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Chapter 32

last update Last Updated: 2025-04-02 16:43:33

Chapter 32

St. Bartholomew's Cathedral stood majestically against the clear spring sky, its Gothic spires reaching toward heaven as they had for centuries. The same hallowed church that had witnessed Mona's fairy tale wedding to Alexander Kane just months earlier now stood half-empty, its vast interior emphasizing the sparse attendance with cruel efficiency. Where international dignitaries, business titans, and A-list celebrities had once filled every pew to capacity, with overflow seating added in side chapels, scattered local socialites occupied only the front rows, leaving embarrassing gaps in the congregation that even strategic flower arrangements couldn't disguise.

The morning sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, creating kaleidoscope patterns that danced across empty seats. Each vacant pew represented another social connection lost, another ally who had abandoned the Caldwell ship for the rising Kane empire.

"Darling," Mrs. Harrison whispered to her companion, her v
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  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 65

    Chapter 65Morning light filtered through the half-empty Caldwell mansion. The family gathered in what remained of their dining room, seated around a folding table borrowed from the gardener's shed.Samuel stared blankly at the wall, his bloodshot eyes evidence of another sleepless night. Lora sat beside him, shoulders hunched. Richard Caldwell occupied the third chair, gripping his cane with white knuckles.They had been waiting an hour for Emily, who had disappeared the previous evening without explanation. The bank representatives would come at two to finalize the foreclosure."She's abandoning us," Lora whispered. "She's found some wealthy friend and left us to face the final humiliation alone.""Mother wouldn't do that," Samuel defended, though his tone lacked conviction.The front door opened and closed. Emily appeared in the doorway, looking unexpectedly refreshed in a crisp navy suit, her hair and makeup impeccable."Good, you're all here," she said, surveying the gathering."

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  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 61

    The glow from six television screens bathed Mona and Alexander in cold blue light. Their penthouse media room was designed for entertainment, movies, sports, music, but lately, it had become a war room where they monitored the destruction of the Caldwell empire in real time.Every major news channel covered the same story: hundreds of former Caldwell employees protesting outside the family mansion, demanding the severance pay they'd been denied. The cameras panned across faces twisted with anger and fear, many holding handmade signs detailing decades of loyal service now rewarded with nothing."Thirty-two years," one man said into a reporter's microphone, his weathered face a map of disappointment. "I gave them my youth, my back, my knees. And they gave me a piece of paper saying 'sorry, we're restructuring.'"Mona leaned forward, something shifting uncomfortably in her chest. This wasn't just about the Caldwells anymore. The splash damage from their revenge was hitting people who had

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    Frank Donovan stood in the Caldwell Industries parking lot, staring at the printed notice in his hands. After thirty-two years of service, his employment had ended with a single sheet of paper. No handshake. No thank you.Around him, dozens of other employees clutched identical notices, their faces showing shock, anger, and disbelief."Restructuring," Frank read aloud, the word bitter on his tongue. "Immediate workforce reduction necessary to ensure company viability."Maria Vasquez, a production line supervisor for twenty-seven years, crumpled her notice. "Viability? The company is dead! They just don't have the courage to say it!""What about severance?" asked Bill Thompson, a shipping manager nearing retirement. "It says nothing about our severance packages."Frank flipped the page over, searching for information that wasn't there. "Nothing. Not a word about the severance guaranteed in our contracts."The group fell silent as Samuel Caldwell's car pulled up. He emerged looking dish

  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 59

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  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 58

    Chapter 58The Caldwell mansion felt different now. Colder. Emptier. The cleaning staff had been let go days ago, and dust gathered on once-immaculate surfaces. In the grand living room, furniture sat draped in shadows, the chandeliers unlit to save on electricity bills.Lora paced the Persian carpet, phone pressed to her ear, her reflection ghosting across darkened windows. She'd made twenty-three calls today. Twenty-three attempts to reach old friends, business associates, anyone who might help. Twenty-three variations of "I'm sorry, but..."She ended her latest call and sank onto the velvet sofa, fighting back tears of frustration. The room felt massive around her, a mausoleum to fading wealth. Through the doorway, she could see Emily directing the family's lone remaining housekeeper to pack away silver and china, their most valuable portable possessions, in case the bank really did force them out.The thought that had been forming all day crystallized suddenly in her mind. One opt

  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 57

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