Growing up, Chase and I never had that unspoken sibling connection. Unlike the picture-perfect sibling dynamics one typically saw in movies, he completely missed my subtle cues to stop talking."Who else but Shane West?" Chase said, oblivious to the storm brewing in the room. "You know, the guy making waves in AI these days. "That guy's always been sharp. He didn't take over his family's business like everyone expected. Instead, after he returned from overseas, he started his own team, and now he's made a name for himself."Chase's admiration for Shane was clear. Despite being a few years older, Chase had always been the one Shane looked out for. Most of the trouble Chase got into back in school could be traced back to one of Shane's wild ideas.Yet, Chase would still defend him to anyone who dared criticize him, even now when Shane's reputation was infamous in certain circles.Caleb's expression soured at the mention of Shane's success. The contrast wasn't lost on him.The Leve
Sounds filtered in faintly through the haze as if from far away. It felt like Caleb had picked me up and carried me out of the bathroom. Chase and Maura seemed to gather around as well."What happened?" Chase asked, his tone laced with concern."She passed out suddenly," Caleb replied flatly. "I'll take her upstairs to rest and call a doctor."Then, Maura's soft, saccharine voice joined the mix. "Caleb, let me look after Winifred. It's more appropriate, you know, girl-to-girl.""We're married," Caleb shot back, his tone sharp. "There's nothing inappropriate about it."After that, the world drifted into silence, and I lost consciousness completely.When I opened my eyes again, Caleb was sitting beside the bed, casually flipping through the divorce papers I'd had a lawyer draft. Without a word, he tore them in half right in front of me, the paper shredding with a satisfying rip. "I knew it," he sneered. "You're desperate to leave me because you've got your eyes on someone else.
I was furious. He had spent years refusing to touch me, and now, when I wanted nothing to do with him, he couldn't leave me alone. I turned my head away, dodging his kisses and shaking it desperately, but he followed no matter where I moved. His body pinned me down, leaving me with no escape. The helplessness was suffocating, and tears started streaming down my face."I'm not accusing you unfairly at all. Every time we're together, you only care about proving you're in control. You never stop to think about whether I'm comfortable or not. When I say no, I mean no. "Just because my body reacts doesn't mean I want it—it's only because I can't escape."Something about my bluntness must have struck a nerve. His movements stopped abruptly, his face darkening as he sat up, clearly agitated but no longer advancing."I'm not in the mood anymore," he muttered bitterly before getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom.I pulled my clothes back into place, crouched down, and search
Maura furrowed her brows, her delicate features radiating an air of vulnerability. "With you away and Caleb always at the office, the house has felt so lifeless these past few days."Of course, love thrived in comparison. Before Maura entered the picture, I had clung to the naive belief that Caleb might eventually grow to care for me in his quiet, stubborn way. But watching him with her had shown me what it looked like when he truly cared for someone."I'm fine staying elsewhere," I said flatly, brushing off her attempt at concern."But you and Caleb are married," she pressed, her voice laced with a gentle persistence. "Married couples should live together, sleep in the same bed—"I couldn't help but smirk at her hypocrisy. "By that logic, why don't you live with your husband?"Her face froze, her surprise briefly flickering before she quickly masked it. Without another word, she finished her soufflé, leaving the awkwardness to settle like a heavy fog. Not wanting to stick aro
I chose a restaurant Shane and I used to frequent—a humble little spot with unbeatable food. As soon as I walked in, Mr. Bennett, the owner, recognized me and greeted me warmly. He led me to a small private room in the back."Wini! Long time no see," he said with a smile. "I thought you'd forgotten about this place."It had been three years since I'd last been here. After marrying Caleb, my life revolved around his world, leaving little room for anything—or anyone—from my past. I'd even let go of the parts of myself that once felt real and true, all in the name of becoming "Mrs. Goode".But Caleb never needed me. He'd get annoyed if I was too clingy, yet he'd accuse me of not being the dutiful wife when I pulled away.For years, I'd wrestled with trying to figure out what kind of partner he actually wanted, only to realize he didn't want a partner at all. He wanted a housewife who'd manage his home and turn a blind eye to his affairs. Dream on, buddy. That would never happen if
"Go and help Maura with her dress. The pleats at the back of her gown haven't been fanned out properly," Caleb ordered.Caleb Goode was my husband. He was never this attentive when we were preparing for our wedding. I, Winifred Leverton, handled everything from picking the wedding venue to the invitation designs.Yet, Caleb was suddenly extra attentive now that his father, Charles Goode, was about to marry Maura Sudlow. He even tried on the groom's suit on Charles' behalf.I knelt and neatly laid out the pleats down Maura's gown. While doing so, I noticed Maura smiling sweetly at Caleb. The latter even returned her gaze with a gentle look. The more I thought about their exchanged looks, the more my chest constricted. That was because I knew Caleb had an old flame before he and I got married. His friends used to call her Ms. S.In our three years of marriage, this was my first time seeing Caleb take the initiative to interact with a woman.Even the shop's employees dreamily sig
"I've brought out the Queen's Tears jewelry set. You can give it to Maura tomorrow. I was being too selfish earlier," I said.Caleb intentionally turned off the shower, so I could hear his cold tone as he said, "Keep them for yourself." He then went out of his way to emphasize again, "Maura's around our age. So, we don't have to address her like she's our elder. Just respecting her through our actions will be enough."Was Caleb afraid of implying she was old? Or was he fearful that I would stab a sore spot in his heart? I didn't answer his instructions. Instead, I pretended to be worried as I asked, "Can the wedding go on with Charles' current condition?""The wedding invites have been sent out. We'll find a way when the time comes."I could hear Caleb turn on the shower again from outside the bathroom. After hesitating for ages, I spoke up again, "Say, why would Maura, a pretty woman who just returned from finishing her studies abroad, want to marry your dad?"Caleb didn't an
I needed to get Caleb away from here!I hurried upstairs and dug in the study for Caleb's laptop. After that, I used his work email to urge his company's executives to submit project progress reports. Then, I deleted the email and all its traces.Caleb was a workaholic, and so were his employees. He had merely loosened up a lot since Maura returned to the country. Nowadays, it wasn't surprising if he urged his company executives to speed up work or vice versa.After doing all that, I headed back to my bedroom. It wasn't long before Caleb came rushing upstairs to tell me, "Something just came up at the company. You'll take Maura to the hospital instead."I pretended to be surprised, nodded, and intentionally asked, "Isn't it too late for you to work overtime now?" Caleb didn't answer as always. He just kept going on with his instructions. "Come home after you finish the hospitalization procedure for Maura. I'll check on her at the hospital after I wrap things up at work."That wa
I chose a restaurant Shane and I used to frequent—a humble little spot with unbeatable food. As soon as I walked in, Mr. Bennett, the owner, recognized me and greeted me warmly. He led me to a small private room in the back."Wini! Long time no see," he said with a smile. "I thought you'd forgotten about this place."It had been three years since I'd last been here. After marrying Caleb, my life revolved around his world, leaving little room for anything—or anyone—from my past. I'd even let go of the parts of myself that once felt real and true, all in the name of becoming "Mrs. Goode".But Caleb never needed me. He'd get annoyed if I was too clingy, yet he'd accuse me of not being the dutiful wife when I pulled away.For years, I'd wrestled with trying to figure out what kind of partner he actually wanted, only to realize he didn't want a partner at all. He wanted a housewife who'd manage his home and turn a blind eye to his affairs. Dream on, buddy. That would never happen if
Maura furrowed her brows, her delicate features radiating an air of vulnerability. "With you away and Caleb always at the office, the house has felt so lifeless these past few days."Of course, love thrived in comparison. Before Maura entered the picture, I had clung to the naive belief that Caleb might eventually grow to care for me in his quiet, stubborn way. But watching him with her had shown me what it looked like when he truly cared for someone."I'm fine staying elsewhere," I said flatly, brushing off her attempt at concern."But you and Caleb are married," she pressed, her voice laced with a gentle persistence. "Married couples should live together, sleep in the same bed—"I couldn't help but smirk at her hypocrisy. "By that logic, why don't you live with your husband?"Her face froze, her surprise briefly flickering before she quickly masked it. Without another word, she finished her soufflé, leaving the awkwardness to settle like a heavy fog. Not wanting to stick aro
I was furious. He had spent years refusing to touch me, and now, when I wanted nothing to do with him, he couldn't leave me alone. I turned my head away, dodging his kisses and shaking it desperately, but he followed no matter where I moved. His body pinned me down, leaving me with no escape. The helplessness was suffocating, and tears started streaming down my face."I'm not accusing you unfairly at all. Every time we're together, you only care about proving you're in control. You never stop to think about whether I'm comfortable or not. When I say no, I mean no. "Just because my body reacts doesn't mean I want it—it's only because I can't escape."Something about my bluntness must have struck a nerve. His movements stopped abruptly, his face darkening as he sat up, clearly agitated but no longer advancing."I'm not in the mood anymore," he muttered bitterly before getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom.I pulled my clothes back into place, crouched down, and search
Sounds filtered in faintly through the haze as if from far away. It felt like Caleb had picked me up and carried me out of the bathroom. Chase and Maura seemed to gather around as well."What happened?" Chase asked, his tone laced with concern."She passed out suddenly," Caleb replied flatly. "I'll take her upstairs to rest and call a doctor."Then, Maura's soft, saccharine voice joined the mix. "Caleb, let me look after Winifred. It's more appropriate, you know, girl-to-girl.""We're married," Caleb shot back, his tone sharp. "There's nothing inappropriate about it."After that, the world drifted into silence, and I lost consciousness completely.When I opened my eyes again, Caleb was sitting beside the bed, casually flipping through the divorce papers I'd had a lawyer draft. Without a word, he tore them in half right in front of me, the paper shredding with a satisfying rip. "I knew it," he sneered. "You're desperate to leave me because you've got your eyes on someone else.
Growing up, Chase and I never had that unspoken sibling connection. Unlike the picture-perfect sibling dynamics one typically saw in movies, he completely missed my subtle cues to stop talking."Who else but Shane West?" Chase said, oblivious to the storm brewing in the room. "You know, the guy making waves in AI these days. "That guy's always been sharp. He didn't take over his family's business like everyone expected. Instead, after he returned from overseas, he started his own team, and now he's made a name for himself."Chase's admiration for Shane was clear. Despite being a few years older, Chase had always been the one Shane looked out for. Most of the trouble Chase got into back in school could be traced back to one of Shane's wild ideas.Yet, Chase would still defend him to anyone who dared criticize him, even now when Shane's reputation was infamous in certain circles.Caleb's expression soured at the mention of Shane's success. The contrast wasn't lost on him.The Leve
I turned around to see Chase walking in, dressed to the nines in a tailored suit. Caleb and Maura instinctively put some distance between themselves, likely to avoid any awkward associations."Winifred, Caleb," Chase greeted, his voice filled with a smug undertone. "Apologies for being late. The company's been slammed lately—too many orders to handle."No wonder he had the nerve to stir up trouble with Caleb. The recent surge in business had inflated his confidence.I had a pretty good guess as to why his business was booming. It likely had to do with Mr. Vaughn recently throwing some support behind the Leverton family. Word must've gotten out, and opportunists probably cozied up to Chase, hoping to use him as a bridge to Mr. Vaughn.Caleb, ever polite on the surface, gestured toward the dining room. "Congratulations on the success, Chase. Let's sit down. Dinner's ready, and we can talk as we eat."Chase sidled up beside me as Caleb and Maura walked ahead, lowering his voice. "H
Hearing Gia's name seemed to ease Caleb's suspicion, at least for the moment."I'll say it one last time," he said, his voice firm. "Quit your job. You've got two days to figure it out. Chase is coming over on Saturday. Don't embarrass the Goode family."With that, he turned on his heel and strode out of the house, leaving me to exhale in relief. Good riddance.There was no way I'd give up my job, but I did need to deal with Chase. It'd only make things worse if he showed up at Caleb's place and stirred up trouble. Thankfully, Saturday was a day off, so I'd have time to prepare.Over the next two days, I worked nonstop. I met with the lawyer Gia had recommended to draft a divorce agreement, then pulled an all-nighter drafting my proposal for the acquisition case and sent it off to Mr. Newman. By Saturday morning, I looked like a raccoon, with my dark circles barely camouflaged under heavy concealer.Chase was scheduled to arrive at 11:00 a.m., so I intentionally showed up fashio
I wasn't about to play dumb. "I'll handle this case and prove I'm capable of earning my promotion early," I said firmly.Mr. Newman's expression was unreadable. "You'll only need to keep Mr. West updated. The actual work will be assigned to experienced colleagues, but we'll put your name on it.""Wini," Mr. Newman continued, his tone measured, "you have to understand that this isn't a small deal. There's no room for mistakes. You're still new—use this time to learn."I wasn't thrilled, but I knew he was right. Success wouldn't happen overnight. "Mr. Newman, can I at least draft my own proposal? I know I have a lot to learn, but I need to start somewhere if I'm going to improve."After a brief pause, Mr. Newman nodded. "Fine. Once you've signed your contract, I'll have someone copy the files for you."His approval reignited my enthusiasm, and the once-stuffy office now felt almost vibrant. I threw myself into researching the case, slowly building a rough outline for my proposal.
I didn't dare decide on my own, so I turned to Mr. Newman for guidance. "If Mr. West is offering, you should accept it," Mr. Newman said with a nod. Part of me felt it wasn't right to take them, but I couldn't deny how much I liked those earrings. "Thank you," I murmured to Shane."Don't mention it," he replied with a shrug. Then, flashing his usual nonchalant grin, he added, "Since we're here, why don't we grab some lunch? I'm starving."Shane had flown in a chef from Nastia to prepare an authentic Nastian meal paired with wine from his own vineyard. As we sat down, Mr. Newman used the opportunity to propose a toast and subtly set the stage for me. "Mr. West," Mr. Newman said, raising his glass, "I was thinking of assigning this case to Wini. If everything works out, she could become the fastest-promoted employee in our department."My stomach tightened at Mr. Newman's bold statement. I worried Shane would find some way to make things difficult for me, just as he had in the p