The Wasted Ten Years Novels & Stories

That wedding—so grand that the whole city had envied her—had been nothing but a lie from the very start. Her hands shook as she opened the screenshot Amber sent. The pale glow from the screen lit her equally pale face. Line after line of cold text pierced her eyes like poisoned needles, each one stabbing deeper until they blurred with pain. Her heart, shattered so many times before, had only just been patched together—and now, with one blow, it was pulverized to dust. She realized, with sick horror, that she had been a mistress for ten years. Ten whole years. From 17 to 27—the brightest years of her life, all wasted on a man who had never truly made her his. How ridiculous.

She had no idea she was standing next to a man who could smile into your eyes while stabbing you in the back. “No, Emma. Pathetic is giving ten years to a man who promised you forever and finding out forever means nothing.” Security started moving toward us. I could hear Lena calling my name. but I couldn't stop. The words poured out like someone had torn the dam open. “I wasted ten years,” I said, looking straight at Evan. “And for what? So you could throw me away like trash?” His voice dropped low enough so only I could hear. “Aria, walk away.” I stared at him. That calm, warning tone was the same one he’d used every time he wanted me to shrink.

Ten years of marriage without a single happy memory, without a day of laughter and joy and peace and all of that. Ten years of my life, gone down the drain, wasted. It was sickening. I looked in the mirror everyday and saw the naive little girl who had left the small town in Missouri and ran down to New York with her boyfriend. The stupid eighteen year old that had gotten herself hitched willingly to a madman and then proceeded to set herself up for more heartbreaks and pain in the future. Gone were the happy memories of my childhood. They floated away as if they were too far away to be caught. Too distant.

Chapter 13 : Echoes Across Time Five years had elapsed since the landscape of my life had been reshaped by Evelyn's mysterious disappearance. The once-vibrant cityscape, now familiar in its contours, bore the indelible marks of the passage of time. In the wake of her absence, the metropolis had become a silent witness to the ebb and flow of seasons, each change a reminder of the years that slipped through my fingers like grains of sand.

“I had a very memorable romance too.” She smiled bitterly and added, “I dated my husband for ten years, and I was married to him for five. He tolerated all of my imperfections without a complaint. Even my parents, who always doted on me, admitted that he was nicer to me than anyone else. But he died after we got into a car accident. He risked his life to protect me.” I listened to her description in silence. “I couldn’t sleep for countless nights and nearly collapsed. My life was filled with sorrow for a year before his mistress suddenly approached me. She came with his child and requested a share of his property.”

"Listen carefully. I have my own life. I won't revolve it around you, nor will I ask for your compassion. "This isn't out of stubbornness or spite; I truly want to build my future with him." I had once bitterly wondered why Jade ended up taking my place, but I came to realize that true love never kept anyone waiting forever. An unresolved story spanning 20 years could only bring regret. Wesley had sacrificed 20 years of friendship for an assistant he'd known for just two months. So, what reason did I still have to hold on to the past?

Today, I'm settling the score with you! The entire ballroom gasped. Seconds later, a cacophony of hushed gossiping broke out among the guests. Everyone in Saphira's elite circles knew that Wayne had kept a woman by his side for seven years. They also knew he had recently abandoned his old love for a new one. But no one could have known that the woman he had trampled on so casually would turn out to be the long-lost daughter that the Lachlan family had spent seven years searching for.

And waits. The debt can wait. The fight can wait. Everything can wait. For four years and nine months. Then the real story begins. END OF PART ONE

I clutched my chest, gasping for breath as tears blurred my vision. My fists clenched so tightly my nails dug deep into my palms, using the pain to keep myself upright. “Wandi spent a year overseas, recuperating, before she was willing to forgive Neve. In a couple of days, I’ll stage a medical ‘miracle’, stand up again, and let her resume being the Donna. This year is a penance for her willfulness.” Each word of his was uttered coolly, piercing deeper into my heart. “But… it has been a year. Will she buy it?” someone asked hesitantly.

He really had mastered the art of swallowing his anger rather than letting out even a single word. Listening to his footsteps fade, I suddenly realized Jared was right. It was people like Knox Ferris—arrogant and overbearing—who really seemed alive. Once upon a time, I had been like that too. But that version of me no longer existed. I slowly raised my hands, staring at my pale, slender fingers in a daze. Ten years ago, these hands had been smooth and full, gripping reins and vaulting over walls. Now, they only bore the marks of holding a pen.