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Chapter 2: The Ultimate Humiliation

ผู้เขียน: Marvey_pearl
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-03-19 22:40:21

Isla stood outside Vanessa’s apartment, her hand trembling as it hovered over the doorbell.

The sight of the familiar building—a place she had once called her second home—threatened to bring tears to her eyes.

But she swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to press the button.

She needed answers. She needed to hear it from Vanessa herself.

The door swung open, and Mrs. Reed, Vanessa’s mother, greeted her with a warm smile. “Isla, dear! What a surprise. Come in, come in! You should join the celebration.”

The words were cheerful, but to Isla, they felt like a slap.

Celebration? Was this woman so oblivious to the pain her daughter had caused? Or was she simply choosing to ignore it?

A sudden, bitter laugh bubbled up in her throat while Mrs. Reed regarded her with quiet amusement.

Vanessa’s eyes met Isla’s, and for a moment, there was silence.

Then Vanessa sighed, setting her cup down and crossing her arms. “Took you long enough.”

Isla’s fists clenched at her sides. “You owe me an explanation, Vanessa. How could you do this to me? How could you betray me like this?”

Vanessa rolled her eyes, her expression one of casual indifference. “Oh, please, Isla. It’s been over a month. You need to move on. Nate never loved you—not the way he loves me.”

Isla scoffed, more out of disbelief than anything else.

Was this even her friend talking or a double? What the hell happened to Vanessa?

She was searching the expression looking for a hint of the friend she had once known for years. There was nothing. It was like staring at a stranger with her best friend’s face.

She took a step closer, finding her voice again with great difficulty.

"Since when?" she demanded.

"Tell me, was it before or after I helped you get a job in his company? Was it before I regarded you my best friend?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes as if to say give me a break.

"What does it even matter? It’s all in the past."

The casual dismissal made Isla’s blood boil. “What does it matter? You ruined my life, Vanessa! You took everything from me!”

But nothing could have prepared her for what Vanessa had to say next, as her lips curled into a smirk. “Oh, Isla. You’re so dramatic. But if you really want to know…” She paused, her eyes glinting with malice. “Nate and I are expecting a baby.”

The words came like a knee to the belly.

Isla froze. Her breath stopped. Her vision blurred.

Expecting… a baby? Her head was spinning.

Nate had never once hinted at wanting children that badly. He had never looked desperate, never complained. And yet, here he was, in the blink of an eye, getting her best friend pregnant, of all women in the world.

Her ears were ringing, and her heart was pounding violently against her ribs.

Soon she noticed Vanessa, now beginning to step forward, thrusting something into her hands.

Isla looked down at her hand, it was a wedding invitation, her hands trembling. The elegant script on the front seemed to taunt her.

"You should come.”

Vanessa teased smoothly, her voice laced with raw mockery.

"It’ll be fun."

She felt something inside her shatter. This wasn’t just betrayal. This was the ultimate humiliation.

~~~

The wedding between Nate and Vanessa happened on a Saturday morning at St. Augustine’s Church.

At the farthest corner of the church, Isla was sitting in silence. Dressed in all black, she was nearly invisible among the sea of pastel dresses and tailored suits. A thick scarf was wrapped around her lower face, while a pair of black oversized sunglasses concealed the evidence of her sleepless nights and swollen eyes.

At the altar, Nate and Vanessa stood side by side, the perfect couple in the eyes of the world.

Vanessa was breathtaking in her white lace gown, Nate looked every bit the devoted groom as they exchanged vows solemnly.

The very same vows Nate had recited to her in that same spot three years ago.

"Till death do us part."

The words echoed in Isla’s mind, hollow and meaningless. He had said the same thing to her three years ago, in this very church.

Back then, she had believed him. She had believed in the life they were building together. But now, as she watched him pledge his love to Vanessa, she realized it had all been a lie.

The church was filled to the brim with familiar faces: old university friends and work colleagues. The same ones who had been present at her wedding.

Back then, they had whispered behind her back, called her a hungry gold digger; labelled her as the young secretary who had married her wealthy boss to climb the social ladder.

But now? For Vanessa, they called it true love.

“I should never have come.”

Isla reasoned painfully. This wasn’t closure. It was self- torture.

As the vows neared their conclusion, she began to rise from her seat measuredly. Her limbs felt heavy, her heart pounded in her ears, but she forced herself to move.

She had no reason to sit here and watch them seal their betrayal with a kiss.

In the preceding seconds, she was beginning to make her way toward the exit, maneuvering between the seated guests.

Just as she reached the doorway, a firm hand wrapped around her wrist. She gasped, jerking back in alarm, her free hand clutching her sunglasses, afraid that they might fall off in panic.

Whoever this was, if they recognized her…

"Miss Isla," The unfamiliar voice called.

Her abdomen ached. Slowly and anxiously, she turned. A man whose face she still did not recognize was standing before her.

It was the ID card on his neck that caught her eyes.

A reporter?

She felt the blood drain from her face. How the hell had they known it was her?

“Oh my God!”

She should have listened to Sophia's warning. She should never should have.

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  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 3: The Proposal of Revenge

    Isla’s heart raced as the man tightened his grip on her wrist, dragging her out of the church hall. She glanced around nervously, her mind spinning. “What kind of reporter does this?” she thought, her panic rising. She considered yanking her hand away or even slapping him, but the fear of causing a scene stopped her. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself in a room full of people who had already witnessed her humiliation. As they stepped outside, the cool air hit her face, but it did little to calm her nerves. The man guided her toward a sleek black car parked in the church lot, a driver standing ready by the door. Isla’s stomach churned. “This isn’t a reporter,” she realized. Reporters were pushy, but they didn’t drag people out of weddings like criminals. "What are you doing?” She demanded, her voice trembling. “Do you want to kidnap me?" The man didn't respond, his expression unreadable as he opened the car door. "My boss wants to see you

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-20
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 4: The Decision That Changes Everything

    Two days had passed since Isla’s encounter with Damien, and his words still echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain. “Marry me.” The memory of his face—serious, unyielding—was etched into her thoughts, replaying over and over. She paced her room, the business card he had given her clenched tightly in her hand. It felt like it was burning her palm, a constant reminder of the choice looming over her. Was this madness? Or could we call this fate’s way of giving her the perfect opportunity for revenge? How unlikely, how righteous, how suspiciously on time. Could this really be her chance to make Nate and Vanessa pay for what they had done? She grabbed a half-empty bottle of wine from her bedside table, twisted off the cap, and took a long, slow sip. The liquid soothed her throat but did little to calm the storm inside her. The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock, each second a reminder of the time slipping away. What followed next was the sound of the

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-21
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 5: The Public Announcement

    The next morning met Isla at the well-furnished bedroom Damien had ushered her into the previous night. She blinked her eyes slowly on the bed, adjusting to the light glow as the events of the previous day came rushing back, she sat up abruptly, the weight of her decision passed down her chest like a stone. Yesterday, she had arrived here as Isla Carter, a betrayed and bitter divorcee desperate for revenge. Today, she woke up as Isla Blackwood, wife to perhaps the most ruthless and wealthiest man in the city. A stranger. A billionaire whose motive she still couldn't grasp. The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Damian standing in the doorway, his tall, imposing figure framed by the light of the room. His presence seemed to fill the room, the air growing heavier as his gaze met hers. Isla felt exposed and vulnerable and quietly pulled the sheet tighter around her. For a moment, Damien said nothing, he simply watched, his expression unreada

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-23
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 6: The Rule Of Engagement

    The bedroom door slammed behind Isla with satisfying force. She pressed her back against it as if the solid wood could shield her from the memory of Damien's lips on hers. Her fingers rose instinctively to trace her mouth—still warm from his kiss. “No.” She shoved away from the door, pacing the length of the extravagant bedroom like a caged panther. The room was a masterpiece of cold elegance—all steel grays and icy blues, the furniture so pristine it might never have been touched. Just like its owner. “It was all for the cameras. Just for the damned cameras. It meant absolutely nothing!” She kept repeating to herself like someone fighting a powerful spell. But her traitorous body remembered too well: the firm pressure of his mouth, the possessive grip of his hands at her waist, the way her pulse had stuttered when he had pulled her close. “Gosh! Things were going too fast.” She was still thinking when a sudden knock on the door sounded, cutting off her spiral thoughts. “Wh

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-25
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 7: Unwritten Rules

    Ever since Isla had signed a contract with Damien, she had become familiar with a new kind of freedom. A life that was the complete opposite of the one she shared with Nate. Back then, she had been a full-time housewife, but there had always been something to do. She would run the errands for his grandparents, do the shopping, oversee the house maintenance, and even scrub the damn floors herself. In Damien’s world, that life was nonexistent. Isla felt like a ghost in the big house with its numerous staff. There was even a time she had attempted to cook just to remind herself of the life she once lived but one of the maids, Amelia, had stopped her with a look so grave it was as though she had attempted to commit a crime. "Mr. Blackwood doesn’t like his wife working." It was perhaps after that particular encounter that the realization came upon her like a heavy cloak. If she stayed like this doing nothing, she would suffocate. The boredom would destroy her before the contract ev

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-25
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 8: Terms Of Engagement

    Since the red carpet announcement, Isla's phone hadn't stopped ringing—calls from her parents, her sister Sophia, and everyone trying to reach her. But she couldn't answer. Not because she didn't want to, but because she had no words to explain. How could she tell them she had been essentially kidnapped by her ex-husband's billionaire rival? That he had offered the perfect revenge in exchange for marriage? They would think she had lost her mind. So she kept ignoring them, buying time to plan.Saturday morning brought a rude shock. Right after breakfast, a security guard burst in. "Your family is at the gate ma’am.”For a paralyzing moment, Isla stood frozen, panic turning her limbs to stone. Damien was home. This couldn't be happening."Tell them I'll be out in a minute," she managed to whisper, the words sticking in her dry throat.Minutes later, Isla finally summoned the courage to step out of the house. From a distance, she spotted her father, Robert Carter, standing firm at t

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-26
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 9: Velvet And Venom

    The stylists were done and left a moment ago. Now Isla stood alone in her room gazing into her reflection in the mirror to see their finished work.They had transformed her into a goddess.The deep emerald necklace on her neck shone under the light. The glow of her face intimidated her. The dress they had selected was impeccable: a velvet gown whose off-shoulder cut exposed the smooth, shiny lines of her collarbones.“Great job,” She whispered.This is what being the wife of Damien Blackwood meant. It was nothing like before when she was just a glorified maid bound to the kitchen.Now she was someone stronger. Someone who belonged in this world of power and ruthless ambition. Someone who was not allowed to be vulnerable. But was she?She hummed, not allowing herself to pursue the thought further. “It was almost time for the party.”~~~Isla stepped out about five minutes later, moving with careful control, the sound of her heels steady against the glittery floor. Something switched

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-26
  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 10: Check and Mate

    Days later, Isla was sitting alone in the office of her new boutique, her manicured fingers eagerly skimming over the contract papers spread before her. From what she was seeing, her business proposal had won multiple grants, zero-interest loans, and exclusive sponsorships. One after another, the contracts bore the names of the high-profile investors and elite brands that had endorsed her. This was the kind of win she ordinarily would have spent years trying and failing to get the attention of, but like magic, it was lying freely on her palms.“Wait…is this for real?”Her expression hardened slightly as she queried herself. It was true that she had worked tirelessly for this, she had poured every element of her ambition into this dream business for some time now.But even so… this came way too easy.“Too convenient.”Just like that? Her brows knitted as she leaned back into the chair in contemplation. The rhythmic tapping of her finger against the desk echoed softly as she tried to

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-03-28

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  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 12: The Turn Of The Tide

    Vanessa woke up feeling victorious. She stretched and yawned luxuriously. Today was yet another day to watch Isla Carter getting dragged through the filth of public scorn. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed wearing a smirk. And guess the best part of it all? Vanessa hadn’t even lifted a finger; it was someone else from the sky who had taken it upon himself to do the dirty work. With some effort, she pushed herself up and wanted to rearrange a pillow when a glow from her phone caught her attention. She paused with brows lifted. “More news, perhaps?” Another wave of disgrace for Isla? Well, she certainly wasn’t complaining. Vanessa picked up the phone with a quick flick of her wrist, bringing it closer, prepared to relish every detail. But the moment the words on the screen greeted her face her smirk died an instant death. It was like a dagger straight to the throat. She blinked, then blinked again, as a sudden fever began to descend on her, The headlines weren't ab

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 11: The Knife In the Smile

    “Ugh God!” half-sleepy, with a half-repetitive beeping from her phone stirring her awake the next morning.With a sluggish roll of her hands, she picked up the phone and sat up slowly before finally lifting it to see a train of new notifications waiting on her screen.She blinked, letting her vision adjust to the light before swiping further."Isla Carter’s Success: Talent or Just Another Rich Man’s Wife?"That was the title of the main headline people were tagging her to. Her pictures with both Nate and Damien were placed side by side,, and under the main post, over a hundred thousand people had commented in less than three hours.A cold feeling ran down her spine, as her face started to get dark with foreboding. She swallowed, forcing herself to scroll further down.The main post she found beneath the pictures was worse;It painted her as nothing more than a former secretary who had merely married her way into success, someone whose achievements were not the result of talent but of

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 10: Check and Mate

    Days later, Isla was sitting alone in the office of her new boutique, her manicured fingers eagerly skimming over the contract papers spread before her. From what she was seeing, her business proposal had won multiple grants, zero-interest loans, and exclusive sponsorships. One after another, the contracts bore the names of the high-profile investors and elite brands that had endorsed her. This was the kind of win she ordinarily would have spent years trying and failing to get the attention of, but like magic, it was lying freely on her palms.“Wait…is this for real?”Her expression hardened slightly as she queried herself. It was true that she had worked tirelessly for this, she had poured every element of her ambition into this dream business for some time now.But even so… this came way too easy.“Too convenient.”Just like that? Her brows knitted as she leaned back into the chair in contemplation. The rhythmic tapping of her finger against the desk echoed softly as she tried to

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 9: Velvet And Venom

    The stylists were done and left a moment ago. Now Isla stood alone in her room gazing into her reflection in the mirror to see their finished work.They had transformed her into a goddess.The deep emerald necklace on her neck shone under the light. The glow of her face intimidated her. The dress they had selected was impeccable: a velvet gown whose off-shoulder cut exposed the smooth, shiny lines of her collarbones.“Great job,” She whispered.This is what being the wife of Damien Blackwood meant. It was nothing like before when she was just a glorified maid bound to the kitchen.Now she was someone stronger. Someone who belonged in this world of power and ruthless ambition. Someone who was not allowed to be vulnerable. But was she?She hummed, not allowing herself to pursue the thought further. “It was almost time for the party.”~~~Isla stepped out about five minutes later, moving with careful control, the sound of her heels steady against the glittery floor. Something switched

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 8: Terms Of Engagement

    Since the red carpet announcement, Isla's phone hadn't stopped ringing—calls from her parents, her sister Sophia, and everyone trying to reach her. But she couldn't answer. Not because she didn't want to, but because she had no words to explain. How could she tell them she had been essentially kidnapped by her ex-husband's billionaire rival? That he had offered the perfect revenge in exchange for marriage? They would think she had lost her mind. So she kept ignoring them, buying time to plan.Saturday morning brought a rude shock. Right after breakfast, a security guard burst in. "Your family is at the gate ma’am.”For a paralyzing moment, Isla stood frozen, panic turning her limbs to stone. Damien was home. This couldn't be happening."Tell them I'll be out in a minute," she managed to whisper, the words sticking in her dry throat.Minutes later, Isla finally summoned the courage to step out of the house. From a distance, she spotted her father, Robert Carter, standing firm at t

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 7: Unwritten Rules

    Ever since Isla had signed a contract with Damien, she had become familiar with a new kind of freedom. A life that was the complete opposite of the one she shared with Nate. Back then, she had been a full-time housewife, but there had always been something to do. She would run the errands for his grandparents, do the shopping, oversee the house maintenance, and even scrub the damn floors herself. In Damien’s world, that life was nonexistent. Isla felt like a ghost in the big house with its numerous staff. There was even a time she had attempted to cook just to remind herself of the life she once lived but one of the maids, Amelia, had stopped her with a look so grave it was as though she had attempted to commit a crime. "Mr. Blackwood doesn’t like his wife working." It was perhaps after that particular encounter that the realization came upon her like a heavy cloak. If she stayed like this doing nothing, she would suffocate. The boredom would destroy her before the contract ev

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 6: The Rule Of Engagement

    The bedroom door slammed behind Isla with satisfying force. She pressed her back against it as if the solid wood could shield her from the memory of Damien's lips on hers. Her fingers rose instinctively to trace her mouth—still warm from his kiss. “No.” She shoved away from the door, pacing the length of the extravagant bedroom like a caged panther. The room was a masterpiece of cold elegance—all steel grays and icy blues, the furniture so pristine it might never have been touched. Just like its owner. “It was all for the cameras. Just for the damned cameras. It meant absolutely nothing!” She kept repeating to herself like someone fighting a powerful spell. But her traitorous body remembered too well: the firm pressure of his mouth, the possessive grip of his hands at her waist, the way her pulse had stuttered when he had pulled her close. “Gosh! Things were going too fast.” She was still thinking when a sudden knock on the door sounded, cutting off her spiral thoughts. “Wh

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 5: The Public Announcement

    The next morning met Isla at the well-furnished bedroom Damien had ushered her into the previous night. She blinked her eyes slowly on the bed, adjusting to the light glow as the events of the previous day came rushing back, she sat up abruptly, the weight of her decision passed down her chest like a stone. Yesterday, she had arrived here as Isla Carter, a betrayed and bitter divorcee desperate for revenge. Today, she woke up as Isla Blackwood, wife to perhaps the most ruthless and wealthiest man in the city. A stranger. A billionaire whose motive she still couldn't grasp. The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Damian standing in the doorway, his tall, imposing figure framed by the light of the room. His presence seemed to fill the room, the air growing heavier as his gaze met hers. Isla felt exposed and vulnerable and quietly pulled the sheet tighter around her. For a moment, Damien said nothing, he simply watched, his expression unreada

  • His Enemy, My Husband    Chapter 4: The Decision That Changes Everything

    Two days had passed since Isla’s encounter with Damien, and his words still echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain. “Marry me.” The memory of his face—serious, unyielding—was etched into her thoughts, replaying over and over. She paced her room, the business card he had given her clenched tightly in her hand. It felt like it was burning her palm, a constant reminder of the choice looming over her. Was this madness? Or could we call this fate’s way of giving her the perfect opportunity for revenge? How unlikely, how righteous, how suspiciously on time. Could this really be her chance to make Nate and Vanessa pay for what they had done? She grabbed a half-empty bottle of wine from her bedside table, twisted off the cap, and took a long, slow sip. The liquid soothed her throat but did little to calm the storm inside her. The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock, each second a reminder of the time slipping away. What followed next was the sound of the

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