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chapter 226
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2025-01-14 17:52:56
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ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 227
"We take a step back," she said. "We talk, we work through things, separately, if we have to. And if we’re still sure about this we go ahead with the wedding." Matthew looked at her, his eyes red and tired. "And if we’re not sure?" Alexis gulped hard. "Then we do what’s best for both of us. Anything that is " He shook his head gradually, as if trying to shake off a terrible dream. "I don’t know how to do this without you, Alexis." "You won’t need to," she said tenderly. "I’m not disappearing. I just require space." Matthew closed his eyes, breathing out through his nose. "I hate this," he mumbled. "I know," Alexis said softly. "But it’s the right thing to do." The room fell into an overwhelming quiet, broken as if by the black out ticking of the wall clock. Alexis looked at it, realizing how late it had gotten. "I ought to go," she said, standing. Matthew didn’t move. He sat on the couch, gazing vacantly at the floor. "Will I see you tomorrow?" he inquired, his voice scarcely
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 228
Matthew clenched his jaw, his fists curling at his sides. "So this is my fault. It’s always my fault."Alexis exhaled, pressing a hand to her temple. "That’s not what I’m saying. But we can’t ignore this anymore. We need to deal with it, or this marriage won’t stand a chance."For a moment, Matthew said nothing. His chest rose and fell with quick breaths, and his gaze flickered to the engagement ring on her hand. "Is there someone else?" he asked suddenly, his voice low and dangerous.Alexis frowned, startled. "What? No, of course not!""Then why do you need space?!" Matthew shouted, slamming his hand on the wall. Alexis flinched at the sound, and Matthew immediately regretted it. His face crumpled into something like shame, but it was gone as quickly as it came."I can’t do this," Alexis whispered, standing up. "Not like this, Matthew.""Wait," he said, grabbing her arm—not hard, but firm enough to stop her. "Please don’t leave.""I’m not leaving," she said quietly, freeing herself f
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 229
For now, all he could do was wait—and hope that when the time came, they would both still want the same future.Alexis lay in bed, tangled in the sheets, staring at the ceiling as the glow from the streetlights filtered through her curtains. Sleep eluded her, and the more she tried to relax, the tighter her chest felt. The conversation with Matthew replayed endlessly in her mind—the look in his eyes when she told him they needed to postpone the wedding, the way his voice cracked when he said, "You don’t love me."Her phone sat on the nightstand, screen dark, but the temptation to reach for it gnawed at her. Maybe if she sent him a message, let him know she was thinking of him, it would ease the ache in her chest. But what would she even say? She had asked for space, and reaching out now would only make things worse.She rolled onto her side, clutching the pillow tighter, her mind a swirl of guilt, fear, and second-guessing. Had she made the right decision? What if Matthew didn’t forgi
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 230
“Come in,” she whispered. Haven walked inside, the fragrance of lavender and vanilla filling the little flat. His heart fixed as thoughts overwhelmed him, Sunday mornings went through cooking together, apathetic evenings observing TV on this exceptionally coucht. He pushed those thoughts away and sat down, keeping a respectable separate. “What’s going on?” he inquired tenderly. Alexis tucked her legs underneath her and gazed at the floor. “Matthew and I had a fight,” she said, her voice scarcely over a whisper. “It’s. complicated.” Haven gestured, cautious not to let trust crawl into his chest. “Do you need to talk about it?” She breathed out gradually, wringing her hands together. “It’s just. He's not who I thought he was. We keep arguing about the same things, trust, space. He gets jealous, even when there’s nothing going on.” Haven inclined forward somewhat but kept his tone unbiased. “Jealous about what?” Alexis gave a severe snicker. “You, for one.” Haven’s beat animated,
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 231
They weren’t getting back together, but they were learning to co-parent with beauty and shared regard. As he sat there, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Alexis. Alexis: "Would you like to get coffee at some point?" Haven gazed at the message, his heart beating. He knew what this was, an olive department, a chance to reconnect, but took an update that things wouldn’t be the same as before. He could be her companion, her friend, but not her fallback. He took a deep breath, writing his reaction carefully. Haven: "I’d like that. At whatever point you’re prepared." It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. For now, that was all he required. And perhaps, fair possibly, it would be enough for her as well.Haven sat on the edge of his bed, gripping the mattress as the world spun around him. It wasn’t the heat. It wasn’t hunger. He hadn’t even been stressed today—at least, not more than usual. Yet here he was, lightheaded, as if the ground beneath him were slipping away.The sensation fe
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 232
“Sad,” Alexis admitted. “It’s like I’m still trying to make somebody select me, the way I needed my father to. ” Dr. Whittaker’s writing stopped moving. He put it down purposely on the notebook and leaned forward. “That’s exceptionally shrewd, Alexis. And it makes a part of sense why you might look for a similar flow as a grown-up. You’re replaying those same passionate designs, trusting for a different outcome.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek, a hitch tightening in her stomach. “But what do I do with that? Knowing it doesn’t change how I feel when I’m with Matthew. It’s not like I can just turn my feelings off. ” Dr. Whittaker gave her a little grin, one filled with persistence. “It’s not about turning your feelings off. It’s about understanding them and making space for new ones to develop. Right now, it sounds like your connections are driven by fear of dismissal, fear of being unseen. ” Alexis felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. “I just don’t need to feel thi
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 233
Alexis gazed at the phone in her hand, her heart hustling. The recognizable fear crawled in, What if I made a mistake? What if I demolished everything? But at that point, she heard Dr. Whittaker’s voice in her mind. You’re permitted to select yourself, Alexis. You don’t have to win anyone’s love. She took a profound breath and set the phone down on the table. This time, there was no frantic encouragement to call him back, no freeze clawing at her chest. Just calm. And in that calm, Alexis felt something new, something delicate but genuine. A sense of peace. She grinned, just a little, and let herself breathe.Alexis continued her day feeling victorious. She knew she had just won the battle but the war was still right there in front of her and she wasn’t scared to face it. She has Matthew right where she wants to and there is no more possessive attitude that she experiences from him anymore.She tried to arrange some few things in the living room, but her heart was so heavy she got eas
Last Updated : 2025-01-14ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 234
Haven moaned. “What’s the point? I just need to keep building.” Vanessa was quiet for a minute, at that point said, “It’s alright to need more than just getting by, Haven. You deserve better than to survive.” Her words settled in his chest, awkward however true. That evening, Haven found himself driving to Alexis’s modern flat. He hadn’t planned to go, but something Vanessa said had stirred a fretful vitality in him. Possibly closure wasn’t about moving on, perhaps it was about facing what was left behind. When he knocked, the door swung open, and there she stood. Alexis looked tired, her wavy hair tied back in a chaotic bun, wearing a larger than usual sweatshirt. For a minute, they just gazed at each other. “Haven,” she whispered, venturing aside. He entered the apartment gradually, as if crossing an imperceptible edge. They sat down at the little dining table, the hush between them thick and uneasy. “You wanted to talk?” Haven started, keeping his voice indeed. Alexis gestur
Last Updated : 2025-01-14
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ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 246
"I actually believed that we would eventually have to take sides.” Marcus could vividly recall the memories. He had been friends with Haven since high school, witnessing his journey through a painful breakup with his college girlfriend, who had betrayed him by getting involved with his roommate. Smoothly flowing friendship marked by shared experiences and challenges. The betrayal had caused Haven to build walls so high that they appeared insurmountable. His innate warmth and optimism were buried beneath layers of protective cynicism. When Fiona first re-introduced Alexis to their friend group few months ago, Marcus noticed the same wounded walls in her. Fresh from calling off her engagement to a man who had gradually tried to suppress her sparkle, in an effort to control her better, Alexis was portraying a demeanor characterized by sharp edges and cautious aloofness. Haven and Alexis moved around each other cautiously, like two wary cats, drawn to each other yet filled with insecuri
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 237
The park seemed hushed, only the little giggles from the children playing and the jogging steps from around the park seemed to be the only sound apart from the heartbeat of both Haven and Alexis. Haven and Alexis sat across from each other, their gazes locked. Time seemed to stand still as they simply were, their presence filling the space with a quiet intensity.Haven's heart pounded in his chest. He’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time, every detail, every nuance, striking him with a fresh sense of wonder. Her eyes, a deep, captivating brown, held a universe of emotions. He could get lost in them for hours, exploring the depths of her soul.Alexis, too, was lost in the moment. She felt a warmth spreading through her, a comforting familiarity that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Haven’s gaze was steady and kind, a stark contrast to the chaos that often surrounded her. In his eyes, she saw acceptance, understanding, and a
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 236
Haven's throat was fixed. He knew precisely what she meant—how they had both lost themselves in the splits and cleft of their fizzled marriage, getting to be individuals they didn’t recognize. "Do you ever think," he said, his voice scarcely capable of being heard, "about what us?" Alexis gave him a sidelong look, her expression softening. "All the time." They fell into a pensive quiet, the kind that comes as it were when two individuals share a history as well complicated for words. "I think," Alexis began gradually, "we were trying so hard to be what we thought the other needed that we overlooked to be ourselves." Haven gestured, her words resounding deeply. "No doubt. I thought I had to be this culminating supplier, continuously solid, continuously in control. But I wasn't truly letting you in. I see that now." "And I kept trying to be this perfect spouse," Alexis included with a little, self-deprecating snicker. "I needed to demonstrate that I was enough, that I could handle
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 235
Alexis let out a little, severe giggle. “I never stopped caring, Haven. That’s the problem.” The genuineness in her voice cut through him like a knife, more sharp than any offended she may have tossed his way. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “If you never stopped caring, why did you leave?” She hesitated, her expression tormented. “Because I was tired of waiting for you to choose me.” Haven felt the air leaving his lungs as if she had punched him. “What are you talking about? I was continuously there.” “You were physically there,” Alexis whispered, “but your heart was someplace else. Continuously working, continuously building. I needed more than that.” He closed his eyes, blaming wrapping around him like chains. He had worked himself to the bone to donate them both a great life, believing it would be enough. But in the process, he had missed the foremost vital thing—her. “I thought I was doing it for us,” he said, his voice overwhelming with lament. “I though
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 242
A minute, the walls around her heart trembling but not very falling. Perhaps, just perhaps, she might take another step. “Yeah,” she said unobtrusively. “I think I do.” Haven leaned back in his leather chair, checking the numbers on his laptop screen with a tired but fulfilled smile. Business was good, better than ever, in reality. Growing his firm had been one of the most risky choices of his life, but the payoff had surpassed his expectations. However, even in the midst of his proficient victory, a gloomy hurt remained underneath the surface, one that wasn’t so effortlessly relieved by benefits and development charts. He tapped a number of keys to distract himself and ran a hand down his face. He had a whole lot to do on his plate for the upcoming investors meeting that could serve as a major boost for the future of his company. His company that suffered a downgrade after the divorce with Alexis was slowly getting recognized and becoming a better version of itself.Outside the wide
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 241
She moved awkwardly in her seat, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s easier that way. In case you don’t expect anything, you can’t get hurt.” Dr. Patel inclined forward marginally, her hands resting on the armrests of her chair. “It sounds like you’ve built walls around yourself to secure against dissatisfaction. But those walls also make it difficult for people to associate with you, don't they?” Alexis collapsed her arms firmly over her chest. “Yeah, well. it’s not like anyone’s trying that hard, anyway.” “Do you think that’s true?” Dr. Patel inquired tenderly. “Or is that something you tell yourself since it feels safer?” Alexis looked absent, jaw fixing. “What difference does it make? They give up inevitably. Friends, boyfriends. everybody. It continuously happens.” Dr. Patel let a minute of hush hang between them before she spoke. “Tell me about your last relationship.” Alexis moaned, rubbing her sanctuaries. “Do we have to?” “I think it could help us learn mor
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 240
Alexis giggled, the sound light and free. For the first time in a long time, she felt confident. “Maybe,” she said, looking at him, “but possibly it’s worth the risk.” Haven’s grin mollified, and in that minute, something moved between them—something inconspicuous but irrefutable. As the night wore on and the wine vanished, they found themselves closer than ever before, their chuckling blending within the warm glow of the room. And for the first time since her engagement ended, Alexis allowed herself to accept the plausibility of love again—not the perfect, fairy-tale kind, but the chaotic, complicated, genuine kind. And sitting there with Haven, she realized that perhaps, just perhaps, she was precisely where she was meant to be.The cool night air brushed against Alexis’s skin as she strolled down the quiet street. She’d left Haven’s place a little later than she’d planned, but the lingering warmth of the evening was a welcome change from the usual rush.A sense of peace washed
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 239
Alexis didn’t drag her hand away, but she looked down at the ring once more, her lips squeezing into a lean line. “Why does it feel like I’ve been left with nothing?” “Because shock could be a thief,” Haven said delicately. “It takes more than just the person, it takes your sense of worth with it. But that’s a lie. You still have all of you, Alexis.” For a long minute, neither of them talked. The hum of discussion and clinking glasses filled the hush between them, a foundation clamour to the turmoil whirling in Alexis’s mind. Haven gave her hand a soft touch. “Let’s get out of here. This place isn’t precisely built for healing.” Alexis wavered but at that point nodded, thankful for the life saver he was proposed to. They ended up at Haven’s flat, the air thick with the comforting fragrance of coffee and cinnamon candles. Alexis twisted up on the couch, holding a warm mug between her hands while Haven sat over from her, his expression open and understanding. “It’s not just Mat
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 238
Alexis yanked her arm free, dazzling at him. “No, Matthew. You had your chance, and you blew it. I deserve way better than this.” Matthew’s shoulders dropped back. For a moment, the sound between them was the murmur of the TV. “Where did you indeed meet Deborah?” Alexis inquired intensely, incapable of stopping herself. Matthew moaned intensely. “She’s an old friend from college. She got into a few financial inconveniences, and I thought I might help.” His voice trailed off, as if indeed he realized how lamentable the pardon sounded. Alexis shook her head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. You bet with our future for some lady from your past.” She turned and walked toward the door, her heart overwhelming but unfaltering. She had gone through for so long disregarding the signs, trusting Matthew would be the man he imagined to be. But presently, she saw the truth clearly, he had never been that man. “Alexis, please!” Matthew called after her, his voice splitting with edginess. “Don’t le
