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Alice a billionaire heiress wakes up from coma, to a world of betrayal from her very own husband. Her husband Malcom married to her best friend and had taken everything that she owns...
CHAPTER ONE September, 2007.
The crackling of the nearby fire spoke to Alice, informing her that this was a night she would never forget or even if she did, it would not be in a hurry. Her eyes fleeted between the fire and Malcom who was on one knee, his arms outstretched in askance. He held a clear cut, diamond ring which glistened under the fire, drawing her attention. She stared between Malcolm and the ring, various questions running through her head.
"Alice, I know your life is already beautiful but let me be a part of it and make it heavenly. I cannot imagine a life without you. I've tried..." He let out a small laugh, shook his head as if the words surprised him too.
"I've tried to live without you but each time, I fail. Please, marry me." The skip of her heart was all the conviction she needed to know what her response would be.
She was in love with the guy. Has been since she was fifteen. He was her first love and like all first loves, she dreamed of spending her entire life with him.
Yet, here he was, on bended knee, asking for her hand in marriage but for some reason, an uncertainty lurks in her head. Perhaps because she has plenty of dreams which she believes have to be fulfilled outside marriage or maybe because she thinks they are still growing and hence are not old enough to make such decisions.
Malcom was a good five years older than her but it never proved to be a problem to her. He was her protector, her guardian and her lover - everything she was not opportuned to have as a child. Maybe that was why she considered herself lucky to have him.
"Do you want children, Malcom?" She asked. The smile on his lips and eyes slowly transform into a frown.
He gently dropped his hands to his sides, rose from the ground and stood to his full height. She stared up at him, maintaining the same blank look on her face despite the turmoil building in her heart.
"What? Why do you ask that, Alice?"
"It is a very simple question. Do you want children or not?" The confusion on his face was clear but she was determined to give nothing away. As important as the topic was, they never discussed it.
She didn't know Malcom would ask her to marry him on her eighteenth birthday. "Well..." He cleared his throat. "...the prospect of having children is not something I have completely cancelled out. Maybe not now but in years to come, I want to. I love the concept of fatherhood."
Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she looked up at him. The glow from the fire kissed his brown hair, giving it an exotic, orange look. She did not miss the word he used - concept. She wasn't sure what that meant but it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Concept of fatherhood? What does that mean, Malcom? What happens when you cease being thrilled by this...concept?" The words fell from her mouth with the same bitterness she felt.
"That won't happen" He responded, shaking his head and scrunching his nose in disgust as if the mere thought of her words irritated him.
"Malcom, I do not want children...ever" She added the last part when a hopeful look appeared on his face. He clenched the box containing the ring tightly in his palm, looked at the fire then back at Alice. Her face was set in a cold expression, one he had never seen on her before.
"Fine. We will do whatever you want. I'm ready to compromise" He assured her. Her head fell back in surprise. Compromise? Malcom never used the word 'compromise'. It sounded strange falling from his lips.
"How long will this compromise hold for?" She made quotations around "compromise" with her fingers.
He clicked his tongue, ran a frustrated hand down his hair and pressed his lips into a thin line. Forcing an exasperated sigh, he said, "Alice, will you marry me or not? I'm forced to say these questions are largely influenced by those books you've been reading and that makes no sense. This decision is about your life not some author's."
"This has nothing to do with the books I read" She responded in equal irritation. So many questions ran through her head. Would she be making the right decision by marrying Malcom now? She had an empire to build. She was okay with being in love with the young man but actually marrying him? That was a huge step. Would she regret it?
"I would like to discuss this with my grandmother. If she agrees, we'll get married" She said, finally looking away. Malcom blinked in disbelief.
"What? What does your grandmother have to do with this? You can make these decisions yourself. You are an adult now, Alice" He pressured.
"I insist" She snapped, pushing herself up and walking towards him. She stopped right in front of him and poked his chest harshly.
"You are twenty-three, Malcom. You are certain about what you want in life. I'm still sorting mine out. Let me..."
"You have a bloody inheritance" He yelled, interrupting her. She blinked once, twice, then a scoff followed. As if realizing his slip, Malcom shook his head and tried to touch her but she took her hands back.
2017
"Alice, are you ready?" Malcom's voice came from the door, breaking her out of her thoughts. She stared at his reflection in her mirror and the corner of her lips curve into a smile.
He walked into the room and stopped behind her. He gently squeezed her shoulders and she placed her left palm on the hand on her shoulder.
"The guests are here. You look divine" He complimented, kissing her forehead. Her smile broadened and she nodded in appreciation.
"We don't want to keep them waiting" She said, pushing the seat backwards and rising up. She straightened her black sequin jumpsuit, lifted her jaw, squared her shoulders and began making her way out of the room with Malcom walking closely behind her.
Who would have thought that a kidnapped princess, turned slave, would one day have the power to choose the next Alpha of the clan she hates with every pint of blood in her bones. The moon goddess had made what I would love to call, *A glorious mistake.* I Racheal Quill a slave of the crimson park is mated to the sons(quadruplets) of Alpha Blackwood (my oppressor) and because Alpha Blackwood loves to be entertained.... He created a contest, that whoever I choose to be my mate.. would automatically be next in-line to be crowned king and Alpha of Crimson Pack. Now who do I choose, Justin, Jake, Jackson, or Jared?
My mother was a lot of things but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded. My soon to be step-father was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to accept humiliation. And for that reason he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.
Alexa dreaded her eighteenth birthday, why? On her eighteenth birthday she would officially be Alpha Diaz's Bedwarmer. Living as his slave was one thing but warming his bed every night was another... How could she warm the bed of the man who proclaimed her father a traitor, the one who is responsible for her family death. To others he might be a savior but to her, he is the one she hates with every spit on her tongue. But just on her eighteenth birthday, she was rescued... By an Hybrid Alpha, who turns out to be her mate.
Anastasia would never had believe that dragons were real, until a blue eye guy appeared into her life with the most unrealistic story ever. Not only did he say dragons were real, but that they become men by night and dragon by day. And now, she's the witch the dragon clan has been searching and waiting for...., for over a decade. The only way the spell could be broken was for Anastasia to travel back in time, to unleash her full power with the help of Arkalis her Ancestors. But What Anastasia didn't know is that to break the spell she had to pay a heavy and costly price. Her life or her newly found lover… (Christian, the blue eye guy)
In other to give her kids a better life, Aurora White had to go into a contractual relationship with Xander Fernando, while hiding the truth that her kids were an actual result of a one night stand they had years ago.
Juliet had never received love from anyone. Not from her parents or her twin sister. She had always been the ugly twin, the fat one. Finally getting love from someone, not just anyone but a wealthy handsome guy… felt impossibly real to Juliet. Was there a reason for the marriage, the young C.E.O proposed to her? Was it for money? Or is there something more??
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.