All Chapters of Start Over Without You: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"I promise you, I'll give you my identity."The autumn wind howled, sweeping up a blanket of fallen leaves. After saying those words, Margaret Chapman crushed the glowing tip of her cigarette, her voice cold and detached."You won't forget the deal you made with me, right?"On the other end of the line, a low chuckle rang out. "Sure, no problem. Now, about my identity—""I don't want it," Margaret interrupted, her tone even. "If Gavin asks, just tell him I'm dead—if he asks, that is."She hung up the phone, and moments later, Gavin Hartley's distinctive Maybach pulled up right in front of her. Behind it, a swarm of press cars followed closely.The man stepped out, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and a black trench coat. His sharp eyes softened to an almost unbearable tenderness as they met Margaret's gaze.He walked over and wrapped his coat around her fragile frame, shielding her from the chill. The crowd gasped in admiration."Mr. Hartley really softens up whenever he's

Margaret saw her again. Marjorie. She lived in a villa on the south side of the city, a place isolated from the world. Apart from the few people who took care of her and Gavin, no one ever came by. But Margaret had been here before. She had studied the villa completely. She knew where people could be concealed. Marjorie looked surprisingly well, wearing a long white dress and draped in Gavin's coat. Margaret felt like a thief. She had rushed out in such a hurry earlier, running so fast that she lost one of her shoes. Now, barefoot, she stood in the muddy earth, feeling the cold sting of dirt and the tiny crawl of ants against the soles of her feet. But she wasn't frightened. She was numb, standing still as she watched Gavin and Marjorie's happiness unfold. Marjorie was barefoot too, but she had her feet resting on Gavin's legs, her pale toes curling up. She smiled brightly and asked, "Gavin, where's the gift you promised me?" Gavin pulled out a Burberry

The scene was over when Gavin finally noticed the bloodied mess of Margaret's feet. He frowned, his expression shifting. "What happened to your feet? Weren't you at the hospital yesterday?" Margaret gave a quiet, indifferent response, her tone flat. "I stepped out for a while." Gavin lowered his gaze, then tore off a few sheets of tissue and placed them over his legs. He had a thing about cleanliness, but still, he placed Margaret's feet on his legs. If she hadn't witnessed Marjorie's bare feet placed so casually on Gavin's lap just yesterday, Margaret might have felt something. Instead, a bitter smirk flickered in her eyes as she asked, "Why the sudden interest in getting married?" "You've been... acting a little strange lately," Gavin remarked while watching her closely, his brow furrowed. While gently disinfecting her wounds, he added, "What's going on?" Margaret simply replied, her voice distant. "Nothing." Gavin still looked concerned, his eyes searching

When Gavin called to tell Margaret about the wedding, she was at the hospital.Her mother's condition had worsened. She desperately needed a kidney transplant, but the organ Margaret had arranged for her was still in Chesterio—still far from reaching her.Margaret had originally planned to use her own identity to secure that kidney for her mother.But on the other end of the line, Margaret's younger sister, Eloise Chapman, spoke in a calm, collected tone, "I told you, I'm climbing Mount Casendron right now. I can't make it in time. Even if I flew over now, it'd be tomorrow night before I could get there."Margaret's hands shook as she whispered, "But Mom really can't hold on much longer. You wanted my identity, didn't you? If Mom dies, I won't have any use for your kidney anymore. Why should I give my identity to you then?""I can't do anything about it!" Eloise's voice grew cold as she abruptly hung up.Margaret felt her hands grow colder too. Her mother's warmth was slowly fadi

At 5:00 AM, Gavin was woken up by the blaring sound of his alarm clock.The first thing he did was call the housekeeper at the villa to make sure Marjorie was still asleep and that the livestream equipment was ready. The second thing was to call Margaret.The call went straight to voicemail.His heart skipped a beat, suddenly thundering in his chest. A sense of unease washed over him, gnawing at his insides.Gavin could no longer sit still. He jumped out of bed and called the wedding planning company. "Is Margaret still asleep?" he asked urgently.The staff member hesitated before responding, "Ms. Chapman hasn't gotten up yet. We've knocked on her door, but she hasn't opened it. We're not sure what's going on…"Gavin's expression darkened. "I'm coming over now."His heart was racing. As he left the house, Gavin couldn't quite place the source of the panic that had suddenly overwhelmed him. He only realized it when he was already sitting in the back of the Maybach—he was stil