Connor completely lost his shit and all sense of reason.
He charged in ready to beat the hell out of Jake.
But Jake wasn’t about to back down either.
He ducked behind me while deliberately provoking Connor even more.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re seeing. Bella’s been planning to divorce your ass and marry me instead.”
“Mad about it? Good! Hope it kills you! You deserve it!”
Connor stared at me with this wounded expression.
“Bella, tell me the truth. Is that really what’s happening?”
I looked at him in silence.
“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter to you anymore. You didn’t sign the divorce papers, so I’ve already gotten lawyers involved.”
“Our divorce hearing is in three days, and I’m demanding you leave with absolutely nothing.”
“Connor, isn’t this what you always wanted?”
“To be reunited with your wife and daughter, living happily ever after? I’m making your dreams come true.”
Connor collapsed on the floor, clutching his head and sobbing.
“No, that’s not it! That’s not what I wanted at all! I never wanted a divorce!”
“Bella, why can’t you understand that?”
I stared at him with zero emotion.
“There’s nothing to understand. I just don’t accept what you want.”
“Why the hell should I be okay with you having a baby with another woman?”
“Connor, I’ll admit I used to love you–I would’ve died for you. But that doesn’t mean you get to shit all over my dignity and betray me whenever you feel like it.”
With that, I was done talking. I called hospital security to drag him out.
As I watched Connor stumble away looking completely defeated, I recalled stumbling across his diary before. It was full of entries about his twisted infatuation with his “niece,”
Throughout our entire marriage, I could never tell which of his words were genuine and which were complete lies.
He said he was drugged, that the one–night stand wasn’t his fault.
I believed him.
Then he had a baby with her.
I tried to believe that too.
I made myself into a complete fool–no brain, no self–respect, no standards–just loving him unconditionally.
to Betray
36.6%
Chapter 8
But I couldn’t do it anymore.
I handed over all the videos my private investigator had collected over the years to my lewryer.
“I want Connor to leave with nothing.”
He was a famous international designer with a stellar reputation.
But he forgot who had built him up to that position in the first place.
If I could make him, I could sure as hell break him too.
Connor didn’t even understand the meaning behind his own designs.
His head was completely empty–if I hadn’t been feeding him ideas through a “consultant behind the scenes, his whole persona world collapsed years ago.
Two weeks later, the divorce ruling came through. I won.
Connor was ordered to leave with nothing.
Shortly after that, all the dirt about Connor cheating in design competitions got leaked. His reputation in the industry was completely destroyed.
He even got blacklisted from the entire design world.
Connor went from being a celebrated, high–profile designer to a pariah that everyone despised.
Sofia’s career was also ruined by the scandal.
Then her husband from overseas showed up to announce their divorce.
That’s when Connor realized he’d been played completely.
The reason Sofia never wanted to marry him was because she was already legally married to someone else abroad.
She’d just been stringing along his lovesick ass for fun, and that baby wasn’t even his.
When forced to choose between her legal husband and Connor, Sofia immediately ran back overseas with her real husband.
Apparently the husband hated the kid, so they dumped her in foster care.
Connor also got his leg broken by the “real husband.”
The last time I saw him, Connor was filthy and pathetic, literally crawling on the ground begging for my forgiveness, begging me to see him one more time.
I took one look and told my driver to roll up the windows.
We drove right past him.
After I became single again, Jake launched an intense, pursuit, but I didn’t say yes.
When it comes to relationships, that’s just not what I need right now.
Rather than diving into another emotional mess, I’d rather focus on myself for a while.
I’m pouring all my energy into my career instead.
When I’m ready to start dating again, I’ll let it happen naturally.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.