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Chapter 62

Penulis: Annypen/Odion
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-25 07:23:44

The community center buzzed with nervous energy. Hundreds of former Caldwell employees filled the folding chairs, their faces a mixture of confusion, hope, and suspicion. Three days ago, each had received a mysterious phone call inviting them to this meeting with promises of "important information regarding your employment situation." No one knew what to expect, but desperation had brought them all here.

Frank Donovan sat in the front row, arms crossed tightly over his chest. After thirty-two years at Caldwell Industries, he'd been tossed aside like yesterday's trash. The anger hadn't faded; it had just settled deeper, becoming a hard knot in his stomach.

"What do you think this is about?" Maria Vasquez whispered from the seat beside him. The production line supervisor looked thinner, the stress of recent days etched into the lines around her eyes.

Frank shrugged. "Probably some temp agency offering minimum wage positions. Or a government representative explaining unemployment benefit
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  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 63

    The Caldwell mansion felt like a mausoleum. Half-packed boxes littered the marble floors. Priceless artwork had been removed from the walls, leaving ghostly rectangles of unfaded paint. The grand piano sat draped in a protective cover, tagged for auction. Even the air smelled different, musty, abandoned, a house that knew its owners were leaving.Samuel sat alone in what remained of the living room, surrounded by the skeletal remains of their former life. The antique furniture was gone, seized by creditors. The Persian rugs had been rolled up and taken away that morning. All that remained was a single chair, a side table, and the television that no one had bothered to claim yet.The bottle of whiskey at his feet was almost empty. He hadn't bothered with a glass.The television blared, its volume unnecessarily loud in the empty space. Samuel stared at the screen, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the smiling face of his ex-wife."Breaking news this afternoon as Mona Kane, wife of billionaire

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-25
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 1

    Chapter 1 Mona stood alone in the corner of the sparkling ballroom, a ghost among the living. The crystal chandeliers cast shadows across her face as Emily Caldwell's birthday celebration swirled around her. This should have been a night of joy, but for Mona, it was just another performance where she played the unwanted guest. She clutched her champagne glass like a lifeline, the cold stem between her fingers the only thing keeping her grounded. The laughter and chatter felt like daggers, each sound a reminder that she didn't belong. "Can you believe she's still here?" The whisper cut through the noise. It was Laura, Samuel's cousin. Her words dripped with poison that Mona had grown used to tasting. "She should just leave. Everyone knows what's going on with Samuel," another voice added. Mona's heart clenched. They were talking about Samuel's affair with Lora - beautiful, confident Lora. Everything Mona wasn't. The worst part wasn't that Samuel was cheating. It was that he no lon

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 2

    Chapter 2 Mona straightened her back and lifted her chin. "Don't worry about me," she said, her voice steady even as her hands shook. "I'm not the one who needs to prove my worth to this family." The room went silent. All laughter died instantly. Lora's smile dropped, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, Mona," she said mockingly. "You're so dramatic. No one cares what you think anymore." Mona held her gaze, not backing down. "You'll find that what I think matters more than you know." For just a second, doubt flashed in Lora's eyes, small, barely there, but Mona caught it. Emily stepped forward, her face hardening like stone. "Stop pretending, Mona," she snapped. "You're nothing. Just a simple nobody clinging to a life that was never meant for you." Mona didn't answer. She turned away, done with their games. "Attention, everyone!" Emily's voice rang out, cutting through all conversation. She stood by the grand staircase, commanding the room like a queen. "Thank you all for coming tonight t

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 The rain beat down on Mona as she fell to her knees in the empty street. Her body shook with sobs that tore through her chest like knives. Her ruined dress stuck to her skin, wine and rain mixing together in pink streams. "Why?" she cried into the darkness. "Why was I never good enough?" Her voice broke as fresh tears came. She'd lost her shoes somewhere between being dragged from the house and thrown onto the driveway. But the cuts on her feet were nothing compared to the hole ripping open in her heart. *Five years earlier* "Stand up straight!" Emily's voice cut through her memory like glass. "God, do you even know how to walk? What did Samuel see in you?" It was Mona's first dinner with the Caldwells after the wedding. Emily had insisted on "teaching" her proper manners, though each lesson felt more like torture. "I'm sorry," Mona had whispered then, trying to balance the book Emily had placed on her head. "I'll try harder." "Try harder?" Emily's laugh had been ice

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 4

    The Caldwell mansion glowed like a demon's lair, music and cruel laughter pouring from every window. Inside, Emily's birthday party had become something darker, a celebration of Mona's total destruction. "To throwing out the trash!" Emily raised her sparkling glass, her face bright with sick joy. The crowd of rich snobs echoed her toast, their laughter cutting through the air like knives. Samuel stood by the fireplace, his arm tight around Lora's waist. He hadn't even bothered to change his wine-stained shirt, the very wine they'd thrown at Mona before tossing her into the street. "I can't believe you actually married that nobody," one of his cousins smirked. "What a waste of five years." Samuel laughed, pulling Lora closer like a trophy. "Had to be done. We needed her father's company, didn't we? Besides," he kissed Lora's cheek with his lying lips, "I had something better waiting in the wings." Lora soaked up his attention like a sponge. She was everything Mona wasn't, tall, con

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 5

    The women's shelter smelled of bleach and sadness. Mona stood in line, hugging herself, still wearing her ruined dress that cost more than most people made in a month."Name?" The tired worker barely looked up from her computer."Mona... Lowes," she said, catching herself before using her real name. Emily had eyes and ears everywhere."First time homeless?"*Homeless*. The word hit Mona like a slap. Just yesterday, she'd slept in a mansion."Take this shower token. Clean clothes are in that bin. No fancy stuff allowed here, attracts the wrong kind of attention."The shower room was basic, cracked tiles, rusty pipes. Mona peeled off her once-beautiful dress. Five thousand dollars, it had cost. Now it was trash, just like her.The donated clothes felt strange against her skin: faded jeans, a stretched-out t-shirt, worn sneakers. Everything too big, making her feel like a child playing dress-up."Bed 47," the worker told her, pointing. "Lights out at 10. No exceptions."The sleeping room

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 6

    Mona was sorting papers in the old man's office when she saw it. The morning newspaper, tossed carelessly on his desk. Her hands started shaking before she even touched it. The society pages. A huge color photo of Samuel and Lora at some fancy party. His arm tight around her waist, their faces glowing with happiness. Samuel's smile, the same one he once gave only to Mona, beamed at the camera. Lora looked stunning in an expensive gown, her perfect hand resting on Samuel's chest, showing off a massive diamond ring. "CALDWELL HEIR TO WED BENNETT HEIRESS LORA BENNETT" Three weeks. Just three weeks since they'd thrown her into the street like garbage. "In a romantic fairy tale, Samuel Caldwell, heir to the Caldwell fortune, announced his engagement to longtime family friend Lora Bennett. The couple, who reconnected after Caldwell's separation from his previous wife, plans a spring wedding..." Previous wife. Like she was just a mistake. A stain to be wiped away. "You okay?" The old ma

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17
  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 7

    Chapter 7 After Lora left, Mona sat frozen on the park bench for hours, eyes empty, seeing nothing. The night grew bitter cold, but she barely felt it. What was cold compared to the dead emptiness inside her chest? With shaking hands, she reached into the trash can, fishing out her father's necklace. The key pendant was smeared with garbage, the chain tangled and dirty. Just like her. Just like her life had become. "I'm sorry, Dad," she whispered, her voice cracking as she clutched the soiled necklace. "I'm so, so sorry. I failed you completely." Failed everyone, really. Failed at being a good wife. Failed at keeping Samuel's love. Failed even at basic survival. She was nothing but one massive failure wrapped in borrowed clothes. The shelter would be locked by now. Not that it mattered. She couldn't face Rose's kind eyes tonight. Couldn't stand to see pity on anyone's face. Couldn't bear another person looking at her like she was something broken beyond repair. She walked instead

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-17

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  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 63

    The Caldwell mansion felt like a mausoleum. Half-packed boxes littered the marble floors. Priceless artwork had been removed from the walls, leaving ghostly rectangles of unfaded paint. The grand piano sat draped in a protective cover, tagged for auction. Even the air smelled different, musty, abandoned, a house that knew its owners were leaving.Samuel sat alone in what remained of the living room, surrounded by the skeletal remains of their former life. The antique furniture was gone, seized by creditors. The Persian rugs had been rolled up and taken away that morning. All that remained was a single chair, a side table, and the television that no one had bothered to claim yet.The bottle of whiskey at his feet was almost empty. He hadn't bothered with a glass.The television blared, its volume unnecessarily loud in the empty space. Samuel stared at the screen, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the smiling face of his ex-wife."Breaking news this afternoon as Mona Kane, wife of billionaire

  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 62

    The community center buzzed with nervous energy. Hundreds of former Caldwell employees filled the folding chairs, their faces a mixture of confusion, hope, and suspicion. Three days ago, each had received a mysterious phone call inviting them to this meeting with promises of "important information regarding your employment situation." No one knew what to expect, but desperation had brought them all here.Frank Donovan sat in the front row, arms crossed tightly over his chest. After thirty-two years at Caldwell Industries, he'd been tossed aside like yesterday's trash. The anger hadn't faded; it had just settled deeper, becoming a hard knot in his stomach."What do you think this is about?" Maria Vasquez whispered from the seat beside him. The production line supervisor looked thinner, the stress of recent days etched into the lines around her eyes.Frank shrugged. "Probably some temp agency offering minimum wage positions. Or a government representative explaining unemployment benefit

  • 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

  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 60

    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

    Chapter 59Mona's breath caught as she stared at the massive white yacht. Sunlight bounced off its gleaming surface, almost hurting her eyes. At 120 feet, it towered over the other boats like a swan among ducklings."You never told me about your yacht," she said, glancing at Alexander beside her, his warm hand resting on her back."Just one of many things we haven't had time to talk about," he said, his voice lighter than she'd ever heard it. "Between work and watching the Caldwells fall apart, fun seemed... unimportant."Mona studied his face, noticing how the hard lines around his eyes had softened since they'd left the city. For weeks, they'd been drowning in their revenge plan – endless meetings, gathering evidence, plotting each move and waiting for counter-attacks. The strain showed in their tense shoulders and tired eyes."Why now?" she asked as men in white uniforms prepared for their arrival.Alexander's gaze locked with hers. "Because even fighters need to breathe." His fing

  • 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

    Chapter 57Rain pounded against the windows of the Caldwell Industries executive conference room. Samuel Caldwell stood at the head of the table, tie loosened, hair disheveled from running his hands through it repeatedly."We need to prioritize," Martin Kepler, the CFO, said as he arranged financial statements in neat piles. "Payroll has already been missed once. We can't let it happen again.""How much time do we have?" Samuel asked, fighting the exhaustion that pulled at him."Five days until the next payroll cycle. But that's not our most immediate problem. We have vendor payments due tomorrow that can't be postponed. Medical supplies for the healthcare division, raw materials for manufacturing.""And if we don't pay?""They stop shipping. Production halts. Within a week, we have nothing to sell."Lora entered with coffee, looking worn in simple clothes instead of her usual designer outfits. The family's personal accounts remained frozen, limiting their access to even basic luxurie

  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 56

    Chapter 56Mona sipped her coffee as she scrolled through the financial news on her tablet. The headline that dominated every business publication made her lips curve into a smile: "MILLER FINANCIAL CUTS TIES WITH CALDWELL INDUSTRIES AMID FRAUD ALLEGATIONS."The plan had worked perfectly. Better than perfectly, in fact. Not only had Miller Financial frozen the Caldwells' credit lines, they had also called in all outstanding loans and publicly announced the termination of their sixty-year relationship with the family. The scandal had sent Caldwell Industries stock plummeting to an all-time low.Alexander entered from his home office, dressed impeccably in a charcoal suit. He dropped a kiss on the top of Mona's head before pouring himself coffee."Good morning, architect of destruction," he said, nodding toward her tablet. "Enjoying the fruits of your labor?"Mona's smile widened. "The business channels can't stop talking about it. Apparently, the Caldwells missed payroll yesterday.""F

  • RISE OF THE EX WIFE : Mona's Revenge   Chapter 55

    Chapter 55In the Caldwell Industries executive suite, panic reigned. Samuel paced the length of his office while Emily sat rigidly in a leather chair, her face a mask of controlled fury. The CFO, Martin Kepler, stood before them, clutching a stack of urgent messages."It makes no sense," Samuel said for the tenth time. "Miller Financial has been our bank for sixty years. Why would they freeze our credit line without warning?""I've called Thomas Miller eight times," Martin replied, exhaustion evident in his voice. "His assistant says he's in meetings all day. The only information we have is the official notification that came by courier an hour ago."He held up the letter again, though they had all memorized its contents by now: "Due to irregularities discovered during a routine audit, Miller Financial has suspended all credit facilities extended to Caldwell Industries and its subsidiaries, effective immediately.""Irregularities," Emily scoffed. "What irregularities? We've always ma

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