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chapter 26
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2024-12-05 02:13:59
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ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 27
As she walked, her phone began to buzz incessantly in her purse. She knew without looking that it was Haven, probably calling to beg for forgiveness or to spin some elaborate lie. Alexis yanked the phone out and turned it off with a vicious jab of her thumb.As the sun set while Alexis was in the neighborhood near a small park. She sat on the bench and was immediately exhausted. The events of the last few hours kept replaying in her head and every replay brought about a new wave of pain and anger."Excuse me, miss?" a concerned voice broke through her deep thoughts. "Are you alright?"Alexis brought her face up and saw an elderly woman looking at her with kind eyes. Only for her to start crying all over again."I'm fine," Alexis lied, forcing a smile. "Just having a rough day."The woman nodded sympathetically. "We all have those, dear. Whatever it is, this too shall pass." As the elderly woman continued to be on her way, Alexis just couldn’t get her mind past those words. This too s
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 28
She climbed the stairs quickly, ignoring Haven's confused protests. In their bedroom, Alexis closed the door and leaned against it, sliding down to sit on the floor. She buried her face in her hands, hot tears spilling between her fingers.On the other side of the door, she could hear Haven's footsteps approaching. He knocked gently. "Alexis? Please, sweetheart, tell me what's wrong."The concern in his voice only made it worse. How could he stand there and pretend to care when just hours ago he'd been in Cassandra's arms?"I'm fine," Alexis called out, hating how her voice cracked. "I just need some time alone."There was a long pause before Haven spoke again. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."Alexis listened as his footsteps retreated, then buried her face in her knees. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of everything. Should she confront him? Leave him? Pretend she didn't know and hope it was just a one-time mistake?As the night wore on, Alexis tossed
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 29
"It was a moment of weakness," Haven pleaded. "I've been under so much stress with the merger, and Cassandra was there, and... God, I know it sounds pathetic. I'm not trying to make excuses. I just want you to understand that it wasn't about her. It wasn't about us lacking something."Alexis scraped the now-overcooked eggs onto a plate, her appetite gone. "You're right, it does sound pathetic," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Because all I understand is that when things got tough, instead of coming to your wife, you turned to someone else."Haven reached out, his hand hovering inches from Alexis's shoulder before he thought better of it and let it fall to his side. "I made a horrible mistake, Alexis. One I'll regret for the rest of my life. But please, don't throw away our marriage because of it. We can work through this. We can go to counseling, take some time away, anything you want. Just please don't give up on us."Alexis allowed the freedom of her thoughts to think a
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 30
Haven's silence was answer enough. Alexis felt her heart breaking all over again."I don't know how to trust you again," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't know if I can."Haven leaned forward, his eyes pleading. "I'll do anything, Alexis. Therapy, counseling, quitting my job – whatever it takes. I love you. Only you. What happened with Cassandra made me realize how much I have to lose, how much you mean to me."Alexis stood up abruptly, needing to put some distance between them. "That's the problem, Haven. It took almost cheating on me for you to realize how much I mean to you? How am I supposed to feel about that?"Haven stood too, but didn't move closer. "I know. I know how it sounds. But Alexis, please believe me when I say that I've always known how much you mean to me. I just... I lost sight of it for a moment. And I'll spend the rest of my life making up for that if you'll let me."Alexis turned to look at him, really look at him. She saw the man she fell in love with, the m
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 31
"Alexis, please," Haven begged, his voice cracking. "Talk to me. Yell at me. Anything is better than this silence."Alexis turned to face him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "What do you want me to say, Haven? That I forgive you? That we can go back to the way things were?" She shook her head, a single tear escaping down her cheek. "I can't do that. Not yet. Maybe not ever."With that said she walked past home and retreated to the guest room, leaving Haven alone with a room of unraveled gift boxes and the bigger mess of a shaky relationship.The days that followed were a test of endurance for both Alexis and Haven. They moved around each other like ghosts, existing in the same space but never truly connecting. Alexis threw herself into her work, leaving early and returning late, avoiding any chance of prolonged interaction with her husband. Haven, on his side, was almost dead in remorse and depression. He left hundreds voicemail on Alexis’s phone, each more filled with more emo
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 32
Haven nodded, hardly daring to breathe. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll stay. What... what do you want to do?"Alexis stood up, wrapping her arms around herself as if for protection. "I want to talk," she said. "Really talk. About what happened, about why it happened, about where we go from here. No more silence, no more avoiding each other. We need to face this head-on if there's any chance of saving our marriage."Haven felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It wasn't forgiveness, not yet, but it was a start. A chance to rebuild what he had so carelessly damaged. "I'd like that," he said, his voice filled with genuine relief and gratitude. "I'd like that very much."Alexis nodded, a ghost of a smile flickering across her face for the first time in days. "Then let's talk," she said, gesturing to the couch.As they sat down, a respectable distance between them but facing each other openly for the first time since that fateful day, both Alexis and Haven knew that the road ahead would be
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 33
Alexis nodded. "But do you remember what you said to me the next morning?"Haven thought for a moment, then smiled slightly. "I said that even drunk out of my mind, I knew I wanted to do things right with you. That you were too important to rush things.""Exactly," Alexis said, her voice soft but intense. "You said I was important to you. So important that even when inhibitions were lowered, you still respected our relationship enough to wait."“Alexis, I,” Haven said with his face admitting defeat as he knew where she was headed towards."So tell me, Haven," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "If I'm so important to you, how could you let things get 'out of hand' with Cassandra? How could you disrespect our relationship like that?"Haven felt like he was about to have a panic attack with the evidence of air that had been knocked out of him. He tried opening his mouth to speak, and then closes it again, short of words at that moment.With a start, Alexis got up, her chair scuf
Last Updated : 2024-12-05ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 34
Slowly, tentatively, Alexis leaned into Haven's side. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms again."We have a lot of work to do," Alexis murmured against his chest.Haven pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "We do," he agreed. "But we'll do it together."The path ahead would be difficult, as both Alexis and Haven realised as they sat there, enveloped by memories of their past and the hope of their future. Once broken, trust is difficult to rebuild. But there was a gleam of optimism as they clutched each other. They had an opportunity to rebuild what they had lost and come out stronger on the other side if they had love, perseverance, and devotion. It was long past sundown, and shadows filled the room, but neither Haven nor Alexis got up to turn on a light. They experienced a brief moment of calm in the shadows, a silent realisation that such was not the conclusion of their narrative but rather the start of a new one.
Last Updated : 2024-12-05
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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 insecurit
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 245
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
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 244
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 coul
ENTANGLED WITH MY CONTRACTED HUSBAND chapter 243
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.
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
