Betrayed by her fiancé and abandoned by her family, Mandy Gates was ready to disappear-until Damian Black, her ex's powerful billionaire uncle, makes a bold offer to help her seek her revenge. Though it started as a calculated alliance but it quickly ignites into something neither of them expected. However, in a world of secrets and betrayal surrounding them, can they trust the fire between them, or will it consume them both? Find out in this thrilling story.
Mandy's POV
The hospital room smelled faintly of antiseptic, a sharp, sterile scent that clung to everything. I hated it. And the IV drip attached to my arm made a soft clicking sound every few seconds, which was a constant reminder that I was stuck here. My head felt heavy, my body weaker than I cared to admit, but my fingers still swiped across my phone screen.
Though, I wasn't even sure why I opened social media-habit, maybe. Or just something to distract me from the endless hours stretching out in front of me. As I scrolled through photos of smiling couples, vacation snapshots, and perfect lives, I saw it.
Nathan.
My fiancé.
He was in a picture with a woman I'd never met, but she looked familiar. Her arm was looped through his, their faces were close, and they were smiling like they shared some private joke with the caption which stated. "My love is true, couldn't be happier."
My stomach twisted viewing the caption and to think it was my adoptive parents who posted it and even tagged her as Mia, their biological daughter.
I stared at the photo, my chest tightening as I began wondering he never mentioned her to me. Not once.
He had even told me he was too busy to visit me in the hospital. "Work is insane," he'd said. "I'll come as soon as I can, babe. Just rest, okay?" But here he was, smiling with her like he didn't have a care in the world.
Instantly, I clicked on his contact and pressed the call button before I could overthink it. The phone rang. Once. Twice. Then it went into voicemail.
But that didn't stop me as I tried again.
And again.
Still nothing.
The silence on the other end of the line felt louder than the drip of the IV or the hum of the hospital machines.
My mind raced as flashes of the last seven years began hitting me like punches. The way he used to hold me after a long day, whispering promises about our future. The way he'd laugh at my jokes, even the bad ones. How he'd sworn he'd always be there for me. But lately, he'd been pulling away-brushing me off, working late, forgetting things he never used to forget.
I told myself, perhaps I was overthinking it. I had to be.
But when I got home that night, something felt... off, too off to be precise as the apartment was quiet than usual. It was the kind of quiet that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. So, I dropped my bag on the couch and froze as something sparkled on the floor near the edge of the rug.
Only to discover a pair of earrings and they weren't mine.
My heart started pounding as each beat echoed in my ears. I picked them up, turning them over in my hand to have a proper look. They were elegant, expensive and definitely not the kind of thing I'd ever wear.
With that, I stood there for a moment, staring at them, as my thoughts turned a tangled mess. Then I marched to the bedroom. Only to find Nathan's suit jacket hanging on the back of the chair, just where he always left it. My fingers trembled as I reached into the pocket and found a condom box opened.
At that point, I couldn't breathe as my hands shook the minute I threw the jacket back onto the chair. Though the earrings were still clutched in my hand, digging into my palm.
I couldn't wait for him to be back as I had so many questions brooding on my mind, I was so furious and felt like I was played but I had no option but to wait for him.
After some hours later, I saw Nathan walking through the door, and the minute he saw me sitting on the couch with my arms crossed with the earrings on the coffee table in front of me like evidence in a trial.
He froze.
"What's this?" I asked, my voice low.
As he glanced at the earrings, then at me. H
Though, his face didn't change. Not guilt. Not surprise. Just... indifference.
"They're earrings," he said, like I was stupid for even asking.
"They're not mine."
He shrugged, walking past me toward the kitchen. "So? Maybe they're yours and you forgot."
I stood, my voice rising. "Don't do that. Don't act like I'm imagining things. Who do they belong to, Nathan?"
He didn't answer.
"And what about this?" I grabbed the condom box from the table, holding it up.
Nathan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Can we not do this right now? I've had a long day."
"No," I snapped. "We're doing this right now. Who is she?"
He turned to face me, his expression cold. "Mia," he said finally. "Your parents' daughter. I've been seeing her."
Hearing this, my chest tightened. "Seeing her? What does that even mean?"
"It means I'm done pretending, okay?" His voice rose, sharp and defensive. "You're boring, alright? You've changed. You're always tired, always complaining. I need someone who actually excites me."
His words hit me like a slap.
"Excites you?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. "After everything we've been through? Seven years, Nathan. Seven years."
He shrugged again, his face blank. "Things change, okay."
"Things change," I murmured silently as I felt something break inside me. The love I had for him, the trust, the hope-it all shattered in that moment.
Then, my voice turned steadier than I felt as I said to him. "Fine, we're done."
Nathan smirked, like he didn't believe me. "You'll regret this," he said, his tone almost mocking. "You think you can do better?"
But I didn't answer as I grabbed my bag,
with my heart pounding as I walked past him.
Reaching outside of his house, the night air hit me like a shock which was cold and sharp against my skin.
And as I stood there for a moment, staring up at the dark sky. I felt empty. Numb. But beneath it all of that, there was a flicker of something else.
Determination.
As I wasn't going to let Nathan-or anyone else-make me feel small no matter what.
Not now.
Not ever.
*"I had a one-night stand with a stranger who turned out to be my boss, oh my goodness what have I done,"* Valerie Skye is a young and hardworking woman, who finds herself entangled in a web of love, lies, and unexpected twists, after getting dumped by her ex-lover. She ends up having a one-night stand with a total stranger, Dante Blaze, who turns out to be her boss. This becomes complicated for Valerie, as she tries every possible way to avoid Dante. But as a charming playboy and her boss, Dante takes this as a challenge to clip Valerie's wings and make her his. Will she be able to stand his charm? Will he succeed in making her submit? Will love end up overruling Dante's Playboy's nature? Or will Valerie continuously live in shame of her night with him?
"My mom was always right, you're a cheap whore who sells her body for money!" Richard yelled in anger Gabriella's easygoing life takes a turn for the worse when her boyfriend catches her in bed with another man who turns out to be his arch nemesis and the most powerful CEO, Simeon Grey. No one including her boyfriend believes her innocence and Simon takes advantage of this and forces her to be his wife against her wishes with no way of escape. What happens when Gabriella finds out that she is just a pawn in Simon's game to destroy Richard? Will she be able to escape Simon's clutches or does fate have other plans in store for her?
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
I received a pornographic video. "Do you like this?" The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts. "Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response. "You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!" The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed. I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella. ************************************************************************************************************************ “I want to get a divorce, Mark,” I repeated myself in case he didn't hear me the first time—even though I knew he'd heard me clearly. He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It's not up to you! I'm very busy, don't waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!" The last thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him. "I will have the lawyer send you the divorce agreement," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster. He didn't even say another word after that and just went through the door he'd been standing in front of, slamming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and placed it on the table. I grabbed my suitcase, which I'd already had my things packed in and headed out of the house.
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.