All Chapters of Dodged a Bullet: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

News of the canceled engagement and broken business partnership reached Heath all at once. He thought it was just a joke, a childish stunt.I was absentmindedly flipping through a childhood photo album that the maid had dug out for me when his call came through. The moment I answered, the sound of wind rustling and a girl's laughter filled my ear."Julia, I know you've been sick and feeling down these past few days." Heath's voice was warm, almost apologetic. "But you can't just joke around like this. Your dad's company is in financial trouble. Without the Grants' help, you wouldn't have been able to maintain your family's status. I've been busy with preparations for our wedding, but once that's done, I'll come to see you."Heath continued speaking as if everything was fine, pausing only to wait for a response, but he never hung up the phone.Then, I heard Winona's voice, as clear as day, coming through the speaker."Heath! Let's go one more round. This time I'll beat you for

The next day, Winona somehow got a hold of my contact information and asked to meet me at a café in the city center. Coincidentally, this café was near the bridal shop I had planned to visit, so I decided to swing by.While I waited, my phone buzzed with a flurry of messages. It was a video from Naomi, shot from a third-person angle by her boyfriend. It was followed by Naomi's ranting commentary. The background of the video seemed to be from after the party had ended. Several of Heath's old friends were still lingering in the private room. "Did you sleep with Winona?" one of them asked in shock. Heath, holding a beer can, responded quietly, "I just can't get over Winona... and we were both drunk. It wasn't intentional. We talked about it afterward, and we agreed to stay friends. Julia won't find out. Even if she does, I'm still her best option. She'll marry me, be part of my family. As for Winona... this is just a pre-marriage fling. A late gift from God."One of them scoffed.

I gave a faint smile but said nothing.From the very beginning, Heath had never truly cared about me. If he did, he would have noticed that Flynn and I had grown up in the same neighborhood, living together until we were fifteen. Later, my family moved south for business, while the Turners, involved in politics, moved north. That was when our families drifted apart. If it weren't for that, I would have never met Heath."Julia and I are childhood sweethearts. To be able to marry her is the best thing to happen to me," Flynn said with a warm smile. "And I'm glad her parents entrusted her future to me.""Ha! How could that be? You clearly love me! You planned the entire wedding yourself; there's no reason for you to give up!" Heath insisted, frustration evident in his voice. "Is it because I didn't visit you when you were sick? Or those few words I said defending Winona in the private room? I never knew you were this petty."Heath stared at us in disbelief, not even noticing Winona be

Less than a day passed before Naomi secretly sent me the scandalous news about the Grants.Winona had somehow gotten her hands on Sadie's contact information and arranged to meet her at a coffee shop. She even hired a paparazzi, thinking she could exploit Sadie's likely maternal instinct to protect her unborn grandchild. Once Sadie gave her blessing, Winona planned to leak the news that she and Heath were engaged, turning it into a public affair.But to her surprise, Sadie wasn't buying it.Without even glancing at the pregnancy test report on the table, Sadie tossed it straight into the trash."Winona, once you took my money back then, you should have left my son alone. Do you really think I'll accept some stranger as my grandchild just because you popped out a piece of meat? Don't be foolish," Sadie snapped, her voice sharp. "My son is twenty-eight, not eighteen. If he wants to fool around with women, that's his business. But if you want to marry into the Grants, fine. Start by r