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CHAPTER 016: Deal Is Back On
Last Updated:
2024-11-12 15:18:07
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My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 017: Which Is It Going To Be?
My eyes immediately narrow.Ryan?I step closer to the bouquet, already feeling the tension in my chest. It can’t be Ryan. He hasn’t sent me flowers in years—our relationship had never been the romantic, spontaneous kind. I pull the small note attached to the bouquet. The handwriting is neat but not familiar. My heart does a weird little flip as I read.“Glad we’re back on, fake girlfriend. You’re stuck with me now. Forever… or at least until Ryan comes to his senses—Luke.”A laugh bubbles up in my throat, catching me off guard. Of course. It’s Luke. Who else would be so damn cheeky? I snatch my phone out of my bag and dial his number, my fingers drumming on the edge of the desk as I wait.He answers after the first ring. “Good morning, Julie.”I roll my eyes, though I can’t help the smile that creeps across my face. “Flowers? Really, Luke?”“Hey, you texted me, remember? Saying the deal is back on. I asked myself what a fake boyfriend could get as a ‘welcome back’ gift to his fake gi
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 018: Hole In The Wall
I swallow hard, my throat dry as his words hang in the air between us, thick and heavy. My brain is screaming at me to push him back, to tell him to stop this ridiculous game, but my body has other ideas. Heat rushes through me, and my mind refuses to form a coherent thought. Before I know it, he’s closing the remaining distance between us. Another step, and we’re practically nose to nose. His breath is warm on my skin, his scent filling my senses, and I’m frozen, caught in the web of whatever this is.“Make a choice, Julie,” Luke says.I need to say something, anything, but my brain is short-circuiting. All I can focus on is how close he is, how his eyes flicker with amusement and something darker, more dangerous.“Julie,” Luke says, “you’ve got that look.”“What look?” I manage to ask, though it comes out more breathless than I’d like.“The one that says you’re thinking way too much,” he whispers, his lips dangerously close to mine now. “You’re overthinking this. Just go with it.”
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 019: Hearts Are Meant To Be Broken
~~Luke~~I think something’s wrong with me. And that something is a five-foot brunette whose heart belongs to someone else.Julie’s standing on the deck, wide-eyed and practically glowing as she takes in the view of my yacht. The way her lips are parted, eyes slightly wide, it’s like she’s just seen a unicorn. I can’t help but follow her gaze, half expecting to see something new, something I must’ve missed after all these years of owning the damn thing. But no, it’s still the same sleek, luxurious vessel that’s been my playground for a while now. Maybe she’s seeing it with some kind of magical filter. “You really haven’t been on a yacht before?” I ask, leaning against the railing, arms crossed.She turns. “Do I look like the kind of person who lounges around on yachts?”“Well, this is New York. Your husband’s a billionaire. Half the billionaires in the city own one of these, and the other half have been on one or two. I’m just surprised you’ve been missing out.”“Yeah, well, I guess
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 020: My Wife
Julie laughs, but it’s more nervous than before. “That’s the point, right? I mean, it's supposed to look real.”I watch her carefully. I don’t even know how to answer that without giving myself away. I see something flicker in her eyes—something unsure, maybe even vulnerable. But she brushes it off, returning her focus to the iPad, as if that will shield her from whatever tension is building between us.“Let’s get back to the plan,” she says.And so we dive back into the details, hammering out strategies and scenarios, but all the while, I’m watching her, realizing what I really want.I want Julie.I’m determined to get her.I’m going to play along with her stupid plan—because one way or another, she’s going to end up mine.~~~I drop Julie off in front of Paragon Jewels, my eyes following her as she steps out of the car. She adjusts her blouse, throws a glance at the building, then back at me. Her smile makes me wonder if she can read my thoughts. God, I hope not. If she knew the wh
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 021: Immunity
I lean back in my chair, forcing myself to stay calm. My face gives nothing away, but I feel the tension coiling in my muscles, especially in my jaw. The silence stretches between us. Even the hum of the air conditioning feels deafening, and the ticking of the wall clock sounds like gunfire.The nerve of Ryan O’Brien to come at me with a question like that. I take a deep breath. No way am I letting him see me lose it. Not now.I let my body relax, settling deeper into my chair. When I finally speak, my voice is calm. Too calm. “I’ve read about you, Mr. O’Brien,” I say. “Harvard, right? Top of your class in Business Administration. And what was it? A Master’s degree in International Economics? Impressive.” I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes just a little. “Tell me, at what point during all those years of education did they teach you it’s okay to ask your business partner a question like that?”Ryan's face remains neutral, but there's something in his eyes. Smugness? I’m not sure, but i
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 022: Brooklyn Bridge
~~Julie~~I’m home early, lounging in the living room, pretending to flip through a fashion magazine. But my focus keeps drifting to Emily. She’s sprawled out on the yoga mat, twisting her body into impossible poses that make me question if she’s made of rubber rather than bone.“Doesn’t that hurt?” I blurt out, unable to stop myself. There’s no way a human being can bend that far without something snapping.Emily chuckles, glancing over her shoulder at me without breaking her stretch. “Actually, it feels freeing.” She turns her head just enough to offer a mischievous smile. “You should try it. Might help you loosen up.”I snort. “Yeah, right. I’m in my thirties. My body doesn’t do… that,” I gesture toward her, “and I’m perfectly happy keeping all my joints intact, thanks.”Emily slowly untangles herself from the pose and shifts into another, making it look as effortless as breathing. “Age is just a number, Julie. You’re only as old as you feel.”I flip a page in the magazine, pretend
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 023: Do It
As I stand here, trapped between my mother’s vice-like grip and the dark water below, a long-buried fear claws its way up through me. Every inch of my body wants to twist away, run from this hellish, familiar grip. But it’s like being eight again, clinging to the hope that it’s different this time, that she’ll look at me with something other than contempt.“Let me go,” I say. But her nails dig deeper into my skin.“Not until you make that promise.”My blood turns to ice. It’s crazy because, at the same time, I want to laugh at how absurd this is. My own mother is standing here, threatening me on a bridge like something out of a thriller. But looking into her eyes, I know she’s dead serious. Several memories can attest to that. Those cold nights when she’d shove me outside, locking the door from the inside because I’d dared to spill milk on the kitchen floor or did some other silly thing she deemed punishable. I’d stay there for hours, curled up on the floor, listening to her pace back
Last Updated : 2024-11-12My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 024: A Baby Elephant Takes Its First Steps
“What?” he says. I repeat, “Did you tell her to throw me off Brooklyn Bridge?”He looks at me like I’m speaking in tongues, his mouth opening and closing, grasping for words. “Julie, I... I’d never do that. What are you even talking about? Your mother said you attacked her.”My jaw drops. “Attacked her?”“Wasn’t that what happened?”“She tried to throw me off the bridge, Ryan! What language have I been speaking?”His face falters. He steps forward, trying to reach for my hand. “Julie, I’m sorry… I didn’t know—”I yank my hand back. “Sorry? You don’t get to be sorry, Ryan. Sorry implies you care. And if you did, you wouldn’t have sent that witch to me in the first place. You know how much I despise it when you do that. Yet you do it every time to piss me off. Is this one of your kinks? You somehow get off on pissing me off?”“Please, Julie,” he murmurs. “I know how much you’re hurting right now. I know how scared you must have been on that bridge, fighting for your life. But please, l
Last Updated : 2024-11-12
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My Husband Wants An Open Marriage EPILOGUE
~~Julie~~ The pain started several hours ago. At first, it was manageable—a dull ache radiating through my lower abdomen. It felt like my body was whispering its warnings. But now, hours later, it’s no whisper. It’s a full-blown scream. Sharp, relentless waves of pain grip me, tightening like a vice around my insides. I’ve been timing the contractions, because the last time this happened, Dr. Casey Patel had sent me home with enough instructions on how to detect real labor. If this isn’t labor, then God help me, because it feels like this baby is about to crawl up my spine and burst out of my chest. I clutch the bannister with one hand and my lower abdomen with the other, pausing halfway down the stairs to catch my breath. Every step feels like a test of endurance, like I’m descending a mountain instead of my own staircase. “Paula!” I shout, hoping the cook will come running. But it isn’t Paula who appears. Instead, Javier rolls into view at the bottom of the stairs, his expressio
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 103: La Hora Loca
~~Julie~~I have to say this: Luke’s family knows how to party. It’s like everyone’s high and energetic. Even the children aren’t left out. It’s one thing to practice a dance, and it’s another to actually use those moves. I’m stumbling, but I don’t care. Because I’m happy. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I can’t keep track of the number of people I’ve danced with. I’ve lost Luke for the hundredth time tonight. The last time I saw him, he was being dragged into a conga line by his mother, who seemed to have the stamina of a teenager. Somewhere between the flashing lights and the sea of bodies spinning and stomping, he’d disappeared again.I stumble slightly in my heels, though at this point they feel more like medieval torture devices. My silver dress—once sleek and elegant—is now sticking to me like a second skin, the fabric damp with sweat from almost an hour of dancing. I brush confetti out of my hair. It’s everywhere—on my shoulders, even stuck to the perspiration on my arms.A
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 102: We Have The Rest Of Our Lives
It’s our first dance as a couple, and Julie’s arms are draped around my neck, her warmth melting into mine as we sway to the soft rhythm of the music. Her dress catches the golden glow of the chandeliers, shimmering like something out of a dream. But it’s not the dress or the lights that have me mesmerized—it’s her.Her cheeks are flushed, a shade of pink that makes my heart stutter, and her eyes, those deep, captivating pools, glisten with unshed tears. I open my mouth to say something, anything, but all I can manage is, “You’re beautiful.”Julie’s blush deepens, and she looks away for a moment before meeting my gaze again. “You’ve already said that. Twice.”“Because it’s true.”Around us, everyone is watching.Julie bites her lip, a nervous gesture that only makes her more endearing. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Feeling this… shy?”I chuckle. “Like teenagers on a first date.”“Exactly. The entire room is watching, and I don’t know where to look.”“You’re doing great so far,” I say. “Jus
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 101: Bring It On
~~Luke~~I don’t know if it’s appropriate for the groom to cry on his wedding day, but right now, it’s taking my entire self-control not to sob. My throat feels tight, my chest is heavy, and every muscle in my face is fighting. Screw it—who made that rule anyway?Julie is walking toward me. Julie. My Julie. And it feels like the first time all over again—the day I saw her sitting on that barstool, drowning her sorrows in a glass of whiskey. I hadn’t planned to approach her. I was headed toward the fire exit, escaping someone whose face I can’t remember now. But then I saw her, and something in me shifted.Now, here she is, making her way down the aisle, radiant in a dress that looks like it was sewn from clouds and moonlight. My breath catches in my throat, and I wonder if it’s possible to actually combust from sheer awe.Her maid of honor walks beside her, clutching her arm with a steadying hand, but Julie doesn’t need it. She’s poised, her eyes locked on mine.“You’re far gone, man,
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 100: You're Not Alone
~~Julie~~People say all brides are late to their weddings. It’s practically a tradition, isn’t it? But me? I was not going to be one of those brides. I had a plan. I gave myself a generous window—ten, maybe fifteen minutes tops—because, really, what could possibly make me late?The answer, apparently, is everything. Here I am, forty minutes behind schedule, crammed in the backseat of a car with Marissa, my maid of honor, wrestling with my veil like it’s some kind of unruly octopus.“Hold still,” Marissa says, her fingers tangled in the fabric. “You keep moving, and this thing’s going to look like a bird nested in your hair.”“I wouldn’t be moving if we weren’t speeding down the road like we’re in a car chase,” I shoot back, my head jerking as the driver swerves to avoid another car.The blame? It falls squarely on last night’s rehearsal dinner. It felt like the entire world showed up. Luke’s family alone must have taken up half the venue, and their energy? Boundless. How do they eve
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 099: The Demons She Fought
~~Ryan O’Brien~~ It’s fifteen minutes before the pre-trial, and Ryan’s car pulls into the courthouse. As Justin, his chauffeur and bodyguard, cuts the ignition, Ryan stares through the tinted window at the swarm of reporters and onlookers gathered outside like vultures, cameras poised for the kill. He can practically hear the click of shutters, the incessant questions ready to pounce, though he hasn’t even stepped out yet. Adeline is beside him, looking as bored as ever. Adeline taps her manicured nails against the leather armrest. She looks as though she’d rather be anywhere else, though Ryan knows better. His mother thrives on drama, especially when she’s not the one under fire. “How long is this circus going to take?” she says. “You didn’t have to come.” Ryan loosens his tie, the knot around his neck nothing compared to the one in his chest. Adeline shrugs. “I had nothing better to do. Besides, someone has to ensure you don’t embarrass the family name more than you already hav
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 098: The Real Definition Of Peace
I and Marissa, the vice president of marketing, have formed a new habit of meeting for lunch. It started as casual, a convenience thing—we both needed a break from the relentless grind at Illusionaire. Now, it’s become a ritual. I’m still unsure if this qualifies as friendship, mainly because I don’t know what friendship actually looks like. But Marissa talks a lot, and I love to listen. Her stories have this wild, messy charm, like someone spilling glitter across a chaotic art project.We’re at a cozy little café a few blocks from work, the kind of place that tries too hard to be trendy with its mismatched furniture and aggressively minimalist menu. Marissa is mid-rant about her current boyfriend and her dog, gesturing with a fork that’s dangerously close to flinging her salad across the room.“I swear, Nathan only comes over to spend time with Chubbs.”I choke on my sip of iced tea. “Chubbs?”She nods. “My French bulldog. He’s—how do I put this—larger than life. And I mean larger. T
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 097: A Thousand Deaths
~~Julie~~We’re at a bridal boutique, and Carolina’s excitement could power a small city. Baby Valeria is strapped to her chest, a tiny, sleeping bundle of calm amidst the chaos her mother is stirring up. Carolina jumps from one gown to the next. Her enthusiasm is contagious, even though I’m already sweating from the sheer force of it.“Isn’t Valeria heavy?” I ask, watching as the baby shifts against her chest. “Are you sure you don’t need a break?”She waves me off. “No. You get used to it. It’s like she isn’t there.”“Oh.”Before I can say anything else, Carolina turns to me. She places a hand on my stomach.“You’re already showing!” she exclaims. “Know the sex yet?”I smile. “No, I was thinking we could work a surprise reveal into the wedding.”“Ohhhh!” she squeals. Her face lights up. “That’s magnificent. The family’s going to go ballistic.”“Careful so you don’t wake her,” I say, nodding toward Valeria, who stirs at the sound of her mother’s excitement.“Don’t worry. When she’s
My Husband Wants An Open Marriage CHAPTER 096: Chrysanthemums
~~Ryan O’Brien~~The cold splash of water shocks Ryan awake. His head is throbbing, each pulse like a mallet pounding against his skull. He groans, squinting against the morning light. Everywhere is bright. Too bright. It’s like a thousand needles piercing his eyes. His mouth feels dry and cottony. He tries to swallow, but his throat is parched. As he tries to sit up, the room spins. You’d think after two months, he’d get used to this feeling. But it hurts every single time."Aww," he says, clutching his head. "What the hell—""Don’t get up too fast."The voice is sharp, familiar, and unapologetic. He blinks away the fog until his mother’s silhouette sharpens before him. She’s standing tall and imposing, dressed in a cream suit that somehow looks both effortless and intimidating. In one hand, she holds a half-emptied glass of water, the one she’d poured on his face. In the other, two white pills."Don’t tell me you’ve finally decided to kill me," Ryan says."What?”"Poison me."She sn
