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Chapter 6
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Where Freedom Begins Chapter 7
I thought about it for a moment before agreeing to have coffee with her.Karen stirred her drink with a spoon as she casually shared the details of her relationship with Chandler.She said she'd always known about me, but it didn't bother her.Their first night together had been on Chandler's birthday.I wasn't in the country to celebrate it with him that year, so she had an opportunity to slip in.She'd assumed that once the alcohol wore off, Chandler would cut her off, but instead, he kept her around, buying her a house and a car, and setting her up with a series of big-name deals.Karen told me, "You know, during that time, we were truly happy. We spent 20 hours a day together. You've been abroad for so long, so you probably can't understand, but being there for each other is what real love is all about."I kept my face neutral, recording her words, and replied, "I see. So, you dated him for four years?""Yeah. If you hadn't come back so suddenly, we probably would have take
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 8
On the other end of the line, there was a long silence, broken only by Chandler's heavy breathing.We were in the same city, yet it felt as if we were miles apart, separated by an ocean.I remembered the early years when Chandler would always visit me during breaks. He'd say that I was just abroad, and as long as we made an effort, we could always find a way to meet.But in the end, that very sentiment became his excuse for his infidelity.I was about to hang up when Chandler suddenly asked, "Do your parents know you're getting a divorce?"I hesitated before responding, "I'll tell them soon."He was quiet for a moment before his voice softened with a trace of pleading. "It's my birthday in a couple of days. Let's go to my parents' house for dinner and talk."He hung up quickly, almost as if he didn't want to hear my refusal.After some thought, I decided to go to the Armstrong residence on his birthday.No matter what had happened, his parents had always treated me well. They
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 9
I had never seen Chandler so broken before. But strangely, I didn't feel sorry for him. If anything, I found it amusing."Leave me alone," I said.Chandler's face went pale in an instant.He pressed his hand to his chest. "It hurts…"I looked down and saw that he was wearing his wedding ring again. But it was too late. I stepped around him and walked away without a second thought.-On the trending topics, headlines about Chandler's divorce and Karen becoming the legitimate girlfriend started to appear. The surge of attention was sudden, and it was clear someone had orchestrated the whole thing, buying up fake accounts to promote the news.Karen stayed quiet and let the rumors grow, not making any attempt to clarify. It almost seemed like she was using this moment to cement her position.However, Chandler quickly shut her down. He took to social media to explain that he had no further relationship with Karen.[I will only ever have one wife, and her name is Alina.]
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 1
"Alina, after I'm gone... please… take care of yourself."On the white hospital bed, my grandmother weakly reached out and stroked my face.I sniffled, nodding through the tears that threatened to spill.At 11:00 PM that night, the last family member I had left passed away.I took out my phone and sent Chandler Armstrong back in the country a message. [My grandmother passed away.]A short while later, a reply came through. [I'm sorry for your loss. She's just gone to heaven.[Can you manage things on your own over there? If you need help, you can call Geoffrey—he's also in Damaria.[I have some important matters to handle these next couple of days and can't be with you. I'm really sorry, Alina.]His tone was still gentle, unchanged after seven years.The only difference, perhaps, was that his words had grown fewer and he hardly called anymore.I remembered the first three years I had spent abroad—Chandler couldn't go a day without calling me a dozen times.We married at the
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 2
After checking the bedroom, I was sure Chandler didn't live here at all.If that was the case, why did he say he was at home?I dialed his number, confused. He answered, explaining in a calm voice, "I moved to the city center to be closer to the office. I knew you'd misunderstand, which was why I asked why you didn't tell me earlier."Wait there. I'll come pick you up."His explanation eased my mind. While waiting, I updated my social media, letting my friends know I was back in the country. Soon, my phone was buzzing with notifications. Everyone was shocked, asking when I came back.[This afternoon.]I replied to each one, and my close friends congratulated me, asking how long I planned to stay. I answered, [I'm not leaving. Grandma passed away, and I don't need to stay abroad anymore. I've decided to settle back here.] For a moment, the feed went silent.Then, a private message popped up. [You're back?]I checked the name—it was from someone I didn't know well.I r
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 3
My cheek burned with searing pain, and in an instant, my face swelled up.Flashes from dozens of cameras blazed in front of me as a swarm of reporters rushed toward me, their questions coming at me like arrows."What's your relationship with the CEO of Armstrong Industries? We've caught you coming and going with Mr. Armstrong—are you his mistress?""It's widely known that Mr. Armstrong is dating the popular celebrity, Ms. Loxley. They haven't broken up. So when did you start seeing him, and how did you get involved in their relationship?"I froze, unable to respond at first, trembling with confusion and anger."What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice shaking.The woman who had slapped me earlier took off her sunglasses and threw a stack of photos onto the ground. "Still refusing to admit it? Chandler has been avoiding me lately, claiming he's too busy, but the paparazzi caught him with you. How dare you steal my man! Don't think my fans won't tear you apart!" The camer
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 4
"Will you just let me explain?" "Unless you're going to say you have nothing to do with her, we're done." I glared at him, seething with anger. "Go ahead. Say it." Chandler remained silent, his eyes pleading as if asking me to be reasonable. His attitude only made me angrier. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. It seemed like Chandler didn't feel the sting; he didn't even flinch. He tightened his grip on my wrist and bent down to scoop me into his arms. "Let go of me, you jerk!" I struggled, pounding my fists against him, but he carried me into his office. The noise from the outside world, the reporters, the chaos—all of it was shut out by the closed door. Chandler loosened his tie, looking at me with a calm expression. "Are you calm now?" Hearing that, the dam inside me broke, and tears flooded down my cheeks. It wasn't just seven years between us. After my parents passed away when I was a kid, I was taken in by the Armstrongs. I practica
Where Freedom Begins Chapter 5
[That's right. Karen has been with Mr. Armstrong for four years, and she hasn't been hiding it at all. If she were really the other woman, could the wife have tolerated it for this long?][Uh, hasn't it occurred to you that maybe his wife didn't know about it at first?][Yeah, I saw the video where Karen slapped the wife first. The news came out after that, so I'm betting Karen's the other woman.][Not necessarily. What if she became the third wheel unknowingly? Too bad the guy hasn't said anything.]-The online buzz grew louder, with people taking sides, but the photos? They weren't fake.During my seven years abroad, Chandler had spent four of them with another woman.He had attended ceremonies with her, celebrated her birthdays, went skiing with her in foreign countries, and shared every significant moment of her life.Had he ever thought of me during those times?Probably not.I remembered when Chandler started cutting back on our communication four years ago.I remembe
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