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39 — Richard

Author: Marcy Lee
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

I placed my coffee cup on the counter when I hear the front door swung close and walked toward the sounds in the hallway.

Elena looked up in surprise and froze. Her hair was wet, and she was dressed in the same clothes she was wearing yesterday. She clearly spent the night somewhere, and it sure as hell wasn't here, in my bed where she was supposed to be.

"Where have you been?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm.

"Richard." She lifted her hand to her chest. "You're up earlier than usual."

I stared her down, trying to keep her from realizing how angry I am. "I asked you a question."

She frowned at me and tried to walk past me, but I grab her wrist and pulled her against me. "Where. Were. You? Answer me,” I snapped.

She gritted her teeth and glared daggers at me. "Do you have any right to ask me that after you went for lunch and spent the night with my sister? Don't be a hypocrite."

I pulled her closer, until I had her body flush against mine. I do have that right, Elena. I'm your husba
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  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    41 - Elena

    I sighed as I watched my phone ring in the open pigeon hole apartment. I was trying to park my car properly in front of Richard's house, my heart heavy. My thoughts all over the place. It was such a strange feeling to want to hope for something with all your heart, yet knowing better.What was that even? Does that have a name? It wasn't hope, but rather a longing for it.I wished I had it in me to so much as hope that my mother was calling me simply because she missed me. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I grabbed my bag and got out of the car, declining her call for the fifth time, but that didn't deter her. My phone started to ring yet again, and I braced myself when I finally pick up."Mom?" I pressed my thumb against the scanner, and the front door swung open."Elena, I've been calling you for over an hour now." She said thickly, her tone irritated, and a dull ache enveloped my heart.I had an idea on what was about to come."What took you so long?"I put my phone on loudspeaker as

  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    42 - Richard

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  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    43 - Richard

    "I don't need you to be anything or anyone else. Not ever. You're my wife, Elena. You. No one else. You don't need to compare yourself to anyone else, and you don't need to measureup to anyone else either — because whether you realize it or not, you've already surpassed every standard anyone has ever set for you. Just because they won't or can't acknowledge it doesn't mean you're anything short of amazing. You're perfect the way you are. And no, I'm not saying that to make you feel better. I'm telling you that because it's true. You have a sense of loyalty so strong that you married me and sacrificed the future you envisioned for yourself. You're fucking beautiful, and you're smart, real smart. How many women do you know that have a full-time writing career and a thriving business? Fuck anyone who can't see your worth, Ponyo. Fuck them all.""Including you?"I blinked in surprise and smirked at her, my cock involuntarily stirring at her words. "Yeah," I whispered, a wicked smile on m

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    I stared up at Elena’s office building, thinking back to the last time I came here. I had come to pick her up because I needed a present for Sarah’s birthday, and she’d been more distant than usual. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part, but could it be that she was acting that way because she didn’t want me to marry Sarah? I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair as I walked in. Lately, my mind had been a mess. Perhaps it had all been cognitive dissonance, a way of convincing myself that there really could be something there between Elena and I…or was there some atom of truth in my suspicions? The lady at the reception desk rose to her feet when I walked in, her eyes widening. “Mr. Delmonte,” she called, sounding surprised. “Hello. I apologize for barging in unexpectedly. Could you tell me where I can find my wife?” She beamed at me then and pointed at one of the doors. “Elena stepped out to get something a few minutes ago, but she’s meant to be back by now. Please che

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    Elena cleared her throat, a blush staining her cheeks as she averted her gaze, flustered. There were hints of insecurity and doubt in her eyes, and I couldn't quite understand why. Was it that difficult for her to feel how fucking hard she made me? It was impossible for her not to realize what kind of effect she had on me.Now, more than ever, I wanted her to know that she was the only one on my mind. I kept thinking of the words that tumbled out of her lips when she was on the phone with her mother, and each time her words reverberated through my mind, my blood fucking boiled. I needed Elena to know that I could barely think straight whenever I looked at her.Thinking of someone else when she was in the vicinity was near impossible, but how could I make her see that?"What are you even doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling.I let go of her and forced my thoughts to calm down. “There's somewhere I want to take you today. Think of it as a surprise of some sort. A little treat from

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    "Are you done with work?" she asked after a few minutes, glancing at my laptop.I nodded and closed it. “Yeah,” I yawned, “I'm so exhausted."Elena smirked, glancing at my pajamas and slowly nodded. “Let's go to bed then."She tightened her grip on my hand and pulled me along, both of us quiet as we made our way to our bedroom. Day by day, each memory with Sarah got overwritten, until one day, I would look around and find nothing but beautiful, homey Elena written onto my walls.How fulfilling that was sure to be.Elena released my hand and walked over to her side of the bed, her cheeks rosy and full. We had gone to bed together every night since the first night she fell asleep in my arms, but she still got very shy about it. It was odd, because we had always been so comfortable with each other.We were both silent as we got into bed, and I turned toward her with a smile on my face. “Why are you so nervous, Ponyo?"She chuckled and turned onto her side too, the two of us facing each o

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    I thrummed my fingers idly on the kitchen counter as I consulted my watch for the umpteenth time with a sigh. I was upset. It was nearly nine o'clock in the evening, and Elena still wasn't home yet. This was the fifth day in a row she was working this late. Sometimes she didn't get back until past midnight. I was worried. This was a new side of her job I hadn't seen before. She was working longer hours than expected. Each day, she woke up as early as four AM in the morning and jogged around the penthouse a few times. She used the gym afterwards, and left home with nothing but a nauseous-looking green liquid. Then she spends the entire day writing and editing her part of the sci-fi romance she had planned with Frederick, then she went to her office afterward and edited her new work-in-progress for several hours.She worked so hard, and barely ate. She didn't get enough rest, either. Her two-hour sleeping time wasn't sustainable, but I had no idea on how to get her to take better care

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  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    Epilogue - Richard

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  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    90 - Richard

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  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    88 - Richard

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  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    86 - Elena

    I was absentminded as I took a bite of the breakfast Alanna made for me. I tried not to, but I ended up scrolling through my social media feeds all night, and I found nothing but hatred directed at me. Despite Richard's best attempts, screenshots of deleted content were making their rounds across all channels. We've made it into every single gossip magazine, and they were all scrambling to create timelines of Richard and Sarah's relationship.It came to no surprise to me when The Herald reported on Sarah's pregnancy, which only villainized me further. Now I was not just the woman standing in between two childhood sweethearts, I was also the evil stepmother-to-be.Watching my love for Richard being turned into a spectacle for everyone to witness was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. Photos I couldn't recall taking were being posted online, showcasing how we used to look at each other when Sarah and Richard were still dating. The media had everyone convinced that I'd been se

  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    85 - Elena

    My heart felt heavy as the driver that picked me up parked in a large elevator. It started to rise, until the car was parked in the corner of my friends' living room.The passenger door opened, and my friend Alanna offered me her hand. Her arms instantly wrapped around me, enveloping me in a tight hug, and that one small human gesture was more than enough to make me fall apart. I burst into tears, loud, heart wrenching sobs escaping my throat as she led me to the sofa. “I didn't know where else to g-go,” I said to her.Alanna and I have been best friends ever since she walked into my boutique in search of a wedding gown. No one has ever understood our friendship, but it was one of the most genuine and closest I've got. Alanna was one of a kind, and right now, she was the one person that could give me the solace I needed, without judgement.“I'm going to kill him," she whispered.“Easy, Little Psycho," her husband, Silas, said.Silas handed me a handkerchief with a small ¥ embroidered

  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    84 - Elena

    I was barely thinking straight as I walked to our bedroom, tears streaming down my face andRichard on my heels.“Baby," Richard pleaded. “Please. Please trust that I'll fix this."I whirled around to face him. "How?" I screamed. “How will you fix this, Richard? Articles about us are all over the internet. It isn't as simple as suing just one single magazine, and even if we do, it's too late!"I walked into our wardrobe and yanked my clothes off the hangers, my movements erratic."Elena," Richard called in panic, his voice breaking. "What are you doing, Ponyo? You can't... don't do this. I beg of you, don't do this, Elena."I shook my head and grabbed my suitcase. "I'm not spending another moment in the same house as her. I've tried, Richard. For years, I've tried, sacrificing my damn soul to keep her happy in the process. I can't take much more.”He grabbed my shoulders and held onto me tightly, panic flashing through his eyes. "You're insane if you think I'll let you go."I shook my

  • Billionaire's Perfect Bride    83 - Elena

    I walked into the kitchen to find Sarah sitting by the breakfast bar, dark circles marring her beautiful face. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with defeat. She knew. There was no doubt in my mind that Richard confronted her about what she did five years ago.She huffed and looked away as she picked up her teacup, her hands trembling. I wished I had the energy to keep up the facade, but I didn't. After what Richard told me last night, I could barely stand to look at her. How was I supposed to allow her into my life, knowing how much she tookfrom me? "Why did you do it?" I asked, unable to keep the question buried.She looked up at me and gritted her teeth. “Do what?""That night... why did you sneak into Richard's room? Why did you pretend it was you he slept with?"She looked away and shook her head, avoiding my gaze. I'd never seen her at a loss for words, but she was today. It was clear that she thought she got away with her deception. Just how long had she gotten away with m

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