Against His Will
/1/132171/coverbig.jpg?v=584949ea5c9e495cc0c21608874afceb)
Your Humble Ex-Wife Is Gone
Three years of marriage, and Jayson Mccormick never once looked at me the way he looks at my sister. I told myself he was just cold. That if I loved him hard enough, he'd eventually love me back. Then I crashed his secret wedding. The bride was Kate-the daughter my parents kept while I was lost. The guests? My entire family. They all knew. They all helped. "She's dying," Jayson said. "Let her have this." So I let her have it all. The husband. The family. The life they built around her. I walked away with nothing-because I knew I could make it all back. After years of silence, the legendary perfumer and the financial genius have returned. They think I have nothing. They don't know that, where they never bothered to look, I've already built an empire of my own. It's time to bury the obedient wife.
Chapter 1 The Secret Wedding
It was exactly seven o'clock in the evening.
The private manor, nestled on the outskirts of the city, was brilliantly illuminated, its grand facade glowing like a beacon against the darkening sky.
Corina Logan stood at the towering wrought-iron gates, her attire glaringly out of place. She wore a simple, unadorned plain dress, the kind one might wear for a quiet evening at home, standing in stark contrast to the opulence unfolding before her.
Just two hours ago, the illusion of her life had still been intact. Her husband, Jayson Mccormick, had called her, his voice carrying its usual clipped, authoritative tone. "There's a critical board meeting tonight that's going to run late," he had said through the receiver. "I won't be coming home. Go to sleep early, Corina."
Yet, here he was. Not in a boardroom surrounded by executives, but in this lavishly decorated estate, preparing to hold a wedding ceremony with another woman.
Through the grand windows of the manor's main hall, Corina could see the head table. Sitting there, adorned in their finest evening wear and beaming with pride, were her biological parents, Arthur and Eliza Logan, alongside her older brother, Oliver.
The guests mingling on the manicured lawns and inside the grand hall were a familiar crowd. They were the mutual friends, business associates, and extended family that made up the social circle she and Jayson shared.
Yet she, the lawful wife, had been kept entirely in the dark.
As Corina took a step closer, the evening breeze carried a scent that made her breath hitch. It was a complex, intoxicating fragrance-a masterful blend of deep, velvety rose intertwined with the rich, smoky notes of agarwood.
This specific perfume was named "Surrender." It was a unique, one-of-a-kind fragrance that Corina had personally formulated and blended as a wedding gift for Jayson three years ago. It was meant to symbolize a love that was absolute, a yielding of the heart.
Now, this very scent, representing possession and ultimate surrender, saturated the air of a wedding where her husband was the groom, and the bride was not her.
Her gaze traveled down the pristine white carpet that served as the aisle. At the end of it stood Jayson, looking breathtakingly impeccable in a custom-tailored, pure white high-fashion suit. His usually cold, calculating eyes were currently filled with a profound, melting affection as he looked at the woman standing opposite him.
The bride was Kate Logan.
Kate was the fake daughter who had occupied the Logan family's nest for over twenty years. Corina, on the other hand, was the true daughter, only found and brought back to the family a mere three years ago. Because their grandfather and the patriarch of the Mccormick family had been comrades in the trenches, they had arranged a marriage pact for their grandchildren.
When Corina returned to the family, she fulfilled that pact, marrying the heir to the Mccormick empire, Jayson. It felt like destiny to her, because Jayson was the man Corina had desperately, silently loved for seven long years. He was the man who had once pulled her out of the darkest abyss of her life.
She had truly believed this was a match made by fate, that she was destined to be the happiest woman in the world. But reality had just delivered a resounding, brutal slap across her face.
At this moment, Kate, draped in a voluminous, sparkling white wedding gown, leaned weakly against Jayson's chest, looking so fragile that a strong gust of wind might blow her away.
As Corina stepped fully into the light of the entrance, the melodious strains of the "Wedding March" suddenly warped. The musician had spotted her, and his fingers slipped, producing a harsh, piercingly discordant note that echoed across the lawn.
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the venue snapped toward Corina.
The joyous smiles on the faces of the Logan family froze, replaced by expressions of sheer panic and guilt.
Whispers erupted among the guests, spreading like wildfire.
"Is that... isn't that Corina? Why is she here?"
"I thought everyone agreed to keep this an absolute secret from her!"
"Who leaked the information? This is going to be a disaster."
The hushed voices were deafening. She was his actual wife, yet in this place, surrounded by her own family and friends, she was treated as an unwanted intruder.
When Jayson's eyes finally landed on her, a flash of genuine shock crossed his deep gaze, but it was almost instantly swallowed by his habitual, chilling composure.
He lowered his head, whispering a few soothing words to Kate, before gently handing the bride's hand over to a bridesmaid. He then stepped off the altar, his long legs eating up the distance as he strode purposefully toward Corina.
As he neared, the familiar, crisp scent of cedarwood that always clung to him enveloped Corina. It was the scent she had once been so hopelessly addicted to.
"What are you doing here?"
Those were his first words. Not an explanation, not an apology, but a cold, hard interrogation.
Corina looked up at the face she had loved for seven years. The sharp, aristocratic line of his brow, the thin, cool lips she had kissed a thousand times. Suddenly, she found the entire situation utterly laughable.
"Shouldn't I be here?" Corina's voice was incredibly soft, as casual as if she were inquiring about the weather. "My husband is getting married here today. Shouldn't I come to offer my congratulations?"
Jayson's brow furrowed deeply, a clear precursor to his impatience.
He took a sudden step forward, his large hand shooting out to clamp down hard on her slender wrist. Without another word, he dragged her away from the prying eyes of the crowd, pulling her into the shadows of a secluded stone corridor.
Once they were enveloped in the dim light of the corridor, he stopped and released her wrist.
"Corina, don't make a scene," he commanded, his voice tight.
"Kate... she doesn't have much time left." Jayson reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a silver cigarette case. He extracted a cigarette but didn't light it, instead rolling it restlessly between his long fingers, a sign of his internal agitation. "Late-stage liver cancer. The doctors have confirmed she has, at most, half a month left to live."
Corina stood perfectly still, her eyes locked onto his.
"And so?" she asked, her voice devoid of inflection.
"Her final, greatest wish in this life was to wear a wedding dress and marry me," Jayson said, meeting her gaze with a look that suggested his actions were the most logical, reasonable thing in the world. "This wedding is entirely fake. I am simply putting on a performance for her, allowing her to leave this world without any lingering regrets. Do you understand?"
He paused, taking a breath, and when he spoke again, his tone softened marginally, sounding like a king offering a generous concession to a peasant. "Corina, it is merely a ceremony. Why must you be so petty and hold a grudge against a dying woman?"
Petty? Holding a grudge?
Corina's gaze drifted past his broad shoulders, looking out toward the distant, brightly lit lawn where the guests were still murmuring, their faces painted with a mix of celebration and nervous anticipation.
/0/18369/coverbig.jpg?v=c55bde40276f7e92c25b477d56fbefbc)
Against His Will.
It's been two years since he has gone to study abroad. I still remember the day when I came to live in this house after my parent's death. I still remember the day when he suddenly bragged inside my room. I was in shocked because of his sudden appearance in my room. He locks the door and start
/0/32975/coverbig.jpg?v=b8171dcea06a3b6bc17f4f8548619810)
Held Against My Will
CEO Billionaire Boston Kincaid was walking home from the office one night on the streets of Chicago. He finds himself in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. He sees this beautiful girl he takes against her will. Or is it the other way around? You'll have to read it to find out! But this CEO has bec
/0/68398/coverbig.jpg?v=20250110185113)
After His Last Will
Lily Anderson, who works as the secretary of the cold Alexandra Beaumont, is pulled into a web of power struggles when the head of the Beaumont family dies mysteriously and his last will is read. Vincent states in his will that his inheritance had been handed over to Lily and whosoever amongst his
/0/86849/coverbig.jpg?v=0f9114d70873e5687bd99e694b39d8e9)
His Betrayal, Her Unbreakable Will
The pain hit me in the middle of a billion-dollar merger presentation. It was a sharp, twisting cramp, so intense it stole my breath. I excused myself, trembling, and called my husband, Ethan, who was supposed to be my rock. Instead, I heard the sounds of children laughing and music in the backgrou
/0/80721/coverbig.jpg?v=6f1c7013f99c6311951eec9b3edd6162)
A Mother's Unbreakable Will: Against a Heartless Man
July Fourth. I promised my twins, Leo and Lily, a trip to the new Apex Park. My husband, Ethan, assured them the fireworks would be the best. Perhaps it was just a shadow of Daniel, the man I truly loved, smiling back at me. Inside the bustling park, Ethan’s phone rang. His face changed when he hea
/1/114604/coverbig.jpg?v=e7d45b1b93b6c2499326d806b0e8e6e3)
His Luna's Rage Will Break His Empire
My mate, Alpha Santino, brought another woman into our home. She was a pregnant Omega, the widow of his fallen Beta, and he swore to protect her above all others. He gave her my seat of honor, left our bed cold each night to soothe her feigned nightmares, and ignored me completely. I was the Luna o
/0/40247/coverbig.jpg?v=401811d573103ed088a44322432c9036)
Bent Against The Counter Of His Desk
Introduction Scarlett O'Hara, that's her name, 26 years old, a single mother of two kids (twins). Poor and manages to earn a living to take care of her twins together with her her best friend. She finally gets a job at a very big company after years of struggling to get one only to find out the CE
/0/59825/coverbig.jpg?v=f8e133af3fef436b62bf0490071a50d5)
To Love Against
The Richmonds are a wealthy family with a long ancestry of wealth flowing from generation to generation. Melanie inherited the Richmonds' estate alongside the conglomerate with her father's passing. Still young and not very experienced in handling such a great company and disposal to such an amoun
/1/102546/coverbig.jpg?v=4bf56ad1b06588716bab275aedf5df23)
Discovered His Will, Faked My Death
After seven years of marriage, I discovered my billionaire husband Grayson' s will. He was leaving his entire fortune not to me, but to his young protégée, Kira. My life was a lie; I was just a placeholder, a womb for the heir his mistress couldn't carry. When I demanded a divorce, he laughed. "Y
/1/102742/coverbig.jpg?v=a3904db4947a1f686128975f2e605c91)
Ballerina's Vow: His Empire Will Burn
My husband, Alexander, systematically destroyed my career as a prima ballerina. For years, I was the star of the New York City Ballet, but he ensured every major award went to his mistresses. The final insult was watching him hand my Starlight Award to his latest plaything, Cassie. Then I discovere
/0/43811/coverbig.jpg?v=17da5b4dc200ccd7028af707a1a70871)
AGAINST ALL ODDS!
Caught in a web of lies and deceit, Sybil Eagan is left at the altar by the only man she has ever loved. Moving on isn't as easy as she thought, but she perseveres, and when she finally decides to open her heart to love again, the man who left her down the aisle comes back into her life, and no, he
/0/22014/coverbig.jpg?v=f25ae72b776898a1f4d19d5053ccd350)
Against The Storm
Cassandra has no other option than to accept the offer of being a surrogate for the prince and princess of Andalusia, little does she know the prince is no knight in shining armor. ****** When Cassandra goes on a trip to Andalusia she does not expect
/0/73331/coverbig.jpg?v=0a68aba68d33f533cab4fddef262bf26)
AGAINST THE RULES
Ava Sinclair has one rule-stay away from jocks. They're arrogant, they're reckless, and they're nothing but distractions. As Brookdale University's top student, she has a strict schedule of study sessions, internships, and zero tolerance for football players, especially Logan Carter. Logan, on the o
/0/44661/coverbig.jpg?v=bf50553e5753f649b231f3ced17ff36a)
Love Against All Expectations
Kaylee had high hopes for her future. After spending many years with her adopted family—the Hadleys, she was about to get married to the infamous son of the Stephen family instead of her sister. Elijah—the bridegroom was known to be a treacherous playboy. He was handsome and loaded, but he was far
/0/54942/coverbig.jpg?v=45534e54ad36109b6f207435dbe4052f)
Against All Odds.
A young woman, living in a small town, finds herself drawn to a mysterious stranger who keeps appearing around town. As she gets to know him, she realizes that he's not all he seems to be - he's actually a werewolf! Will she be able to accept his true nature, or will she run away?
/0/60006/coverbig.jpg?v=290ec49f44764372aadcf15d8f7b9d1a)
Against All Odds #1
The story "Against All Odds" is about, two lovers Ava and Caleb. Their relationship started as a boss to an employee. But as time goes on things change and they fell in love with each other, even though Victoria( Caleb's morther) was not in support. Little do they know that, there's more secrete to
/0/37849/coverbig.jpg?v=2948130a419dd4c343b588587cffde3f)
REINCARNATION: Against The Gods
This is my version of Fanfic of Against the Gods Novel. Qinglong is an otaku with a 238 IQ. He dies in a car accident and reincarnates after beating God 100 times in chess. "What? Do you have the Star God's Broken Shadow? You thought you were fast? I, your father have Shunshin." "You want to play
/0/43102/coverbig.jpg?v=3d44fc8cbdb1521d1f3e57b876be20dd)
Love Against All Odds
"A love Against all odds" is a captivating tale that takes readers on a journey of unexpected love amidst the odds. The story revolves around Amelia, a young and impoverished girl whose radiant beauty is concealed beneath the weight of her circumstances. Born into poverty and raised by a single moth
/0/21174/coverbig.jpg?v=451d051d3feab7ff5ff928c8c02f48f8)
Against All Odds
As a poor family struggling to get through the day, my parents chose to be sailors, a dangerous but quite generous job. Until one day, my life as a child tore down, when they sailed to a point of no return. I still recall all our memories together. Today I am marrying an independent girl who surviv
/0/2812/coverbig.jpg?v=d439b84b0fde44489b836f2fb3ae0cef)
Will Warburton
George Gissing was a British novelist, most famous for his novels The Nether World, New Grub Street, and The Odd Women. He is said to have been primarily influenced by Emile Zola.
