After three years of a secret marriage, Joelle believed she could make Keaton love her. But her efforts meant nothing when the woman he loved came back. "We should divorce. We're both tired of this, so let's just go our separate ways," Joelle said, ready to give up. But Keaton coldly rejected the idea, "I don't agree. You're not leaving me!" His attempts to keep her close only drove her further away until she left for good. Later, Joelle emerged as a star in the medical field, admired by many and completely over him. Yet, their unexpected reunion stirred old feelings and conflicts. "You've forgotten me? Don't worry, I'll make sure you remember," Keaton said with determination. Afterward, Joelle, rubbing her sore back and blushing, scolded, "Keaton, you tyrant, haven't you had enough?" Keaton just smirked and replied, "It's never too much for me."
Outside the resuscitation room at Grace Hospital in Eleyrith, Keaton Gordon seized Joelle Lambert's neck and pushed her against the wall. "Why are you so ruthless? How could you harm Elsie?"
Joelle gasped for air, her eyes reflecting both pain and disillusionment. She fought to justify herself. "I didn't. Keaton, believe me. Miss Rowe came out of nowhere. I couldn't stop in time."
Disappointment etched on his face, Keaton retorted, "You're still lying! Eyewitnesses saw you hitting her. What more can you possibly claim?"
"They've been influenced. She framed me!" Joelle asserted in a tremulous voice.
"Absurd!" Keaton's gaze turned frigid and stern. "Why would Elsie jeopardize her life to frame you? How can you even compare yourself to her? Don't overestimate your importance!"
A pallor washed over Joelle's face, and her entire frame trembled.
Even though she was aware that, in Keaton's eyes, she paled in comparison to Elsie, his words still brought a sense of sadness to her.
Back then, while attending to her cancer-stricken father at the hospital, she encountered Archie Gordon, who was unwell and had fainted. After providing initial medical assistance, she escorted Archie for examination and treatment. Subsequently, Archie ended up sharing the same hospital ward with her father due to liver disease. It was only at this point that she crossed paths with Keaton again, a high school acquaintance who had graduated two years ahead of her.
Exhausting her savings in vain attempts to save her ailing father, Joelle found herself ousted from her home by her stepmother and her stepmother's paramour. It was on the roadside that she encountered Keaton.
Keaton expressed his desire to marry her, proposing the immediate registration for marriage if she consented.
Overwhelmed with joy, she agreed. In that moment, ecstasy enveloped her. This was the boy she had harbored feelings for since high school.
She assumed his desire to marry indicated he must harbor feelings for her as well.
However, after they got married in the city hall, he insisted that they keep their marriage a secret.
He said his father compelled him to marry her, though he harbored no genuine desire to do so and held affections for someone else. The only offer he could provide her was a life of affluence.
From that moment onward, all her aspirations for a future married life lay in ruins. She shouldn't have overlooked the fact that, in his eyes, she was, at best, a mere substitute.
Why would the emotions of a substitute hold any significance for him?
Six months ago, when Elsie Rowe returned, she understood that, being her replacement, she should depart.
She had no desire to linger, and Elsie didn't need to harm herself to frame her.
Keaton compelled her to kneel, commanding, "Just stay in this position. Only when she's out of danger can you stand up!"
Struggling to contain her tears, Joelle endured the pain as best she could.
On a previous occasion, Keaton dismissed her tears as valueless, claiming they nauseated him.
The door to the resuscitation room swung open, and the doctor emerged, wearing a grave expression.
Keaton promptly approached him, anxiety etched on his face as he inquired, "Doctor, how is she?"
The doctor examined him briefly before stating, "She's no longer in immediate danger, but her lower back sustained a severe injury, and there's a possibility of paralysis."
A shift in Keaton's expression occurred. Abruptly turning, he seized Joelle, who remained kneeling. His eyes glared with fury. "You've rendered Elsie incapable of standing. She's a dancer. Do you comprehend the cruelty of your actions?"
"No, I didn't harm her. I..." Joelle shook her head, fear evident in her eyes.
The doctor intervened, urging, "Sir, please compose yourself. The patient's paralysis is merely one of the possibilities. With a successful recovery, there's still a chance she may regain the ability to stand."
With a shake of his head, the doctor turned away and departed.
Clenching his teeth, Keaton cast Joelle onto the floor. Wearing a somber expression, he declared, "Starting today, your duty is to ensure her well-being until she makes a complete recovery. Should she fail to stand again, you'll forfeit the use of your legs!"
He then turned on his heel, poised to depart.
Quivering with despair, Joelle expressed her disappointment and calmly uttered, "Keaton, I want a divorce."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
In the fifth year of marriage, Rylan had an affair with a somewhat famous internet celebrity. His friends asked him, "If Stella finds out and wants a divorce and half of your assets, what will you do?" He laughed disdainfully while smoking, "Stella, she's just someone who throws herself at me, loves me to death, and can't leave me." Later, when I presented him with the divorce agreement, he cried and tried to hold on. But, cold wine can still be warmed, how can a cold heart be warmed?
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?