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"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!
*AURORA*
[6 AM, pick me up at the airport.]
The sudden glow of my phone screen shattered the silence in the dark room. The piercing light startled me awake. Half-asleep, I rubbed my eyes and squinted at the abrupt message.
For a moment, my heart skipped a beat, and my fingers trembled slightly. That number, that tone-was it him? My husband, Lucien?
The airport? Was he coming back? The thought alone quickened my breath, as if an invisible hand had gripped my throat, leaving me momentarily unable to breathe.
Frantically, I reached for the bedside lamp. The warm yellow light dispelled some of the darkness but couldn't chase away the unease in my heart. I stared at the message, reading it over and over, as if I could see through the screen and glimpse the man behind those words.
Just then, my phone buzzed again. Another message appeared:
[Answer me, Aurora.]
It was him-it had to be. Who else would be so imperious, disregarding the fact that it was the middle of the night, a time when everyone else was lost in slumber, to demand I comply with his wishes?
Just like three years ago, when we were newlyweds, and he had left me without hesitation to go abroad. For three years, he had disappeared without a trace, leaving me to endure endless waiting and countless lonely nights. The memories surged like a tidal wave, threatening to drown me.
I should have been furious-any wife treated like this would have been. I should have called him immediately, shouting into the phone, unleashing all the pain and resentment that had built up over these three years.
But I didn't.
Tears blurred my vision, spilling over and obscuring the words on the screen. My fingers trembled as I typed my reply:
[Okay. Welcome home.]
I admit, in that moment, all the anger and bitterness dissolved. The love and longing I had buried deep within surfaced, growing uncontrollably. If he was willing to return, to be by my side again, then everything from the past-I was willing to forgive.
***
Lucien's grandfather and my grandfather were best friends.
Their relationship was close and even when they got married to their wives, and had children and grandchildren, the two families became closer.
From a very young age, I was told that I was the perfect match for Lucien.
When we were kids, we would play together, and even go on family vacations together. We were inseparable.
Up until now, those were precious memories.
In high school, Lucien would scare all the boys away from me, telling them I was his wife. Back then,I thought he was only joking but when we graduated from high school, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend.
Of course, I agreed, I had a fondness for him since we were kids and that fondness grew to be love.
Our families were ecstatic when they heard that we were dating.
Our parents said a wedding between the Sullivan and the Diaz would strengthen both families' businesses.
Lucien and I weren't together at that time because of business. We were together because we were in love.
That was until Carla came along.
I met Carla in my second year of college. She was a quiet girl who rarely spoke but when I got to know her, I thought she was nice and humble.
We clicked so well and we became best of friends. We told each other everything. There were literally no secrets between us.
Carla was from a poor background so I always tried to help her when I could. I wasn't helping her because I felt sorry for her. I helped her because I loved her as a friend and I didn't want her to suffer.
But little did I know that all that while, she had her eyes on Lucien.
When I accidentally found the text messages on her cellphone of her trying to get Lucien with different seductive words, she even sent seductive videos of her body to him.
I had felt incredibly betrayed and I ended our friendship.
I confronted Lucien about the texts Carla had been sending him and he assured me that he wasn't moved by her.
But just two months after that, he changed.
He was no longer the Lucien I had known since childhood. He became so cold to me, he told me he had fallen out of love with me.
I had asked if he found someone else, he said no, he just said he didn't want to be in a relationship with me anymore.
I was crushed.
I couldn't accept it.
I loved him so much and then I did something stupid.
I summoned our families and vowed to kill myself if they didn't make Lucien marry me.
Our families, especially his family were furious that Lucien wanted a breakup. They couldn't accept it.
And then they threatened and forced him to marry me. I thought when I got him to marry me, he'd rekindle his past feelings for me. I thought it might make him love me again.
On our wedding night, he said to me.
"I transferred abroad, I'll go finish my studies there. When I come back, maybe we'd finally be a normal couple again."
Even if I was in total despair, I still held onto his words.
I think he just needed three years to find himself and so, I decided to wait for him.
Even if the waiting was tough.
I just couldn't picture my life without him.
And now, the waiting was worth it.
He was coming home to me.
***
I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.
And once the clock hit 3: am. I started to get dressed, wanting to look really beautiful for him.
At 5: am, I headed for the airport.
I waited, excitedly at the terminal.
Now, I can't worry about letting go of the Sullivans. They were literally all I had.
My heartbeat accelerated when I saw him riding a luggage, out of the terminal.
"Lucien." I waved my hand at him.
He saw me and then I watched as he looked to his side.
A woman walked up to him and held his hand.
I couldn't believe my eyes and my heart fell completely when she placed her hand on the small, visible bump on her belly, as if letting me know that she was pregnant.
It felt as if I had been hit by a car.
The most shocking part of all was that the woman was Carla.
Was I dreaming right now?
This has to be a nightmare. I have to wake up.
They both walked up to me.
"Lucien...How...what..."I was in so much shock to even make a complete sentence.
"Carla and I are together."He informed me, casually.
The words made me feel like a thousand bullet had shattered through my chest.
Audrey Wilson must marry an old, ugly man because of her father's unpaid debts. She thought her boyfriend would be her savior, but on the same day, she discovers that he has betrayed her along with her best friend. So, desperate, she has to go to a bar to look for an opportunity, and luckily, she does find it... *** Audrey feel, a strange sensation was emanating from every part of her body. She tried to clench her legs, but was prevented from doing so. Lucien spread her legs and took his c*ck and aimed it at her v*ginal entrance. Smiling, he prompted her, "I'm coming in." With that he thrust hard. "Ah-" Audrey cried out, unlike the moan she had just given. It was a scream from pain, and she felt a ripping pain coming from her bottom. Lucien sensed something was wrong and looked down to check, he saw blood. What was going on here? She really was a virgin!
Billionaire Bennett Graham urgently needed a wife to close a business deal but his fiancée wasn't ready to tie the knots yet. So his grandmother picked the most unassuming maid for him. Everything was supposed to go incredibly well, and all he had to do was wait until he divorced her a year later. But after seeing Maliyah's ocean eyes.it wasn't looking simple anymore. *** Before I could get her up, it was as if she felt the light and an uncomfortable sound came out of her mouth. "Uh-huh..." She raised her hand to cover her eyes. But I didn't have time to wait for her to wake up, so I told her to "Get Up." My voice seemed to scare her, and her light-fearing eyes suddenly widened and she kept moving to the corner. The only voice in the quiet art room was her fear-filled voice, "No...please...go away...don't come close to me." She was afraid of me? I hadn't even spoken to her before, what was she afraid of? This was definitely not going to work, I couldn't talk to her if she couldn't calm down. Then I moved closer to her, my hand on her trembling shoulder, and I whispered soothingly "Calm down.I'm not going to hurt you.I'm not going to hurt you."I assured and then she moved her hair away from her face as if to stare at me properly. Our eyes met.It was that moment. It felt as if I was enchanted for a moment. Those ocean eyes were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.
Billionaire Ivan Grayson do not believe in love or marriage.but when most of his properties are seized and with his inheritance on the line..he is placed in a tough spot.Ivan is angered that he has to shared his life with a woman now. When he thought his life couldn't get more upsetting,he meets a drunk lady on a wedding dress who mistook him for her ex-lover.
Daphne had always known that it'll be hard to be in a relationship with Griffin Reyes,the future brother-in-law of her ex.She didn't want to be connected to her ex in any way. But Griffin is madly attracted to her and she soon falls under his charms.She let herself believe that she has finally found the one until his first love returns and he ditches her without a second thought. When their past crosses again and she has someone else by her side now,it's only then Griffin realizes that he doesn't want her to be with anyone but him. Winning her back wouldn't be as easy as he anticipated.
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
Dante slowed his pace, withdrawing until only the tip was still inside her before thrusting his hips once,eliciting a sharp gasp from her lips. He brought his mouth down to hover over hers. "Can you feel me,my love?"He rasped. Renee angled her head,nipping at his lips."Yes,I feel you." ------------ To save her family from a loanshark,Renee Gallo agrees to be married to Dante Moretti, a man who has been called many names. He has been labeled as a devil,as a hideous-looking demon,the notorious son of Gustavo Moretti. But it turns out that this man who is cruel to the world loves and pampers her more than she had ever imagined.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"