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59. Terrified
Last Updated:
2025-02-27 18:10:26
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Traded For His First Love 60. Am I asking too much?
Bethany POV“Who were you talking to?” Josh asked as he settled back into his seat, his tone casual, as if nothing had happened during his absence.I turned slightly, struggling to maintain my composure, the smile I tried to force feeling more distant than ever. “I was talking to Alice,” I replied, my voice lacking enthusiasm, the weight of the evening pressing down on me. “She called, that’s all.”Josh arched an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face, though it was clear he wasn’t genuinely interested. “About what?” he pressed, his voice masking a lack of enthusiasm with a thin veneer of politeness.I hesitated, not wanting to seem paranoid but unwilling to lie. “About you and Venus,” I said reluctantly, discomfort creeping through my body, tightening my chest. “I told her she was at the company today.”Josh let out a derisive laugh, a sound that sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t playful—it carried a sharp edge, as if he were treating the situation like a game he could
Last Updated : 2025-02-27Traded For His First Love 61. Let's Returning
Reese POVI sat in my car, hands steady on the steering wheel, my body still taut with tension from my confrontation with Elliot. The weight of our conversation lingered, a knot of unresolved anger and determination tightening in my chest.My phone vibrated on the passenger seat, jolting me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and saw Alice’s name flashing. I took a deep breath, knowing she wouldn’t hesitate to call. I needed someone to talk to, and she was the first person I’d turn to—my anchor in a sea of chaos.“Hey, Alice,” I answered, trying to mask the exhaustion threading through my voice. A million thoughts swirled in my mind, but I wanted to keep driving, to stay focused and not lose myself in the conversation.“Hey, where are you?” she asked, her tone direct and urgent, as always.“I’m driving. I just left Elliot’s place,” I said, my words clipped, the fatigue seeping through despite my efforts to hide it.“Venus, what were you doing at Elliot’s?” Her question was blunt
Last Updated : 2025-02-27Traded For His First Love 62. Don't touch my child again
Reese POVI was seething with rage. My fingers gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity as I drove toward Jennifer’s mansion, the engine’s hum a faint backdrop to the fury pounding in my chest. Alice, in the passenger seat, listened intently as I recounted the latest outrage, her jaw clenched, her hands balled into fists in her lap.“She showed up out of nowhere, Alice! Acting like some concerned mother, trying to fill Sammy’s head with lies. Can you believe this?”Alice huffed, her eyes flashing with anger. “Oh, she’s going to pay for this. I swear it.”My breathing was heavy, uneven, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew Jennifer wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted—she always came back to wreak havoc. But today? Today, I was going to put an end to it.We pulled into the parking lot of Jennifer’s building, a nondescript mid-rise with a sterile, gray facade that seemed to mirror the coldness of her soul. I stepped out of the car like a storm, my footsteps
Last Updated : 2025-02-27Traded For His First Love 63. This time you will back off
Reese POVJennifer let out a sharp cry of shock and pain as I yanked her by the hair, forcing her to her knees on the cold, tiled floor of her apartment. The sound of her rapid, ragged breathing only intensified the satisfaction coursing through me—I was finally doing what I should have done years ago. I didn’t care that I was breaking laws, didn’t care if this was right or wrong in the eyes of the world. I wouldn’t allow this woman to keep meddling in the bond I shared with Sammy. She had no right to tear us apart any longer.I tightened my grip on her hair, pulling her head back until our eyes locked. Hers burned with hatred, but I felt no remorse—my expression was steely, unyielding, every line of my face etched with resolve.“You’ll regret challenging me, Jennifer,” I said, my voice low and menacing, each word dripping with a weight she couldn’t ignore. “Next time, it won’t just be your hair I go for.”She groaned in pain, but the sarcastic smirk never left her lips, even through
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Reese POVAlice’s laughter erupted beside me, so loud I could barely keep my hands steady on the steering wheel, my fingers trembling not from fear or nerves, but from pure, unbridled adrenaline.“Did you see that bitch’s face?” Alice choked out between giggles, slapping her thigh with delight. “Haha, it was so satisfying when you slapped her! I swear, Venus, I’ve never felt anything so gratifying in my life!”My hands remained tense on the wheel, my knuckles white from the force of my grip, the adrenaline still coursing through me like wildfire. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat thundering like a drum, resonating with the rush of what we’d just done. But despite the tension, I couldn’t deny it… this had been cathartic. As if years of pent-up rage, frustration, and hatred had finally found an outlet, exploding at that moment of raw defiance.“I’m still trying to process all of this,” I murmured, letting out a shaky laugh, half-convincing myself that everything was okay. “My God
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Elliot POVI tucked Sammy into bed, pulling the dinosaur-patterned blanket up to his chin, his small frame settling into the mattress with a sleepy sigh. The soft glow of his nightlight cast shadows across the room, illuminating his face—peaceful, innocent, and so much like Reese’s it hurt. “Goodnight, buddy,” I murmured, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.“Night, Dad,” he mumbled, his voice drowsy but content, his eyelids fluttering shut. I lingered for a moment, watching his chest rise and fall, the quiet rhythm easing some of the tension in my shoulders. But the peace didn’t last long.My phone buzzed on the nightstand, the sharp vibration cutting through the stillness. I glanced at the screen—Jennifer. My stomach tightened, a familiar dread creeping in, but I answered, stepping out into the hallway to keep my voice low.“What do you want, Jennifer?” I said, my tone clipped, already bracing for the storm.Her voice exploded through the line, furious and shrill. “I’m going t
Last Updated : 2025-02-28Traded For His First Love 66. My walk here
Reese POVI stood at the window of my bedroom, holding a glass of red wine, the deep crimson liquid glinting under the moonlight filtering through the curtains. The distant hum of the city was a faint murmur, but my thoughts were fixed on the path that had brought me here. The battles, the losses, the victories—I was close to winning.A soft creak made me turn, and Avie, my daughter, ran in, dressed in a pastel nightgown, her blonde curls bouncing. She climbed into my lap, hugging my neck, instantly bringing peace.“Mommy, can we read a story?” she asked, her voice sleepy.“Of course, sweetheart,” I replied, smiling as I carried her to the bed, grabbing a book about dinosaurs—Sammy’s favorite. I imagined the day he and Avie would meet, laughing together in this room.Flashback on: Three Years AgoThree years ago, pregnant, I stepped into a new apartment in the city, the empty space echoing my loneliness. I stood at the window, looking out, my heart heavy after divorcing Elliot and los
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Bethany POVThe sound of Josh’s car crunching over the gravel of my parents’ mansion driveway jolted me out of my reverie. Josh sat beside me, and since we’d left the restaurant, a morbid silence had hung between us. Every time I spoke, he’d huff, grumble, or roll his eyes as if the sound of my voice alone irritated him. I considered myself pretty, but Joshua Carter’s disdain made me feel like the ugliest, most uninteresting woman in the world.“Alright,” he said after pulling up in front of my house, his voice flat, not even glancing at me. “You’re safely delivered. You can go now.”I looked toward the house through his car window and sighed. So that was it? I’d just get out of the car, and this would end here? For heaven’s sake, things were only getting worse… “Or better yet, why don’t you come in? My parents won’t mind if you sleep with me tonight. It’s kind of fitting, since we’re engaged,” I invited, flashing a seductive smile.He frowned at me as if I’d just said something outr
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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
Traded For His First Love 134. A Heart Divided
Elliot POVThe interior of the private jet felt smaller with each passing hour, the space cramped not by its size but by the suffocating presence of Jennifer Durham. The hum of the engines was a constant drone,steady noise, but it didn’t drown out the sound of her voice, sharp as a blade, as she berated a flight attendant. “This is lukewarm coffee,” she said, pushing the cup back at the young woman, whose face flushed with embarrassment. “What do you think I am? An economy passenger? Bring me another, and make it decent this time.” The attendant mumbled an apology, hurrying to the back of the plane, while Jennifer rolled her eyes, adjusting her pearl necklace with an exaggerated flourish.I watched her from my seat, anger simmering beneath the surface. Jennifer was insufferable, always had been, but now, with her haughty demeanor, she seemed determined to make every second of this flight a living hell. She leaned toward one of the other staff, a man organizing the bar, and pointed
Traded For His First Love 133. A Flight Full of Shadows
Elliot POVThe steady hum of the private jet cut through the silence, a monotonous reminder that we were thousands of feet above the Atlantic, leaving Chicago behind. Avie slept in my lap, her little face serene, the bottle still between her lips, her slight weight an anchor in the chaos my life had become. Lately, she’d been clinging to me more, always seeking my lap, my hand, and now I understood why. It wasn’t just a child’s affection—it was the bond of father and daughter, a truth Jennifer threw in my face days ago, changing everything. Knowing Avie was mine, by blood, made my heart swell with love, but it also hurt, like an open wound, because Reese had hidden it from me for years.Carefully, I stood, settling Avie on the jet’s sofa-bed, tucking a blanket over her. Her curls fanned out on the pillow, and I ran a hand over my face, trying to shake the guilt chasing me. I’d done what I had to, right? Taking the kids and leaving was to protect them, to keep them with me, away fro
Traded For His First Love 132. A Thread of Hope in the Storm
Reese POVThe silence in the house was a crushing weight, every empty corner a cruel reminder of Sammy, Avie, and Elliot, who were no longer here. I was curled up on the couch, my eyes swollen from crying, the phone silent after countless unanswered calls to Elliot and the devastating conversation with Josh, who confirmed that Elliot had quit and was planning to return to London. The pain of losing my children was a tightness in my chest, a wound that throbbed with every breath, and the guilt—for hiding the truth about Avie, for not trusting Elliot—was suffocating. When I heard the sound of keys in the door, my heart leapt, but it wasn’t Elliot. It was Alice, and beside her, Connor, the two of them inseparable now, like a shadow of light in the midst of my chaos.Alice rushed to me, arms open, and I threw myself into her embrace, sobs returning with force. “Venus, my God,” she murmured, holding me tightly against her chest, her warmth a stark contrast to the cold consuming me. “I’m h
Traded For His First Love 131. An Unbearable Void
Reese POVThe silence in the house was deafening, a mute scream echoing in every empty corner. I was sitting on the couch, my legs tucked under me, the phone still warm in my hand after yet another unanswered call to Elliot. Avie’s plate, with a half-eaten pancake, sat on the kitchen table, a cruel relic of the breakfast that now felt like it belonged to another life. Sammy, Avie, Elliot—they weren’t here. The house, which hours ago had buzzed with laughter and chaos, was now a tomb, and the dread gripping my chest was so overwhelming I could barely breathe.Spencer’s words still reverberated in my head, each syllable a blow: “Elliot knows he’s Avie’s real father… He’s going back to London with your kids.” I didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t, but the empty house was evidence I couldn’t ignore. I ran through the rooms again, opening closets, searching for any sign—a backpack, a toy, a note—but there was nothing. Sammy’s sneakers, always scattered around, were gone. Avie’s teddy be
Traded For His First Love 130. A House Too Quiet
Reese POV The air in Spencer’s apartment felt thick, suffocating, as his words landed like a blow to my chest: “Elliot’s heading back to London soon — with his kids.” My heart stopped, the world tilting around me. Avie, my Avie, his daughter? How could he know? How could Elliot know? The question burned, but Spencer’s mocking smile, his voice dripping with venom, held the answer before I could even ask. I stood frozen, my hands trembling, the industrial decor of his bachelor pad blurring as his accusation echoed in my mind.“What do you mean, he knows?” I managed, my voice barely a whisper, my throat tight with dread. “How does Elliot know about Avie?”Spencer leaned against the counter, his eyes cold, the warmth I’d once trusted in him gone. “Jennifer told him,” he said, his tone almost gleeful, like he was savoring my unraveling. “She cornered him, spilled the whole truth — that Avie’s his, not mine, not anyone else’s. And you know what, Venus? He’s done with you. He’s planning t
Traded For His First Love 129. Shattered Trust
Reese POV “Reese…?” Spencer gasped as he opened the door to me. He clearly hadn’t expected me to show up at his place; I hadn’t warned him beforehand, precisely because I didn’t want him coming up with excuses to avoid me. Spencer and I had a lot to talk about.“It’s Venus to you, darling,” I said, my voice sharp as I stepped into his apartment without waiting for permission. “My real name is reserved for the truly intimate people in my life, if you catch my drift.”The place was spacious, with industrial decor that screamed single guy’s bachelor pad. “You won’t believe it, but I met your wife,” I said, sarcasm dripping from every word. “She’s so charming, treated me so well. But I’m sure you already know that, don’t you?”Spencer sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I heard about it. Alice told me Roseanne went to see you,” he admitted.In that moment, something broke inside me, a crack splintering through my heart. I’d clung to the hope that Roseanne was anything but his
Traded For His First Love 128. Facing the Storm
Reese POV The kitchen hummed with the chaotic warmth of morning, a messy symphony that wrapped around my heart even as the world outside threatened to unravel it. Sammy’s giggles filled the air as he smeared syrup across his pancakes, leaving sticky trails on the table, while Avie babbled about her favorite cartoon, her curls bouncing with every wave of her syrup-coated fork. I couldn’t help but smile, their joy a fleeting anchor against the storm brewing inside me. Elliot sat across from me, pouring orange juice into the kids’ cups, his movements steady but his smile tight, shadowed by the same distance I’d felt last night in bed. The memory of those early hours — his arms around me, our bodies entwined, my words about our family’s future — warmed me, but his quiet reserve lingered like a knot I couldn’t untie. I wanted to reach across the table, to ask what was wrong, but the weight of yesterday held me back. Roseanne’s slap still burned, not just on my cheek but in my soul, her
