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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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2024-11-14 19:50:15Related chapters
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER TWELVE
After a week of crying myself to sleep every night, drowning in wine, and devouring my body in carbs, something inside me snapped. It was like a switch had flipped. I was tired of wallowing, tired of feeling like the world’s biggest loser. I still wanted revenge. Oh, I wanted it desperately. But first, I had to rebuild myself. Revenge requires a lot of strength, confidence, and clarity. None of which I had since I decided to spend my time sobbing into a tub of ice cream. It was time to get my life together.Ethan and Amy had been nothing short of angels through it all. They gave me space when I asked for it and were there to support me in the small, quiet ways that mattered. Amy would leave little notes on the kitchen counter, reminding me to eat something healthy or take a walk. Ethan, true to his no-nonsense style, sat me down and offered a lifeline.“One of my business partners just opened a high-end restaurant downtown. They’re looking for someone to handle marketing. With your ma
Last Updated : 2024-11-15SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Jake Mathews?” My voice comes out sharper than I intended, disbelief lacing every word. “How is this even possible? Don’t tell me you’re the owner of this new restaurant.” Jake leans back in his chair, his sharp suit doing little to mask the raw energy he exudes. His dark eyes sparkle with a mix of amusement and something else, a look I was all too familiar with. He rises slowly, his movements deliberate and calculated, and walks around the desk toward me, his gaze never wavering.“I was wondering when I’d see you again,” he says smoothly, his lips curling into that trademark smirk that could disarm anyone.“You left quite an impression last time we met, Rachael. I’ll admit, I was hoping our paths would cross again.”I cross my arms, trying to steady myself, though my heart was racing. “Jake? Seriously? How is this even possible? You know Ethan? You’re one of his business partners? How… how have I never heard him mention you?”The questions tumble out of me one after another, givin
Last Updated : 2024-11-15SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“What did you just say?” My voice comes out trembling with disbelief.“You heard me, Rachael.” Jake says calmly,“I want you to help me take down the Crawfords.”I blink at him, utterly stunned. “You what?” I clutch the arm of the couch, needing something to steady myself. “You want revenge on them? And you think I’m the one to help you? I ask, almost letting out a sarcastic laugh.He didn’t flinch, didn’t so much as blink at my outburst. Instead, he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes locking on mine. “You’re the perfect person, Rachael. No one knows their weaknesses like you do. And don’t pretend you don’t want the same thing I do.” “ I can’t believe this,” I stammer. “You, how do you even know them? And Ethan? And me? Did you know who I was when we met at the club? Was that all just some elaborate setup?”The questions come tumbling out, my voice rising with every word. I felt like I was drowning, struggling to make sense of the situation. Jake raises his hand
Last Updated : 2024-11-16SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“This is a tempting offer, Jake,” I admit, swallowing hard. “But I just finalized my divorce with Jack. I can’t just jump into another marriage, even a fake one. What will people think of me?”Jake’s expression didn’t falter, his confidence unshaken. “Rachael, I couldn’t care less what people think, and neither should you. This isn’t about love or a relationship. It’s about strategy. Our marriage is strictly for revenge.I raise a brow, skepticism etching across my face. “Strictly for revenge? You expect me to believe you’re doing this for purely noble reasons?”“Believe what you want,” he responds with a shrug. “The Crawfords have wronged us both, and we both want justice. Together, we have the power to destroy them. Once it’s done, we’ll file for divorce, and you’ll go your way, and I’ll go mine.”My stomach churns at his words. It sounded so cold, calculated, and yet undeniably tempting.“I’m sorry, jake, but even if I agree to this insane plan how are we going to fake a marriage.”
Last Updated : 2024-11-16SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTEEN
After a successful first day at work and hours spent plotting revenge with Jake, my drive back to Amy and Ethan’s house felt like the calm before the storm. I hadn’t even considered how this plan would affect Amy and Ethan or how I’d keep it a secret from them. Amy was like a human lie detector, especially when it came to me. If I slipped up even once, she’d see right through it and blab it to Ethan on one of their late-night pillow talks. For now, though, I could only take it one step at a time. Jake and I had barely scratched the surface of our plans, and I didn’t even know where this strange arrangement would take me. One thing was certain, I couldn’t risk Amy knowing. `The smell of roasted chicken and herbs filled the house when I walked through the door. Amy and Ethan were sitting at the dining table, laughing over something that looked like an inside joke. The scene was warm and familiar, in contrast to the whirlwind my life had become.“Welcome home, Rachael! How was your f
Last Updated : 2024-11-18SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JAKE’S POVThe truth is, I knew exactly who Racheal was from the moment she walked into that club. For years, I’d studied the Crawfords, their business empire, personal lives, allies, and enemies. Rachael’s name had come up in my research more than once. I’d seen a few photos of her online, wedding pictures, charity events, and a handful of candid shots taken by society pages, but none captured the essence of the woman who walked into that club that night.She was stunning. I sat alone in the corner, nursing a glass of bourbon as I watched her move through the crowd as if she didn’t have a single care in the world. She danced alone in the middle of the floor, whiskey in hand, the flashing lights casting shadows over her face. But her eyes told a different story. Beneath the surface, something was broken. The way she threw back her shots of whiskey, one after another, I knew something significant had gone wrong in her life. She wasn’t just there to have fun; she was there to forget.
Last Updated : 2024-11-18SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Racheal's POVThe phone call I had been dreading finally came. My mother. "Rachael, I just called Karen to wish her a happy birthday. Do you know what she said?" Her tone sharp, already accusatory. "She asked me why I was calling her, considering we weren’t family anymore! Do you know how humiliating that was for me?" I roll my eyes, letting out a long sigh. Of course, she was going to make this about her."I’m sorry, Mother," I said flatly, trying to get this over with. "What do you want to know?""What happened with Jack?" she snaps, her voice rising. "What did you do this time?"“Wow, so we’re just assuming this was my fault?” I shake my head, bitterness creeping into my tone.“I’m not assuming anything,” her words laced with that familiar venom. “This is so typical of you. You got bored, didn’t you? Drove him away, just like you do with everything good in your life.” I lean back in my chair and yawn loudly, more out of frustration than fatigue. Her accusations were so predicta
Last Updated : 2024-11-19SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER NINETEEN
As I finish folding the last of my clothes into the suitcase, Amy hands me a pair of her sleek leather boots, pouting dramatically. "I am so jealous! How could you be going to Paris without me?" she whines, flopping onto the bed with a theatrical sigh. I let out a soft laugh, zipping up the suitcase. "I wish you were coming with me, Amy, really. I will probably spend most of the time alone while Jake’s tied up with his business meetings. I’ll be stuck in my hotel room the whole time," I console Amy hoping to ease her envy.Amy sits up, narrowing her eyes at me. “No, no, no! This is Paris we’re talking about, Rachael. You cannot afford to waste a single minute stuck in some boring hotel room. I want you to explore every inch of that city and have fun. You deserve this break more than anyone I know. And who knows,” she adds with a mischievous grin, “maybe you’ll kiss a French boy while you’re at it.”I laugh, shaking my head. “Amy, you know I’m not ready for that yet. But I promise I’l
Last Updated : 2024-11-19
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SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTY~FIVE
RACHAEL'S POVI couldn’t believe Jake had just come and gone without saying a word to me. He rushed out like he was late for something important, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sat there on the couch, staring at the ceiling, trying to process the whirlwind of the past few days. The sun was already up, and boredom crept in like an unwelcome guest.I grab my phone and begin mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. As I flip through the posts, a photo of Amy and Ethan catches my eye. They look radiant, clearly on vacation somewhere beautiful. My chest tightens. The last time I’d spoken to Amy was at the Crawford luncheon. Since then, I have avoided her. She’d tried to reach out, but I hadn’t responded. I’d been a terrible friend.Taking a deep breath, I shot her a text: "Hey, how are you?"I bury my phone under a couch cushion, resisting the urge to stare at the screen, waiting for her reply. I needed a distraction, so I grab my laptop. To my surprise, an inquiry about my marketing
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTY~FOUR
JAKE'S POVWilliam’s silence surprises me as well. I expected him to fight back, deny everything or storm out. Instead, he sits there in silence, his face completely unreadable. Karen, on the other hand, is far less composed. She shoves the letter in his face, her voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and rage.“Did you know about this?”William exhales slowly and leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Elizabeth and I agreed she was going to… take care of it. I’m not surprised she didn’t that’s all.”His words hang in the air, each one more infuriating than the last. The calm demeanor I’d been holding onto begins to crumble. My temper is rising, threatening to spill over.“Wait,” my voice low and dangerous. “You knew she was pregnant?”William doesn’t flinch, his tone is detached. “Of course, I knew but like I said, I thought she got rid of it.”That confession hits me harder than I expect, a knot tightens in my chest. For a moment, I can’t speak.“I think she kept you bec
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTY~THREE
JAKE'S POVSleep eluded me. No matter how much I tossed and turned, my thoughts kept circling back to Rachael, all alone in that big house. No matter how angry I was at her, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at my chest.I had also grown accustomed to not being entirely alone. Even though we slept in separate rooms, I always knew she was there. Her presence had become an unspoken comfort.I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 2:00 a.m. There was no way I could go back to the house at this time without startling her. I sigh, staring at the ceiling, waiting for morning, waiting for a reasonable hour to check on her.Two restless hours later, I was up again, standing under the cold spray of the shower, hoping to wash away my tangled emotions. It didn’t help. The image of her face when I walked out on her lingered, tugging at something deep inside me.Sipping my coffee, I stared at the whiteboard from yesterday and I review my notes, fine tuning my plan to keep my mind occup
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTY~TWO
RACHAEL’S POVI spend the entire day trying to reach Jake. Call after call, voicemail after voicemail, but it is no use. He wasn’t picking up. He was sulking somewhere, letting his anger simmer, and left me to drown in the silence he left behind.I paced the living room, my nerves fraying with each passing minute. Where could he be? What is he doing? My mind began to spin with the possibilities.Had he gone to the police? Was he confronting the Crawfords?The unknown gnawed at me, clawing at my insides. If Jake had gone to the police, it would be over for me. I would be arrested for tampering with evidence, and no explanation I gave would matter. I was terrified of what he might do in his anger. Jake was impulsive, and I had learned the hard way that his anger was blinding.But it was already night, and he’d been gone for hours. If the police were going to come for me, they would have done so by now. That thought offers me a sliver of comfort, but it doesn’t ease my anxiety entirely.
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTY~ONE
JAKE’S POVAs I speed past the estate gates, my hands grip the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turn white. My blood is boiling, and no amount of deep breaths can calm me down. Rachael had betrayed me. The one person I thought I could trust. The one person I let in.I thought we were partners. I thought she had my back. “Damn it!” I slam my palm against the wheel in frustration. How could she keep something like that from me? There is only one explanation: she still loves Jack.My chest burns with a mixture of anger and pain, my head pounding not just from the betrayal but from the lingering hangover of last night. Why today, of all days, did she decide to drop this bomb on me? She couldn't have picked a worse moment.I had to leave the house before I did or said something I couldn’t take back. The anger was too raw, too consuming. The walls of that place felt suffocating. At least I still had my penthouse in the city—a sanctuary I could retreat to at a time like this.As I
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER SIXTY
RACHAEL'S POVJack’s deflection had said it all. He’d danced around the question with that smug indifference that only made him look guiltier than ever. It was time to involve Jake, even though I knew how this would go. He will be furious that I hadn’t shared this with him earlier. But what choice do I have now? Better late than never, I tell myself as I pull into the driveway, already bracing for the fallout.When I step inside, the house is quiet, except for the low hum of the fridge in the kitchen. Jake is sitting on one of the bar stools, pressing an icepack against his head. He looks like hell—disheveled, pale, and haunted, like the aftermath of whatever had driven him to drink is still clinging to him.“You good?” I ask, setting my purse down on the counter, trying to ease into the conversation.Jake nods silently, not even glancing my way. He looks like the angel of death had brushed past him and left him worse for wear.“Want to talk about what made you drink like that?” I ask
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER FIFTY ~NINE
RACHAEL'S POVI hadn’t spoken to Jake in days. Not because there wasn’t anything to say, but because I was avoiding him. Avoiding the guilt that gnawed at me every time I thought about the evidence I’d hidden. That jerrycan with the old Crawford Oil Industries logo felt like a bomb in my purse, waiting to explode. I’d been going in circles, debating what to do with it.The logical part of me knew I had to confront Jack. But the idea of calling him, of hearing his voice, twisted my stomach into knots. How would he react? Would he deny it outright? Laugh in my face? I wasn’t sure I was ready for the confrontation.When Jake’s name lit up on my phone, my heart skipped a beat. He never called me, ever. If he needed something, it was always a text or a face-to-face conversation. I hesitated for a while, but I finally answered.“Hello?”His voice was slurred, almost incomprehensible. “Rachael... I’m... I’m at the bar. Pick me up. I’m at...” he trailed off, mumbling the name of the bar befor
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER FIFTY~EIGHT
JAKE’S POVInside, the lobby gleams with marble floors and crystal chandeliers, its elegance only adding to the sour taste in my mouth. At the reception desk, a woman with a practiced smile informs me Mrs. Raymond had already left instructions. I was to be sent directly to her suite.As I ride the elevator up, my stomach churns. I feel like a cheap escort being summoned to perform a duty. The thought makes me sick, but I bury the emotion deep, locking it away where it can’t touch me. I remind myself why I am here. This is business. Nothing more.The elevator chimes softly, and the doors slide open. I walk down the plush-carpeted hallway, my footsteps muffling as if the hotel itself is trying to silence my guilt. Room 912. My hand hesitates on the door handle for a brief second before I swipe the keycard and step inside.The room is dimly lit; Mrs. Raymond is already waiting for me. She is sprawled across the bed in a silk robe and red lingerie that leaves little to the imagination. He
SHATTERED VOWS CHAPTER FIFTY~SEVEN
JAKE’S POVThe past few days had been a blur of chaos. Between insurance meetings, ongoing investigations, and trying to salvage what I could from the restaurant fire, I barely had time to breathe, let alone see Rachael. I would leave the house before she woke up and return long after she was asleep. It wasn’t ideal, but it had to be done.At least I was making progress.I’d managed to acquire a significant number of shares in Crawford Oil Industries (COI), and now, I was one signature away from becoming the majority shareholder. It was a risky game, but one I couldn’t afford to lose. I just hoped the Crawfords wouldn’t catch wind of what I was doing before it was too late.Tonight is crucial. I had arranged a dinner with the last shareholder, Mrs. Raymond, a shrewd businesswoman with a reputation for playing hardball. I picked one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city—an attempt to “butter her up” before dropping the offer. If I could convince her, my plan would finally fall
