth until his jaw ached. That was how he survived every family gathering. But tonight, the humiliation cut deeper than ever.

Their desire had only grown stronger, the forbidden fruit too sweet to resist. Outside the club, the Lagos night hummed with life—honking cars, distant music from street vendors, the ever-present struggle of a city where wealth and poverty danced in uneasy tension. Isolde Adeyemi had climbed from modest beginnings to the top of the corporate ladder through sheer will and intelligence. Yet here she was, risking everything for the one man she couldn’t have. Thorian cupped her face. “I don’t know how this happened. But I can’t walk away from you, Izzy. From Isolde. From whatever this is.”

I trailed to the right and off a corridor. The door slightly opened caught my eye. If she wanted to get laid so bad she could have just asked me. I could have refused but this? I threw the door open not caring who was inside. Whoever it was wouldn't report me for invasion of privacy. Almost everyone in here was cheating. If it wasn't Aria,I'm sure they'd simply ran away or shoo me away. The first person I saw was a shabby guy. He was busy undressing a woman who laid still beneath her. The clenching of her first was the only sign that she was still breathing.

He didn’t deserve to hear this filth. Leaning close, I bent my head so only he could hear me. My voice softened, “Can I ask you a favor?” Reid innocently nodded. I gave him a small smile, “Close your eyes and cover your ears.” He blinked at me, then nodded, pressing his small palms tightly against his head, his lashes lowering as he obeyed. When I straightened, my gaze locked with Zarina’s. “You really haven’t changed at all, have you?” I said coldly, “Seven years, and you’re still the same insecure, desperate woman—dressed in red and full of lies, thinking you can cover your rotten insides with makeup and a pretty dress.”

Five-hundred pages of filth turned into a weapon. The perfect Poetic justice for chasing me through the city like a deranged bloodhound. My heart hammered so hard I almost laughed. Wasn’t this the part where heroines in books pulled some badass move? Yeah, well—I was no mafia queen. I was Nova, whose emergency plan consisted of “call 911 and maybe throw stationery.” “Why are you following me?!” Her lips curled. “Why do you think?” The way she said it made my stomach flip. If only she knew how chaotic and filthy my thought process was. I’m sure she wouldn’t have asked what I was thinking at any given time.

Chapter Eighteen: Come to Me Eden It was 2:04 a.m. The city outside was asleep, and the suite was still—except for her. She sat on the edge of the couch in nothing but an oversized T-shirt and underwear, the faint glow of the streetlamp pouring through the window and brushing her legs with soft light. The email had been gnawing at her for hours. She couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t stop seeing her name on something dirty. Something Dusty.