The apartment, once cozy and filled with warmth, now stood in disarray, its charm completely stripped away, leaving only chaos in its wake.
Linsey continued packing the remaining items into her suitcase, her movements deliberate, as if determined to erase every trace of the life she had once built here.
Felix stood frozen for a moment, his eyes sweeping over the wreckage, disbelief etching his features before he stormed toward her.
"Linsey, are you out of your mind?" he demanded, his voice rising with frustration. "I was gone for only a little while, and you're acting like this?"
He inhaled sharply, trying to reign in his temper, and snapped, "I'm giving you one hour. Put everything back where it was!"
Linsey, unfazed, finished packing the item in her hands and slowly turned to face him. Her expression was cool, detached-almost as if he were a stranger.
A faint, mocking smile tugged at her lips as she replied, "Felix, haven't you figured it out? Sometimes, once something is lost, it's gone forever. It can never be the same again."
Felix's frown deepened, impatience growing in his eyes. "What the hell are you trying to say?"
Linsey couldn't help but feel the audacity in his words. Did he truly not understand? Perhaps men like him never saw themselves as in the wrong.
No. It wasn't that. His tenderness had always been reserved for one person-Joanna, the woman he had truly loved.
Linsey's gaze was unwavering as she stared him down, her voice steady, yet every word seemed to carry the weight of everything she had been through.
"On our wedding day, you abandoned me at the ceremony, ignoring both my dignity and my pleas. Do you have any idea how that felt? Felix, did you ever once stop to think about me? I was humiliated beyond measure, and yet you think I'm just throwing a tantrum?"
She didn't blink, her eyes locked onto his, the pain she had buried deep inside flooding to the surface, her vision blurring as tears welled up. She didn't look away, her resolve as firm as steel.
Seeing her like this, Felix felt a fleeting pang of guilt, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. He dismissed it entirely, just as he had done countless times before.
Over the years, he had hurt her time and time again, and she had always forgiven him. He didn't see why this time should be any different.
He was sure that with a little charm, she would cave, just like she always had. After all, that was how things had always worked between them.
With that thought, his anger dissipated, replaced by a composed, almost smug smile.
"Linsey, alright, I get it. You're upset," he began, his voice smooth and patronizing. "But you shouldn't act out like this. Look at what you've done to our home."
His smile softened, and he reached out to place his hands gently on her shoulders, his touch feigning tenderness as he tried to calm her down.
"Come on, be good. You've vented your anger. Let's not make a scene anymore, okay? How about this? We'll pick another day, a better day, and I promise I'll give you an even grander, more luxurious wedding. What do you say?"
Linsey's eyes locked onto the smile playing on Felix's lips. His words were sweet, but his eyes-those eyes-betrayed a chilling indifference. He seemed so certain that she would fall for his act.
Of course, why wouldn't he think that? This was the way things had always gone in the past.
Linsey let out a quiet, bitter scoff. She had given him far too many chances, and now he was convinced that he didn't need to treat her with any real respect.
Her expression hardened into something cold and detached, and without a word, she shrugged off his hands as though they were nothing more than a bothersome weight.
"Don't touch me. You make my skin crawl," she said indifferently.
Felix froze, his eyes widening in shock. He had never heard her speak to him like that before.
Her voice was ice, cutting through the tension in the room as she continued, "Felix, that wedding is over. I have no intention of having another one. I came here today to move out."
Felix, still stunned by her rejection, frowned in confusion, his mind struggling to catch up. "Move out?"
Linsey nodded, her face resolute. "Yes. I'm leaving now."
He let out a hollow laugh, as if he had just heard the most absurd joke. "And where do you think you're going?"
He knew all too well that Linsey had no family to turn to, no safety net to catch her. Apart from this apartment, she had nowhere else.
For the past five years, her entire world had been centered around him. He was certain she couldn't leave him.
He was certain that this whole "moving out" act was nothing more than her way of trying to make him bend to her will.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a voice from behind.
It was Joanna.
"Felix, didn't you say you'd be down in a minute after packing? What's taking you so long?"
Joanna's voice echoed through the room as she stepped in. When her eyes landed on Linsey standing across from Felix, her expression shifted in surprise. "Linsey, what are you doing here?"
Linsey shot Joanna a frosty look, her voice icy as she replied, "This is my apartment, isn't it? Do I need to explain why I'm here? The real question is-what are you doing here?"
Joanna lowered her gaze, feigning a mixture of embarrassment and innocence. "I accidentally nicked myself with a fruit knife, and Felix was so worried he insisted on staying with me for a few days."
Her eyes then darted to the suitcase beside Linsey, and she gasped dramatically, her hand covering her mouth.
"Linsey, what are you doing? Are you upset? Even if you are, this is uncalled for. If you're bothered, you can talk to me. I'll apologize if that'll make you feel better. There's no need for all this."
Linsey's lips curled into a cold, almost cruel smile as she took a slow step forward toward Joanna. "Are you really going to apologize? Do you even mean it?"
Joanna, aware of Felix watching, played her part, her voice dripping with false sincerity as she nodded. "Of course. If it helps you, I'll do whatever it takes."
"Alright, then. Why not?" Linsey's smile widened, but there was no warmth in her eyes, just cold calculation. "Since you're so sincere, I suppose I can help you out."
Without warning, she raised her hand.
The sharp sound of a slap sliced through the tension in the room as Linsey's palm connected with Joanna's face, echoing the finality of her words.
No Longer His Second Choice
My Charleston dream wedding to Ethan, my fiancé of ten years, was just days away. Our future together felt set, a lifetime hand-in-hand. Then, my smart home security feed played a horrifying, silent film. Ethan, my fiancé, intimately with Chloe, my stepsister, right there in our house. An undeniable, sickening betrayal. A decade of devotion shattered, revealing I was merely a placeholder. Ethan enabled Chloe's every cruel stunt, from public humiliation to outright wedding sabotage. He dismissed my pain, protected her lies, and left me invisible, even after injury. My world crumbled. Grief gave way to a cold, burning rage. How could I have been so blind? So carelessly used? The truth hit hard: I was just a prop in their long, illicit affair. But the wedding would still proceed. Only, it wouldn't be their triumph. It would be my grand exit, a public act of devastating defiance. I would ensure their world came crashing down around them. My countdown to liberation had officially begun.
The Jilted Wife's Billionaire Comeback
My husband, Ethan Hayes, CEO of Innovatech, ordered me to go. Not a polite request, but a summons from the reclusive billionaire, Mr. Donovan Sterling. My pregnancy made it worse. His eyes were fixed on the stock market, not on me, his pregnant wife. His assistant, Chloe Vance, stood beside him, her own stomach betraying her secret: she was pregnant with his child. It was a chilling replay of a past life, a nightmare I' d been frantically trying to escape. I handed Ethan divorce papers, but Chloe only sneered, then "accidentally" drenched me with water, her eyes fixed on my growing belly. Then Ethan, fueled by Chloe's whispered venom, shoved me into our dark, claustrophobic wine cellar. When Sterling' s men arrived, Chloe handed me a signed divorce paper, gloating, along with a bottle of water. That water was poisoned. It was meant to make me lose our baby, to destroy me, and frame Mr. Sterling. Lying on the floor of Mr. Sterling's mansion, clutching my stomach as my world went black, I wondered: how could they be so monstrously cruel? Did they truly believe they could get away with it all? Could karma truly be so blind? But they underestimated my desperation, and the silent call I made weeks ago. They didn't know I had a lifeline, a secret ally. Now, as they plan their lavish wedding, they have no idea the wronged wife they thought they'd eliminated is about to reclaim everything she ever lost.
The Comeback Engineer: No More Second Chances
At NovaFlight Dynamics, I was "the guy who couldn't get his fiancée to the altar." Alex Miller. My fiancée, Jessica Thorne, a co-founder, had canceled our wedding thirty-two times. I poured my genius into NovaFlight' s critical satellite launch, always putting her first, even as the 33rd date loomed. She canceled again, for Leo Maxwell, a junior engineer. That night, at the pre-launch party, Jessica, radiant, openly fed Leo a canapé. He flashed a new luxury smartwatch, mirroring hers. On our seven-year anniversary, Leo's Instagram showed them clinking champagne glasses: "Celebrating a successful partnership!" I resigned, publicly terminating our engagement. Jessica, smelling of Leo' s cologne, abandoned me for his 'crisis.' My engagement ring? Tossed aside. I threw it in the trash. At the office, Leo 'accidentally' destroyed my personal research laptop with corrosive solvent. Jessica witnessed it, then shrieked, blaming me and demanding I credit Leo for my groundbreaking designs. My very dignity was systematically dismantled. My dedication, my love, my future-all casually destroyed. The future she spoke of was a cruel, hollow joke. A dark government vehicle waited. I powered down my old phone as her casual 'raincheck' text buzzed one last time. I stepped into the car without a single look back. This wasn't an end; it was finally, unequivocally, my beginning.
The Secret Husband's Payback
My wife, a radiant pop star, stood on stage next to her indie darling, River Stone. I was in the front row, proud of her success, despite our marriage being a secret. Then the words echoed through the arena, crushing my chest: "We're expecting a baby." My world imploded. I confronted her backstage, my voice shaking, but her eyes were cold, a stranger's. "It's for River's career, Ethan. Just for show." A brutal, casual lie. Devastation consumed me, a physical blow. In my rage and pain, I leaked our secret marriage certificate. Her career imploded. River couldn't handle the hate and died. But Sera blamed me for everything. For River. For her ruined kingdom. Her revenge was absolute: the fire. My mom, my dad, Chloe, my little sister. The heat, the smoke, then nothing. My first life ended in flames, my family gone, all because of her betrayal and my desperate act. Why did she betray me with such cold calculation? Why did she value image and another man's fleeting dream over our seven years, over our vows, over our very lives? The injustice burned, the pain of losing them all was unbearable. I couldn't fathom how someone I loved could be so monstrous, so casually cruel. Then, I woke up. Sunlight streamed through the window. My phone buzzed: "Zenith Music Awards - 7 PM." Today. The day they died. But I was alive. I knew what was coming. This time, I wouldn't just survive. This time, I'd make them pay.
The Unwanted Daughter's Reckoning
I woke up staring at the familiar water-stained ceiling of my teenage bedroom. My SAT scores and a local community college acceptance letter sat on my desk, marking the day I was supposed to fill out college applications. Just weeks after high school graduation, this was it. Except, it wasn't just a day. It was the day. The starting point of a previous life filled with relentless hunger, brutal beatings, and my family' s chilling neglect. A life that led, eventually, to my agonizing death. I remembered everything: my mother Brenda' s venomous hate, my father David' s chilling indifference, and my brother Kevin' s endless demands. I remembered the pregnancy, my mother's deliberate cruelty, letting me bleed out until it was too late. I died. A loud bang on the door shattered the quiet. "Sarah! Get those damn applications filled out!" Brenda's voice, a dreadful screech, tried to drag me back into the nightmare. The old fear coiled, sharp and cold, but the memory of my death and lost child burned hotter. Not this time. I would not live that life again. Unsteady on my feet, I walked to the door. "I'm not going to community college," I declared, my voice surprisingly steady. "I'm applying to a four-year university. A good one. Far away." This time, I would save myself.
From Pawn To Queen: My Sweet Escape From A Manipulative Lover
The moment Melanie grasped she was merely a clever piece sliding across Greyson's grand chessboard, she tore herself free without blinking. Not a day later, Greyson watched a swarm of suitors orbit her like moths around a flame; spite boiled over, and he cursed the urge to chain her wrist to his own. Bent on breaking his hold, Melanie threw everything she had at her escape, her heart aching for freedom. Greyson summoned a last reserve of strength to free her, yet five tortured minutes later he collapsed, hands shaking, begging, "If you're going, can you take me with you?"