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142. A Fragile Haven in the Storm
Last Updated:
2025-04-28 23:41:30
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Traded For His First Love 143. A Past That Won’t Die
Reese POVThe sound of the television in the children’s room—a cartoon filled with laughter and music that Sammy and Avie loved—was a small oasis amidst the tension pulsing through the Goodwin mansion. I left them on the bed, Sammy clutching the remote with a triumphant little grin, Avie hugging a pillow, her messy curls falling over her face. “Stay here, okay? Mommy will be right back,” I murmured, kissing both their foreheads. Avie, with her sweet little voice, said, “Okay, Mama!” but quickly added, almost as an echo, “Venus come back soon!” I smiled, despite the weight in my chest. Avie, at three years old, sometimes called me “Venus,” mimicking Sammy or Alice, who used my Chicago nickname. It was confusing but so quintessentially her—a mix of affection and innocence that made me love her even more.I closed the door partway, my heart tightening at leaving them, even for a few minutes. Elliot was waiting in the hallway, and each step toward him felt like walking on glass, the pa
Last Updated : 2025-04-28Traded For His First Love 1. Disaster in the middle of Valentine's Day
Reese POVToday was Valentine's Day, and as usual, I was preparing something special for my husband. Four long years of marriage had passed, and our son, Sammy, was the fruit of our love. At least that's what I liked to think, since with each passing year, Elliot Goodwin's love for me only seemed to grow colder.I married him on a day like this; it snowed all night, as if God were blessing our union. Elliot Goodwin and I loved each other more than anything; he was the man of my life; for him, I left my old life in New York and accepted to go with him to another city, expecting to live wild love adventures by his side, expecting that I would finally be happy with him.But everything crumbled when his family looked down on me with disdain and disapproved of me. "What is this, Elliot?" Florence, my mother-in-law, asked haughtily as she looked at me as if I were dust."This is Reese Hudson, Mom," Elliot said, introducing me to his family. "Actually, she's Reese Goodwin now. She's my wife.
Last Updated : 2025-01-23Traded For His First Love 2. My husband wants me to sign the divorce papers
Reese POVI was completely absorbed in my own pain after the words my husband used to attack me. I stood there, speechless, holding my son's hand, as I watched Elliot ignore my pain and head towards the dinner table for a convivial meal, the beautiful dinner I had prepared for our family, to celebrate Valentine's Day, but everything was turning into a ruin.Since his father's death, right after our wedding, Elliot had used that truth to attack me and express how much he hated me. Since that day, the tender look he always gave me had turned into one of resentment and regret.The truth was, I had indeed killed his father. I was totally emotional after being humiliated by my mother-in-law, after she had rejected me as her son's wife. "I will never accept you as my daughter-in-law, girl," she had said four years ago with words as harsh and sharp as daggers. "I won't accept my son joining with a commoner like you and staining our bourgeois status!"I was bleeding inside, seeing that I was
Last Updated : 2025-01-23Traded For His First Love 3. My husband's mistress's dirty plans
Reese POV"Today I prepared a beautiful dinner and a lovely surprise for you, but you came home demanding a divorce. What a pitiful situation, I must say," I commented gloomily, the divorce papers still in my hands. "So this is how our story ends?""Our story ended when you killed my father, Reese. All of this is your fault," he continued with that speech, but I knew it was just a way to use that against me to get me out of his life.I wiped my face, feeling too small. "Do you know what your father's last words were before the accident? He begged me not to give up on you, Elliot. He said he believed in our love and that I shouldn't give up on you despite everything. So how do you expect me to give up on you now?""What are you getting at?" he asked, already showing irritation. "Are you planning not to give me the divorce? I'm a fucking billionaire, Reese. I'll find a way to take this from you." That was clearly a threat. It hurt to think that the man I loved so much treated me like an
Last Updated : 2025-01-23Traded For His First Love 4. They want me to give up
Reese's POVThings happened too fast.Elliot still had Jennifer Durham's unconscious body in his arms while he hurriedly called for an ambulance. My mother-in-law was screaming at me, accusing me of being a murderer."Isn't your husband enough? Now you wanted to kill poor Jennifer, you murderer?" She was screaming at me while crying in horror.The household staff looked at me as if I were a monster. Elliot didn't even dare to look at me."But I didn't do anything! She threw herself down the stairs on her own," I said, trying to defend myself, feeling that if I didn't, no one else would."Sure, you didn't, did you, Reese?" Florence's sarcasm was heavy, directed at me. "First, my husband threw himself in front of that car to save you, and now this poor woman threw herself to certain death of her own free will. And you really expect us to believe that?""Florence, I know you've never liked me, but you have to believe me. I didn't do this; I'm innocent!" I said, crying. Likewise, I was so
Last Updated : 2025-01-24Traded For His First Love 5. An intruder in my house
Reese POVThe day had barely begun, and I was already enveloped by a sense of desolation. The sunlight, which weakly filtered through the windows, made the world outside luminous, but within me, there was a growing darkness. The mansion, with its familiar scent of flowers, felt like the set of a movie where I didn't want to be. I was anxiously at the window, watching the gate, waiting for Elliot, but each second was a painful reminder of what had happened the night before.Yesterday had been a whirlwind of events that starkly contrasted with the calm and monotonous days I spent in this house since marrying Elliot. It was an onslaught of discoveries and twists, and I simply spent the entire night thinking about it. I couldn't sleep because there was a fear growing in my chest.After all, my husband had come home with another woman and was demanding a divorce, not to mention that Jennifer Durham had thrown herself down the stairs as a way to incriminate and accuse me. Just thinking abou
Last Updated : 2025-01-26Traded For His First Love 6. Just want
Reese POVWhen I woke up, Elliot was already beside me, his gaze determined but softened by the morning light filtering through our silk curtains. He looked rested, something I hadn't seen in him for a long time.“Elliot… Good morning. What's wrong?” I asked as I adjusted myself in bed; it was early in the morning."Reese, sorry to wake you like this, but I need to say something," he began, his voice carrying a tone of sincerity that made my heart race.“It's okay, go ahead. What is it?”"I've thought a lot about what you said yesterday," he said. "I know I've made many mistakes, and I want to change that. I'm going to spend more time with Sammy and our family."His words were like a balm to my wounded soul. I could hardly believe what I was hearing; it was as if a dream was becoming reality after so many nightmares. I almost cried with joy but held back, not wanting to show how affected I was."Are you serious?" I asked, my voice a mix of hope and caution."Yes, Reese. I'm going to d
Last Updated : 2025-02-03Traded For His First Love 7. The danger is lurking
Reese POVElliot and I spent the entire morning together in bed, clearly not sleeping. It had been so long since my husband had touched me that I had almost forgotten the feeling, and today he seemed to want to make up for lost time in the best way possible. His binding kisses, his large hands sliding over my body, took me to heaven, so we stayed there just enjoying each other, something that seemed to belong to a lost time, something that should have been the right thing to do from the beginning.Moments later, he was lying in bed with me on top of him, resting my head on his chest with his arm over my shoulders. It was simply amazing to be like this with him; I could feel him so close to me, which was completely satisfying.“I need to go now,” he said after a while.I lifted my head to look at him. “But already? You said you were taking the day off today?” I questioned, already missing him.“I know I said that,” he said, smiling at me. “But I just need to sort out some things at the
Last Updated : 2025-02-04
Latest chapter
Traded For His First Love 143. A Past That Won’t Die
Reese POVThe sound of the television in the children’s room—a cartoon filled with laughter and music that Sammy and Avie loved—was a small oasis amidst the tension pulsing through the Goodwin mansion. I left them on the bed, Sammy clutching the remote with a triumphant little grin, Avie hugging a pillow, her messy curls falling over her face. “Stay here, okay? Mommy will be right back,” I murmured, kissing both their foreheads. Avie, with her sweet little voice, said, “Okay, Mama!” but quickly added, almost as an echo, “Venus come back soon!” I smiled, despite the weight in my chest. Avie, at three years old, sometimes called me “Venus,” mimicking Sammy or Alice, who used my Chicago nickname. It was confusing but so quintessentially her—a mix of affection and innocence that made me love her even more.I closed the door partway, my heart tightening at leaving them, even for a few minutes. Elliot was waiting in the hallway, and each step toward him felt like walking on glass, the pa
Traded For His First Love 142. A Fragile Haven in the Storm
Reese POVI never imagined I’d end up here, back in the Goodwin mansion, the place that haunted my nightmares with memories of rejection, betrayal, and loss. Each white column of the facade, each dark window reflecting London’s gray sky, seemed to glare at me with contempt, as if it knew I didn’t belong. When I arrived in the city, exhausted and penniless after a harrowing journey—the theft of my bag in New York, the cramped flight, the uncertainty gnawing at me—my plan was clear: take Sammy and Avie and leave, rebuild our family far from Elliot, from Jennifer, from this mansion full of ghosts. But Elliot, with his anger and resolve, made it clear in the entrance hall that he wouldn’t let me leave with the kids. I faced a cruel choice: walk away alone, empty-handed, returning to Chicago defeated, or stay here, in this house that terrified me, to be with my children. There was no choice, really. Sammy and Avie were my life, and for them, I’d swallow any fear, any pain. So, I stayed.
Traded For His First Love 141. A Heart in Conflict
Elliot POVThe entrance hall of the mansion felt too small to contain the storm of emotions engulfing me, a vast space of marble and chandeliers that now seemed suffocating. Reese was on her knees in the doorway, Sammy and Avie clinging to her as if afraid she’d vanish. “Mommy, you came!” Sammy kept repeating, his voice choked, tears streaming down his face as he hugged his mother with a strength that seemed bigger than his eight-year-old frame. Avie, her little arms wrapped tightly around Reese’s neck, sobbed, “Mama, I missed you so much,” her high-pitched voice cutting through the air like a bell. My heart ached, a physical pain that made every breath an effort, as if an invisible hand were squeezing my chest. I wanted to be firm, to hold onto the anger that drove me to flee Chicago with the kids, the anger over Reese’s lies—about Avie’s paternity, about the secret lawsuit to take Sammy from me. But seeing them together, seeing the unconditional love in my children’s eyes, made s
Traded For His First Love 140. A Heart That Won’t Give Up
Reese POVThe gate of the Goodwin mansion loomed before me like a barrier, but I held my head high, even as the weight of the past dragged me down. Each step on the gravel driveway echoed like a drum, stirring memories of the darkest days of my life—the fights with Elliot, Florence’s disdain, the betrayal that culminated in our divorce and the loss of Sammy. This house, with its white columns and dark windows, was a tomb for my shattered dreams, but it was also where Sammy and Avie were, my children, my reason for living. For them, I would face any terror, any pain. I adjusted my cardigan, took a deep breath, and rang the bell, the sound cutting through the silence like a warning.The door opened slowly, and there was Elliot, his green eyes that I loved now hard, heavy with anger and hurt. He crossed his arms, blocking the entrance, and the weight of our past crashed over me like a wave. My heart, already broken by his betrayal—fleeing with the kids, aligning with Jennifer—wept, but
Traded For His First Love 139. Facing the Past
Reese POVThe plane landed in London with a jolt that reverberated through my bones, as if the impact could shake off the exhaustion consuming me. As I stepped into Heathrow’s terminal, the cold, damp air of the London winter enveloped me, bringing a bittersweet mix of relief and fatigue that nearly made me collapse right there, amid the hurried travelers and noisy suitcases. My clothes were crumpled, clinging to my skin from the sweat and the torrential rain I’d faced in Chicago. My hair, plastered to my face, was a curtain of defeat, and the deep shadows under my eyes betrayed sleepless nights and the strain of the past days. In New York, my wallet was stolen at the airport, and I nearly missed my connection to London. Now, I was penniless, with nothing but a crumpled passport, a phone with a dying battery, and a stubborn hope that kept me upright. But I was in London, thousands of miles from home, and closer to Sammy and Avie than I’d been in months. That was enough to make my h
Traded For His First Love 138. Ghosts of the Past
Elliot POVThe bedroom was exactly as I remembered it, as if time had frozen since the last time I was here with Reese. The heavy blue velvet curtains, the canopied bed with its carved mahogany frame, the Persian rug she loved because it was “too soft to resist.” Every detail was a knife, slicing deeper into the longing I tried, but couldn’t, suppress. This London mansion, where I grew up, where I fell in love with Reese, where our marriage crumbled, carried the weight of all our promises and failures. When I moved to Chicago, I swore to myself I’d only return to this room with her, that we’d fix everything, that we’d be a family again. But here I was, alone, with Sammy and Avie sleeping in the guest room, Jennifer infesting the house like poison, and Reese an ocean away, perhaps hating me as much as I loved her.I lay on the bed, the mattress yielding under my weight, and the scent of fresh linens mixed with the faint lavender aroma of the house enveloped me. I closed my eyes, and
Traded For His First Love 137. A Bitter Return
Elliot POVThe engine of the rental car fell silent with a sigh as I pulled up in front of the London mansion, the imposing structure rising like a sentinel of my past. Its tall windows caught the gray light of late afternoon, reflecting a heavy sky that matched the weight in my chest. The Georgian facade, with its white columns and stone embellishments, was both a home and a prison, every detail carrying echoes of Reese—the moments we laughed together on the veranda, the nights we argued in the dining room, and the raw pain of the night she left, driven out by me, by Jennifer, and by my mother, Florence. Now, I was back, bringing Sammy, older and more wary, and Avie, my newly discovered daughter, who was seeing this place for the first time with curious eyes. And, to my shame, Jennifer was here too, sitting in the front seat, her overpowering perfume invading the car like a constant reminder of the mistake I was making.Sammy stayed silent in the back seat, his videogame powered of
Traded For His First Love 136: A Path Full of Thorns
Reese POVThe plane landed in New York with a jolt, the impact snapping me out of the daze I’d been in since leaving Chicago. My small, rain-soaked bag was clutched tightly against my chest, as if it were the only thing keeping me whole. The JFK terminal was a chaos of voices, dragging suitcases, and blinding lights, but it all felt distant, muffled by the one thing consuming my mind: Sammy and Avie, in London with Elliot, so far from me. I had to get to them, had to fix what my lies—about Avie, about Sammy’s custody—had destroyed. Every second standing still was torture, but my body screamed for a moment’s pause, for something to keep me going.I dragged myself to a terminal café, the smell of burnt coffee mixing with the hiss of an espresso machine. “Black coffee, please,” I muttered to the barista, a bored-looking kid who barely glanced at me. My voice was hoarse, my eyes swollen from crying, and I knew I looked a mess, with wet hair plastered to my face and a drenched coat. Whi
Traded For His First Love 135: A Race Against Time
Reese POVThe living room felt smaller, as if the walls were closing in around me, every shadow a cruel reminder of Sammy and Avie’s absence. I was sitting on the couch, knees pulled to my chest, clutching Avie’s favorite toy and Sammy’s baseball, my face still wet with tears that wouldn’t stop falling.Because they left in such a hurry, my kids couldn’t even take the things they were so attached to. Elliot, what have you done…? I was weak, my mind foggy, unable to think of anything but how much I missed my children, Elliot’s betrayal, and the consequences of my mistakes. I was devastated.Alice and Connor stood before me, their voices soft but firm, trying to anchor me as the world crumbled. The house, which hours ago had echoed with the promise of a plan to get my kids back, now felt like a cage, trapping me in Chicago while Elliot took Sammy and Avie to London, with Jennifer by his side.“Venus, you need to prepare legally,” Alice said, sitting in the armchair, her eyes full of con
