All Chapters of Ex-change : Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

The morning sun was a liar.Its golden rays painted my small bedroom with false promises of warmth and renewal, but they did nothing to untangle the knots in my chest. I sat on the edge of my bed, a porcelain mug growing cold in my hands, my eyes fixed on the dark liquid inside. The steam curled upward in lazy, shifting patterns—more alive than I felt.It had been a month since that night.A month since Eric ripped away what little self-respect I had left. A month of trying to piece together the wreckage.With a slow exhale, I set the mug down and forced myself to move. My room was in disarray: discarded clothes draped over a chair, an overflowing laundry basket, and a half-empty suitcase from a story I’d covered last week.Today, I told myself, is just another day.I pulled open my closet and reached for my armor: a crisp white blouse, a high-waisted black skirt, and my trusty blazer. Each layer felt like a shield, a barrier between myself and the world outside.As I fastened the las

I took my seat at my desk, trying to pretend like I wasn’t still thrown off by Damien’s presence. The morning’s chaos had faded, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was brewing. "So, what exactly are we looking into with this Thompson project, anyway?" I asked, trying to sound as though I had a solid grasp on what I was doing.Damien leaned against the desk, now entirely comfortable in his own element. "Well," he began, "We’re digging into the depths of the Thompson family’s finances, scandals, and a little bit of dirty laundry. Think of it as a treasure hunt, but instead of gold, we’re finding secrets."I glanced up from my computer, a little stunned by how casually he spoke about something so... big. "I feel like I’m supposed to be scared right now," I said, voice flat.Damien’s grin only grew. "You should be. But don’t worry. I’ll be your guide through the dark, twisted world of corporate corruption."I rolled my eyes. "Great. Just what I need—another guy acting

I’ve always believed I had my life under control. Nothing spirals unless I let it.I’m not rich, but I have a stable job—enough to feed my cravings and fund my Target shopping sprees. That counts for something.But, like every tragic heroine in a drama, I realize now—control was only ever an illusion.Eric Thompson walked out of my life with a painful exit. Damien Carter waltzed in like he owned the soundtrack to my downfall. And somehow, he’s the one pulling all the strings.I came to this conclusion while watching Damien smiling at my near-death experience. As if he had planned everything down to the second, he stood up, nodding like a perfect presidential candidate—except he was a liar and a con man.“I’ll be leaving now,” he said, flashing an annoyingly perfect smile.My mother, who had apparently forgotten that I almost died choking because of them, returned his smile with her best mother-in-law-to-be expression.“You should. It’s getting late already,” she agreed sweetly. “We’ll

“What do you mean?” I asked Damien, stopping myself from falling back into thoughts of Eric.“You don't really have a choice,” he started, holding up a document I hadn’t noticed before. “I took permission from Mr. Callahan.”If I’d been drinking anything, I would have choked.“You took permission to stalk my ex?”He gave me a look like I was being dramatic. “Correction—our exes. And it’s not stalking if it’s for work.”I wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or annoyed. On one hand, it wasn’t something worse—like some new twist involving Eric. On the other hand, it meant I’d have to confront reality. And that reality was Eric.Still, some part of me was relieved. Because not knowing anything about the man who might be the father of my child? That was scarier than facing him.“So, do I have your consent to start our field trip tomorrow?” Damien drawled.I rolled my eyes. “Like you care about consent.”He just smirked. “You’re right. I don’t. See you tomorrow.”I didn’t respond, and he s