The Ex I Forgot: A Lover Turned Enemy

Elara Hayes had spent nearly twenty-five years as Governor Carter's wife, a life of dutiful performance, a lie for her husband's political ambitions, all while he pined for her stepsister, Brittany. As Ethan lay dying, his frail whisper asked her to place Brittany's portrait by his grave, a final, cruel reminder of her lifelong second-place status. But a blinding headache striking at his deathbed plunged her back in time, opening her eyes to sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows, wearing a wedding dress and standing at the altar for her first wedding to Ethan. Then, just as before, his phone buzzed, and he ran out of the church, leaving her humiliated for Brittany. This time, though, there were no tears, no despair, only a wild, giddy sense of freedom as she realized: "This was it. My second chance." With her family's wrath looming and society's judgment heavy on her, Elara lifted her chin, walked down that aisle, and, to the collective gasp of the church, proposed to the notorious media scion, Declan Monroe – the man who, in her past life, had been her silent, unwavering protector.

Our fifth wedding anniversary should have celebrated a decade building our tech empire with my husband, Ethan. Instead, at dinner, he introduced Tiffany, an intern secretly pregnant with his child, expecting me to welcome her and the baby into our home. Soon, my Seattle mansion became a living hell: I was stripped of my master suite, endured constant humiliation, and was framed by Tiffany for destroying my own mother's ashes. Then, miraculously pregnant, I was accused by Ethan of cursing their baby, and he allowed his father to brutally cut my hair, causing a traumatic miscarriage. How could the man who swore to protect me watch as I lost everything, even our unborn child, twisted into a witch by his legacy-obsessed family? Broken and alone, a forgotten past awakened: a rival CEO, Liam, rescued me, revealing a lost son and a love I'd erased from my memory, igniting my resolve to reclaim my true identity and bring retribution to those who wronged me.

Eight months pregnant, I cradled my swollen belly, anticipating the miracle baby conceived after years of grueling IVF treatments and countless tear-soaked nights. But the scent of barbecue smoke suddenly morphed into burning truth when I overheard my husband Mark' s chilling confession from the patio. He' d feigned my infertility, using me as a mere vessel to carry his mistress Jessica' s child, planning to discard me once his "perfect" blueprint was complete. My world shattered as I understood: my baby was Jessica' s, my love a lie, my body a grotesque incubator in his twisted scheme. That night, Mark drugged me, then, with Jessica and his friends, they violated my unconscious form, gleefully filming my humiliation and sharing it online. As I hemorrhaged and lost the pregnancy, they casually dismissed my pleas, leaving me bleeding and broken, just another inconvenient piece of furniture in their sick game. The dehumanizing assault, the profound betrayal, and the agonizing loss of the child that had only ever been a pawn, ignited a cold, clear rage inside me. How could the man who promised me a family inflict such calculated, monstrous cruelty, turning my deepest desires into instruments of my degradation? Lying naked, covered in my own blood, as their mockery echoed, I realized they hadn' t just broken me; they had inadvertently forged me into an unyielding weapon. They thought they had stripped me of everything, but they had just given me a very specific, unbreakable purpose: to systematically dismantle their lives, piece by excruciating piece.

The typical bright Texas morning was promising, another day of booming business for Hayes Corp, my family's oil and real estate empire. My assistant's tight voice cut through the calm: "Mr. Hayes, there's... news. About Ms. Moreau." Isabelle "Izzy" Moreau, my fiancée, was supposedly lost at sea in a tragic boating accident off the coast of Maine. In my previous life, that phone call had shattered my world; I spent fifty years as a hollow shell, honoring her memory while her supposed grieving friends drained my company with their sob stories. But then, at eighty, frail and tired, I found her alive and thriving at our "special place" in the Caribbean, dripping in jewels, laughing on the arm of Liam Vance, my former head of security. Their children, their grandchildren, a grotesque dynasty built on my stolen life and stolen fortune. The sheer, monumental betrayal stopped my heart, killing me on the spot. Then I jolted awake, here, now, back on this exact Tuesday morning, the sun shining, the phone poised to deliver the same lie. Only this time, the news didn't devastate me; it filled me with a cold, clear resolve. I already knew. I had lived this day before, and I was reborn with a singular purpose. The game was officially on, and this time, I would win.

My tenth wedding anniversary gala at our lavish Napa Valley estate should have been a dream, but for ten years I’d lived a gilded nightmare crafted by Julian Thorne. Tonight, my tech mogul husband took his public humiliation ritual to new depths, introducing his barely-out-of-her-teens mistress on stage, then demanding I strip my designer gown and a priceless family heirloom necklace to give to her as a "welcome gift." When I finally uttered "divorce," he scoffed, offering a multi-million-dollar "severance package" but coldly emphasized that my ailing father's costly medical care depended entirely on his whims, turning my raw pain into a grotesque public spectacle for the guests to bet on. That very night, fueled by rage, Julian trapped me in the wine cellar, convinced I'd never truly walk away, as my mother lay dying from a car accident I couldn't reach her from, leaving me to beat bloody fists against the locked door. Reaching the hospital too late, and later enduring a final, devastating blow as Julian’s mistress orchestrated my father’s quiet death with his chilling disregard, left me utterly shattered, yet terrifyingly, undeniably, free from his last cruel hold. With every lifeline severed, and nothing left for Julian to control or threaten, the broken woman he thought he owned finally died, and a new, formidable force awoke, ready to unleash a vengeance he never saw coming, starting now.

My life was perfect, the American dream within reach. I was Ash Carter, engaged to Ethan Miller, our star quarterback, future NFL legend. We had it all mapped out: the big house, the easy life, the picture-perfect wedding. Then, in a brutal flash, it all imploded. An ACL tear, career-ending complications. Ethan, my golden boy, was broken. His father disgraced. My mother, Karen, wasted no time. "You have to break it off, Ashley," she commanded, her voice cutting, practical. He was a "liability," a "nobody." The dreams of wealth and connections she envisioned for me vanished with his ruined knee. I felt sick, my stomach churning at the thought of the conversation to come. I knew she was right, didn't I? For my future. For her sanity. My thumb hovered over Ethan's name, ready to end it. Then, my phone buzzed wildly, not a call, but bright, blocky letters flashing across my vision like a game interface. `GAME FEED: CRITICAL CHOICE!` `ABANDONING ETHAN MILLER NOW = 'TRAGIC SPINSTER' BAD ENDING. DETAILS: Social ruin, crushing debt, lonely cat lady. Forty cats. Minimum.` My blood ran cold. Was this real? `ETHAN MILLER IS PROPHESIED TO ACHIEVE UNEXPECTED GREATNESS. STAY THE COURSE FOR 'POWER COUPLE' GOOD ENDING. DETAILS: Influence, respect, true partnership. Legendary status.` My life was a game? The words "forty cats" burned behind my eyes. Looking at Ethan, broken on the couch, the breakup words died. Fear, stark and overwhelming, took hold. The path was terrifyingly clear. And I had to play.

Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...

Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...

Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion.  Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.

Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."

“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?”

Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”