All Chapters of Choosing Love Over Kinship: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I received a call from the abductors just as my husband's first love, Hailey Crosby, arrived at the scene."You have an hour to gather 20 million dollars," the abductor barked at me. "Place the ransom under the Central Bridge. Don't call the police, or I'll kill them!"Armed with the knowledge from my past life, I put the call on the speaker so my husband, Shane McClure, could hear them.I turned to face him and met his clouded expression. He snorted. "Natalie Swanson, how low could you go? Did you get my parents to put on this act just so you could push Hailey out of the picture?"I didn't cry or wail like he had expected. Instead, I calmly clarified, "This isn't an act. Your parents have been abducted, and we need 20 million dollars to pay the ransom. Go get the money now."His icy gaze bore into me. Stone-faced, he said, "Are you trying to swindle my money after you failed to win my heart with this sham marriage?"Shane and I had known each other for two decades. When we were

After the call ended, the police shook their heads grimly. Even though the abductor had directly contacted me, it was still impossible to trace their location.I turned around and saw Jimmy passing by. He had overheard everything and now looked as pale as a ghost."Nat, have Shane's parents really been kidnapped? But Shane told me they were just acting to help you…"I didn't have the energy to argue with him, so I told him to call Shane and tell him the truth.I anxiously glanced at the time. With Craig's resources, transferring five million dollars shouldn't take this long. After waiting for a while, I called him."Uncle Craig?"I had barely begun when he sighed heavily. "Nat, lying is wrong, you know," he said tiredly. "Look, no one in Shane's family has treated you kindly except for his parents. "I pitied you and tried to help you. But now, I see things clearly. Those who play the victim only end up looking pathetic. If you weren't such a compulsive liar, a fine man like Sha

I placed the divorce papers in front of Shane and said softly, "I'm tired. Let's get a divorce."Shane's expression turned cold. Sneering, he said, "Are you serious?""Yes," I replied.He picked up his pen and said dismissively, "Sure, I'd be delighted. Just don't regret this and don't come to my house crying after the divorce. That would be incredibly annoying."I laughed. "I definitely won't do that."With a swift stroke of his pen, Shane signed his name on the papers, black ink stark against the white background."Wait!" Hailey took one glance at the divorce agreement and immediately turned pale.She shrieked loudly. "Shane, look closer at the asset division clause in this agreement! This bitch wants to take all of your parents' inheritance. I can't allow that!"Shane grabbed the papers and looked at me in shock. "I can't believe you're so greedy, Natalie. They're my parents. Why would they leave their money to you?"I sighed. "Believe it or not, their last words before the

After sorting out my affairs, I went home to rest for a few days.My parents didn't blame me for divorcing Shane. All they cared about was whether he had mistreated me over the past few years.Their concern warmed my heart. I regretted my reckless decision to marry Shane in the first place. My parents loved me. I had my own career and proper education. I led a happy and fulfilling life before I met him. So why did I insist on giving all of that up for love and marriage?"My life has just started," I told my parents. "I will not live for anyone else anymore."A few days later, I received a call from the police station. Shane had murdered someone. He was now in prison.Languidly, I asked the policeman who called me, "I'm sorry, what has that got to do with me?""Ms. Swanson, the suspect has specifically requested to see you. He says he will kill himself if you don't see him."I raised an eyebrow. "And what does it matter to me if he dies?"In the end, after much persuasion, I r