"I have something for you," Damion says, his voice cutting through the chatter and laughter surrounding us.
I turn to face him, my heart skipping a beat. The celebration is grand-golden lights casting their warm glow, guests mingling, a symphony playing softly in the background. But none of that matters now. All I see is Damion, holding an envelope with a look so unreadable it sends a chill down my spine.
"Happy anniversary," I whisper, forcing a smile, hoping for even a flicker of warmth in his eyes.
"Open it," he says, the words sharp, almost impatient.
I swallow, my fingers trembling as I take the envelope. It's lighter than I expected, and an inexplicable dread creeps up my spine. Has he bought another mansion in my name? Damion can be full of surprises. But as I slide out the paper, the world seems to slow. My eyes scan the page, and I feel the floor vanish beneath my feet.
Divorce papers.
The words blur, the room closing in as if it's suffocating me. I look up at him, searching for some sign that this is a cruel joke. "Damion, what is this? Divorce papers? On our anniversary?"
His face remains cold, detached, as if this is just another business transaction. "Yes, Isabelle. This farce has gone on long enough. It's time we end things. You're empty. Heaven knows you have no eggs to be hatched."
I can barely breathe. The sounds of the party grow distant, muted by the ringing in my ears. "You're ending our marriage because I can't give you a child? Because your father won't let it go?"
His jaw tightens, and the hardness in his eyes deepens. "This isn't just about that, Isabelle. Do you think I haven't seen it? The way you cling to me, desperate, pretending we still have something worth fighting for? It's suffocating. I need someone who isn't just... holding on because of who I am and what I have."
"Clinging to you?" My voice cracks, and I take a step closer, desperation seeping into every pore of my body. "Damion, how can you say that? I love you! I've stood by you through everything, through the pressure, through the silence that felt like it would choke me. I'm not here for your wealth or your name. I'm here for you."
He scoffs, a bitter sound that slices through me. "Love? Isabelle, love isn't enough. It never has been. I need a partner who strengthens me, not someone who reminds me of failure every single day."
His words land like punches, each one knocking the breath out of me. Failure. That's what I am to him now. My hands shake as I reach for him, my fingers grazing the fabric of his suit. "Please, Damion. Don't do this. We can find a way-there are other options. We can talk to the doctors again, we can-"
"No." His tone is final, as if closing the chapter of a book. He steps back, and the space between us feels like an endless chasm. "I'm done talking. I'm done pretending this can be fixed. It can't. And I'm done living this lie."
I stagger back, the air thick with humiliation and disbelief. "A lie? Is that all I've been to you?"
His silence says more than words ever could. My chest tightens, and I force the sob threatening to escape back into my throat. Before I can plead further, the sound of laughter pierces the air.
A sharp, familiar laugh.
Kaia Jenkins steps into view, her blonde hair perfectly styled, her emerald dress shimmering as she weaves through the crowd with practiced elegance. She's holding a glass of champagne, her lips curved in a smirk that sends a fresh wave of dread through me.
"Didn't expect this, did you, Izzy?" Her voice drips with mock sweetness. She glances at the envelope in my trembling hands, her green eyes dancing with triumph. "Damion told me he was going to handle this tonight. But seeing it in person? Oh, it's better than I imagined."
My stomach churns. "Kaia, what is this? Why are you here?"
She slides an arm around Damion's waist, and my world tilts further. "Because he invited me," she says simply. "You see, I've been helping Damion figure out what he really needs. And unfortunately, it's not you."
Damion doesn't push her away. He doesn't move. My heart sinks further as Kaia presses a kiss to his jaw, her smile growing as the room begins to stir with whispers. The humiliation burns like fire, spreading across my skin.
"You're mine now, Damion," she purrs, loud enough for the nearby guests to hear. "And I'll give you everything she couldn't."
I can barely hear over the ringing in my ears. My gaze shifts to the crowd, to the faces watching this unfold like some grotesque drama. I catch whispers-pity, amusement, judgment-and the shame is unbearable.
"Stop it," I whisper, my voice trembling. "Kaia, you don't-"
"Oh, but I do," she interrupts smoothly. "You thought you had this perfect little life, didn't you? But Damion and I... well, we've been planning this for a while. Haven't we, darling?"
My eyes dart to Damion, searching for a denial, an explanation-anything. But his cold silence is the final blow.
I step back, the envelope slipping from my hands, and suddenly I feel like I'm drowning. The weight of their betrayal, the stares of the crowd-it's too much. My knees threaten to buckle, but I force myself to stay upright, even as tears blur my vision.
"How did it come to this?" I whisper, the question hanging in the air, unanswered.
The Ex-Husband Returns; A Second Chance At Love
After a totally disastrous marriage, she has decided to keep her heart locked away for the rest of her life from the most hurtful things that can ever come to her. To be precise, men. She has finally realised that it's so stupid to rely on any man or bid her own happiness on them. Even if it can be tough to be a bread earner and a single mom at the same time, even if she feels lonely at times, she will never ever enter any romantic relationship anymore. There'll only be one person she will love with her whole heart, her babies. She can do this, and she must do this, because she is an independent strong woman who is the owner of her own fate. However what happens when the man she has solely voted to be away from comes to her aid? He comes back and asks her to be his wife? "Marry me ex-wife" on his knees, he begs. "Sorry, ex-husband, I can't."
My Cheating Husband Bets I'll Beg for His Love Like a Dog
Three years in a loveless marriage with Leo Cox, Mona thought she could win his heart with her unwavering devotion, but Leo showed no love or concern towards her. Eventually she got tired, filed for divorce and left after founding out Leo was cheating on her- but she was already pregnant for him. Leo assumed Mona was merely playing hard to get-after all, he bet she'd be back, begging for reconciliation. But no one saw it coming; after the divorce, Mona transformed into a confident woman and Leo is stunned by her transformation. Now, Leo is drowning in regret, desperately chasing after Mona-but by this time, it was already too late. He started contemplating every day, wondering if breaking a leg or going bankrupt would be enough to capture her attention.
The Wrong Man At The Right Time
For four long years, Tessa Blake stood in the shadows of the spotlight, patching up bruises and broken hearts behind the scenes of Nathan Cross-the college's golden quarterback and her longtime best friend. She was the nurse, the tutor, the emotional crutch. The girl who stayed. Through every injury, every heartbreak, and every drunken night he stumbled into another girl's arms, Tessa stayed. Not because she had to. But because she loved him. But loving Nathan was a one-way street paved with silence, sacrifice... and pain. Until the night she met his father. Dorian Cross was everything Nathan wasn't-older, powerful, emotionally present, and terrifyingly aware of Tessa in all the ways his son never was. What began as comfort turned into chemistry. What was meant to be wrong... started to feel like the only right thing. Suddenly, Tessa isn't invisible anymore. She's the center of a storm. Now Nathan is looking at her differently. Now he's touching her like he finally sees her. But it's too late. Tessa's already tasted something forbidden-something that ignites her in ways Nathan never could. When hearts collide across generations and secrets burn beneath the skin, Tessa will have to decide... Does she want the boy who never chose her-or the man who never hesitated to?
THE LOVE I COULDN'T SEE.
Her silky hair was a mess. Her makeup, ruined. Her dress wrinkled like she slept on it. She was there, but her mind, elsewhere. Her eyes went to me. Her lips curled into a lazy smile. In every step she gave, my heart sank thinking she would fall. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" I rushed towards her. Her face twisted with disgust. "Oh, perfect Bella. The golden girl. Always correct. Always the best." "What..." "Perfect Bella. Has the best grades. She doesn't have to fight to get into college, colleges fight over her." "Emma, you are drunk." "Perfect Bella doesn't drink. She is as pure as water. Saint Bella." Her eyes glinted. "Perfect Bella doesn't sleep with her best friend's husband." My body froze as a wave of chill ran through my spine. "What... what are you talking about?" She leaned in, her breath thick with alcohol, "Where do you think Marcus is? Why do you think I can barely walk straight? Is it hard to believe he took me and not you to that bad that was supposed to be yours?" My heart clenched. Tears started forming in my eyes. It didn't take long till they gave up to gravity. He... he didn't. We'd promised this morning. He couldn't. "He wouldn't." ***** It's been a year, but the scars are still there. My past echoing in my head reminding me of everything that happened since that day. Every time I open my eyes in the morning to see... nothing. "You only get hurt by the ones you love the most." "You only get betrayed by the ones you trust the most." What happens when these two misbeliefs collide? ***** I hope I wrote this book good enough to make you feel it. Obrigada.☺️
The Billionaire's Plaything.
Forced into a marriage she never chose, nineteen-year-old Lorraina becomes the pawn in a dangerous game of vengeance. On the day she turns twenty,what should have been a milestone of hope,she is wedded to a man she knows nothing about. She had no idea that her husband didn't marry her for love... he married her to make her pay for her father's sins. Treated like a servant her entire life, Lorraina's world turns darker when she becomes nothing more than a plaything in her husband's ruthless She's trapped in a loveless, cruel union, and she begins to lose hope. But deep inside her broken spirit, a question refuses to fade: Can fate intervene? Can a miracle save her before she's completely destroyed?
D Secret Heiress
"Do you feel it?" he murmurs, his voice low and husky as he inches closer, the heat between them obvious. He brushes his fingers lightly against her arm, making her feel electric currents through her body. "Feel what?" Tammie teases, her breath hitching as she meets his gaze, knowing exactly what he means. "This," he whispers, leaning in, his lips brushing against her ear. "The way you ignite something deep within me." Tammie's heart races as his lips trail down her neck, planting soft kisses that leave her weak with desire. "Richard..." she breathes, her body yearning for his touch, aching to be closer. "Let go, Tammie," he urges, his hands finding her waist, pulling her against him. "Forget everything else. Just us, here, now." With a sultry smile, she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, whispering, "I want you... all of you." . . Betrayed by her ex-husband and unjustly sent to jail, Tamara discovers deep secrets about her past, including her true identity and a long-lost lover. As she understands a life turned upside down, she faces relentless enemies and an undeniable attraction to Richard Garrison, the most sought-after bachelor and billionaire in town. Despite swearing off men, Tamara finds herself irresistibly drawn to Richard, challenging her and igniting a passion she thought she'd buried forever. Can she trust him with her heart, or will her past haunt her, threatening everything she's fought to reclaim?