The Ex and Her Riches

“Ugh…” Whitney endured the pain with a frown. As she barely had any energy left, she couldn’t escape him.

Looking aggrieved, she said, “I’m just your wife in name who’ll be a stranger to you a year later. Yesterday, I made you angry, and you warned me, and today you didn’t come to pick me up. You’re clearly punishing me. Were you expecting me to throw away my pride and call you to drive me home? Is that it? I could’ve returned on my own, but my phone ran out of battery. It’s not like I got myself lost on purpose. You were the one who didn’t want me to rely on you, Charles, and I know I can’t because how else am I supposed to live without you a year later? Sooner or later, I’m going to have to familiarize myself with the route to work. The route will be etched into my mind after I make a few more mistakes.”

The sting on her cheek lingered as she endured the pain Charles inflicted on her by pulling her hair.

Intensely aggrieved, Whitney continued, “Why are you doing this to me, Charles? I know I was wrong. I won’t ask about your past with Gwendolyn again. I know I don’t deserve to learn about your past and that I can’t be compared to her in your heart, but I’m doing my best, too. I pursued you for five years after moving to Chanaea from Tayhaven. It’s not like I’m asking you to like me. I merely want you not to treat me so harshly. This way, I’ll still have a positive image of you in my mind after I leave you in a—”

Without warning, Charles tossed his umbrella away, pressed her head toward him, and kissed her lips.

His kisses were domineering.

Whitney felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

Her mind went blank. Even her breath was almost stolen by that unexpected kiss.

Charles… is kissing me? Is he crazy?

She hammered her fist on his chest, but she was too weak to cause any harm to him.

Charles hugged her tighter, attacking her olfactory senses with his scent.

No pedestrians or vehicles passed them by on the secluded street.

There was only Charles’ luxury car illuminating the two embracing figures.

Even the cold, rainy air seemed to have become sweeter due to the kiss.

a few minutes until Whitney fainted in his

his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. He carried her into his car and drove back to the Newton

saw Charles carrying Whitney into the house. “What happened to Whitney? Why is she so pale? Was she kidnapped? Is she hurt? Didn’t you bring an umbrella

to answer any of her questions. He turned to Manuel and

“Will do, Mr. Newton.”

her on the bed before unbuttoning her shirt

later, he ceased his impatient movements upon realizing

Jasmine came over to check

change her clothes.

his long eyelashes concealing the panic

are you so

Bang!

received was the loud

like this?” spat Jasmine before

the

while later, the family doctor

she was drenched in the rain for hours, she caught a fever, which was unsurprising, and her body was

IV drip with a nutritional

escaped from the room to prevent others

shut the door to

from the sky with no end in

glass windows into cracks. The

and smoked

kiss he had shared with Whitney on the side

still pounding, and he couldn’t calm

I only wanted to stop her incessant chatter. I never thought I would ever have romantic feelings for a woman other than Gwendolyn. However, at that moment, I really did feel something for Whitney. I’ve loved Gwendolyn for over a decade, yet I didn’t kiss her even once. Instead, I shared my first kiss with