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Chapter 14 ~ Emptiness
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
Clara J. Starithanks guys, but please dont to add this book to your library for more update. its that cross like button at the end.
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Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 16 - Papa’s surgery
~~~~~While I was still trying to figure out why the doctor suddenly cared about my personal details, the idiot opened his mouth and asked,"What school did you graduate from, if I may?"I’ve got to admit, that question threw me off balance for a second. Seriously?"No, you may not," I shot back, my patience running thin. "With all due respect, I don’t see how my educational background is any of your business, doc.""Oh, of course, it's not," he replied, clearly unaware of the anger in my voice. "It’s just that the way you're talking makes me think you must be a doctor—or at least a surgeon. Am I wrong?"Son of a... Did he really just go there?I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check. Do you think I’d let your crappy hands near my father if that were true?"Let me get this straight," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think, if I were a doctor, I’d let an uncertain sur
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 17 ~ A New Trouble
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Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 18 ~ The New beginning
~~~~And I was right.I arrived in New York on a Sunday, but this time, I wasn’t in a rush to find a place or a job. I rented a little cottage for a month, just in case things went south again. The following Monday, I headed over to the restaurant address.As I walked in, I spotted the front clerk, a formidable woman with a no-nonsense look. She was typing furiously on her keyboard, and the moment I approached her, I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.“Hi, I’m here for the job opening,” I said, trying to sound confident.Without even looking up, she waved me closer. “And you are…?”“Uh, just a hopeful candidate,” I replied, trying to maintain a casual tone.She finally looked at me, narrowed her eyes, and said, “Hopeful, huh? We’ll see about that.”Before I knew it, she had jumped out from behind her desk and took my hand like she was leading me to the gallows. “Come on! We don’t have all day!”“Wait! I thought I was supposed to interview or something?” I yelped, trying to pull ba
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 19 ~ Where Silence Ends
~~~~Ah! This junkie bitch.“Is this some kind of joke?” I spat angrily, marching to the door to flick on the light.“Seriously, can you not be a killjoy all the time, Madam Fussy Pants?” Clara shot back, wrapping the bed cover around her drugged-up, naked body.“Killjoy? You know what? Never mind. I will not take this crap anymore. You want to screw each other? Fine by me, but please do it somewhere else! You’re not the only one renting this place!” I snapped.“Then move out,” her half-naked boyfriend chimed in, lounging on the bed like he owned the place.“Yeah, much better. Why didn’t I think of that before?” Clara agreed with a smirk, her eyes glinting mischievously.I shot him a glare. “I wasn’t talking to you, asshole. So stay out of it.”“What did you just say to me?” he growled, rising from the bed with a menacing stride.I stood my ground, staring him down, refusing to be shaken. “You heard me.”“You slut…” he began, raising his hand as if to strike, but Clara intervened just
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 20 ~The Proposer
~~~~Halfway down the stairs, Clara's boyfriend and his gang were lounging, the air thick with smoke from some hard drugs. I hurried past, doing my best to ignore them, even when he called out, "Oh, you work on Saturdays now? How lovely."At his comment, I threw him the'middle finger salute' without even looking back and continued out of the complex. Their chuckles followed me, and I couldn't help but wish they'd all choke on their cigars.I arrived at the restaurant right on time—exactly 7:00 AM—and just as I predicted, the silver-haired lady was already seated with the manager. She looked younger than when I’d last seen her, and that threw me off for a moment.“There she is,” the manager declared as I approached. “I told you, she always keeps to time.” He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. “And she’s pissed.”I let out an exasperated sigh, trying to mask my annoyance. “No, I’m not. This is my usual face,” I lied, even though it was obvious to anyone who paid attention that I was more
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 21 ~ A Costly Deception
~~~ “You’re quiet?” Mrs. Black asked, her sharp eyes studying me closely.Of course, I was silent—how could anyone just respond to such a bombshell? I could tell she doubted me the moment I said I didn’t know her family.To her, that probably only confirmed her low opinion. She took another sip of her wine, seemingly unbothered by my shock. “Well, it’s fine. You don’t need to say anything. As long as you understand what I’m talking about, then that’s good enough.”I finally managed to clear the lump in my throat, forcing a polite smile. “Sorry, ma’am, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m finding it very difficult to understand your words. You want me to act as a wife for your son? I mean, it’s kind of funny, right? Wouldn’t it just be easier for him to get married?” I chuckled nervously.Her expression hardened, the politeness in her tone disappearing. “Don’t act smart with me, young lady. After all, if you were indeed smart, you wouldn’t be in the position where I found you.”The chill
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 22 ~ The Raged Mary
~~~~Clara, still standing at the doorway with her shopping bags, chuckled to herself like she’d just won a marathon, completely unaware of the chaos inside me. Meanwhile, I sat on the floor, staring blankly at her, my mind numb and heart heavy.“Wow! What happened here? Did we get robbed?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips, as if it were a joke.I kept staring at her, my gaze fixed on those bags—my stolen money. I struggled to push myself up, my legs shaking beneath me. As I approached her, tears silently streamed down my face.“Clara,” my voice trembled, barely above a whisper, “where did you go, and what are you holding?”Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting to see me there. “Oh shit! Damn, Mary, you scared the hell out of me!” she laughed nervously. “Why are you back already? I thought you were at work,” she stammered, her voice laced with poorly concealed guilt.She was pretending not to know I was in. Fine. Play it cool, Mary. I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “Ye
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Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 29 ~ The Breaking Point
~~~~~Eric Black woke that morning seething with frustration, his irritation only fueled by his mother’s constant involvement. Though his family had arranged this marriage, he was far from thrilled.The woman he truly wanted to share his vows with had turned him down, not for his affections but because of underlying reasons he couldn’t change. How could he have known that, had he made his intentions clear earlier, she might have accepted him? But he’d waited too long, leaving her to wrestle with her commitment issues on her own.Everyone in his family knew about his love for Diana, and he was determined to make her his—truly his, in front of the world, not just in whispered words or stolen moments. But to get there, he’d have to endure this ordeal.Fully dressed, Eric paused outside the room where his so-called “bride” waited. The anger bubbled within him, just thinking about marrying someone who wasn’t the
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 28 ~ Pre - Wedding Jitter
~~~~~It was finally the long-awaited wedding day, and I couldn’t shake the nerves gripping my stomach. It had been two weeks since I last contacted my family, and that weighed heavily on my heart.As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I thought, “This is supposed to be the happiest moment of a woman’s life, but because of this situation, it’s the worst for me.” Who would have imagined that my first wedding would turn out to be a sham? If my parents found out about the path I had chosen, they would be furious and might even disown me.No matter the circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to explain my choices to them. It would devastate them. My family was devoutly religious, adhering to a strict moral code. They would never compromise their principles, even if it meant their own destruction.So, to preserve my family’s happiness and unity, I had to keep this part of my life a secret. Once the six months were over, I planned to leave it all behind.Yet, despite my resolve to keep
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 27 ~ The Wedding Arrangement
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Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 26 ~ Dance of Lies: Faithless Encounter
~~~~~As the plane touched down in Austria, I could barely keep my legs steady from the nerves. Mrs. Black glanced over and sighed, "No need to look like someone about to face the firing squad, Mary. The marriage won’t happen right away. You still need to meet my son and discuss a few things. So, try to look a bit more alive."Easy for you to say, I thought, but managed a strained smile. "O...kay," I replied. "So, where are we heading now?""To the Black Estate. My son is expecting us there," she said, signaling to someone nearby. Almost instantly, a pristine white SUV pulled up in front of us.I mumbled to myself, “Wow, it must be nice to have this kind of money.”Mrs. Black turned with a curious look. “What was that?”"Nothing," I quickly replied, smiling.“Good. Now, get in the car.” She climbed inside, and I followed, bracing myself as we drove off.To be honest, from the airport to the Black Estate, I kept asking myself why on earth I agreed to this kind of arrangement. For the f
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 25 ~ Cloaked Path
~~~~~While Ms. Nora Black spoke sharply into the phone, documents clutched in one hand, I found myself silently admiring the clean streets outside. For some reason, we had switched cars, and now she was sitting next to me in the backseat while a different driver took the wheel.As we moved from the quiet lane onto the bustling highway, Ms. Black finally looked up, a practiced smile slipping into place. "Oh! Sorry about that, just had to make a few calls," she said smoothly."It’s fine," I replied."We have a lot of ground to cover—starting with the hair salon, then makeup, and shopping. We’ve got our work cut out for us."I blinked, glancing at her styled hair. It looked perfectly fine to me. "Your hair seems fine, ma’am. Why do you need to go to the salon?"She gave me a stunned look, as if I had spoken an alien language. "I was talking about you, dumb girl," she said, her tone slicing through the air."Oh." I forced a smile, ignoring the insult. "But my hair looks fine.""To whom?"
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 24 ~ Eric Black
~~~~The Black Multiple Enterprise, New York“THEY’RE CALLING YOU a wealthy, ruthless bastard, sir.” Carol said as she scanned the article in the business magazine. “You must be happy.”Eric Black looked at his secretary but didn’t speak. Eventually she glanced up and smiled. “You like being called a ruthless bastard, one that is wealthy too.” She reminded him.“I like respect.” He corrected.“Or fear.”He nodded. “Fear works.”Carol dropped the open magazine on his desk. “Don’t you ever want someone to think you’re nice?” she asked.“No.”Being the nice guy meant nothing in his world. He didn’t see the need for it. As the firstborn of the third-generation conglomerate family of the Harry Blacks, no matter what path he took, people would still stick to him, whether out of fear or ambition. Connections and power were handed to him like an inheritance, and in his mind, niceties were just another form of manipu
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 23 ~ The Deal
~~~~~Turning to me with rage, he demanded, “What did you just say to me?” His eyes darkened as he gripped my neck harder. “I think it’s best I kill you now, since you clearly don’t know your place. And just so you know, I don’t feel bad fucking a corpse,” he sneered, pressing both hands down on my throat.“Great, because I won’t feel bad killing you either,” I hissed, glaring at him. Summoning the last of my strength, I kicked him hard in the groin. He winced in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to breathe. Desperate, I reached for the hand mirror on the nearby cabinet.Without hesitation, I smashed it into his face. He staggered, trying to regain his balance, but as he lunged at me, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed a shard of the broken mirror and drove it into his hand, the jagged edges sinking deep. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding hand.I stood over him, panting and trembling as I forced ragged breaths through my nose. Seeing her boyfriend dow
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 22 ~ The Raged Mary
~~~~Clara, still standing at the doorway with her shopping bags, chuckled to herself like she’d just won a marathon, completely unaware of the chaos inside me. Meanwhile, I sat on the floor, staring blankly at her, my mind numb and heart heavy.“Wow! What happened here? Did we get robbed?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips, as if it were a joke.I kept staring at her, my gaze fixed on those bags—my stolen money. I struggled to push myself up, my legs shaking beneath me. As I approached her, tears silently streamed down my face.“Clara,” my voice trembled, barely above a whisper, “where did you go, and what are you holding?”Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting to see me there. “Oh shit! Damn, Mary, you scared the hell out of me!” she laughed nervously. “Why are you back already? I thought you were at work,” she stammered, her voice laced with poorly concealed guilt.She was pretending not to know I was in. Fine. Play it cool, Mary. I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “Ye
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 21 ~ A Costly Deception
~~~ “You’re quiet?” Mrs. Black asked, her sharp eyes studying me closely.Of course, I was silent—how could anyone just respond to such a bombshell? I could tell she doubted me the moment I said I didn’t know her family.To her, that probably only confirmed her low opinion. She took another sip of her wine, seemingly unbothered by my shock. “Well, it’s fine. You don’t need to say anything. As long as you understand what I’m talking about, then that’s good enough.”I finally managed to clear the lump in my throat, forcing a polite smile. “Sorry, ma’am, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m finding it very difficult to understand your words. You want me to act as a wife for your son? I mean, it’s kind of funny, right? Wouldn’t it just be easier for him to get married?” I chuckled nervously.Her expression hardened, the politeness in her tone disappearing. “Don’t act smart with me, young lady. After all, if you were indeed smart, you wouldn’t be in the position where I found you.”The chill
