New Life
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THREE-YEARS CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH THE HOT BILLIONAIRE
"Sign the contract, or lose everything." I stared at the papers that would seal my fate-a three-year marriage to Julian Blackwood, the ruthless billionaire they call the Ice King. My family didn't ask. They demanded. My father's company was drowning, my stepsister's engagement had exploded, and I was the replacement bride they could sacrifice. Just another transaction. Julian made it clear on our wedding day: "Don't expect affection. Don't expect companionship. Certainly don't expect love." He refused to kiss me at the altar. He gave me a bedroom down the hall and told me to stay out of his way. I was Mrs. Blackwood in name only-a contract, a convenience, a means to an end. I accepted it. I had survived twelve years of abuse in my own home. I could survive three years of indifference in his. But then Nate, Julian's best friend, showed me kindness, and suddenly my cold husband became possessive. When my sister attacked me, he became protective. Now the man who promised me nothing is fighting his own father to keep me. The marriage that was supposed to be fake is becoming terrifyingly real and the secrets about my mother's death are threatening to destroy everything. They said Julian Blackwood destroys everything he touches. What they didn't tell me... is that sometimes destruction is exactly what you need to be reborn. With a pregnancy involved, how was I going to end this three-year marriage peacefully?
Chapter 1 The Invisible Daughter
Lena.
I refilled the champagne glasses carefully, weaving through clusters of glittering guests who looked through me rather than at me. The black dress I wore, the same one I'd worn to every family event for the past three years had a small tear at the hem that no one had noticed. No one ever noticed.
"More champagne here," a woman in diamonds called out, snapping her fingers without bothering to look at my face.
I moved to her, my footsteps silent on the marble floor of the Carter mansion's ballroom. Cassie's engagement party was in full swing, two hundred guests celebrating my stepsister's upcoming marriage to Liam Whitley, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune. A string quartet played in the corner. The air smelled of expensive perfume and imported flowers.
I belonged to none of it.
But in exactly seven days, none of this would matter anymore.
Seven days until I had enough money saved. Seven days until my interview at the marketing firm in Boston. Seven days until I could disappear from this house and never look back.
I touched the envelope hidden in my bra-my mother's death certificate, the one document I would need to access the small trust fund she had left me. The lawyer's appointment was scheduled for Monday morning. After three years of hiding money in my mattress, working secret jobs Bridget didn't know about, I finally had enough for a security deposit and first month's rent on a tiny studio apartment five hours away.
Freedom was seven days away.
"The hors d'oeuvres are running low on the west table." Bridget's sharp voice cut through my thoughts. My stepmother appeared at my elbow, her perfectly painted lips pressed into a thin line. "Were you planning to let our guests starve?"
"I'll refill them now," I said quietly.
"You should have done it ten minutes ago." Her manicured nails dug into my arm. "Must I do everything myself? Go. And try not to look so pathetic. You're embarrassing us."
Just seven more days, I reminded myself. Seven more days of this, then I'd never have to hear her voice again.
I hurried toward the kitchen, my cheeks burning. Behind me, I heard Bridget's laugh as she greeted another guest. The transformation was instant, like flipping a switch.
In the kitchen, I loaded canapés onto a silver tray, my hands moving automatically. The catering staff gave me sympathetic looks but said nothing. They knew better than to interfere in family matters.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I checked it quickly, it as a text from Landon, my manager at the coffee shop where I worked early mornings before anyone in this house woke up.
"Your last paycheck is ready. $340. That puts you at your goal, right?"
My heart soared. I didn't need to wait seven more days. I had enough now. I could leave tomorrow if I wanted to.
I typed back quickly: "Yes. Thank you for everything."
"Good luck in Boston. You deserve better than this."
I deleted the conversation and pocketed my phone, my hands shaking with suppressed excitement. Tomorrow. I could leave tomorrow, right after the lawyer's appointment. I had already packed a small bag and hidden it in the garden shed. I had bus tickets purchased under a fake name. I had...
"Lena!" Cassie's voice shattered my planning. "Come here for a second."
I returned to the ballroom, a tray balanced in my hands. Cassie stood at the center of a group of her friends, her engagement ring catching the light with every dramatic gesture. She looked beautiful in her rose-gold gown, her blonde hair swept into an elegant updo, her laugh was musical and confident.
Everything I wasn't. Everything I had stopped trying to be.
"I just wanted to introduce you to everyone," Cassie said sweetly as I approached. "This is my stepsister, Lena. She's been so helpful tonight, playing servant." She leaned closer, as if sharing a secret. "She really commits to the role, doesn't she?"
Her friends tittered. I stood frozen, the familiar burn of humiliation spreading through my chest.
Tomorrow, I reminded myself. Just get through tonight.
"Actually, I think she enjoys it," one of them said. "Some people just know their place."
Cassie reached for a glass of wine from a passing waiter. She turned back to me, smiling. "Oh, how clumsy of me!"
The red wine hit my dress in a splash of burgundy, soaking through the fabric. The wine was cold against my skin, and for a moment, I felt the envelope in my bra getting damp. Panic shot through me, if the death certificate was ruined, I would have to order another one, which would take weeks.
I set down the tray with shaking hands and hurried toward the bathroom, Cassie's laughter following me down the hall. In the bathroom, I carefully extracted the envelope. The certificate was fine, protected by the envelope's thick paper. Relief flooded through me.
I looked at my reflection: wine-stained, exhausted, invisible. Tomorrow, this version of Lena Carter would cease to exist.
I slipped out the side door into the garden, needing air, needing to see the one place in this house that still felt like home. My mother had planted these roses herself, back when she was alive, back when this house held warmth and laughter. I had hidden my escape bag behind the largest rose bush, wrapped in plastic.
I knelt beside it now, checking to make sure it was still there. Everything was intact-clothes, documents, the small amount of jewelry my mother had left me that Bridget didn't know about.
"I'm leaving tomorrow, Mom," I whispered to the roses. "I'm finally getting out."
A crash from inside the house shattered the moment. Then shouting, loud enough to carry through the walls.
My escape would have to wait a few more hours. I stood, brushing dirt from my ruined dress, and returned to find chaos.
A crash from inside the house shattered the quiet. Then shouting, loud enough to carry through the walls. I stood, brushing dirt from my ruined dress.
When I returned to the ballroom, it was chaotic. Cassie stood in the center of the room, her face blotchy with tears, while Liam Whitley faced her with crossed arms.
"I'm done," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I can't marry someone so spoiled, so entitled. My family won't allow it anyway, your father's company is hemorrhaging money. This engagement is over."
He pulled the ring from his pocket...Cassie must have thrown it at him and set it on a nearby table. Then he walked out.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Cassie's scream pierced the air. She grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it at the wall, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. "How dare he! How dare he embarrass me like this!"
Guests began making hurried exits, murmuring apologies and excuses. Within minutes, the ballroom had emptied except for family and staff.
Bridget's hand connected with my cheek before I saw it coming. The slap echoed through the nearly empty room.
"This is your fault," she hissed. "Looking like trash in front of our guests, bringing bad luck to this family. You've embarrassed us for the last time."
I pressed my hand to my stinging cheek but said nothing. My father stood in the corner, avoiding my eyes.
"Get out of my sight," Bridget said. "And clean up this mess before you go to bed."
I spent the next two hours picking up broken glass and discarded napkins while the caterers packed up around me. My father and Bridget had disappeared into his study. I could hear their voices, through the heavy door.
By the time I finished cleaning, it was past midnight. I was heading toward the stairs when my father's voice stopped me cold.
"The company is failing. We'll be bankrupt within six months."
I froze outside his study door, my heart pounding.
"Then we need the Blackwood deal," Bridget said. "It's our only option."
"Julian Blackwood wants a marriage alliance. His father insisted on it."
"Then we give them a bride."
No. No, no, no.
"Cassie's engagement just ended publicly," my father said. "The Blackwoods won't want damaged goods."
"They've never met Cassie in person. They've only seen photos. We'll give them Lena instead."
The trash bag slipped from my hands.
"Lena?" My father sounded uncertain.
"She's useless here anyway. At least this way she'll finally contribute something to this family."
I pressed myself against the wall, my carefully constructed escape plan crumbling around me.
"Lena!" My father's sharp voice cut through my panic. "Get in here. Now."
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Poor Billionaire Wife: Who Is The Real Boss
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
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Rooftop Edge, A New Life Began
The doctor finally gave me the green light to conceive, and I floated home to tell my husband, Clay. We toasted to our future children, Charis and Donny, names he swore were unique and special. Later that night, I unlocked his iPad and realized those names weren't unique-they were a sick tribute to his mistress, Charity Odonnell. When I confronted him, the "perfect husband" mask shattered. He didn't apologize. Instead, he and his mother slapped me across the face, claiming my "mental instability" had returned, while my own parents begged me not to ruin his reputation. Then came the video from Charity, laughing as she told me to "do everyone a favor and die." Broken and cornered, I stood on the edge of the hospital roof that night. I called Clay, told him to look up, and watched his face crumble in terror as I let go. But I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was aiming for the large oak tree below, calculating the perfect fall to destroy his life and secure my freedom.
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The Scorned Fiancée's New Life
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A Scientist's Revenge: New Life
I removed an intern from an award nomination for stealing my dead sister's research. My husband, Craig, was furious. He chose to defend her, not me. His rage turned violent. He destroyed my life's work-a cure for Alzheimer's-then shoved me so hard I miscarried our child. He called me "dramatic" as
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The Nanny’s Vengeance, A New Life
The grand hall buzzed, thick with the scent of champagne and success, a celebration for my son Liam' s tech company going public. My heart swelled with fierce pride, eighteen years of sacrifice culminating in this moment. Then, the main doors swung open, and I saw her: Olivia, my best friend, whom
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His Other Woman, My New Life
This Valentine's Day, I finally convinced my boyfriend of ten years, Ethan Hayes, to take me to that trendy new restaurant, the one with a six-month waitlist. It was our tenth anniversary, a big deal, and I thought maybe, just maybe, this time would be different. We had just sat down when his phone
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Abandon Deadly Betrayal, Embrace New Life
My fiancé Franklin and I had been together for ten years. I was standing at the altar in the chapel I designed myself, waiting to marry the man who had been my entire world since high school. But when our wedding planner, Hayley, who was officiating, looked at him and asked, "Franklin Frye, will yo
Rooftop Edge, A New Life Began
The doctor finally gave me the green light to conceive, and I floated home to tell my husband, Clay. We toasted to our future children, Charis and Donny, names he swore were unique and special. Later that night, I unlocked his iPad and realized those names weren't unique-they were a sick tribute t
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His Lies, Her New Life
For ten years, I sacrificed everything, working night shifts at a greasy diner to put my adopted son, Kevin, through college. It was all for his future, a life I never had. But on his graduation day, standing proudly on stage, he publicly denounced me, calling me a "disgrace" and claiming his real
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A New Life after Miscarriage
I loved Qin Tuo for ten years and finally became his wife after his white moonlight left him. I overestimated Qin Tuo's love for me and underestimated the destructive power of his white moonlight. When I was pregnant, he was accompanying the white moonlight for her prenatal check-up. When the
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New Life: New Beginnings
For the last two years, Kane has been dreaming of the day when his mate finally turns 18 and they can finally claim each other. However, his world suddenly comes crashing down and his dream is instantly destroyed when the alpha announces that his son (Kane's mate) has found his mate, who is the dau
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Reborn Girl's New Life
Gu Changge, a noble lady from a wealthy family, is a well-known business legend in Yuncheng, going into business at 15, taking over as President of Gu Group at 18 and becoming Chairman of the family business at 30. She is murdered by her husband Shao Tianze, just to give his mistress Gu Changle a he
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From Drowning To A New Life
On my fifth wedding anniversary, I wasn't arranging flowers; I was staging my own death. My husband, Graham, treated me like a prized accessory, but the antique watch on his nightstand revealed the brutal truth. It was engraved "Forever, Elia"-proof that his heart belonged to his business partner,
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From Tool To Treasure: My New Life
For nine years, I was Kane Hill' s secret. I was his emotional punching bag, the convenient stand-in for my twin sister, Harper-the woman he truly loved. I endured his cruelty, convincing myself his control was a twisted form of love. Then, just before he announced their engagement, Harper sent me
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Faking Amnesia For A New Life
I lost my memory. Or rather, I faked it. Conrad Gallagher, the boyfriend I had been secretly dating for five years, effortlessly erased our entire relationship. "You're only fit to be a casual hookup." Then, he announced his engagement to a woman approved by his parents. To save myself from utte
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New Home, New Town, New Life
I'm Penelope Windford. My partners name is Snowflake. I'm just your average girl who lost her mother and was forced to live with her father who was never there. I'm about to find out a lot secrets. Come join me in my new life with my father.
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His Last Regret, My New Life
The grand hall of the Thompson estate. The scent of expensive flowers and a decade of my family' s fading name. Tonight, I, Sarah Miller, was the offering, a supposed "lucky charm" to merge our dying empire with the titans of the Thompson Corporation. But the truth was, I was just a broodmare, ch
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The Jilted Wife's Brilliant New Life
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His Terminal Lie, Her New Life
For eight years, I truly believed I had the perfect marriage with Ethan. Then came the "terminal illness" diagnosis, a convenient tragedy that allowed him to have children with another woman, Chloe, supposedly for his parents' legacy, not ours. I swallowed my pain, playing the role of the understa
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My Sister's Betrayal, My New Life
I thought my partner Brayden and I were building an empire together. He was my rock, my partner in life and business, the man who understood my ambition to save my family's restaurant. But one night, I woke up to his laughter mixed with another, sickeningly familiar voice-my little sister, Holly. T
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The Villainess Stepmother's Ruthless New Life
I woke up with a splitting headache and a pinstriped lawyer shoving a contract in my face, demanding I sign away my rights to the Sterling estate. My husband, the billionaire Arthur Sterling, had been missing for three months after a plane crash, and everyone assumed he was dead. The lawyer sneered
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Second Life, New Rules
My first life ended with the smell of cheap whiskey, a throbbing leg, and the bitter irony of my ex-wife' s golden boy getting the scholarship that should have been mine. I died alone, broke, and knowing I was a failure in the eyes of my kids and the woman I' d sacrificed everything for. Then, I wo
