/0/66112/coverbig.jpg?v=b4db0acd3dabccb3f2cf46b6f74460b8)
After five years of fruitless and loveless marriage to Lucien Albrecht, a business tycoon in Seattle, Ariadne was finally at her wits end. Her husband proposed a divorce on the night of their fifth anniversary, never knowing how much she had forsaken for his love. With a broken heart, Ariadne severed all ties with him for good, going back to her previous identity.. the Heiress of Grey Enterprise. However, never in a thousand years had she thought, when she decided back to be Alexandra Grey, Lucien turned to be the one who wanted Ariadne Albrecht back. Torn between the constant power struggle at the company and her ex husband's watchful gaze, could the young CEO finally gain her set goal? *** "Vying for the position of Mrs. Albrecht?" Alexandra couldn't suppress the chuckle that escaped her lips. "I'd much rather build my own empire than be some man's trophy wife."
The soft ticks of a grandfather clock filled the silent air of a rather huge kitchen. Ariadne was just about done with preparing her anniversary dinner.
Dusting her hands of any food crumbs, she reached for the device when the melodic sound of her ringtone broke the silence.
It was the call she had been waiting for.
Beaming brightly, she answered the phone. "Yeah, hello?"
"Mrs. Ariadne? We've called to inform you that the custom order you made a few weeks ago is now ready. Would you like us to deliver it to you?"
"No!" She instantly objected upon instinct, one could almost call it an everyday routine.
Although she had been married to Lucien Albrecht, a big shot in the business industry, for years- five years. But to be precise, no one in the outside world knew she was his wife.
In other words, she, being his wife, was on papers alone.
After so long of marriage, Lucien had never for once shown her the love she wanted. Not that she expected him to; after all she was just a woman he had married five years ago to meet his mother's last wish.
Ariadne knew their marriage didn't get a perfect start, but she was willing to wait, waiting for the day when Lucien would look back and see her love.
If nothing else, that was her only wish.
Now, after all that time, she had finally gotten her husband to agree on having dinner with her on the night of their wedding anniversary and she absolutely didn't want her efforts to go to waste.
"I'll pick it up right away, so don't bother." She responded, hoping this anniversary night would give their marriage a new start.
On arriving at the watch store, Ariadne took one look at her reflection, adjusting a few stray locks of her brown hair before heading inside. However, when she had just about made it pass the front desk, the conversation of two female workers caught her attention.
". I'm not joking. I saw Mr. Albrecht at the Rose Garden Restaurant, and he was with a very pretty female." The first female, a chubby and short brunette voiced.
'Lucien? With a woman?'
Ariadne' ears perked to a stand, conceiving news about her husband. But last she remembered, Lucien hated interaction with women, herself included.
Surely this employee was just making up a rumor to get attention.
She dusted their conversation aside, about to continue on her way. Yet the other female employee, a prettier brunette, squealed.
"Is this her?" The female had her index finger pointed towards the screen of her friend's phone which held the photo of a beautiful noirette with red eyes, whose features could only be defined with one word.
Celebrity.
"Yes. Wasn't she his lover years ago? Octavia Barrette, the rising star?" The chubby brunette excitedly screamed as soon as she recognized the woman in the photo.
Ariadne felt the ground beneath her feet sway momentarily and the voices became muffled.
'Octavia Barrette?'
No. She refused to believe what these people were saying.
Lucien and Octavia had already split up a while before their marriage due to her so-proclaimed illness.
She remembered how much Lucien suffered from her but Octavia was so determined. There was no way he'd still go back to the woman who had abandoned him all those years ago.
But as much as Ariadne had tried to convince herself otherwise, the next second she found her fingers dialing the number of her so-called husband.
Standing in silence, the brunette listened to the line ring, but no one picked up. She tried calling again, only to have the same fate, and on the third dial, she caught herself and instantly hung up.
'What are you doing, Ariadne Albrecht?' She thought and snickered as she lowered the device.
'Instead of picking up Lucien's present, you're here listening to rumors. Get it together.' She inwardly scolded herself and adjusted her posture the next second.
After convincing herself that the employee must have seen someone similar, she didn't waste another second, and strode towards the main shop, picked up the gift then headed straight back home.
By the time the brunette had arrived home-due to all the traffic, time had flown by and it was pretty late. Seeing this, and realizing Lucien was soon to arrive, Ariadne quickly got about setting up the atmosphere for their anniversary dinner.
She decorated the table with beautiful pedals of red roses, lit aromatic candles around each corner and had the best non-alcoholic wine served.
It was going to be the first time in years since they had celebrated the day of their marriage and the brunette was more than happy as she sat by the table, awaiting the return of her husband.
However, an hour soon turned into two hours, and two hours into three. And after trying to reach Lucien several times, Ariadne was starting to feel dejected.
Once the clock struck twelve, the brunette sighed and buried her face into the center of her palm.
'Of course he forgot. Is there ever a time he remembers?' Tears pricked at her eyes as she thought.
This wasn't the first time Lucien had forgotten about an important engagement of theirs. Be it her birthdays, his birthdays or their anniversaries, the man consistently seemed to put a curtain on each occasion.
And each time, it left Ariadne with a new reason to doubt her love for him.
Was all she had endured over the past five years really worth it?
How much more would she have to endure before it all ended?
The sound of the door clicking open drew the brunette out of her world of self pity and in walked Lucien.
'He's back!' Just seeing him for a glance was enough to eliminate all her previous hesitation and sadness like it all never existed.
"Welcome home." Ariadne greeted as she rose from her seat, trying her best to hide the truth that she had cried for him before.
Lucien hated those crying women, she was well aware of that tiny fact.
Her words, however, fell on deaf ears as Lucien walked. staggered towards the stairs, wanting nothing more than to head to his room.
Ariadne quickly noticed this and rushed to his side, placing an arm on his shoulder to support his movement. The scent of alcohol radiated off his entire being and this caused the brunette to scrunch up her nose.
"Lucien, did you. did you drink?" She asked surprised, remembering clearly that the male didn't like the taste of alcohol.
But midst the scent of alcohol, Ariadne could smell something else.
The feminine scent of a perfume?
It definitely wasn't hers, and Lucien's everyday smell was more of after shower grape smell and expensive sandalwood cologne.
'So who.' The brunette's train of thought was silenced as her gray orbs landed on the fresh red lipstick planted on Lucien's white office shirt.
This took her by surprise and her heart twisted in several wrong ways.
The one thing she was always so sure would never happen, was happening!
How in the world was there a lipstick mark on Lucien Albrecht's shirt? The very man who refused to have contact with women, his very own wife included.
Involuntarily, Ariadne remembered the conversation she had overheard back when picking up Lucien's present.
Her eyes fluttered in disbelief as they stayed trained on the lipstick mark, lips moving unconsciously.
"Lucien did. were you." No matter how hard she tried, the words just couldn't leave her mouth. It was like a painful bile stuck in her throat, one that she wanted to get rid of desperately, but couldn't.
Why? Was it because she was afraid?
But afraid of what? The way Lucien would react to her question? The outcome of her question? Or both?
While Ariadne was in a little world hers, Lucien wriggled out of her hold and stared down at her with icy orbs.
This did not shake Ariadne one bit as soon as she noticed. If after five years of cold marriage she couldn't get used to this much, then she wouldn't be her mothers' daughter.
"Ariadne." Lucien's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion towards her, just like his eyes.
Ariadne held that gaze, feeling her heart twist the more. She saw the way he clenched his jaw before uttering his next words- one that shocked her to the core.
"...I'll send home the documents, so let's get a divorce."
"Listen, Gadreel Ădegaar," she looked at him, not hesitating this time. "It's my anniversary present for you. Let's divorce." *** Ivory Remington had sacrificed five years to look after her husband Gadreel who was in a vegetative state after an accident and a few months ago, he finally awakened like a miracle. She thought it was the start of their happy life but Gadreel still had no heart for her. On their anniversary and her birthday, she received a cheating video of her dear husband and her stepsister. Heartbroken, Ivory chose to quit this stupid game. She decided to set him free but the reason she left on the divorce agreement pierced Gadreel's noble pride. *** "Impotent? Are you serious?" He gripped her wrist and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "I'm a woman, Gadreel. I'm tired of being in a sexless marriage. Let's end it once and for all." "Sexless, huh?" he chuckled lowly and without warning grabbed her chin in between his hands, pulling her face closer. "Turns out my wife was so eager to get a man between her legs? "
"Ms. Crawford, itâs time for you to divorce Mr. Larsen and come home. You're the only heiress the Master's waiting for.â ~â˘~ For the sake of love, Amara accepted the arranged marriage with Tobias William Larsen. She did everything to gain her husbandâs heart but when his old love returned, she realized that all her effort was all for naught. Tobias demanded a divorce on the night of their wedding anniversary, even at the price of threatening her. Heartbroken, she finally dropped all her illusions about him and returned home to be the heiress. The next time she met Tobias, they were no longer couples but opponents. "Mr. Larsen, should I remind you again? We've divorced." "Amara, that's the stupidest mistake I've ever made. Please come back to me."
âGabriel Bryce, how can you stand being so shameless?â Leonica asked, staring daggers at her atrocious husband and his mistress. âThis is the house gifted to my by grandmother, yet you dare bring another woman into it? Arenât you afraid that grandmother would be disappointed with you actionsâŚ?â Leonicaâs words remained unfinished as an enraged Gabriel swung his hand through the air, smacking his palm clean on her left cheek. Leonica held her throbbing cheek, eyes wide and teary as she stared at her husband who glared down at her ferociously. âThe nerves of you to mention my grandmother. You have no right to do so!â He spat, taking a step forward and jabbing his index finger painfully into her shoulder, making her take several steps back. âBare this in mind, Leonica Romero, if not for the wishes of my late grandmother, Iâd much rather be dead than associate myself with somebody like you.â *~*~* *~*~* Leonica Romero has always had a long time crush on Gabriel Bryce, CEO of Bryce Empire and Norwayâs Business tyrant. Fortunately, at the request of his Ill grandmother, her familyâs long time friend, Leonica gets the chance to marry her beloved. Feeling elated, she abandoned her position and dream job in the Romero household and becomes a humble housewife for Gabriel. However, Three years later, on the day of Gabrielâs grandmotherâs funeral, Leonica is stunned speechless when he demands for a divorce, as his ex girlfriend Angelina Fernandez had suddenly returned, proclaiming her undying love for him. But that wasnât the only shock Leonica received that day. Hours after Gabrielâs declaration for a divorce, Leonica wakes up in the hospital to a shocking news. She was two months pregnant. And Gabriel knew nothing about this!
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffmanâthe heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. Iâll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!