LOGINShare
Chapter 22
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 1
Ella stood looking at herself in the mirror. She'd put on a long black, glittering dress. Her hair done up in an elaborate updo. She wore her wedding jewelry, the rings of course, but also a necklace studded with diamonds and emeralds with a bracelet to match. Spoils of her arranged marriage. Nathaniel Woods had needed a wife to access his trust fund. A rule set in stone by his grandfather when the will was written up. Nathaniel had been in no hurry to settle down, but he wanted to start his architecture firm. He needed money to do that. He didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps by starting another retail franchise. Ella and Nathaniel's families had been friends since before they were born, so when their parents suggested an arranged marriage for the sake of the trust fund they didn't need to think it over for long. Ella had always liked Nathaniel, even nursed a high school crush on him. Nathaniel didn't think Ella was his type, but she was pleasant, smart and pretty enough.
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 2
Ella had put the phone call out of her mind in the following weeks. She put her focus into her work. Nathaniel didn't want her to actually have a job, which is one reason she stopped pursuing law school. But she could volunteer all she wanted. She threw herself into volunteer work whenever she wasn't busy helping her husband advance his career. Today, she'd signed up to cook and serve at a local shelter. She was infuriated by all the elites that volunteered, but never showed up, or only showed long enough for a photo op. "You've been here for almost 8 hours. You only signed up for the lunch rush," the head kitchen manager said. "I know, but you're under staffed so I wanted to see you through dinner as well.""You're a godsend. We've had more people than usual and less hands to keep things moving efficiently." "Is there anything I an do to help?" Ella asked as she took off her apron and began to gather her things. "Keep volunteering, but if you can get a fundraiser underway that wo
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 3
Ella had fully dove into the fundraiser, working long hours getting it going on short notice. She already had over 200 people commit to going with donation pledges. She'd booked a venue, hired caterers and live music performances. It would be held in a historic building with a fantastic ballroom and outdoor courtyard. There would be dancing. She was especially excited for that. It had been so long since she'd danced with Nathaniel. When the day arrived, she put on an off the shoulder, corset top dress with a flowing, glitteirng skirt. She chose deep red, a color that seemed to compliment her dark hair and vivid blue eyes. She kept her hair down, but pulled back one side above her ear with a diamond studded hair comb. She went downstairs in search of Nathaniel. "Honey?" she called. "Are you ready?" She entered his home office just in time to see him slap his laptop shut and stand up. "Why are you in here?" he asked sharply. "Just looking for you. I'm sorry if I startled you. We need
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 4
Nathaniel hadn't come home the next day either. Ella was going mad with her racing thoughts. Where had he slept? Had it been with Vera? Did he even care about what he was doing to her heart? She wandered through the house aimlessly, mad at herself for how much this bothered her. She found herself in his office. It smelled of his cologne... She looked around the room until her eyes stopped on the laptop. Without hesitating, she crossed to the chair and sat down. She opened it with shaking hands. Of course it was password protected. She tried her birth date, their wedding date, his mother's birth date. Nothing worked. She pulled out her phone and found Vera on social media. The beautiful, bombshell blonde was everything Ella wasn't. Tall, thin, clearly worked out religiously and had an angelic face. Full lips, shocking green eyes framed with lush, dark lashes, high cheek bones and perfect eyebrows. Ella sighed. No wonder her husband was tempted by her. It wasn't like he'd picked Ella. S
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 5
Ella went straight home and called a lock smith. She asked to have all the locks on her house changed as quickly as possible. They promised to have a man out within the hour. She locked his security code out permanently. He would have to call her to be let in. She didn't expect him to come back for awhile anyway, but just in case. She wanted to know when he was coming and going. She set to work finishing up things from the fundraiser for the next few hours. When she needed to get up and move, and get away from her computer, she decided to pay her family's lawyer a visit. She would not be using his lawyers. She called from the car to make sure at least one of them would be at the firm. When she arrived, she suddenly felt sick. Was her marriage actually over? It was hard to process. Divorce had never crossed her mind. In fact, she'd vowed to stay loyal, in it for the long haul, to make a real loving marriage out of this. She'd kept her vows, he had not. The thought of him being with Ve
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 6
Feeling groggy and confused, she woke up slowly. What had woken her up? A pounding at the door made her sit up straight. Pounding and now yelling. Nathaniel. He was at her door, he'd obviously found out he couldn't get in. She picked up her phone and called him. "Lay off, will you? I was sleeping," she said once he answered. "This is my house! Let me in, now!" He was beyond angry. "Not until you calm down.""Open this damn door before I kick it in," he growled. "That would make good press," she said sarcastically. She'd gotten out of bed and was getting dressed. A pretty sundress, matching flats and a headband. Look like the sweet woman you are, she repeated in her head. "Calm down and I'll let you in, okay?"He breathed out harshly. "Fine. I'm calm.""Good boy," she smirked and went down the stairs. She opened the door and Nathaniel pushed in, almost knocking her down. He marched straight to the kitchen and slammed a pack of papers onto the counter. "You already know about Vera,
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 7
Ella was proud of herself for not crying when she'd been served the divorce papers. She was shattered. All her visions for the future had been shattered. But she wouldn't show Nathaniel her pain. He wouldn't get the satisfaction.In the days following sending the papers off she had found an apartment and begun looking into law school again. She had enough of a nest egg set up to pay for the first year of her basic needs, but she'd need the alimony her prenup would award her to go to school and continue living until she could get a job after passing the bar. She packed up her things, careful to leave any expensive gifts Nathaniel had given her behind. Jewelry, fancy dresses, perfume bottles costing hundreds of dollars each. She knew she could sell it all off, but she didn't want anything to do with it. It felt dirty. Vera could have it. She kept the wedding ring though, that was hers fair and square and she'd keep it as insurance in case she ever needed some cash. A wedding ring seale
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 8
The next morning she woke to blessed silence. She put on her robe and went down to the kitchen. With how drunk he'd been she hoped he'd be nursing a hangover in his room for the rest of the day. As far as she was concerned, she'd have a big breakfast and then head over to her apartment to begin making it a home. She would live here for now, but the second she could leave she wanted a home to go to. Not just a house, but a home. A place to heal her heart and start over. Her hope for solitude was shattered the moment she sat down and began eating. Nathaniel walked slowly down the stairs. “Why is it so bright in here?” he asked. “You designed the house with windows bigger than the average apartment,” she said flatly. He rolled his eyes. “This house is a masterpiece. It's not my fault you never learned to appreciate it.”“I can appreciate it. It's just not my style.”He sat down heavily in a chair at the table. “Get me some water, will you?”She ignored him and continued eating. “Ell
Latest chapter
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 22
Ella woke with a start, sweating and her heart beating so fast it hurt. She threw the blankets off and tried to get her pajamas off. “Ella, what are you doing?” Daniel asked groggily from beside her. He sat up and tried to touch her. “Ella!” he said firmly. She kept ripping at her clothes, but she was too weak. “Too... hot...” she said through gasps. Daniel flipped the light on and surveyed the situation. He quickly walked around the bed and pressed his hand to Ella's forehead. His eyes widened in alarm. “You have a high fever, you're burning up.”Ella layed back, exhuasted. The room began to spin. Daniel ran out of the room and could be heard going through her bathroom cabinets. “Do you have a thermometer?” he called. She could barely comprehend what he was saying, much less respond. “Found one!” he said as he ran back in the room. He shoved it in her mouth and held it there. “Under you tongue, just do it.” Before a full minute passed the thermometer beeped rapidly. He looked a
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 21
School had begun and to start the year off it was announced that the top two students would receive a shot at becoming a paralegal at a top law firm and the next year paid via scholarship. Ella had to get that scholarship. She was determined to work hard to achieve it. Her second year of school proved to be harder than her first, but she was determined to make it. Just as he'd said, Daniel came to her apartment to hang out while she studied and he came ready with snacks. “I got oreos and milk, chips and chocolate. I'll change it up next time. Does that work for you?”“Aboslutely,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate you so much.”She flipped open her books and took out her notes. “Wow... that's a lot of reading.” Daniel was peaking at the table.
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 20
Work, sleep, spend time off with Daniel and repeat had been Ella's summer. She and Daniel had settled into a routine that she absolutely loved. She called him after work every time she worked late and he stayed on the phone with her until she was home and locked into her apartment. Every day off she had he took her out to dinner and then they'd cuddle up to watch TV at her place or his. She used her paycheck for living expenses and her tips for savings. Since she worked so often and the restaurant was extremely high end, her tips were often massive. She'd gotten much better at her job. Over the summer, she hadn't been attacked or followed again, but she hadn't forgotten that last threat. Nathaniel was living his high life, but the tabloids spoke often of trouble in paradise for him. That only made Ella more nervous that she was still a target. The mistress likely wouldn't be a target, especially if Nathaniel was showing signs of being unhappy. But as time went on and she wasn't left
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 19
Ella held a check in her hand. She laughed out loud. After the threat from last week and job hunting this was just enough to crack her. Her alimony check. Not even enough to pay half her rent. This was all her lawyer could get her? After all the years she spent supporting Nathaniel, putting her own desires and dreams to the side. This was how he thanked her... She put the check down and rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure she even wanted to cash it. She'd lined up a job as a waitress, but hoped to get a second job as well. So far, that hadn't worked out. Her first shift started in an hour so she finished putting on her makeup and went out the door. It was a high end restaurant. She was sure she got the job on her looks alone. Conventionally attractive seemed to the be the only type of woman they hired. She wouldn't complain and she surely wouldn't make them regret their choice. Or so she hoped. As it turned out, the fact that she hadn't had to work much in her lifetime showed. She was
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 18
Sun filtered through the blinds of Ella's bedroom. She blinked awake, feeling disoriented and groggy. She realized she was still dressed. She sat up, memories coming in. “Oh gosh... I fell asleep with him here...” she said out loud. She put her head in her hands and groaned in embarrassment. He must've put her here. Her embarrassment grew. She looked at her phone, hesitating for a moment, but decided to grab it and call him. “Hey Sleeping Beauty,” he said in a low voice. “Did I wake you?”“Yeah... but it's okay, I needed to wake up anyway. You sound better than my alarm.”“Daniel, I'm so sorry I fell asleep last night. That was so rude.”“Stop, no it wasn't.” He laughed. “You had a rough day. You needed sleep. I'm glad I could help you relax enough to get the sleep you needed. Don't worry about it.”“Thank you for being so understanding.”“Not a problem. You have court again today?”“I do.” She sighed and got out of bed. “Is that going to interfere with school?”“No, I have some ab
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 17
“So... the divorce had gone public,” she thought to herself. The news had caught on and someone had leaked information. She blew her breath out. “Oh well,” she said out loud. It was inevitable. Ella finished getting ready for school and got into her car. She drove out, surprised at the lack of reporters. Happy, but surprised. As the news of the divorce hyped up and faded over the next couple of months the reporters appeared less and less. Ella kept going to self defense classes, but also started to see Daniel outside of class more often. Now that she wasn't so worried about tabloids hounding them. The last day of the school year had just come to a close and Ella was putting her things in her car when her phone rang. She pulled it out and checked the screen. Nathaniel's name appeared. Why was he calling? They'd barely spoken lately. “Hey, Ella,” he said when she connected the call. “Hello, what can I help you with?” she answered professionally. “Uh... divorce court. The date's be
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 16
Ella waited with her heart in her throat. She kept refreshing the page on her computer. Her test results would be posted any moment. Daniel had called her when he got the text that she was about to check her score. “It's not up yet... any second now,” she said with a shaky voice. “I know you did well. Don't have a heart attack over it,” Daniel said with a chuckle. “You studied your heart out.”Ella gasped and let out a little shriek. “I got 100% on both!”“I knew it!” Daniel said excitedly. “I... I'm shocked...”“You shouldn't be. You earned this! Hey, do you want to go out and celebrate?”Ella almost said yes immediately, but hesitated. What if they ended up in the tabloids again? She wasn't doing anything wrong, but Daniel didn't deserve to a have his private life out in the open like that. “If you're worried about the papers I can pick up some things and come over.”“You basically read my mind,” she said. “I'm sorry.”“Don't be,” he assured her. “You're one of the more famous p
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 15
Within two weeks the tabloids had picked up on the fact that Nathaniel and Ella were living separately. He was less and less concerned about being seen with Vera and it showed. Ella, on the other hand, could only be reported to be living a very normal student life. Ella had begun to look forward to her training sessions. She was learning a lot, but she also enjoyed Daniel's company a lot. He was kind, considerate and he really listened. She hadn't realized how little Nathaniel listened to her. He made her feel like he did, but she now realized he hadn't. She was just an accessory in his life. Working hard for him, but never appreciated. Daniel made her feel more appreciated than Nathaniel ever had and she wasn't even doing anything for him. “You're picking this up so quickly,” Daniel told her. “I hate the reason you're here, but it's such a pleasure to watch you take to it so well.”She beamed at him. “Thank you,” she said. “It's been fun.”“I'm glad I can make it fun for you.”They
The Billionaire's Mistake Chapter 14
“I'm done,” she said firmly. Trying to keep from screaming at him. “You can't be done,” Nathaniel spit back at her. “You think that law school will still want you when they find out you cheated and left me? Do you think they want you without my name?”Ella grabbed the latest newspaper and slapped it onto the table. Front page was a picture of Nathaniel kissing Vera with his hand under her shirt. The words “Trouble in the Woods paradise?” were written under the image. “They won't believe I was the one that cheated.” She flipped to the article about the picture that listed her accomplishments and mentioned her volunteer work while absolutely trashing Nathaniel's character.He looked at it for a moment before swiping it off the table. “There will be more of these, except they'll destroy you next.” “They can try. There's no dirt on me to find. You though? You and your mistress? That's going to be a field day.”Nathaniel slammed his fist down onto the table. “You will remain living here
