Confucius Ads Library: Ads

Id	Vlad	Saved	Scrape Time	Status	Scrape Result	Adarchiveid	Title	Body	Cta Type	Link Url	Pageid	Page Name	Page Profile Uri	Page Like Count	Collationcount	Collationid	Enddate	Entitytype	Gatedtype	Hidedatastatus	Isaaaeligible	Isactive	Cta Text	Pagename	Ad Creative	Caption	Effective Authorization Category	Display Format	Link Description	Link Url	Creation Time	Page Profile Picture Url	Page Entity Type	Instagram Actor Name	Instagram Profile Pic Url	Version	Current Page Name	Startdate	Actions
1,778,673	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1777945}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:41	active	760	8210278058986812	No Drugs. No Surgery. Just Relief From Chronic Back Pain	Chronic Back Pain can ruin the fun in performing the activities you love like golfing🏌️, fishing 🐟, swimming 🏊, or playing with the children 👨‍👧‍👦.<br /> <br /> The 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 at Disc Centers of America - Tallahassee can provide long-lasting relief from Chronic Back Pain caused by injuries or aging.<br /> <br /> This 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 is free of surgery, medications, and steroids.<br /> <br /> Click "Sign Up" or Call "(850) 920-9077" to schedule a 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺, 𝗫-𝗥𝗮𝘆 (𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱), 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄, 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗶𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲) ALL for just $49, to see if we can help you.<br /> <br /> Serving Tallahassee and all surrounding areas.<br /> <br /> Disc Centers of America - Tallahassee<br /> 1395 Cross Creek Cir<br /> Tallahassee, FL 32301<br /> (850) 920-9077	SIGN_UP	http://fb.me/	290680597465953	DCOA Tallahassee	https://facebook.com/61559318965001	0	2	1,379,863,609,378,700	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Sign up	DCOA Tallahassee	120211923932030237	fb.me	NONE	video	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.9 (150+)	http://fb.me/	2024-05-08 04:54	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440426153_772080668017022_3059559975929902029_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SEkatGWhzcYQ7kNvgF6BcHx&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDHJG6txGYVgj4mkIIjqbrUoIFvuWRCmtLJnUYyf6yRzQ&oe=6641CC62	person_profile	DCOA Tallahassee	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441250656_1214410336212174_8221755625754315522_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=EszQiVoBCSsQ7kNvgENbqUC&_nc_oc=Adh99Hv6Py52TG4xmCk9ffpLM3XKuhCJYGkeWSoC9oU3EhaY8fYb7-_41Qzc8JRJcL8&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAH4ZSl2gj_fQILUaLDR2VSeJ_71Zq0kVXG-zN7Tb0LuQ&oe=6641E47A	3	DCOA Tallahassee	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,639	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778643}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:41	active	760	321684410792919	Couple hang clothes line to block neighbours view after she 'installs five cameras’	Megan sends a hilarious and very direct message to her neighbor.		https://shareably.net/couple-hang-clothes-line-to-	1556259461269806	Shareably	https://facebook.com/ShareablyNow	3,572,055	2	811,036,973,730,010	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1		Shareably	120209003817470114	shareably.net	NONE	image	They had 5 cameras pointed at her house and actually had the nerve to call the police when they tried to block them. The officers got a good laugh.	https://shareably.net/couple-hang-clothes-line-to-block-neighbours-view	2024-05-07 19:07	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441198072_1507561856464047_3748005935731236293_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=WR2b52jIrCEQ7kNvgEgwDpv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCpdag1_dZo9kBaL6_GwvEcQTKycpmSpsbuCwIz0HYFQg&oe=6641C546	person_profile	Shareably	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441255454_3578692685718638_273552187240983208_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=d_GW-ZFocU8Q7kNvgFk7Fyg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBUtKLYUmb1kZNv-lDwD2L5aOXTYn7F6P9s2tHutlhuXA&oe=6641C527	3	Shareably	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,683	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1777945}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:41	active	760	3694406384167111	Breakthrough Rapid Back Pain Relief Program in Tallahassee, FL	Hey Tallahassee and surrounding areas! For anyone dealing with back pain when walking, sitting, or standing… WE CAN HELP!<br /> <br /> For a limited time, we are giving away 20 vouchers for a 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺, 𝗫-𝗥𝗮𝘆𝘀 (𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱), 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗶𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲), 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ALL for just $49, to see if we can help you.<br /> <br /> (Limit 1 per person. New patients only)<br /> <br /> If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to click "SIGN UP" and our team will answer any and all questions you have before you make any payment!<br /> <br /> After reading our testimonials, we have no doubt you'll want to experience us for yourself! We have 5 🌟 Reviews that you can check out.<br /> <br /> Here is our patients’ top reported benefits:<br /> <br /> ✅ Pain Relief<br /> ✅ Improved Flexibility and Mobility<br /> ✅ Walk up and down stairs without pain or fear of falling<br /> ✅ Standup without aid<br /> ✅ Go to the supermarket without using "the scooter"<br /> ✅ Play with grandchildren without pain<br /> ✅ Improved Sleep<br /> ✅ Increased Energy Levels<br /> ✅ Happier Family Life<br /> <br /> This is PERFECT for anyone desiring to have their best health!<br /> <br /> 🚨 Our schedule is limited and availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. 👉 Claim your $49 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 + 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺, 𝗫-𝗥𝗮𝘆𝘀 (𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱), 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗶𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲), 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 voucher today by clicking the "SIGN UP" button below or by calling "(850) 920-9077".<br /> <br /> Serving Tallahassee and all surrounding areas.<br /> <br /> Disc Centers of America - Tallahassee<br /> 1395 Cross Creek Cir<br /> Tallahassee, FL 32301<br /> (850) 920-9077	SIGN_UP	http://fb.me/	290680597465953	DCOA Tallahassee	https://facebook.com/61559318965001	0	1	1,159,796,838,374,957	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Sign up	DCOA Tallahassee	120211923937090237	fb.me	NONE	video	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.9 (150+)	http://fb.me/	2024-05-08 04:53	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/442386652_2758282514311192_2092216073871841699_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=MXzLEUdk8EwQ7kNvgHnfnW1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfA1oYw1ic-r-jZWzfwJyzki0kGBhpNXr4toFD7otsY80Q&oe=6641D354	person_profile	DCOA Tallahassee	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438769579_751761783795917_2562445715237734501_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tj8NIDgNi6EQ7kNvgG6eEhg&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCMJa3RgGxB5t0jt3zIHM_bMQfcdU8JGE7sX_xjPhuAIA&oe=6641F23A	3	DCOA Tallahassee	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,723	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778724}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:42	active	760	407906488742386	🚀 💪Ignite Your Passion: Explore Limitless Possibilities!	Unlock Your Full Potential<br /> 🔥 Elevate your confidence <br /> 💪 Experience heightened pleasure and satisfaction like never before<br /> 🚀 Unleash your inner prowess<br /> 🌟 Embrace a new level of virility today!	LEARN_MORE	https://info.organicprowess.com/wednesday	112370045164983	Jennifer Romina	https://facebook.com/100091656771770	469	1	7,395,916,967,150,544	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Jennifer Romina	120209655261720588	info.organicprowess.com	NONE	video		https://info.organicprowess.com/wednesday	2024-05-04 02:35	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440144458_440235272039494_6738474080381277717_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ln4AMLRAX6AQ7kNvgGAkBT9&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAu-IAqVcd58ghU73OKTsGP_NAlp83PQZT_HLKxz2aOqQ&oe=6641F2F9	person_profile	Jennifer Romina	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/439864375_1152549692758131_5757746413051950234_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6YLJiG8MCS8Q7kNvgHSdijS&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCY1ONmgBOQgyLxaTg_MUuUqn5FLOWht2baxGZ7cOs0KA&oe=6641E593	3	Jennifer Romina	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,745	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-05-08 18:42	active	760	807395417973655	40+ People Who Rage Quit Their Job Reveal the Final Straw	When enough is enough	LEARN_MORE	https://parentztalk.com/people-who-rage-quit-jobs-	104238192067446	Fox'oclock	https://facebook.com/100076064792214	4,002	1	880,566,093,872,863	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Fox'oclock	120209093048290171	parentztalk.com	NONE	image	Between early mornings, long commutes, and insufferable bosses, jobs take a lot out of us. Most of the day is spent in the office and sometimes the job just isn't worth it. That's when it's time to cut your losses and quit.From bosses denying raises to employers getting physical, these people took t...	https://parentztalk.com/people-who-rage-quit-jobs-eb/	2024-05-08 03:53	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440403169_1104438537528190_2852033135816203495_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4kiCNXRloDoQ7kNvgH70U3K&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDLCOM5vLY-bjMkUPsGqPL-iQGDIikq9CKC0YLX6wc-1Q&oe=6641D824	person_profile	Fox'oclock	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440346126_927525142451089_337864603173139054_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=poTXXPEBsXwQ7kNvgFKPC20&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDMgtVxXRMTt6rNIxMJu9E0n96RHY6U3xOTFoTGvgW0Ag&oe=6641DB5E	3	Fox'oclock	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,109	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778362}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:34	active	760	369383805523052	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	So many nights I watched his dad instead. Nothing hot, except for the way he makes walking through a room look hot, but those are my little secrets.<br /> I settle in at the perfect angle where I can see Jayce, and get comfortable enough to take care of myself. I swear he keeps looking at my window. Can he see me?<br /> Swallowing hard, I slide my hand into the waistband of my shorts. My fingers brush over my curls. This is probably illegal. I'll blame it on emotional scarring from Brett denying me se.x while he was boning someone else.<br /> Hand, tongue, shaft...so many orgasms...I stir myself into a frenzy. Another moan escapes my lips, my eyes fall shut, and I drop my head back as I draw myself closer.<br /> Light streams into my consciousness. Is it the start of my climax? I'm so close. It's not my climax though. What's happening?<br /> I blink hard against the brightness coming from the hallway as I take in my dad's voice, "Madi, you okay?"<br /> ————————<br /> Madison<br /> Crossingthemountainridge into Eggplant Canyon, I can't believe I'm moving back to my dad's house on the eve of my first job. But when a last-minute position to teach kindergarten was offered, I spent the morning packing my tiny apartment, made the six-hour drive, and now I'm ready to tuck myself into bed.<br /> I want to be well-rested for the mandatory district training day tomorrow.<br /> The house is dark as I make the familiar turn into the driveway. My dad texted to let me know that he got called into the hospital. Nothing new there.<br /> Carrying a couple suitcases with my essentials inside, I don't bother to call my boyfriend, who was my next-door neighbor growing up. I haven't been able to get hold of him for the last few days, but I chalked it up to him being busy with his med school application. The disconnect is symbolic of how well our long-distance relationship has worked out while we attended different universities. Dating was so much easier when we just walked across the grass to see each other.<br /> If he listened to the series of four voice messages I left, he would know that I had a sudden change of plans. It's not that I expected him to drop everything and come back to see me since he's only an hour away, I just wanted to share my excitement.<br /> As I open the curtains in my bedroom to enjoy the moonlight over the mountains, I'm certain he didn't listen.<br /> Otherwise, he would have at least had the decency to close his blinds...I hope.<br /> My phone falls from my hand. I don't bother to pick it up.<br /> My heart breaks as everything I thought I knew about the cute, ambitious, and respectful boy next door, who I've saved my first time for, bangs some chick.<br /> He was the one to say we shouldn't have intercourse until we're married. That's not something you just forget. Is it something against me personally? We were supposed to have a future. How long has this been going on?<br /> Dreams shatter far easier than they're built. I can't tear my eyes off the undressed tangle of their bodies. How long have I been a fool?<br /> Brett, my suddenly ex-boyfriend, hadn't wanted to risk either of our careers with an unplanned pregnancy.<br /> My dad had talked to him about the rigors of med school and how it was really hard to raise a child while going through it. Waiting made sense. Watch out for our futures. A little ridiculous since all I wanted to do was be a mom, but my dad insisted I plan on a career since relationships can go wrong.<br /> Like right now.<br /> My heart splits in two.<br /> The fatigue from my long day channels into anger.<br /> All of my pent-up sexual frustration has been for naught. What's his endgame? I would have screwed him. I'd begged actually. Not a proud moment, but I had. And he'd had the nerve to tell me I should be able to control my urges better.<br /> I'd thought I was an over-sexed freak for all of my naughty thoughts he refused to entertain. And for the ones he didn't know about, like the ones that involved his dad.<br /> It looks like we both had secrets, but mine didn't hurt anyone.<br /> I force myself to look away. This is over. And I'm going to make sure he doesn't have any wiggle room to sweet talk his way out of it.<br /> I rush downstairs and out of my house, across the grass to his front door, and don't bother knocking.<br /> "Madison?" Brett's father, Jayce, calls out as I storm past his office, which is just off the entry. I don't have to look to know that he's at his desk, he almost always is. Concern has replaced the swoon-worthiness of the wealthy CEO's usual deep voice. I don't care. If he, in any way, taught his son to be a cheater, he's as despicable as his spawn.<br /> As I stride through their living room, I question how I was able to forget his dad could be home. Apparently, I'm drunk on the toxic cocktail of exhaustion, anger, and tunnel vision, and it's served with a blanket of shame. I never forget about his dad—the lingering glances I sometimes catch him sneaking, the tension in his jaw every time I gave Brett a peck on the cheek, or my imaginary belief that he made himself scarce when I was around because he secretly wanted me too—which are all more reasons I thought something was wrong with me.<br /> I would never cheat on my boyfriend. Especially not with his dad.<br /> But if anyone had read my mind... Every time Jayce called me Madison, never the nickname Madi that everyone else used, it made me feel so hot, so desirable. Not the girl-next-door his son dated, but the woman...never mind. It's my given name, not a seduction. More proof that I'm not wired quite right.<br /> I quicken my pace to get up the stairs when I hear Jayce behind me.<br /> "Wait...I thought you two broke up." So he does know what Brett's doing.<br /> "We are now." My blanket of shame is starting to suffocate me. It's hard enough to find out my boyfriend is a loser, much less reveal it in front of my secret crush. But my freight train of anger is in motion.<br /> Throwing Brett's bedroom door open, I want to vomit. Seeing him with another woman from my window was one thing, but up close...it's far too real. What had I planned on doing? Pieces of thoughts form a maelstrom of hurt and chaos in my mind.<br /> Brett and his buddy realize I'm in the room. They break their peck to look at me. The other part of them stays together. Gag. I need a plan, and fast. I've done, or not done, everything Brett asked. Look where that got me. I won't be the victim.<br /> Think. Think. Think.<br /> "Madi?" Brett lifts up. My urge to vomit heightens.<br /> The thinking train derails. I rush forward, shrugging my blanket of shame. I'm not the one at fault. There are a million things I want to say to him but words fail me as I rear my fist back.<br /> When I thrust it forward, a primal scream erupts from me, sparing me from having to hear his nose break. Wow! That felt good. Like I'm doing all women a favor by standing up for myself.<br /> Brett falls onto the girl, making a horrible sound as he grips his face and rolls off. Thankfully the sheet spares me the details that are no longer my business.<br /> He doesn't deserve a chance to explain.<br /> Before anyone can say anything coherent, I spin around and rush out of the room as quickly as I entered, not bothering to close the door.<br /> Turning the corner, tears blur my vision. I plow into Jayce. His hard body becomes a wall supporting me. His hands circle my waist and for way longer than a split second, I hope Brett comes out of his room and catches his father holding me.<br /> Maybe there is something wrong with me. I'm not usually the type of person to want revenge.<br /> I shift my eyes to the stairwell past Jayce. "Umm, sorry, I need to go."<br /> His grip tightens.<br /> "I've got you." His tone has never been so low and possessive. "Let's go downstairs."<br /> "I'm fine." I try to move but not enough to convince him that's what I want. I give in to his grip, his protection. My se.x tingles. My entire body tingles. And when he pulls me into his chest, his arms firm around my back, and if I can believe myself, his lips in my hair, and something very hard against my belly. For the first time ever, I question that being wired wrong might not be such a bad thing.<br /> "You deserve to be treated better than that." His words. His tone. His belief in me. They're turning me to mush. They're giving me hope for something I know better than to believe in.<br /> "A real man would treat me better." It's supposed to be a jab at his son, his child, but as I angle my head up and get lost in Jayce's possessive gaze, I can't be sure of my intent. My momentary bravado lures me into the forbidden.<br /> The sincerity in his gaze penetrates me. It's how a man should look at a woman he loves. Not that I've experienced it until this moment. But it's clear. It has me questioning everything.<br /> It's too much. I'm hurt. I'm mad. I'm making things up.<br /> Before I embarrass myself, I pull away from his comfort and warmth. I drift my hands down both handrails, and stride to the front door. The cold metal of the handle is my ticket to freedom, but movement in Jayce's office catches my attention.<br /> Is someone else here? I have the door in motion as I turn my face to see.<br /> The handsome stranger is chiseled in all of the right ways. Enough to make me misstep. To crack the door into the side of my head.<br /> "Oomph." I stumble back, unsure if I've lost balance from the collision or if the ravenous look in his eyes, which I certainly made up, made my legs go weak.<br /> He circles the desk. The look intensifies. I can't let him touch me. I still can't breathe from Jayce's contact. Why am I thinking he would do that? I must have hit my head harder than I thought.<br /> Steadying myself, I run out of the Hampton household as fast as possible.<br /> That should be it. Brett and I are done. I'm not going to pretend that Mister Hampton or his friend lust after me. I'm going to give myself a minute for an impromptu pity party then do my best to get some sleep before the school district's training day for new hires.<br /> But this night can't go wrong enough.<br /> When I get home, my curtains are still open. My house still faces the Hampton's house, because despite it feeling like the entire world shifted on its axis and everything tilted out of whack, nothing has changed.<br /> I'm still wildly turned on by Brett's dad. And his friend. It's not just in the lingering sensation of his fingers wrapped around my waist like he didn't want to let go, or the incredible hardness of his body as he held me tightly. Or the way both of them looked at me like I was theirs.<br /> I'm standing at my floor-to-ceiling window, my hands gripped on the curtains on either side ready to pull them closed, and once again, I can't move.<br /> Jayce's silhouette is in his window, one that I know to be their entertainment room. He's backlit by a lamp. His hands are braced just above shoulder height on either side of the window. If I can trust my eyes, he's staring at me.<br /> Or more accurately, he's staring at my window, because up until a split second ago, I wasn't in it.<br /> But now that I am, he's not moving, so I guess that makes my first assumption correct...he's staring at me.<br /> I like it.<br /> And when his friend walks up behind him, I like it even more.<br /> -<br /> Mydad and I were hanging out but he had somewhere to go. I suppose that was his way of avoiding saying he had something to do at the hospital. Why bother hiding it?<br /> It's fine. I'm exhausted, so I retreat to my bedroom.<br /> For the last three days, I've been swamped with district training and revamping my lesson plans.<br /> It's been a wild, exhausting ride. The training alone would have been enough since I had to switch gears from first grade to kindergarten to take this position, which meant revamping my lesson plans. But I'd also taken on the after-school program, which meant extra long days and an entire other lesson plan.<br /> All of the hecticness aside, I'm glad I made a last-minute change to accept the teaching position close to where I grew up. Once I settle into a routine, I ought to be able to see old friends. Or am I putting it off because I'm a chicken?<br /> My former best friend, Calli, is here and I really want to make amends. I need to apologize for dismissing her concerns years before and being a pretty horrific best friend.<br /> What if her number changed? I'll just think she's ghosting me. Which I would deserve. Plus, I must have left my phone downstairs. I'll text her tomorrow. Bawk<br /> Slipping my silky robe over my pajama set, a tank top and short shorts, I stare at my closed curtains. I could easily say that I've been too busy to bother opening them...for three days.<br /> The truth is that I'm worried what I'll see if I do. Bawk. Bawk.<br /> It's not Brett's window that worries me anymore. He left town the day after someone broke his nose. Word travels fast in a small town, but thankfully the detail about me is missing.<br /> Each night when I've crawled into bed, I've stared at the curtains, pretending that if I open them Jayce will still be in his window, hands braced on the edges, waiting on me. Wanting to make sure I'm okay. Desperate to show me how a man should treat a woman.<br /> This is when his friend usually enters the fantasy, and I let both men tend to the needs I've been denied.<br /> I've gone off the deep end.<br /> I thought it was a twisted rebound fantasy...wanting my ex's dad and his friend. The truth is that I've always wanted Jayce. I kept trying to force the desire into an inaccessible part of my brain since I was dating his son.<br /> Now that I'm single, I'd hoped to get Jayce and his friend out of my system by letting my fantasies run wild while I pleasured myself.<br /> That took things the wrong direction. Thoughts of them morphed into what I can only describe as an obsession. It's clouding my ability to think, even when I'm at work.<br /> And that's too much. I can't lose this job.<br /> I moved back home not only because my tough-love dad developed a soft spot and let me stay for free, but I want to work on our relationship. I'd felt alone when I was away at school. Now that I'm an adult with a job, I think he'll be able to relate to me more—thus the added reason not to lose it. While I was growing up, he'd been so busy with patients and creating new programs at the hospital that I hardly knew him.<br /> Which is why when he got a text and said he needed to leave tonight, I wasn't surprised.<br /> I laugh out loud. Considering how many hours of the day I'm putting into my job, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. At least we spend time together each evening since he agreed he could do better.<br /> It's weird recognizing that my dad's obsession with work is rooted in wanting to bring better healthcare to our little neck of the woods. Too bad it came with the sacrifice of not being around much when I was little. Not so different than my love of kids and wanting to give them the best start possible.<br /> My thoughts deviate back to Jayce. This can't be healthy. Perhaps Brett was right, my interest in intercourse is—No. No more of that thinking. He lied to me. He cheated on me. He made me feel dirty for wanting intercourse.<br /> But wanting intercourse with his dad...that has to qualify as dirty.<br /> Perhaps if I open my curtains, I'll find out just how dirty he is.<br /> I rub my hands over my face. No. I'll pull the curtains back so I can accept that he doesn't brood in his window each night. My fantasy is clearly out of control. I need to find someone else to fantasize about.<br /> I tamp down the idea of his friend. Too awkward. Too old. Actually, the friend is younger. And I'm back down one of my lust spirals.<br /> Pushing both panels back a few inches, my breath hitches when the light is on in the Hampton's game room.<br /> Curling my fingers around the edges of my curtains, I tuck the fabric to my chest. The flutters and tingles rushing through me are wrong.<br /> I force my gaze to Brett's window. Nothing. No light. No Brett. No feelings. Yay? Shouldn't I feel something?<br /> Movement pulls my attention back to the illuminated window. Jayce enters the room.<br /> My skin tickles every time he looks my way. I'm sure it's all in my head. With my lights off, he can't see me anyway.<br /> Angling one thigh into the other, I shift my hips to ease the mounting tension. I'll have to throw myself back into the dating scene. Find a guy who doesn't criticize me for wanting to have intercourse. Should I list on my profile that I'm looking for real men? I snicker at my misstep...looking for a real man. Maybe someone older?<br /> My heartbeat quickens as I consider what it would be like to have more than one. Is that a deviant thought? Maybe if Brett hadn't deprived me, I wouldn't be so wound up.<br /> Drawing the curtains to have a couple feet of opening, I sit on the plush chaise that faces the window from only a few feet away. Growing up, I used it for relaxing and reading, staring out at the mountains, and yes, staring at Brett. He never did the same. And when he caught me in my window one night, he texted to tell me it wasn't polite to watch people through their windows.<br /> It was one of many desires I had that he didn't share. He'd made me feel naughty for the things I wanted.<br /> But with my lights off, no one in their house can see into my room. I know from leaving my stuffed animals on the chaise then trying to see them from Brett's window. He may not have wanted to watch, but that didn't stop me. So many nights I'd willed my dirty thoughts would go away. So many nights they didn't.<br /> So many nights I watched his dad instead. Nothing hot, except for the way he makes walking through a room look hot, but those are my little secrets.<br /> I settle in at the perfect angle where I can see Jayce, and get comfortable enough to take care of myself. I swear he keeps looking at my window. Can he see me?<br /> Nearly breathless, I monitor his glances. Four more pauses on my window give no indication he can see in. But he's looking. I like that.<br /> Swallowing hard, I slide my hand into the waistband of my shorts. My fingers brush over my curls. This is probably illegal. I'll blame it on emotional scarring from Brett denying me se.x while he was boning someone else.<br /> Lazily dragging my finger through my juices, I let out a sigh. I'm so wet it's ridiculous. Not sure my thing for older guys would translate well into real-life dating, but it's good fantasy fodder.<br /> You deserve to be treated better than that. Jayce's words carry so loudly through my mind that I look around my room. Not here. He's still safely two panes of glass and lawns away.<br /> I relax into the seat. Jayce moves back and forth across the room, around the pool table, occasionally stepping out of sight, but never for long.<br /> Succumbing to my imagination, I pretend I'm on the pool table. He's circling me. Studying me the way I've watched him study the angle for a pool shot.<br /> Jayce's gaze lands on my window, a little longer this time. My breath catches in my throat. I don't breathe again until he looks away. If he could see, there's no way he would have looked away. Right?<br /> A hint of guilt niggles in my mind...unless he wishes his son's ex-girlfriend would get control of herself, and quit being a lewd little voyeur. Or is it a naughty exhibitionist? Is it possible to be both? It seems wrong that I think of myself as naughty and lewd, but that turns me on too.<br /> He studies the table, rakes a hand through his hair, and leans over. I double-down circling my cherry. How good would his tongue feel?<br /> I moan and sink my fingers inside of me. Forget his tongue. What would his shaft feel like? Instead of telling me he wants to wait until we're married, he'd show me how a real man pleases a woman.<br /> Hand, tongue, shaft...so many orgasms...I stir myself into a frenzy. Another moan escapes my lips, my eyes fall shut, and I drop my head back as I draw myself closer.<br /> Light streams into my consciousness. Is it the start of my climax? I'm so close. It's not my climax though. What's happening?<br /> I blink hard against the brightness coming from the hallway as I take in my dad's voice, "Madi, you okay?"<br /> He was supposed to leave already.<br /> I scramble to pull my robe over myself, get my hand out of my shorts, and rectify my spread-eagle position.<br /> "I'm fine," I blurt. Please don't let him realize what I'm doing. He can't see Jayce's window from where my door is. Tempering my voice with annoyance, I shift so I'm facing over the back of the chaise and continue, "I was looking at the stars, relaxing."<br /> Feigning a glance outside, my sights catch on Jayce standing squarely in his window. This can't be happening.<br /> "Hmm, didn't know you liked to do that." My dad steps into my room, extending his hand and my phone. "You left this downstairs."<br /> No. No. No. I can't let him come over.<br /> "Set it on my dresser." I point to the other side of the door. "Thanks, Dad. Catch you in the morning."<br /> He follows my cue—problem one solved.<br /> "You know. It's nice having you home and getting to spend quality time with you. I love you, Madi."<br /> "Love you too, Dad." I don't have time for a trip down memory lane or correcting him that I don't want to use that nickname anymore. And I don't dare look out the window.<br /> "You worked hard this week. You deserve some R and R. I'm proud of you."<br /> Maybe not if you knew what you just interrupted. My stomach is in knots waiting as he steps out and closes the door. Darkness cloaks my room once again.<br /> A second passes before I turn to the window. Nothing could prepare me for what I see. Jayce is waiting for me. Exactly the way I imagined in my fantasies—his hands braced on either side of the window.<br /> I draw a slow breath. He must have seen me. He can't see me now. What do I do?<br /> Do I want to find out how a real man treats a woman?	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1,778,154	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778296}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:34	active	760	474797318449845	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Xavier, you’d better get this straight: it's me who's dumping you, not the other way round." It took all her willpower not to lash out at the cheating couple. <br /> "I hope you two have a long, 'happy' life together," she spat.<br /> Her boyfriend of three years, the one she had been with through thick and thin, was now engaged to her elder sister.<br /> "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I’m here to help." Charles tapped his cufflink, his gaze steady and serene as he watched Noelle.<br /> He was her guardian angel in her darkest hour. "Marry me. I'll bring you unimaginable happiness!"<br /> ————————<br /> <br /> Autumn had painted Brookville in shades of gold and crimson when Noelle Shaw stepped off the plane. She grabbed her suitcase and walked out into the crisp air, a familiar sense of home wrapping around her.<br /> A whole year had passed since she left to pursue a corporate training program overseas, and now, she was back just in time.<br /> Her third anniversary with her boyfriend Xavier Harris was just days away, and she had been working nonstop to make it back early enough to surprise him.<br /> She hailed a cab and headed straight for Xavier's office. The moment she walked through the front doors, Alice, the receptionist, gave her a look of total shock. "Ms. Shaw? You’re back? Are you here for the CEO's engagement party?"<br /> Noelle's brow creased in confusion. "The CEO's engagement party? What are you talking about, Alice?"<br /> "It's Mr. Harris's engagement party with your sister!"<br /> "What?" Noelle's heart skipped a beat, and the happiness drained from her face. "Whose engagement party?"<br /> Alice seemed to realize she had dropped a bombshell and nervously swallowed. "The CEO... and your sister..."<br /> "Where is it happening?"<br /> "The... Golden Oasis Hotel."<br /> It felt like a punch to the gut. Noelle spun on her heel and rushed out. "Driver, take me to the Golden Oasis Hotel, please."<br /> She had not even made it inside the hotel when she saw a huge photo by the entrance. There Xavier was with his arm around Winter Shaw, who looked stunning in her elegant dress. They were gazing into each other's eyes, lost in a world of love.<br /> On her way over, Noelle was psyching herself up. Xavier was her boyfriend. He was hers! The idea of him getting engaged to her sister was just too bizarre. As she arrived, however, reality hit her like a ton of bricks.<br /> She walked in just in time to catch Xavier whispering sweet nothings into Winter's ear, making her cheeks turn a rosy pink.<br /> Noelle felt a surge of anger, her eyes blazing with fury.<br /> How ludicrous it was. Her boyfriend of three years, the one she had been with through thick and thin, was now cozying up to her elder sister while she had been miles away.<br /> Winter Shaw was mingling and toasting with the guests arm in arm with Xavier when she spotted Noelle. Her face drained of color, and her grip on Xavier's hand tightened without her even realizing it.<br /> Xavier's eyes met Noelle's. He paused for a split second, then flashed Winter a comforting smile before walking over to Noelle. "Hey Noelle, did you come to celebrate me and your sister's big day?"<br /> His voice, which was usually so warm and gentle, felt like a knife twisting in her heart. Noelle clenched her jaw. "Celebrate? Celebrate you stabbing me in the back? And Winter, really? Are you that desperate for a man? You knew he was mine, and you... you both..."<br /> Before she could finish, a slap snapped her head to the side, leaving her cheek throbbing.<br /> Holding her face, tears brimming in her eyes, she looked up in disbelief. "Mom!"<br /> "Don't you dare call me 'mom' right now! What kind of daughter or sister acts the way you're acting? It's your sister's engagement, and you can't even be happy for her? Instead, you show up here to make a scene. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Jade Jones was fuming, her eyes shooting daggers at Noelle.<br /> Noelle's heart clenched. "Mom, what are you even saying? Xavier's my boyfriend."<br /> "Your boyfriend? Xavier is your sister's husband. Why do you have to challenge your sister for everything? I’m so disappointed in you."<br /> Noelle could not help but laugh. She stared at her mother, Jade, who had the nerve to twist the truth so blatantly. She turned to Xavier. "Xavier, come on. Tell us who you're really dating."<br /> His brow creased, his gaze on Noelle filled with uncertainty. The firm grip he felt, however, brought him back to the moment. "Noelle, I'm sorry, but there's only ever been one person for me, and that's your sister."<br /> Noelle's heart felt like it was being sliced open as she listened to Xavier's emotionless confession.<br /> What a joke! What bitter irony!<br /> "Xavier, you’d better get this straight: it's me who's dumping you, not the other way round." It took all her willpower not to lash out at the cheating couple. "I hope you two have a long, 'happy' life together," she spat.<br /> <br /> Noelle bolted from the hotel, her previously defiant face now streaked with tears.<br /> Out of nowhere, a black Cayenne screeched to a halt, its tires screaming against the pavement. Caught off guard, she tumbled to the ground.<br /> The driver gulped, his eyes darting to the man in the back seat, "Sir... Sir?"<br /> The man in the back, unfazed by the nearby accident, merely glanced at the passenger seat beside him. "Ronald, go see what happened."<br /> "Right away, sir." Ronald was out of the car in a flash, checking the front for any damage.<br /> About six feet ahead of the car, a woman sat on the ground with her eyes wide open, looking totally freaked out. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, and she had obviously been crying. "Miss? Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital?"<br /> Noelle was scared out of her wits. She just gazed at Ronald, lost in shock, until she finally managed to pull herself together and stand up. Without a word, she tried to sidestep him, eager to get away.<br /> Ronald was puzzled by her reaction. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you need any..."<br /> "I... I'm fine, really, I'm okay." Noelle's eyes darted to the black Cayenne. She could not shake off the feeling that someone was watching her, and it sent shivers down her spine. She scowled, hating the feeling, and hobbled away as fast as she could.<br /> Ronald watched her go, confused. He wanted to stop her, but she was dodging him like he was bad news, leaving him speechless.<br /> Back in the car, Ronald noticed the man in the backseat craning his neck to watch the woman through the window. "Sir, we're at the hotel. Do you want to head straight in, or would you like to get out here?"<br /> The man, Charles Hoffman, did not say a word, and Ronald did not dare to make a move.<br /> Watching the petite figure disappear into the distance, Charles let out a slight smirk and tapped his finger against his knee in a steady beat. "Let's head back!"<br /> Ronald was taken aback. "But sir, isn't today..."<br /> Before he could finish, Charles cut him off with a piercing look. "The show's over. There's nothing left to see," Charles said, his words heavy with implication. "Ronald, you seem to be losing your touch."<br /> The Majestic Lounge was Brookville's hotspot, its lights blazing and music pumping every night. Noelle's friend, Rowena Smith, always said it was the prime spot for a wild time after dark.<br /> Noelle was not one for these scenes, but tonight, she was hunched over the bar, downing drinks as if there was no tomorrow. She peered at the sea of unfamiliar faces swirling around her through half-closed eyes.<br /> "Hey there. Did you come here alone?"<br /> A hand clamped onto Noelle's shoulder, the stranger's touch lingering a bit too long. Noelle jerked away, revulsion coursing through her. "Back off."<br /> The guy shot a knowing look at his buddy and smirked at Noelle. "Feisty, aren't you? Back off? Ladies like you just play hard to get, secretly hoping for some attention."<br /> He moved in as if to plant a buss on her, but Noelle shoved him back and stood up, her stance unsteady and her heart racing. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog. "I said back off! Is that so hard to understand?"<br /> She stumbled, nearly toppling over, but the man caught her, his arm snaking around her waist. "See, you’re saying no, but your body's telling a different story."<br /> <br /> Trapped in the man's grip, Noelle struggled to break free, her body refusing to cooperate. Her vision was blurry as she glared at him. "What are you trying to do?"<br /> "Just having a bit of fun..." He chuckled, his voice dripping with sleaze as he steadied her. "Let's go somewhere more entertaining, shall we?"<br /> Noelle might have been out of it, but she could still sense the danger in the man's tone. However, her whole body ached, and she knew she was no match for them. She scanned the area for anyone who could help her, but she was invisible to the passersby.<br /> She spotted a figure approaching through her haze. Acting instinctively, she shoved the two men aside and bolted, slamming right into the newcomer. "Save me!" she gasped.<br /> Her fingers dug into the fabric of the man's shirt, and she inhaled a sharp, clean scent. "Please, save me," she pleaded.<br /> Charles squinted, taking in the woman who had just collided with him. There was a flicker of something sharp in his gaze.<br /> Noelle did not let go, pressing herself against him. Her lips, tainted with the strong smell of booze, were inches from his face, and her cheeks were unnaturally rosy.<br /> "Sir..." Ronald, who was standing a few steps back, watched in disbelief. She had the nerve to approach Charles, yet he was not pushing her away?<br /> Charles shot a cold look at the two men harassing Noelle. "Time to leave, don't you think?"<br /> "You… Who do you think you are? Do you even know who I am? I had my eye on that girl," one of the men blurted out.<br /> Charles smirked and let out a soft laugh. "You laid a hand on her? Which hand was it? Show me!"<br /> The courage of the other man drained away when he met Charles's icy stare. "Uh... Mr. Hoffman, we didn't realize who you were. We... we haven't touched her, not at all," he stammered, realizing they were in deep trouble.<br /> "Ronald," Charles shot him a look before scooping Noelle into his arms like she was the heroine in some epic romance, “give these guys a lesson they won't forget. Make it clear that The Majestic Lounge isn't for scum like them."<br /> With Noelle in his arms, Charles spun on his heel and left. Ronald gave a curt nod. "Understood." A sly grin spread across his face as he faced the two troublemakers. "So, which one of you was it that touched the lady?"<br /> The two guys exchanged panicked glances, too scared to utter a word. Ronald let out a mocking scoff. "What, did both of you touch her? Mr. Hoffman wants to let you keep a little bit of your offending hand as a souvenir."<br /> They dropped to their knees with a thud, as pale as ghosts, begging, "Please, have mercy! You can't do this. My dad is a big shot at Evergreen Group..."<br /> Meanwhile, Charles, with Noelle in his arms, was like a walking iceberg.<br /> Noelle felt she was being drained of blood and eaten alive by a swarm of ants. She whimpered, overcome by a wave of dizziness, "It's so hot..."<br /> Charles glanced down at his shirt, which was now a mess thanks to Noelle, and his gaze frosted over. He held her tighter and picked up the pace to the elevator.<br /> Though she was barely conscious, she caught a glimpse of the man's strong profile. The chill from his body was oddly soothing, and she snuggled closer without thinking. Charles's eyes darkened just as the elevator doors slid open, and he stepped out into the unknown.<br /> <br /> At the top of The Majestic Lounge was a room that belonged to Charles alone. He swung the door open and carried Noelle in. She was feeling so awful that she hung onto Charles like she was trying to meld into him, her limbs all over the place with nary a hint of elegance.<br /> He managed to detach Noelle from himself with a bit of a struggle and gently placed her in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Ronald’s number. "I need ice, and make it quick."<br /> Once he ended the call, he saw Noelle trying to get out of the tub. He gently but firmly pushed her back down and turned on the cold tap. "Stay still!"<br /> His voice was firm and grew even more intense as he noticed how the water in the tub accentuated her figure. His gaze sharpened.<br /> Ronald was fast, arriving shortly with two buckets of ice. "Here's the ice, sir."<br /> "Hold on," Charles instructed Ronald. "Just set them down and leave, thanks." His tone was cool and detached.<br /> Ronald raised an eyebrow at Charles's unusual sternness. However, he kept his thoughts to himself and left as told.<br /> Once alone, Charles brought the ice buckets into the bathroom.<br /> Noelle was submerged in the icy water, her body shaking uncontrollably. Her mind was still foggy, and Charles's expression was grim.<br /> Noelle was burning up inside, feeling like she was on the brink of collapse. The icy water was a harsh contrast to that, enveloping her in a torturous chill. She squirmed in agony, but Charles's hands kept her steady, and his voice cut through the haze. "Hang in there. It'll pass soon."<br /> ...<br /> Noelle's eyes fluttered open, her body feeling sore and like it had forgotten how to function. She lay still, gazing up at the stark white ceiling. As the fog in her brain slowly lifted, the memories of last night started to play like a movie in her head.<br /> Her face drained of color as panic flickered across her features. She flung off the covers and was relieved to find herself in pajamas, untouched. Still, that aching... where did it come from?<br /> "You're awake?" A chilly voice cut through the silence, and Noelle's head whipped toward the door. There she saw a man clad in cool elegance and fancy threads who was obviously not your average Joe. His face was so drop-dead gorgeous that even a beauty queen would swoon at him.<br /> Noelle's brow creased in confusion. She did not know this man. As the reality of her situation hit her, she blurted out, "Who are you?" Her voice sounded so harsh and grating that it scared her. The words came out as a dry, quacking mess.<br /> Charles arched an eyebrow, not bothering with an answer. He strolled over, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her with smooth and elegant hands.<br /> Noelle was taken aback for a second but then grabbed the glass, downing the water with an eagerness that bordered on uncouth. Once the glass was empty, she eyed Charles suspiciously. "Are you the one who rescued me?"<br /> He did not say yes or no, but Noelle let out a relieved breath. "Okay. Thanks for whatever you did last night." She glanced down at her clothes, a silent question hanging in the air, and her expression turned to one of confusion. However, her gratitude remained evident despite the puzzlement.<br /> Charles's gaze landed softly on Noelle's face, his mind replaying her stunning presence from the night before and stirring something within him. "It’s all good, Ms. Shaw. Don’t worry about it," he said, sidestepping the potential embarrassment with a smooth deflection.<br /> Noelle bit her lip, fighting the urge to say more. She would have to deal with the fallout and act like this whole mess never happened. Then, it hit her. "How did you find out my last name is Shaw?"<br /> "Surprised? There's been a lot of buzz about a Ms. Shaw today. Have you not heard?" Charles said, casually fiddling with his cufflinks, looking the picture of cool.<br /> Noelle's face drained of color. "What... What are you talking about?"<br /> "There are many versions of your story. Which one do you want to hear?"<br /> "Who are you, really? And what do you want from me?"	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1,778,190	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778189}'	No	2024-05-08 18:35	active	760	807705427494113	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"...It sounds crazy. But will you marry me? I need a beautiful wife to travel with me on business. I need everybody that I'm meeting to see what the board needs to see—that I am a stable, married man devoted to his wife, and she's devoted to me."<br /> "There's no way we can pull that off. Who's going to believe that after knowing me for less than two weeks, we're deeply in love and want to get married?"<br /> "I will pay for your education as well as give you an allowance of five thousand dollars per month, and when all is said and done, another two million dollars."<br /> "So how come it makes me feel like I would be a gold digger?"<br /> ————————<br /> Reyna<br /> My boss was a jerk. The question was, was he a jerk just to me or was he like that toward everybody? Maybe he didn't like that I didn't know who he was when he came into the office. But how could I know somebody I had never met before? The manual from HR hadn't included pictures of the CEO. <br /> If he was upset that I didn't know him, then he wasn't just a jerk, he was also a conceited jerk. Then again, wasn't self-importance and entitlement a part of being the head of a company? I know my father acted that way a lot. And Dean, even though he wasn't in charge of his family's company, often came across like he was the center of the world.<br /> I shook my head because whenever I thought of Dean, the picture of him and Caryn flashed in my brain. He had no business taking up space there. He was out of my life. I'd blocked him after a flood of texts and messages had come through in the days following my calling off the engagement.<br /> I hadn't blocked my mother yet, but I was getting close. Each time she texted or left a voice message, I had a glimmer of hope that she would see things my way. That she wouldn't ask me to sacrifice my dignity and my happiness just so my dad could salvage a business deal. But every text and message doused that bit of hope. <br /> My last message back to her was reminding her that she'd given me a choice—I could come home and hand my life over to my dad's business, or I could never come home and lead my own life. I had chosen the latter. Not that I hadn't had moments in the last couple of weeks wondering whether I was making the right choice. <br /> I clung to the good fortune of having been hired to be Mr. Dunsmore's assistant. The pay was enough that if I continued to live on ramen, I could rent a small studio apartment. Of course, that wouldn't happen if I got fired, which I suspected was a possibility based on the way Mr. Dunsmore was treating me.<br /> I did what he asked, leaving him alone and letting Mrs. Curtis know he wanted to see her and get the messages when she returned. When I told her that, she pursed her lips and looked at me in a way that I couldn't decide whether she felt like I wasn't being forceful enough with my new grumpy boss or if she was annoyed at him for not being more adaptable to working with me.<br /> She went into his office, closing the door behind her. I wanted to tiptoe over and put my ear to the door so I could hear what they were talking about. But I was hanging onto my independence and my confidence by a thread. I didn't need to hear that he didn't think I would make a good assistant. He didn't even know me. How could he know whether I was going to be good or bad?<br /> I hadn't missed the way his gaze had scanned my body, and for a moment, I worried I was going to work for one of those clichéd bosses whose boundaries of work and personal life were blurred. <br /> But while he may have looked, he didn't make any comments, nor did he give any indication that he planned to act on what he saw. In fact, I think he was annoyed by what he saw. The flash of heat in his eyes had told me he liked my appearance, but I don't think he wanted to like it.<br /> In my mind, that was a good thing. He was attractive, but he was my boss, so that meant he was off-limits. Not that I was interested in him because I wasn't. <br /> I was still smarting from what Dean and Caryn had done, and I wasn't going to jump into the deep end of a relationship again anytime soon. <br /> There was a petty part of me that would've liked to have made Dean eat his heart out by hooking up with somebody to prove that I didn't need him. But I wasn't a hooking up type of girl. <br /> ...<br /> I don't know why I was nervous about attending the Christmas Eve office party. While James was still grumpy and prone to snarky outbursts, for the most part over the last week, we got along. Or at least we had an understanding. <br /> Something had shifted over dinner last week that made me feel more secure in my job. He seemed impressed by what I had discovered about his father and the board, and therefore, he didn't treat me like I was incompetent anymore.<br /> Still, it was one thing to be in an office and working with people and a whole other thing to be in the office socializing. I didn't mind making friends. In fact, I wanted to, but I didn't want to have to reveal all the circumstances around my moving to Las Vegas. <br /> I don't know why I felt shame or embarrassment since it was Dean and my parents who had betrayed me. I suppose it was a blow to the ego that I wasn't important enough to any of them for them to be loyal to me.<br /> I looked around the room, recognizing many of the staff mingled with people I had no clue about. James's gaze caught mine, and he excused himself from whoever he was talking to and started toward me.<br /> I felt partly relieved because it was embarrassing to stand by myself, and yet it was nerve-wracking to think about small talk with my boss. I noted his gaze taking me in again, like he had the first time we met. The first time, I was wary. This time, I sort of liked it.<br /> "How are you this evening, Ms. Pearson?"<br /> I smiled, hoping I looked like I was having fun. "Mr. Dunsmore. Very well, thank you. Everyone has been very welcoming to me." I hadn't actually chatted to anyone, but I didn't want him to feel sorry for or responsible for me.<br /> "I'm glad to hear it. Can I get you a drink?"<br /> "Okay. I suppose one won't hurt. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the boss."<br /> He smiled. It was strained, but I understood he was under a lot of pressure. "What's your poison?"<br /> "White liquor."<br /> "I'll be right back."<br /> James went off, leaving me alone. As nervous as I was about mingling socially with the staff of the company, once again, I felt self-conscious about being a wallflower. I really needed to work on my self-esteem.<br /> The woman he had been talking to just before he came over to me made eye contact and started toward me. I'd never seen her before, but whoever she was, James respected her. When he was talking to her and the man with her, he still looked grumpy, yet more relaxed than when he was talking to anybody else.<br /> When she reached me, she held out her hand. "Hi. I'm Amelia Clarke. I'm James's sister."<br /> I shook her hand. "I'm Reyna Pearson, Mr. Dunsmore's new assistant."<br /> Amelia smirked. "I hope he's not giving you a hard time."<br /> "Nothing I can't handle." As soon as the words left my mouth, I second-guessed the wisdom of them. Mrs. Curtis had told me James and his sister were close, and my remark could be construed as forgetting my place.<br /> She smiled. "Good. James needs a strong woman in his corner."<br /> It was the same thing Mrs. Curtis had told me.<br /> James returned, handing me the glass of liquor. He carried a glass with clear liquid and ice, but I suspected it was more potent than water. "You're not telling stories on me, are you, Amelia?"<br /> Amelia cocked a brow in surprise, as if she thought his question was odd. "No. Why would I be telling your new assistant stories about you?"<br /> He glanced at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher. It was almost as if there were something more between us, which was ridiculous because there wasn't. The fact that I kept thinking that, though, was disturbing. It was almost as if I wanted him to look at me in a way other than just being his secretary.<br /> He shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "No reason."<br /> Amelia looked from him to me and then back to him again. Her eyes narrowed as if she was trying to ferret something out. I wasn't sure if she found what she was looking for, but eventually, her features relaxed. "Are you new to Las Vegas?" she asked me.<br /> I nodded. "Yes. I've only lived here for a couple of weeks."<br /> "Are you glad for the move?"<br /> I glanced up at James, wondering if he was going to reveal what he knew about my recent move. I hadn't given him details, but whatever I hadn't told him, Mrs. Curtis surely had. Even without the details, there was enough there to know that this move hadn't been planned.<br /> "So far, I love it. I feel fortunate to have gotten a great job, and I look forward to moving into a new place soon."<br /> "Moving? You don't have a place to live?" Amelia looked at James as if she was asking him why he wasn't looking out for me better.<br /> "Ms. Pearson's living arrangements will be settled shortly."<br /> It was my turn to look at him with a questioning expression. What was he talking about? Maybe it was that bonus he said the company offered that I knew it didn't. Perhaps it was dumb not to latch on to what he was offering, but I was desperate to earn my way on my own, not out of pity. I needed to prove that I was a strong woman who could make it on her own.<br /> Amelia had the same expression, but finally, she turned to me. "What are you doing for Christmas? Do you have family here?"<br /> "I don't have family here." I left it at that because it felt pathetic to say I had nowhere to go on Christmas.<br /> Amelia looked at her brother and then at me again. "If you have nowhere to go on Christmas, you have to come over to my and Max's place tomorrow."<br /> I waved my hand. "That's very kind of you, but—"<br /> "You should come." James brought his drink back up to his lips as if he was being nonchalant, but there was a tension in his eyes. If I saw it, surely, his sister did too.<br /> But if Amelia did see it, she didn't acknowledge it. "It's settled. You're coming. James, will you give her my address?"<br /> I shook my head. "You're very kind, but I couldn't intrude. "<br /> Amelia reached out, putting her hand on my arm. "James and I have grown up without a real family, without a real Christmas, our entire lives. This year is going to be our very first Christmas with a family, my husband and my son, and my husband's family, and James, of course. And now you."<br /> I glanced at James, hoping he might get me out of this. He took another sip of his drink, clearly not planning to intervene. Did he want me to go? Was this a test of some sort?<br /> "I think it's wonderful that you're having a traditional Christmas. I know it's going to be joyful and happy, but I'm not family—"<br /> "It doesn't matter. Friends, family. We can't have too many people to care for in our lives, don't you think? I hope you will reconsider. I can understand that it might be awkward for you, but it would please me to no end if you would come."<br /> "I'll think about it," I said, mostly to stop her from asking. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Not because I didn't want to go but because somewhere deep inside me, yearning burned. <br /> I wanted to have the sort of Christmas she was talking about. Growing up, my Christmases were fairly traditional. But as I saw the enthusiasm, joy, and love in her eyes, I wasn't so sure those elements had been a part of my family Christmas. <br /> The realization brought pain. I thought I'd been raised in this perfect, loving household, with parents who were strict and controlling, yes, but I believed it was because they loved me and wanted the best for me. Now I knew better. <br /> Everything they'd done, they did for themselves. I felt a little bit guilty about feeling angry considering I had everything I needed, a home, a family, clothes, and food. But I realized I didn't have the love from them that exuded from Amelia toward her family.<br /> James finished his drink and nodded to Amelia. "You need to drag Max over to talk to George Keyes. He's up to something with Dad."<br /> Amelia's gaze whipped to him. "What? I thought he was just wanting you to get—"<br /> "Yes, he wants me out as CEO, but Ms. Pearson discovered that he's visiting Dad in prison."<br /> Amelia's gaze turned to me. "What? Why?"<br /> I shrugged. "I don't know why, but it could be suspicious. Then again, maybe they're just old friends."<br /> James laughed derisively. "Partners in crime, more like. I'll get to the bottom of it eventually. Hopefully, before they poll me out as CEO." He glanced at me, and again, there was something in his eyes that told me there was something going on.<br /> He turned back to Amelia. "I hate to be like Dad and use your husband, but maybe the two of you will consider it for a good cause."<br /> Amelia patted him on the shoulder. "That's why we're here, big brother. I show off my shiny husband and flaunt his powerful New York family." She looked at me. "It was nice to meet you, Ms. Pearson."<br /> "You too."<br /> She turned and walked off toward the tall blonde man she'd been with when she'd been talking with James. She threaded her arm through his, giving him a slight tug. He leaned down to listen to her. He turned back to look at me and James, and then his eyes scanned over to Mr. Keyes and he gave a nod. Together, they walked over to George.<br /> "Don't you like your liquor?" James asked.<br /> I looked down at the glass that I hadn't taken a sip from. I lifted it to my lips and sipped. "It's very good." To be honest, I didn't know that much about liquor.<br /> "I got that from my private stash in my office. Amelia's company does the social media for the liquorry, so every now and then, they ship her a case. She's not able to drink it because she's still nursing, so she gives me some."<br /> I studied him, noting that while his words seemed very matter of fact, I could hear pride in his voice. I could see it in his eyes. At the same time, I saw sadness, or maybe guilt as well. I wanted to ask about it, but it was none of my business.<br /> "I need to talk to you privately, Ms. Pearson. If you finish that liquor, we have an excuse to go to my office without it looking suspicious."<br /> My stomach fluttered, but I couldn't be sure whether it was anxiety about his intentions or hope that he had intentions. Good golly, I was a mess.<br /> As if he knew my concern, he said, "This is strictly a business talk." He shook his head. "Admittedly, it's going to be unconventional, but I swear to God, I'm not trying to make a pass or anything."<br /> It was really stupid how much those words hurt. Didn't he think I was worth making a pass at?<br /> Fortunately, he hadn't put very much liquor in the glass, which told me he'd been planning to get me alone when he'd gotten it for me. I took a couple of sips and then gulped the rest down.<br /> He nodded toward the hall that went to his office, and I preceded him. He walked behind me, and I hoped no one could see us. I didn't want to have a reputation with my new coworkers for sleeping with my boss. <br /> If he were asking Mrs. Curtis to do this, I'm sure no one would think twice. She was old enough to be his mother. Then again, she was a fairly good-looking woman, so maybe they'd think he wanted a cougar. I shook my head to rid it of all the thoughts careening through it.<br /> When we got to his office, he shut the door behind us. "Go ahead and take a seat on the couch. This is business, but it doesn't have to be formal."<br /> I did as he asked, sitting on the couch.<br /> He went to the bar in the corner of his office and poured himself another drink. "Would you like another glass of liquor?" He held up a bottle.<br /> I really did, but I shook my head. "I like to keep a clear mind at an office party. I don't want to become a part of office gossip."<br /> He ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't think of that." He looked toward the closed door as if he was wondering whether partygoers were assuming the worst. Finally, he sighed and brought his drink to the couch. He sat next to me, though not too close, and turned his body to face me. "I'm just going to come out with it, okay?"<br /> I nodded, wishing I had the glass of liquor if only to have something for my hands to fidget over. What was going on? Was he going to fire me?<br /> "I have a very inappropriate proposition to make to you."<br /> My eyebrow arched and my entire body went rigid. He said inappropriate, not indecent, but that didn't mean they didn't refer to the same thing.<br /> He waved his hand. "It doesn't involve intercourse. I promise that's not what this is all about."<br /> For some reason, that didn't completely reassure me.<br /> "As you know, we had a board meeting today, and I let some of the members know that I was suspicious of them. They, in turn, let me know that they felt I was a liability to this company because I was a rich, single male who could ruin the company with scandalous affairs." He laughed derisively. <br /> "Hypocrites. It's okay for my father to bully, intimidate, and bribe people, skirting the boundaries of legality in business, but heaven forbid I bang anyone."<br /> I blinked, wondering why he was telling me all this. Sure, I was his assistant, but it still felt like TMI.<br /> He gave his head a quick shake. "Sorry. I'm just still really pissed off. The point is, they told me that because I wasn't married I wasn't settled, I wasn't stable. They indicated that potential new clients and customers would see that as a liability. Apparently, being a single young man means I'm helpless to the whims of my shaft."<br /> Once again, I wished I had liquor because right about now, I could've used it, partly from the shock of his language but also to cool the heat flashing through my body at the mention of his shaft. How crazy was that?<br /> I swallowed as I ignored the heat and focused on his words. "Are you tasking me with finding you a wife?" That was another thing not on my job duties. How did even one go about doing that?<br /> "Not exactly."<br /> So, what the heck did he want?<br /> He took another drink, his eyes staring at me intently, and a strange feeling grew deep in my gut.<br /> "What I'm asking is if you'll marry me."	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1,778,272	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778251}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:36	active	760	1137472947544449	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	My husband had been having an affair with his assistant. I could hear the sounds of moans pouring from our bedroom before I opened the door.<br /> When I heard the wailing moans of my soon to be ex husband's "secretary" I walked my undressed hip directly to them.<br /> I took a deep breath clearing the visual of them having intercourse from my head. Oh, I had grand plans for these two adulterers.<br /> I opened the door, walking in and pausing to watch them. <br /> I walked right past both of their startled figures, to my dresser where my phone was with a smirk. "Hey guys, smile for the camera!"<br /> I turned on my camera, snapping pictures of them on the bed still frozen, both staring at me in shock.<br /> "Nice.Please forgive the intrusion, I'll be on my way in just a sec."<br /> ————————<br /> Vivian<br /> I took a deep breath compose myself as the my introduction to the crowd began. My heart felt as if it was in my throat right now. It felt like the weight of the world was centered on my shoulders.<br /> If I was successful, not only would it launch my modeling career at age 28, but I would increase funding for this campaign.<br /> Since majority of the crowd outside of these curtains did not have my skin tone, I had to impress them.<br /> Today is the beginning of a campaign launching models with brown skin into the dominantly pale skinned model industry. I will be the face of the campaign and in order to be successful, I must make these rich people want to fund this campaign.<br /> And I will succeed.<br /> There has never been a fashion show like this, where I haven't had my hair straightened, my make up has not been contoured on my face to match those around me, and I am not walking fiercely down the walkway as if I'm walking on fire.<br /> I had always been confident in myself as a black woman yet I still found myself getting stage fright before my shows. Even more so with the bold campaign I was now launching.<br /> And after many failed seductive attempts with my husband lately, I wasn't sure if I could seduce the crowd before me.<br /> Instead I am to walk slowly, very seductively. My natural kinky curls framed my face, I have little to no make up on so that I appear soft as I am, completely naturally.<br /> The curtains are pulled back and as I began my walk down the aisle, it is not hard at all to seduce the crowd.<br /> I capture everybody's attention and when I pass them, the from the corner of my eye, I can see the effect I have on them and I couldn't help how it boosted my confidence.<br /> My walk is so natural and graceful that I practically glide down the run way. The bronze light is soft and makes my brown skin glow in the dark like highlight. The sway of my hips is mesmerizing to the crowd, so I pause and I turn slowly looking at all the faces to give them my best seductive smile.<br /> Many have lost their composure, becoming flustered by my attention. I hold my smirk, this is my crowd now.<br /> I almost falter when I see that my husband is not among the crowd. Once upon a time, he was always the first face that I graced with my smiles. He had never missed one of my shows in the beginning, looking up at me just as entranced as the rest of the crowd.<br /> I can feel my eyes watering so I quickly look away from them and continue making my way down the runway.<br /> When I finish with the crowd, I walk back up the runway and into the darkness hiding me from the crowd as they all cheer. In the darkness I hold my face, I can't help the excitement that overcomes me. I did it!<br /> My husband had promised to be here today. If he wasn't behind stage with the rest of my crew then I didn't know what this would mean for our marriage. I could worry about all that tomorrow though.<br /> Tonight, I fuccccckkking owned that crowd and I was sure going to celebrate my success on my birthday.<br /> I let out the breath that I had been holding and recompose myself then I walk behind stage to the small group gathered for me. I grin victoriously, strutting up to them saucily.<br /> "You did it, Vi! They all looked like they wanted to eat you up." My best friend and manager Naomi screams running up to me to hug me while all my co-workers clap and shout congrats. "How about some birthday cake before the next show?"<br /> I give Naomi the biggest hug and nod.<br /> "What's wrong girl?" She asks noticing something is wrong right away.<br /> I want to be happy but I have this really terrible feeling in my chest. I hug her back trying not to smile awkwardly as I ask her if my husband Richard made an appearance tonight.<br /> "No, I didn't see him? Was he supposed to be here?" She asked.<br /> "Yes." I replied. I could see the look of pity on her face as she shook her head, it had been about 4 years since he had been to one of my modeling gigs. And what type of message did that send? He was my husband and should've been here to support me.<br /> Part of me isn't really surprised, I knew when I refused to quit modeling and depend fully on Richard financially that our marriage would change.<br /> But this job is what helped get his business up and running when we graduated college with no immediate careers in sight. So I decided to keep modeling even after Richard became financially stable, despite it not being anything closely related to what I'd majored in.<br /> Naomi attempts to cheer me up with the double chocolate layer cake she baked me for my birthday and I grin at her trying my best not to let my intuition eat away at my happiness, nobody wanted an unhappy campaign model right?<br /> I finally manage to escape Naomi and her devil addicting double chocolate cake, making my way out front to the crowd to make my appearances and answer questions for those who had attended the opening show before the next show started.<br /> Afterwards when it was time for the second show, I made my way backstage to my booth to check my phone for any messages from Richard. He was a very successful business man that had recently become the owner of the company he had worked for, thanks to me, why shouldn't he take days off to support my career? Why else was his secretary always around for then?<br /> The bad feeling in my chest only increase at that point, and I recognized it as my intuition. Something was up and I was so angry that I seemed like the only one who wanted our marriage so I was gonna confront Richard about it. After not locating my phone, I realized that I had left my phone at home and since this was the second show I could afford to leave. I was only required to show my face at the after party that started in 6 hours and I would be back by then.<br /> I grabbed my bag and dipped before anyone noticed, sneaking another slice of Naomi's cake as I went.<br /> When I finally made it home I sat in the car for a moment smashing on the piece of cake because Richard hated when I ate sweets. It was my birthday, I deserved to smash my face in it!<br /> When I finished, I walked into the house instantly noticing the clothing littered the floor. There were female clothing scattered among the trail that led upstairs. A sickening feeling overcame me at that moment but I forced the cake that had suddenly came up back down, following the trail of clothing up the stairs to my bedroom door slowly, quietly.<br /> I could hear the sounds of moans and groans pouring from our bedroom.<br /> My husband had grown bold, it seemed. Obviously he had no respect for me if he passed up one of the most successful campaign launches for my career to bring a bimbo to our house to have an affair.<br /> I almost turned to leave, wanting to just walk away with my heart partially intact but I knew I had to see this. I tried to mentally prepare myself for this. I wanted to know who the bimbo was.<br /> To bring a woman to our home and have intercourse with her in our bed on my birthday? He was so disrespectful and just asking to be caught. As I stepped closer to the door, I could hear her telling him how much she loved him through the door.<br /> He responded, telling her that he loved her too. I closed my eyes counting to ten and gathering what remained of my resolve.<br /> I can do this, I thought. I must see this.<br /> I forced myself to open the door, my eyes widening as I saw them in the act up close and personal.<br /> I realized that he had been having an affair with his assistant, Emily. The sad part is that this did not appear to be just a regular experience. They were making love and the familiarity of it told me that it had been happening for quite a while. I couldn't have prepared myself for the pain that I felt slicing through my heart in a thousand years.<br /> My soul was in agony, this was not something that the mind couldn't rationalize for the sake of saving my heart from breaking into pieces. It had been in my face all along and I had been blind to it because we had started attending marriage counseling together. What a joke the marriage counselling must have been to both of them.<br /> My marriage was over. And that one thought kept repeating inside my head like a broken record.<br /> It's over.<br /> I dropped my bag at the door, turning to run away from the sight of them. I couldn't take the pain of watching them anymore. My marriage to Richard had meant everything to me, we had been married 10 years.<br /> I managed to hold my sobs as I ran outside of my home, past my car, and down the streets of our beautiful neighborhood. I just let myself run freely, trying to run myself to exertion to exchange the pain from my heart to the pain in my legs. My silk dress had ripped all up my thighs exposing my lace panties, too delicate for the strain that my pumping legs made. I did not care at all, not pausing to cover myself or look if anybody was looking at me.<br /> When I finally stopped to catch my breath and look around I was just at the local park 10 minutes away from my home. I finally let my sobs out, breaking down completely as I saw that the park was empty.<br /> Richard had been my high-school best friend turned sweetheart after prom, when I gave him my first time. I had always loved him, just fell in love our senior year. I had wanted to have children with him and grow old with him, I did everything right to keep him happy. I had never looked back and regretted anything until now. I knew that we were never supposed to be more than friends but I still married him after high-school because he had been the only guy I wanted to be with.<br /> Richard had cheated once before in college but that was just a one time at a party. He hadn't came back to our dorm that night and that next morning, I had just knew. I forgave him since we were still basically kids in college, told him he was still who I wanted and that I wouldn't dream of sleeping with another man. But still once a cheater, always a cheater.<br /> He destroyed me..<br /> Everything else I could deal with. Marriage was about forgiveness and making sacrifices, right?But sharing intimacy with another? That was the worst type of betrayal. I couldn't stay with him after this. I couldn't forgive him for this, but I was too weak to walk away. Love didn't just fade away, the hurt was still there stabbing me in my chest. I wanted him to hurt, I knew that he loved me. I was the real mastermind behind his company. He couldn't afford to lose me.<br /> But I had nothing left to give. I had put everything including my soul into my marriage, only for it to shatter before my eyes. I couldn't stand another thought of being on this Earth without him after this, either.<br /> He was my only best friend after all.<br /> How would I end it?<br /> My LIFE.<br /> How would I commit suicide?<br /> Pills? Hanging? Knife? Bridge?<br /> I could have a peaceful death. I would drown myself, let the water end the anguish that brewed inside my heart. And when they found my body, he would know.<br /> He did this. He lost me, forever.<br /> ---<br /> Vivian<br /> Silence makes many people very uncomfortable. It's non existence is deafening, it can be insistent and unable to escape. People cannot stand the thought of being alone in silence. People crave interaction with people, they crave attention.<br /> I, however, craved intimacy. And I was not just talking about intercourse.<br /> Intimacy wasn't about who could touch my body, it was about who could touch my soul.<br /> Intimacy was the purest form of connection, something I lacked in my marriage.<br /> Now I wished that I could capture that silence for myself. I wanted to bottle that silence, preserve it just for me so that I could release it every time my thoughts overwhelmed my head.<br /> I studied the ripples that my legs made in the pond.<br /> Beautiful, I thought, tilting my head up to look up into the dark sky. I closed my eyes, if I waited any longer I would lose my nerve. I sucked in my breath, desperately trying to taste the sweetness of summer one last time but it was too late. I tasted bitterness on my tongue and I felt it engulfing me, tainting the taste that I had wanted to savor. I gasped, inhaling fresh air, despair filled me at the thought that I would leave this world with my soul not at peace. I forced myself to believe that I could taste the final sweet taste of summer and it subdued my mind as I gently stretched my legs side to side before sliding into the water allowing the water to close over my face without panicking.<br /> The water was colder as I floated underneath it. My dress seems tighter, constricting my gentle movements so I removed it, ripping it off my body before I really started to panic.<br /> Peaceful. Peaceful. Peaceful. I chanted inside my head, all I wanted was to die peacefully. Something inside me won't allow that though, something rebels. I am rebelling.<br /> I've never been a coward, why should I start now?<br /> Because it hurts...<br /> Suddenly loud ringing starts in my ears and I gasp stupidly, releasing the the little air that I had been holding onto. The water has changed, becoming insistent and dragging me down. The fear consumes me, I am really terrified to die. What happened to dying peacefully?<br /> Just fight for your life. My conscience screams.<br /> I desperately fling my arms back and forth, pumping my legs to swim to the surface of the water. I swim until I can see a glimmer of light in the dark water, the surface was just there but my body is weaker now. I can barely move because I've driven my body to exertion.<br /> I am just about to reach the surface when my breath finally gives out and I am forced to swallow the water.<br /> I've tempted Satan with my soul, now he is going to make me drown.<br /> You were almost there, I couldn't help thinking as I began to jerk uncontrollably, the water inducing spasms of my larynx. Within 30 seconds, the laryngospasms begin to weaken and I'm losing consciousness. My life begins flashing before my eyes and as my brain skims through my wonderful childhood, it isn't long before I see Richard. He was my first best friend. My first love. My first everything and my life with him flashed.<br /> Realizing that I loved him. Marrying him after high school graduation. The discovery of his infidelity in college. Choosing to stay and work through our problems. Graduating college with honors with him at my side. Pursuing a modeling career to help support us while he became stable. Then finally coming home tonight to discover that that infidelity had never ceased.<br /> The pain of knowing that 10 years of my life had been wasted in a one-sided loveless marriage with a cheating prick did not hit me as hard as earlier. The pain was just gone, I had not loss much with Richard... only time.<br /> Then my flashes stop and I see what could be, my life starting anew. Dating, a faithful relationship with the man of my dreams, having children in my little farm house. I want it so bad but it is just out of my grasp. The water is pulling me down, refusing to allow me to float just under the waterline anyone. I am sinking like a stone.<br /> I know that brain failure is imminent but I also know that there is one last chance to survive.<br /> My body forces me to inhale again and with that force, I propel myself upwards. I finally break the surface of the water, spitting up all that awful tasting water that I had pretended tasted so sweet. I climb out of the pond, looking down at the misleading peaceful looking waves.<br /> I ripped off the remainder of my underwear hating the feeling of wet clothing on my skin, decidi<br /> ng right then and there that I would never step foot in any large body of water ever again. I start my walk back to my home.<br /> When I opened the door to the house and made my way pass the clothing, I smiled a very dark smile.<br /> When I heard the wailing moans of my soon to be ex husband's "secretary" I walked my undressed hip directly to them.<br /> I took a deep breath clearing the visual of them making love from my head. Oh, I had grand plans for these two adulterers.<br /> And now I would not go silently.<br /> I opened the door, walking in and pausing to watch them. They were making love, it was no question.<br /> The door smacked the wall hard alerting them that I was here. Emily's shocked gasp filled the air.<br /> I walked right past both of their startled figures, to my dresser where my phone was with a smirk. "Hey guys, smile for the camera!"<br /> I turned on my camera, snapping pictures of them on the bed still frozen, both staring at me in shock.<br /> "Nice." I commented before making my way to my walk in closet. "Please forgive the intrusion, I'll be on my way in just a sec." I grabbed a dress for the after party that I was now late for and made my way to the bathroom humming happily.<br /> At the angle that I took the pictures, the affair was unmistakable. I smiled at them again when I passed. Emily now scrambled to grab the covers that they had kicked on the floor. I chuckled, I had already saw everything she had to offer, with the comforter out of her reach she was now using Richard to shield her and neither of them would make eye contact with me.<br /> "At least own up to what y'all were doing, be adults about it. I'm not mad." I said.<br /> "Vivian, I can-" Richard began to try to make that dumb hip excuse, with that dumb hip look on his face pissing me off. The nasal sound of his voice was pissing me off. Everything about him was pissing me off. What did I ever see in him? Love sure blinded the outta me if I was just noticing this now.<br /> "Explain? No need to Richard, I see you both right now. Again, continue if you wish, I'll be on my way in a minute." I said, shutting the bathroom door and showering.<br /> I thanked fate for allowing me to leave my phone home in order to discover the affair. I took my sweet time, going all out with my routine and appreciating the warm water after I had been floating in that cold hip water for close to 3 hours. I even started to sing, ignoring Richard when he knocked on the door calling my name.<br /> After I got done I continued ignoring him while I dried, lathered myself with oils, and did my hair. my time was all my own again. My days of answering to him were over.<br /> "Freedom," I sang, opening the door and pushing past him. "Why were you undressed? What do you mean you're not mad?" He was frowning at the dress that I had on. "Where are you going Vivian?" He asked.<br /> "Not today, Richard." I said, ignoring his question. Both of them were now dressed and she sat on the perfectly made as if the affair had never happened.<br /> "Vivian, I would like to apologize," She began as we made eye- contact. I could almost respect her, but she was the worst type of person. They both were. <br /> "How long?" I asked her.<br /> "About-" She began.<br /> "Emily shut it, Vivian its not what you think. We-"<br /> "Save it, Richard. I was speaking to Emily, woman to woman. Now, how long?" I said looking at her. I saw his disbelief that I had just cut him off. I had never did it before but then again, I had never disrespected him by cheating or even entertaining the thought either.<br /> "About 4 years." Longer than I thought initially, but now that I thought back he had stopped attending my shows around that time.<br /> "Wow, I hope you both have a good night. <br /> I'm out." From the corner of my eye I notice Richard eyeing me. I turned getting him a 360 view of my dress and his face turned red. "Where are you going, Vivian?" He said it possessively.<br /> "To have passionate intercourse with a random stranger, Richard." I could feel a hysterical laugh building inside me but I manage to hold in in, smiling instead. "Its only fair that I make up for all the intercourse I've been missing out on due to your negligence. Enjoy your secretary, husband. When we're divorced, feel free to marry her because when I'm done with you, nobody will come near either of you again." I said, leaving them dumbfounded.<br /> I made a show of bending to grab my purse at the doorway, turning back to smile seductively at Richard.<br /> I giggled, standing and holding my head high as I walked out of the house to my car. I had never been insecure of my body but since Richard treated me as if I'd been invincible, and not from a lack of trying on my part, for the past two years I had been questioning myself. I mean slowly losing my self confidence as the significant other.<br /> Never again... Near death experiences had a way of making you see what really mattered.<br /> My happiness.<br /> Call me selfish or whatever. I have missed out and tonight I was going to make up for it.<br /> Nothing could make me stay to work things out at this point, I was divorcing him. With the proof I had, I would destroy him then take everything that he had. I wasn't walking away from this 10- year investment empty handed.<br /> Once, he told me that he would give me the world.<br /> But I could settle with his bank account.	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1,778,330	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778352}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:37	active	760	1764007790757708	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	That's Tristan's shaft.<br /> Am I dreaming, or did I really I just walk in on Tristan masturbating?<br /> His eyes fly open, meeting mine in the mirror. "God!" He jerks his hand from his shaft and whirls around, grabbing for his jeans. "Get out!"<br /> Heat pools low in my belly. I've never been turned on by a man's ecstasy before, but oh fvck ... That look in his eyes while he rapidly moved that big hand up and down his sahft.<br /> Why am I so shallow? I hate this man. I've hated him for as long as I can remember. Tristan is a prick. He set out to humiliate me on purpose with this whole game nomination. I thought it wasn't possible for me to be attracted to a cruel person.<br /> Why did he do it? It's such odd behavior coming from the campus man-bimbo. There were probably dozens of girls at that party who would've been happy to do the job for him.<br /> Strange.<br /> ————————<br /> AMY<br /> Writing Jane Austen erotic fan-fiction is the best way to spend a Friday night. It's not a universally acknowledged truth, but it should be.<br /> The bass from the party pounds through the walls of my dorm room. I sigh before clicking save and closing my laptop. This noise makes it impossible to write. I'm constantly taken out of the world inside my head.<br /> I was just getting to the good part, too. Mr. Darcy was about to pin Elizabeth against the wall in the Nether field library. My readers are going to eat it up when I finally get to posting it on AO3.<br /> Another night alone in my bed with my laptop for company. My bestie, Cody, constantly makes fun of me for my hermit ways, especially given the fact that I write unhinged erotic Pride and Prejudice fanfic in secret. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm a nerd, and I embrace it with fervor. I've even adopted the aesthetic—the purple hair and the large round glasses—as a signal to people that I'm socially awkward. Approach at your own risk.<br /> I twist and stretch my neck, jerking back when a knock rattles my door. I moan as I get off my bed. It's probably someone from the party looking for more spirit. Or a partner to do shots with.<br /> They've come to the wrong place.<br /> When I open the door, RA Gigi is standing in the hall with an envelope in hand and a large grin on her face. "Did you hear?" she asks.<br /> I frown. "Hear what?"<br /> She pauses, as if to increase my suspense. "You were chosen."<br /> My incredulity must be all over my face, because Gigi bursts into laughter. "The game! You're one of the girls chosen."<br /> I don't have to ask her what game she's talking about. Everyone at Pacific Crest knows what "the game" is. Every November, ten female students are entered into a reality show-esque competition to vie for a special night with the homecoming king. After four weeks of group dates and stupid competitions like relay races, the homecoming king chooses his favorite of the ten women to escort to the winter ball.<br /> And by homecoming king, I mean Tristan Wolfe.<br /> For the last two years, the student body has nominated the same homecoming king. Arrogant, brainless, cruel Tristan Wolfe.<br /> The game is silly and antiquated. Why is it always the homecoming king who gets to choose? Why doesn't the queen get her own competition?<br /> Because my small private university is misogynistic, that's why. The winner gets a ten-thousand-dollar scholarship all because some brainless frat boy thinks they're the hottest of ten contestants.<br /> It should be freaking illegal.<br /> I'd never apply, even though the scholarship money would be nice. I couldn't win, so it wouldn't even be worth trying.<br /> "That's impossible," I say.<br /> She smiles. "No mistake. Someone must have filled out an application for you. I was sent here to deliver this." She hands me a thick manila envelope. "It tells you everything you need to know. There's a dress code..." Her gaze slips down from my Pemberly T-shirt all the way to my kitten-face slippers. "If you don't have the money for nice clothes, you can apply for a sponsor."<br /> I grit my teeth as I take the envelope from her hands. "Thanks."<br /> After Gigi leaves, I sink back down on my bed, unable to take my eyes off the manila envelope in my hand. This is a joke. Someone is kidding me.<br /> But who? Not a single one of my friends would play a prank this mean. They all know how tedious I find the whole game process, even just as an observer. The film students are constantly around campus, following the contestants with their phones in the air, trying to catch every ounce of drama for Pacific Crest's YouTube channel.<br /> One year, I wolfed down a bacon avocado burger right in the background of one of the game dates. Anyone who watched that video saw me with chipmunk cheeks and green sludge dripping down my chin. Cody made fun of me for months after that incident. He even printed a large close-up picture of my face that he taped to his wall. But even he'd never dare enter me as a joke. He knows how much I hate Trist—<br /> Did Tristan do this?<br /> He must've. No one else would take the time for such an elaborate and creative humiliation. Tristan with the sly smirk and the deceitful blue eyes. Tristan who never resists an opportunity to antagonize me.<br /> Tristan Wolfe who told his ex—my former best friend, Harper—about my fanfic pseudonym after he lured me into confiding in him.<br /> Tristan Wolfe who stood in the center of the Pacific Crest quad while Harper read a intercourse scene from my ~Pride and Prejudice~ fanfic aloud to a group of their prick friends. They laughed like jackals while Tristan smirked, his eyes locked on mine.<br /> Harper may have been the one who read my fanfic, but it was all Tristan's idea. I know it was. Harper was angry with me, but she wouldn't resort to cruelty without someone pushing her into it. She was never cruel before she got together with Tristan—that miserable winter during our sophomore year of high school. He's the reason she dropped me like an out-of-date fashion trend.<br /> Like I was an embarrassment to her.<br /> Because I was an embarrassment to Tristan. He was the leader of the stupid popular kids at our high school, and he ruled the school like a tyrant. Harper was able to make her way into his exclusive club, beautiful as she is, but her best friend had to go. He drove a wedge between us.<br /> He signed me up for the game. I know he did. He's probably planning to use the publicity to humiliate me even more than he did that day almost two years ago.<br /> I'm going to kill him.<br /> Tonight.<br /> I jump out of my bed and grab a sweater from my closet. There's always an ocean chill this time of night, and I refuse to be shivering when I confront him.<br /> I storm out of my room and head down the hall. The bass is so loud that my teeth rattle in my skull, flaying my nerves. Tristan's frat on a Friday night will be so much worse, and I have to keep my head.<br /> When I make it down the stairs and step outside, I inhale the cool ocean air. The salty scent is a balm, and my heart slows in my chest.<br /> As soon as I get to the big red door of Zeta Nu Xi, I throw it open, clutching the manila envelope in my hand. My face burns as partygoers turn to stare at me. I must stand out like a neon sign with my glasses and oversized sweater, but I don't care.<br /> I have to find him.<br /> As expected, Tristan is in the center of the room with a red cup in one hand and an arm around a gorgeous woman. A malicious smile rises to my lips. Harper broke up with him at the end of last semester. I heard about it through the dorm gossip chain, and inside, I rejoiced. Good for her.<br /> Granted, they've broken up countless times since sophomore year of high school, and the fact that they go to the same college means they most likely won't be done with each other until after graduation.<br /> But for now, Tristan is single.<br /> I hope he hates it. He seems like the type of pathetic loser who has to be in a relationship to feel validated as a human being. I hope he's miserable now.<br /> Our eyes meet from across the room. Tristan's widen. He examines me from the top of my head down to my slippers. When his gaze meets mine again, that familiar, malicious smirk tugs at his lips.<br /> I can't help but feel a little smug that I'm one of few people who doesn't find him even slightly attractive. Cruel people are ugly to me, no matter how objectively gorgeous they might be.<br /> Harper doesn't find him attractive either. She and I constantly made fun of him before they started dating. When he first started showing interest in her our sophomore year, I asked her why she was even considering him when she found him so vapid and boring.<br /> ~"He's Tristan Wolfe, Amy,"~ she'd said. ~"I can't believe he's interested in me."~<br /> I forgave her for it. Harper has an innate need for attention. Her dad was an addict before he died, and her mom was so consumed with the burden of codependency that she didn't have enough mental space for her children. Harper and her younger brother, Nick, were neglected in a way I could never fully understand.<br /> I march up to Tristan, waving the envelope in the air. "Tell me how I got this, and I'll let you live."<br /> He glances down at the envelope and then back up at me, eyes glinting with amusement. The pretty girl in his arms looks up at him and frowns.<br /> "Give me a second, baby." He nudges her aside and steps closer to me.<br /> Too close. I can smell spirit mixed with mint on his breath. The heat of his huge body radiates over my skin, and I take a step back.<br /> He's entirely too big. Big shoulders. Big hands. I never noticed it in high school. I'd never been up close to him until that day in the library when I thought there might be more to him than beauty and sadist. When he probed me with those pretty blue eyes and asked about my passion for writing as if he were really interested.<br /> The liar.<br /> "Don't be shy," he says, clearly sensing my discomfort.<br /> I make sure that my smile doesn't reach my eyes. "Don't confuse my loathing with shyness."<br /> His eyes widen before he laughs. "~Loathing~. I love the way you talk. Like you're writing medieval fanfic." He tilts his head. "~Erotic ~medieval fanfic about two Jane Austen characters."<br /> My cheeks are on fire. It takes all my willpower to keep my eyes fixed on his.<br /> Tristan is cruel. I know this. It doesn't hurt anymore.<br /> How could it hurt when he's clearly a freaking idiot?<br /> I lift my chin. "~Pride and Prejudice~ takes place during the Regency period, which was several centuries after the medieval period. I guess they cut a few corners when they gave you that football scholarship, huh?"<br /> His smile is fixed, but warmth glints in his eyes. This is the expression of his that always confuses me. His smile is almost...<br /> Kind.<br /> No wonder he has so many friends when he's such a prick. He tricks them all with the appearance of kindness.<br /> "I'm a math and science guy, Amelia," he says. "I don't know history or literature."<br /> ~Amelia~. My full name. Tristan always calls me anything but Amy. Sometimes even nicknames like Ames, as if we're buddies. It's just another way to taunt me.<br /> "You should read some literature," I say. "It would make conversations with you less tedious. Should I explain 'tedious' for you? It means boring. You're boring to talk to, Tristan."<br /> His smile fades. He stares at me for a long moment before his eyes flash and his nostrils flare. This is his cruel look, and a chill skitters down my spine.<br /> It's dangerous to make fun of Tristan. Usually, he brushes my insults off like dust, but you never know when you're going to hit a nerve.<br /> I need to change the subject. Fast.<br /> "Explain this," I say, lifting the envelope. "I know you're the reason for it."<br /> He smiles slowly. "What makes you say that?"<br /> I slap the envelope across his chest. "Because I didn't apply. I would never apply." I grimace. "I knew you were going to be the homecoming king."<br /> When I say the last part, his jaw clenches. "I just thought a shy little virgin like you could use an exciting new experience." He smiles. "You can act out your fanfic in real life. I'll be your Mr. Darcy."<br /> Heat washes over my face. I want to slap that smug smile off his face. "You're more of a Mr. Wickham," I say.<br /> He chuckles. "Either way, I'd be happy to pop your cherry for you."<br /> I grimace. What a disgusting euphemism, if it can even be called that. And I'm not a virgin, goddammit. I've had intercourse.<br /> A few times. With my boyfriend during freshman year.<br /> Each time was fast and awkward and a little painful, and we broke up before we had the chance for it to get better.<br /> I'm not a virgin, but I know exactly what Tristan is implying.<br /> ~You must be a virgin because who would want you? Who would want a short, chubby girl who spends all her free time writing Jane Austin erotic fanfiction?~<br /> The anger pulsing through my veins is as heady as a dope. He might be a fatphobic narcissist, but I'm not ashamed of my body. I feel almost like I'm in a dream as I step forward until my chest brushes against Tristan's. I grab his shoulders and look up at him from under my lashes. I slide my hands down his chest and lean up on my tiptoes so my lips brush along his prominent jaw.<br /> He smells good. Clean and musky at the same time. Isn't scent supposed to be the root of attraction? If it is, I should be repulsed by him right now.<br /> I want to be repulsed by him right now.<br /> Maybe there is some magic to Tristan that I didn't see before. Maybe I should be more forgiving of Harper.<br /> I strain to keep what I think is a sultry expression. "I'm not as innocent as you think," I whisper.<br /> His body stiffens, and his eyes widen. For the briefest moment, triumph sizzles over my skin.<br /> He didn't expect that. He knows I'm sassy, but he never thought I'd have the audacity to call him out on his taunt this brazenly.<br /> I'm somehow able to stay in place even as his wide blue eyes roam my face as if he's never seen me before. Is it just my imagination, or is his body trembling beneath my touch?<br /> I don't get to contemplate that further, because he wrenches away, sending me tumbling to the floor.<br /> "Hey," I shout, and Tristan hesitates and then steps forward, his eyes wide and dazed.<br /> "Are you okay?" he clips out.<br /> "Yeah, I'm fine, but—"<br /> He doesn't wait for me to finish. His tall form disappears into the crowd as fast as a comet.<br /> "Freaking you," I mutter before pushing myself up off the floor.<br /> Clearly, all the drunk people here think it's perfectly normal for a partygoer to fall on the floor since no one even blinked when I did.<br /> My cheeks burn as I weave through the crowd. Why did I even come here? I didn't need to confront Tristan. I could have just waited until tomorrow and gone to the administration office to withdraw my application.<br /> I don't want to do that now. Certainly not after what just happened between me and Tristan.<br /> I want him to pay.<br /> The problem is, I have no idea how to do that. What could I possibly do to make him suffer for his prank?<br /> I need air. Space. A chance to breathe without inhaling the stench of cheap reeb and beverage from a plastic bottle.<br /> The hallway opens up ahead, and I quicken my pace, slipping past a couple locked in a sloppy peck. I'm almost to the back of this stinky frat house.<br /> Freedom.<br /> I'm about to reach the back door when a strange noise catches my attention. Was that a moan? I didn't sound like a sexual moan. It sounded like someone's hurt. I halt in place, glancing around the area. A strip of light peeks under the bathroom door.<br /> That's where it came from.<br /> I walk toward the bathroom door. "Is everything okay in there?"<br /> Again, that moan, and this one sounded even more pained than the first. A chill ripples over my skin.<br /> The knob twists, which means it isn't locked, but I don't push it open. What if I walk in on a couple having intercourse? That moan didn't sound like pleasure, but what do I know? I've had three unsatisfactory sexual encounters.<br /> And then there's an even more mortifying possibility. What if someone is pooping in there? I'd never get over the trauma of bursting in on something like that.<br /> But what if someone is hurt? What if they're badly hurt, and I made the choice to ignore them? This is a frat party full of drunk wretchs, after all. There could be a woman in there. I'd never forgive myself if I ignored someone in trouble.<br /> I twist the knob again, pushing the door open slowly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"<br /> The words freeze in my throat as the door swings wide. A deep moan echoes through the room, and it takes a moment for my brain to process the scene before me.<br /> Tristan is standing with one hand pressing against the counter. His head is thrown back, his expression languid and glazed. His hand moves furiously between his legs as he strokes that huge, thick, veiny...<br /> Holy ffreaking Jesus Christ.<br /> That's Tristan's shaft.<br /> Am I dreaming, or did I really I just walk in on Tristan masturbating?	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1,778,275	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778237}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:36	active	760	1154189109087510	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	He is not the male I thought he was. I refuse to fight for someone who can spit on all the effort I put into making him great.<br /> "Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your bimbo's actions."<br /> ____________<br /> <br /> "So Kay, what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask.<br /> Sapphire sits up. She is really interested in what Khalis has to say. I can feel her unease. Whatever this is about is not going to be good. Sapphire has been a little jumpy lately and is very protective. We just found out that we are pregnant after trying for the past 6 months. Kosta and I finally feel like we were in a good place since our pack is now ranked number 3 in the nation. I guess I should give Khalis my undivided attention and hear whatever it is she is pressed to talk to me about.<br /> "Well Zel, I just wanted to let you know that I plan on being the Luna of this pack, and your days as Kosta's mate and luna are numbered. I have decided that I deserve to be luna of the third strongest pack in the nation. I mean why should you get everything and I get stuck with nothing?" Khalis says.<br /> Is this bimbo serious? I just sat there staring at her for a few seconds. Not much shocks me, but this is something else. I knew Khalis was selfish, but this is on a whole other level. There have been rumors about Khalis sleeping with mated males, but I always gave her the benefit of the doubt. I never thought we would be having this kind of conversation. We have been friends since elementary school. Her father and brothers are elite warriors in my father's pack. <br /> She was with me when Kosta declared we were mates. She even encouraged me to go with him when he begged me and my father to let me come to his pack with him before I turned 18. She moved to this pack with me, hoping to meet her own mate. She knows Kosta is my fated mate. The moon goddess chose for him me. We both have known Kosta for most of our lives. <br /> Kosta is one of my brother's best friends. I keep thinking about everything we have done together and now this bimbo is sitting in my office telling me she plans to take my mate. I'm really speechless. This is a new low, even for her.<br /> "Just so that I am clear, what exactly do you mean that you want my goddess-given mate and title," I asked.<br /> "I mean exactly what I said. I want Kosta. I want to be his luna and I am going to make that happen. I've already started the process. I deserve to be a luna."<br /> "So you just want to come in here and tell me that you want my mate? What about your own mate? Have you thought about that? If the goddess meant for you to be a luna, you would have been fated to an alpha."<br /> "I waited for my mate. I gave the goddess a chance to do right by me. She gave everyone around me an Alpha. My sister got one, my little ugly cousin got one and even you got one, but what did I get? I got a lowly elite warrior as a mate." She spat.<br /> "How can you speak like that about elite warriors? Your father and your brother are elite warriors."<br /> "I know, and I deserve better than that. I deserve to be a luna. I deserve to have people respect me and cater to me."<br /> "Well, obviously the goddess did not agree with you," I said. "Just to clarify, you're saying that even though you found your destined mate, the one that was made specifically for you by the goddess, you're still interested in my mate? You are unbelievable. What is wrong with you?"<br /> "It's simple. I'm not meant to be the mate of a warrior. I am meant to be a luna. The moon goddess got it wrong and I am correcting her mistake. As soon as I scented my fated mate and realized he was a warrior, I rejected him and he accepted my rejection. Good riddance."<br /> "So you think you know better than the goddess?" I asked.<br /> I am still somewhat shocked. I have a hard time reconciling this cold-blooded bimbo to the person that has been my best friend for over a decade.<br /> "Zell, I told you a long time ago not to trust her. She has always been this person. She just pretended with you." Sapphire said.<br /> "This isn't personal, Zell. It's simple since the moon goddess did not give me an alpha, I'm going to take one."<br /> This bimbo is sitting here calmly telling me she is going to take my mate from me like we are talking about going shopping. She actually thinks this is ok. How could I have been so blind for so long? Everyone tried to warn me about her, but she was my only friend and I just didn't want to believe that about her. I convinced myself that the others were just jealous of her.<br /> "Do you really think it is ok to try to break your best friend's mate bond?" I say.<br /> "Oh Honey, I'm not going to try. I'm going to do it. He will be mine. I'm just giving you the courtesy of walking away with your dignity. You might as well start making arrangements for yourself because once I am the luna, there is no way that I will let you remain in my pack. He may keep some tender feelings for you. After all, you are fated."<br /> "You got one thing right; Kosta and I are fated. You are not the first she-wolf to try to break our mate bond and since he is an alpha, I'm sure you won't be the last. I will tell you what I tell them all, If you can get Kosta to cheat on our bond, you can have him. If he can do that, then he is not the man I have believed him to be and wouldn't deserve me. You would be welcome to him. Just remember, it is because of me and my family that this pack is ranked third. All of that goes with me, but you would be more than welcome to whatever is left." I say.<br /> "It's not an if, it's a when it happens. And when you leave, Kosta will still be the alpha of this pack. You will just be the ex-luna of the pack. I will be the luna."<br /> "That's where you are wrong. I am alpha born; a pure-blooded alpha. If I leave, I will still be an alpha and you will still be that bimbo on the side. Some males may be dumb enough to sleep with you, but I have not seen any of the mate men you've been accused of leaving their mates for you. Even the ones who got rejected didn't choose to be with you. Now I suggest you leave my office while I am still being nice or else you will find out why I am feared by others. And if you are successful, don't think for a minute that my family will let either of you go."<br /> "I will leave for now. Enjoy this office while it is still yours. Your arrogance will be your downfall. Why should I fear you or your family? They have not even been around since your luna ceremony. I'll give you 1 week to make arrangements for yourself. In 7 days, all of this will be mine and you will be out. I will break you and completely disgrace you.<br /> I have to thank you for working so hard to build this pack up for me to take over. I will be sure to enjoy the fruit of your labor. I and my children will enjoy this. I am glad he listened to me early on when I told him to wait to have children so you could live your life first. I had to set the groundwork just in case. Now it's time for you to go before you give him an heir." Khalis says and walks out of my office like nothing happened.<br /> "What do you think, Sapphi? Do you think she really will get Kosta to cheat on our mate bond? Do you think Emil will let it happen?"<br /> "I honestly don't know Zell. Last year I would have said that our bond was solid, but Kosta has been acting funny lately. Emil has been a little distant as well. Khalis is a little too confident. She is definitely up to something and Kosta isn't acting like our mate right now. Also, Jen, Khalis' wolf is mad at her about something that she won't tell me about."<br /> "I'm sorry I didn't listen to all the warnings you were giving me about her. I should have never moved her with us. I invited that snake into our home. I open the door for her to get her paws on Kosta, but if he allows it, he does not deserve us."<br /> "I Feel sorry for her mate and her wolf. They did not deserve what she did to them. But at least her fated mate will get a second chance mate. One much better."<br /> "Zell, I think we should wait and see what happens before will tell Kosta about our pup. I would burn this whole pack if something happened to our pup."<br /> "I agree Sapphy. We will do whatever we have to do to protect our pup."<br /> Kosta has been questioning me a lot lately. It's like he woke up a different person one day. He suddenly lost trust in me, but I have never given him a reason to doubt me. I have found him outside of my door listening to business phone calls, which is crazy because he could just walk in at any time and join the conversation. I have never hidden anything I was doing from him.<br /> The worse thing is that our sexual life is now nonexistent. Kosta is always too busy or too tired. His behavior has led me to believe that he is not attracted to me anymore. He had the nerve to ask me why I have been trying so hard to seduce him lately. Like he didn't just stop making love to me cold turkey all of a sudden. We went from making love every day, sometime multiple times a day, to nothing in over a month. <br /> Seems like he should have been worried if I didn't try to seduce him. I don't know any mated pair that has gone this long without being intimate with each other. I don't know what the issue is. If we were not marked, I would wonder if he was cheating, but I know he is not. I would have felt it. Why did all of this suddenly become so hard? <br /> Why do I even need to seduce my goddess-given mate? It was never supposed to be this way. At least not yet. I'm only 20 years old. Much too young to be going through a dry spell while mated.<br /> I got so desperate at one time I asked our friends what was going on with him. Kosta tells his beta and gamma everything. I figured if there was a problem, they would tell me and I could fix it, but they just said that he was under a lot of stress. What exactly does he have to stress about?<br /> The pack is doing better than it has been in years. In half a year, the pack will be self-sufficient again and won't need to depend on my finances to keep it afloat. I have everything set in motion for the pack to have more disposable cash and residual income. I have a feeling this has Khalis written all over it. Kosta appears to have fallen in line with her already.<br /> Maybe this was their plan all along. Kosta needed me to get his pack back on track and now that they are almost completely independent, they don't need me anymore. If that's the case, they are in for a rude awakening. My six-month plan depends on me closing several more deals. All of these deals are allies with my father, uncle, and grandfather. They will not work with Kosta if our bond falls apart. He would erase everything that I have done over the past three years. Well, that would be his problem.<br /> Since he has not been showing me any care, they are not either. That really hurts. I sacrificed a lot for this pack. I thought they cared more than this for me. I should just go back to my room. I don't know if I want to be around this pack right now, especially if they could turn their backs on me this quickly. Were they all just using me for my family's wealth?<br /> "We need to eat Zell. Remember, we are eating for our pup as well. Don't let them win. We are better than this. If they show us they don't want us here, we will leave. Remember, we are alpha born. We will rise above this. We will go back to where we are celebrated. If they turn against us, they don't deserve us. We will sit back and let them destroy themselves."<br /> "You are right Sapphire. Let's go eat. Our pup needs sustenance."<br /> I went and cleaned myself up and walked to the dining room. As soon as I walked through the door, all the talking stopped. The whole place went silent. As I walked all the way in, I saw why everyone went silent. <br /> Khalis was sitting in my seat, putting food on Kosta's plate like she is the luna. When she saw me, she just smirked and kept doing what she was doing. Kosta just keep eating like I was not standing there. Sapphire stared, pushing forward. She wanted blood. I did too, but I have to think about our pup.<br /> "What is going on, Kosta? Why is she sitting in my seat feeding you?" I growled.<br /> "I meant no harm, Zell. You were busy, so I decided to take care of Kosta for you. Someone needs to care for him while you are caring for other things. "<br /> "I was speaking to my mate, not his bimbo on the side."<br /> "You were not here for your mate, so I have been taking care of his needs."<br /> Sapphire pushed forward and growled loudly. Everyone in the room bowed their neck to her.<br /> "I could kill you in less than 30 seconds, Khalis. I would advise you not to keep crossing my line and you will find yourself very dead. You obviously have forgotten who I am. Don't make me remind you what my family name is," Sapphire said.<br /> I regained control and looked at Kosta. He didn't even appear to be concerned. He didn't show an ounce of regret or remorse. That took a little of the fight out of me. Khalis can only do what Kosta allows her to do.<br /> "Kosta, I asked you a question. What is going on?"<br /> "As Khalis said, you were busy, so she came to do your job for you. If you spent more time catering to me, your mate, and less time working or whatever you are doing, Khalis wouldn't have to step in and take care of my needs." Kosta said.<br /> I and every pack member gasped. I could not believe he openly disrespected me like that after everything I have done for him and this pack. I did all of that for him. This ungrateful prick.<br /> "So now I'm working too much, making your pack financially secure? You were not complaining when the pack was bankrupted and I worked day and night just so you could feed the pack another day. I was working too hard then.<br /> It's only now that you think the pack is out of the woods that I am working too hard. Now that everyone is comfortable and not at risk of starving, you want to change. <br /> Ok, I see who you are now. So instead of appreciating the sacrifices I made for us and the pack, you are sitting here with your bimbo, enjoying the feast that my hard work made possible. I am glad I finally understand where your priorities lie. Trust me, I will never make the same mistake twice." I said and walked away.<br /> I need to get out of here before I wolf out and kill one of them. After tonight, Khalis can have him. He is not the male I thought he was. I refuse to fight for someone who can spit on all the effort I put into making him great.<br /> "Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your bimbo's actions."<br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> "Alpha, what are you doing?" Beta James asked<br /> "Mind your business Beta. This is my pack." Kosta says.<br /> "Yes, and as your beta and friend, it is my job to tell you when you are making a mistake. Alpha, you are dangerously close to crossing the line of no return. Let's all calm down and discuss this later." Beta James said.<br /> "Beta, my word stands. Zel, until you learn to respect me as your alpha, you can forget about representing this pack in any aspect. I will be instructing the security team to restrict all of your access. You are no longer the COO of our businesses. As of now, you are just a regular pact member with no power."<br /> "First of all Alpha." I spat. "Respect is earned. While you are trying to throw your weight around, you can have the luna title back. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I also provide 60% of the pack budget from my personal accounts. So while you can restrict my duties as Luna, you cannot touch the business, but I'll do you a solid. You can buy me out of the business and I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> I can see that he had forgotten how dependent his pack was on me, but oh well. He made his bed. Now he and his bimbo can lie in it.<br /> "Oh, and Alpha, if you try to strong-arm me, I will have to call in the full loan that I gave this pack when we mated. Remember, we signed a contract for the loan. You have only paid me a small portion of the loan and I have not pushed the issue, but the contract is legal and binding. Don't push me, Kosta. You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> I walked off again and made it as far as the stairs. I realized that I could not stay in my current room anymore. There is no way on this goddess-green earth that I want to be in a room with Kosta. Not that he has really shared it with me lately. Now I know why. Khalis has been feeding him and he has been eating it up. They both miscalculated. They thought I would be leaving here with nothing. The jokes on them. I may have been in love, but there is no love in business. I may have put my all into saving this pack and making it independently wealthy, but my parents did not raise a fool and I protected my finances. I invested millions in this company and pack. Did he really think I would protect my money? Does he not remember the prenup my father made him sign since I was a minor when he brought me to this pack? He never gained control over my finances.<br /> Khalis just showed her hand. After what I just saw, she has a right to be confident. Kosta has completely changed. He is not the man that I mated. He is not the boy that I followed around when I was younger. I don't know what happened or when he changed. Maybe this is who he really is and, like with Khalis, I just never saw his true self. He must have hidden it from my father and brother as well. There is no way they would have let me come here when I was 17 if they knew this was how he would end up treating me. I can see now that it is over between Kosta and me. I need to start planning my exit. I pulled up my computer and moved all of my finances from the pack accounts. I closed all the joint accounts I had with Kosta. It was mostly my money that financed them. I left the ones that he financed in his name. I don't want anything from him at all. After I handle business, I call my brother. I will need his help to leave here safely. Now that Kosta knows that all the money is still tied up with me, I doubt he will let me leave easily. I'm sure he and the bimbo are plotting up something.<br /> I have all of my stuff moved to a guest room. Once I get settled, I pick up my phone and call my brother.<br /> 'Hi, baby sister." My brother says.<br /> That's all it takes for the dam to finally break. I start crying my heart out. Zach keeps trying to ask me what is wrong, but I can't stop crying. After a few minutes, my crying finally slows down.<br /> "What's wrong Zell? Who do I need to kill? I can call Uncle Jerry and we can be to you in 30 minutes. No one makes my baby sister cry. Where is Kosta?"<br /> I pull myself together so that I can actually talk to Zach and let him know what I need from him.<br /> "Sorry, big brother. It just hurts so much. Don't come right now. I'm ok. I just had to get that out. I have been holding it in for a while. Kosta stripped me of all my Luna privileges tonight after I walked into the dining room and saw Khalis sitting in the Luna chair feeding him. She apparently is taking care of all of his needs because I have been working too much and neglecting him."<br /> "What the heck." Zach yelled, "I will kill them both!"<br /> "Not yet Zach. I want to see how this plays out. Khalis told me that she wants Kosta and the luna position. She and Kosta are planning something to discredit me in the eyes of the pack. Zach, I'm pregnant and I have to think about my pup's future. I need to see this through and expose them for the low lives they are. I recorded my conversation with Khalis. The recording is on the private server you installed for me. I am keeping the camera's in my office even though I have been stripped. I need to gather as much evidence as I can get so that when this blows up, I can take my case to the council. He will either try to use my pup to get back at me or use him or her for personal gain, and I can't let any of that happen."<br /> "So what's the plan, baby sis?"<br /> "Well, I have already moved all of my personal money from the pack accounts. They are now responsible for themselves. I'm not sure how that is going to go over. I was covering most of the pack's budget. Tomorrow, I will contact my attorneys to protect all of my other assets. I also plan to call our allies and let them know that I am no longer associated with the pack. I am erasing everything I've done over the past three years. They will need to start over from scratch and rebuild it all on their own. There is no way they will get to enjoy my hard work. No, sir."<br /> "Very smart Zell. What do you need me to do?"<br /> "I'm going to need you, Uncle Jerry, and a few elite warriors here to help me leave safely. Khalis said she will have him in seven days. I don't know if I will be able to stay here for the whole seven days, but I need to stay for now. I want to give Kosta the benefit of the doubt. I want to know if there is any hope of us working it out in the future. Don't get me wrong, I am leaving no matter what because he completely disrespected me, but as of now, he has not broken our bond. As long as he doesn't, the door will be open for us to work through this in the future, but if she gets him to cheat on me, it is 100% over."<br /> "Ok Zell, I will get with Uncle Jerry and we will have everything ready. You need to be ready to move at a moment's notice. I'm going to send a few of my elite warriors close to that pack in case something happens. They can keep you safe until I can get to you. I can promise you Kosta will regret hurting my baby sister. He has known me long enough to know that I will kill anything that hurts you. He better hope mom does not get to him before I do."<br /> "I have already had all of my things moved to a guest room. All of the things I want are packed and ready to go. I may ship a few things ahead. Sapphire and I are both ready to leave.'<br /> "I'm surprised Sapphire does not want to fight for her mate. Is she ready to leave Emil?"<br /> "We are giving both of them a chance by still being here. Honestly, Zach, we have not had a relationship in over a month. Emil has not connected with Sapphire in just as long. Our bond is weakened already. If I wasn't with pup, I wouldn't even try."<br /> "I understand, sis. I am so disappointed in Kosta. He was one of my closest friends. I entrusted my baby sister to him and he greatly let me down. I thought you were safe with him. He will pay for every tear that you shed. I promise you that. I'm going to call Uncle Jerry and get everything set up. I have six warriors already on their way to you. They will keep an eye on things and let me know what's happening."<br /> "Ok. Love you, big brother."<br /> "Love you muffin. Get some rest."<br /> We get off the phone, and I finish doing all my business transactions. I need to make sure that my finances and shares are protected. I feel sorry for the pack members who will have to suffer because of a selfish she-wolf and a prick alpha. I wonder if Kosta knows how close the pack is to being bankrupt without the support of my family and my personal finances? I'm just glad that they showed their hands now before I had completely gotten them out of the hole. I guess since they were living better and had more luxuries; they thought the pack was in the black. Jokes on them.	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1,778,447	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778444}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:38	active	760	318541614608428	EMG Best Test To Diagnose Sciatica \| Neuro Testing Group	Discover the Best Test to Diagnose Carpal Tunnel and Treat It. Try EMG Today!<br /> #carpaltunnel #EMGTesting	LEARN_MORE	https://neurotestinggroup.com/conditions/emg-best-	216574181829457	NeuroTesting Group - Expert Emg/Ncv Nerve Testing	https://facebook.com/NeuroTest	709	1	441,984,381,750,861	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	NeuroTesting Group - Expert Emg/Ncv Nerve Testing	120209912130560676	https://neurotestinggroup.com/conditions/emg-best-...	NONE	image	To diagnose sciatica correctly and develop a list of possible causes, an EMG/NCV (Electromyography/Nerve Conduction Velocity Study) is required. MRI/CT scan can show disc bulges or herniations but may not always correspond to your pain pattern. You may have an x-ray or a computed tomography (CT or C...	https://neurotestinggroup.com/conditions/emg-best-test-to-diagnose-sciatica/	2024-05-08 09:29	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440331028_1785766291908330_8792750984439798642_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Md5fYFrlzaAQ7kNvgGS8tW1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBHBgxKhFVDurt7QmKXhWR8U4TyLAHosa8leRJq3GXxng&oe=6641E18B	person_profile			3	NeuroTesting Group - Expert Emg/Ncv Nerve Testing	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,782	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1779005}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:43	active	760	1375112899853475	Man Builds Driveway Over Neighbor’s Garden Without Permission, He Learns an Expensive Lesson	I can imagine his anger...	LEARN_MORE	https://tworeddots.com/property-crossing-the-line-	163458637537591	Sportz Bonanza	https://facebook.com/100079776066180	33,570	1	970,074,260,932,447	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Sportz Bonanza	120209434795870505	tworeddots.com	NONE	image	Neighbors, those familiar faces living next door, often form an integral part of our lives. They can be the source of support and friendship, but they can also bring unexpected challenges and tensions that can transform a tranquil neighborhood into a battleground.After Albert and June Birch found ou...	https://tworeddots.com/property-crossing-the-line-gg/	2024-05-08 02:04	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441475709_425282130135433_5576818003093153902_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hr-GZsr2iQUQ7kNvgEDm9eh&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBvXQOYKhmdZ3q0EYB5l16G_ryrzC2PRLYgmGKq-w7REg&oe=6641DDD5	person_profile	Sportz Bonanza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441464304_1192541095439394_3944514536266031345_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zUmwUQOGxkUQ7kNvgFxDWH-&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3z9m20Ai2K4nTp_weMR2U7IqrSwLJSO_ds1yaIRPBNA&oe=6641C678	3	Sportz Bonanza	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,783	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-05-08 18:43	active	760	423936493919796	The “Hidden” Muscle Causing Blurry Vision	Blurry vision? <br /> <br /> THIS “hidden” muscle could be fatigued…<br /> <br /> But there’s an easy way to support it without – <br /> <br /> Eye exercises<br /> Colored lenses<br /> Specialized lights<br /> <br /> See, blurry vision can result from a strained ‘ciliary muscle’...<br /> <br /> A tiny muscle in the eye responsible for focus.<br /> <br /> When the ciliary muscle is fatigued, this can lead to –<br /> <br /> Blurry vision<br /> Dryness<br /> Eye fatigue<br /> <br /> But nourishing the eyes with specific “eye nutrients” is a simple way to support ciliary muscle function and maintain vision health. <br /> <br /> Which is why Holistic Health Labs developed Vision Alive Max – <br /> <br /> A unique formula containing EIGHT nutrients that could maintain healthy vision in people aged 40+.<br /> <br /> Each serving contains a clinical serving of the following nutrients – <br /> <br /> 1️⃣ Cyanidin-3-Glucoside (C3G) [Night Vision Support]<br /> <br /> Helps support retinal health and stimulates rhodopsin regeneration. 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1,778,126	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778773}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:34	active	760	419020144247176	👇Download EaShort TV to watch more series	Estella was hospitalized following a car accident and stumbled upon her husband Bryce in an intimate moment with another woman. Devastated, she resolved to end their three-year marriage, driving a wedge between them. But as time passed, Estella unearthed a deeper truth, dispelling her long-held beliefs about Bryce's infidelity. The misunderstanding unraveled, the couple shared their feelings and decided to renew their vows.<br /> 👇Download EaShort TV to watch more series.	INSTALL_MOBILE_APP	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.e	275572858968276	Eashort skit	https://facebook.com/61557988040582	30	1	457,088,786,697,792	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	Install now	Eashort skit	120209600742890355	play.google.com	NONE	video		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esbook.dk	2024-05-07 10:42	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441950887_967951691228400_5512115688877743941_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=feGXdWU_Dz0Q7kNvgEK8idd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDMLx8baA9rk1-JKOxoV_bHyNr8h2OPG2PguM8aNnZKGQ&oe=6641E182	person_profile	Eashort skit	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/441452264_832632948924803_6732893027782469965_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oWMtj-PRm7EQ7kNvgH56TMc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCkZn6kmCJ5ya3lgD-1tVhH2jAE8aorX79yZvAQHYKJKw&oe=6641E731	3	Eashort skit	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,903	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778899}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:44	active	760	1169192277440443	Simple Ritual Banished My Nerve Pain	I first took Gabapentin for my Nerve Pain, but the burning and tingling still kept me up at night. I went back to the doc to ask why… just to be told “Learn to live with it”.<br /> <br /> Followed by offering me a pain numbing steroid injection, which I took of course, I was desperate… but I heard they pocket a lot of $ each injection, so I’m not sure who benefitted the most!<br /> <br /> Next I went the “alternative route” and tried acupuncture. I thought it was great until I woke up the next morning feeling just as bad!<br /> <br /> No more driving, no more long walks with our dog, no longer being trusted to care for the grandkids.<br /> <br /> I felt like a prisoner in my own body!<br /> <br /> What could I try next? What would actually help?<br /> <br /> I turned to creams & cold compresses but the burning sensation just kept coming back worse.<br /> <br /> I was exhausted by the doctors telling me there was little hope, but they always had another expensive med for me to try.<br /> <br /> And when I started refusing… they scared me with amputation.<br /> <br /> Then at home the talks about me going into care were getting more serious!<br /> <br /> Years of bouncing between doctor prescribed meds and whatever else I could get my hands on.<br /> <br /> More creams? Sure, I didn’t even care how much they smelt until it meant I felt constantly sick and was still in pain.<br /> <br /> Just as I lost all hope, I thank god for an old friend reaching out.<br /> <br /> We chatted about everything I’d tried and she gave me some crazy stat about how less than 10% of patients feel any noticeable reduction in pain from neuropathy meds.<br /> <br /> 10%???<br /> <br /> I thought it must have just been me, but seems it wasn’t my fault!<br /> <br /> She sent me the video below and the simple ritual that changed my life as I know it.<br /> <br /> It pointed to the surprising root cause of my burning sensation, a little known link that some how my doctor wasn’t aware of.<br /> <br /> “Doctors treat symptoms, not the root cause” makes total sense to me now.<br /> <br /> By never fixing the root cause, I just stay dependent on all their meds!<br /> <br /> But the video showed me the simple fix that takes me less than a minute a day in the comfort of my own home… that has drastically turned my numbness, burning and tingling around.<br /> <br /> The best part… I feel normal again!<br /> <br /> My daily limitations disappeared, I can actually feel the carpet under my feet again… and I don’t have to depend on others anymore!<br /> <br /> No more talks of care homes, now we talk about how I can care for the grandkids again!<br /> <br /> Please don’t struggle with nerve pain for years like I did, I kept being promised the “next thing” would help, but instead the pain kept getting worse.<br /> <br /> Learn the truth while you still have the chance.<br /> <br /> Tap “Learn more” now	LEARN_MORE	https://story.themaryhilton.net/400?utm_source={{c	109560497903284	Mary Hilton	https://facebook.com/themaryhilton	18,606	1	1,505,161,373,731,923	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Mary Hilton	120209693293370560	story.themaryhilton.net	NONE	image		https://story.themaryhilton.net/400?utm_source={{campaign.name}}&utm_medium={{adset.name}}&utm_campaign={{ad.name}}	2024-05-08 00:12	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440366474_812012874184926_5974849592145333329_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wdOWm8_S6f0Q7kNvgF5hLu4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfA6plR_2IBeuHLAB_E9CNHtmbPz19e5GYsZh3gLTyjZpg&oe=6641D410	person_profile	Mary Hilton	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440295594_1663256547815420_2699397614753407022_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=NCPBzL4O_5UQ7kNvgHE4b1w&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDEmHvsW4MfsY7rembFbYFiCUvrKFiWtibP7e3QpCqvIQ&oe=6641D594	3	Mary Hilton	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,922	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778979}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:44	active	760	333205519482535	Enjoy Romance🥰Read More 👉	She signed the divorce papers and left without taking her phone. He checked her phone and got floored at the message: Please come tomorrow for another prenatal care checkup!<br /> =============<br /> <br /> Chapter 1 Ex-girlfriend Returns<br /> <br /> Raegan Hayes was a little absent-minded at the moment. <br /> <br /> All she could think of since this afternoon was the doctor's words. "Congratulations! You are going to be a mom."<br /> <br /> Suddenly, Mitchel Dixon pinched her arm. His low voice came the next second. "Come back to earth. What are you thinking about?"<br /> <br /> Mitchel was her husband. They had been married secretly for two years. He was her superior at work, the president of the Dixon Group. <br /> <br /> Everything had happened so fast. She was newly employed in the company when they unexpectedly got married. <br /> <br /> At that time, Mitchel's grandfather fell seriously ill. It was then he proposed a fake marriage just to fulfill his grandfather's dying wish. <br /> <br /> They signed a prenup, agreeing to hide their marriage from the public. Their union could be terminated at any time. <br /> <br /> It was an unconventional thing to do. However, Raegan only considered herself lucky at that time. <br /> <br /> Never in a million years did she think she would ever get married to the man she had a crush on for eight years. She delightfully agreed. <br /> <br /> After their marriage, Mitchel was very busy. He spent most of his time working. <br /> <br /> Raegan wished she could spend more time with him at home. However, she was rest assured because there hadn't been any rumors or scandals about him with women in the past two years. <br /> <br /> Except for his mild indifference, Mitchel was a perfect husband. <br /> <br /> Raegan had mixed feelings as she stared at the medical report. <br /> <br /> In the end, she decided to tell Mitchel this news. <br /> <br /> She also wanted to tell him that she hadn't learned about him for the first time two years ago and that she had been crushing on him for many years before then. <br /> <br /> Just then, Mitchel’s phone rang. He went to the balcony and answered the phone. <br /> <br /> Raegan checked the time and found that it was already midnight. <br /> <br /> She felt a little uneasy. Who would call Mitchel at this hour? <br /> <br /> Mitchel spent a few minutes on the balcony. Thereafter, he returned and changed into formal attire. His handsome face which had a clear outline made him look dignified. <br /> <br /> He was something to see now. <br /> <br /> "Don't wait up for me. Good night," he said finally. <br /> <br /> What? He was on his way out? At this hour? <br /> <br /> Raegan's grip on the report tightened as she stared at him in disappointment. Unconsciously, she withdrew slightly. After thinking for a while, she blurted out, "It's already so late."<br /> <br /> Mitchel's fingers froze on his tie. With a faint smile, he pinched her earlobe and said, "Be good, okay? There's something I have to do. Don't wait up."<br /> <br /> With that, he headed for the door. <br /> <br /> "Mitchel."<br /> <br /> Raegan quickly ran and caught up with him. <br /> <br /> Mitchel turned around and looked at her seriously. <br /> <br /> "What's the matter?"<br /> <br /> There was a tinge of coldness to his voice. An icy cloud hung over them as they stared at each other. <br /> <br /> A little distressed, Raegan asked in a low voice, "I would like to visit my grandma tomorrow. Can you accompany me there?"<br /> <br /> Her grandmother always wanted to see her. As a result, Raegan wanted to take Mitchel there to assure her grandma they were happy. <br /> <br /> "Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay?" Without agreeing or declining, Mitchel left in a hurry. <br /> <br /> Several thoughts were threading Raegan's mind. She couldn't sleep a wink. <br /> <br /> After tossing and turning for a long time, she went to the kitchen and made herself a warm glass of milk. <br /> <br /> A few notifications from some online blogs came into her phone. <br /> <br /> However, she wasn't interested in them. She was about to swipe them away when one of them caught her attention. The familiar name made her click on it. <br /> <br /> The news read, "Famous designer, Lauren Murray was spotted at the airport with her mysterious boyfriend earlier today."<br /> <br /> Lauren was wearing a bucket hat. The man's figure was vague, but the outline of his body was enough to show that he was dashing. <br /> <br /> Raegan zoomed in on the picture. The next second, her heart dropped. <br /> <br /> Mitchel was the man in the picture! <br /> <br /> So, he canceled the afternoon meeting just to go pick up his ex-girlfriend from the airport? <br /> <br /> This realization settled like a boulder in Raegan's gut, rendering her flustered. <br /> <br /> Her hands trembled. Subconsciously, she dialed Mitchel's number. <br /> <br /> The dial tone brought her back to her senses. Just as she was about to hang up, the line connected, and a voice came from the other end. <br /> <br /> "Hello!"<br /> <br /> It was a particularly gentle woman's voice. <br /> <br /> Raegan froze for a second and then threw the phone away. <br /> <br /> She suddenly felt sick in her stomach. Covering her mouth, she ran into the bathroom and threw up in the toilet bowl. <br /> <br /> The next morning, Raegan went to work on time. <br /> <br /> Mitchel had tried to get her to stop working after they got married. Stubbornly, she insisted on making her own money. <br /> <br /> Mitchel didn't kick against her decision, but he asked her to work as his assistant, helping him with the daily chores. <br /> <br /> The head assistant, Matteo Jenkins was left to take care of the major affairs Mitchel had. <br /> <br /> Matteo was the only Dixon Group employee who knew about their marriage. <br /> <br /> Since inception, only male assistants were hired for the president's office. Reagan was the first and only female. Her employment broke the protocol. As a result, other workers couldn't help but wonder if she was involved with Mitchel. <br /> <br /> It took a while before they realized that Mitchel never gave Raegan special treatment. Strangely, this made them despise her even more. <br /> <br /> After all, no one would last long in anything while taking advantage of their looks.<br /> <br /> At this time, one of Raegan's colleagues handed her a document and ordered her to take it to Mitchel's office. <br /> <br /> Mitchel didn't return home last night. Raegan was so worried that she didn't sleep at all. <br /> <br /> All she kept thinking about was the woman who answered his phone when she called. What was her relationship with Mitchel?<br /> <br /> Raegan already knew the answer to that, but she was still in denial. <br /> <br /> It was difficult for her to come to terms with that fact. <br /> <br /> Raegan tried to remain calm now. She reasoned that no matter what happened, she deserved a result that would be rewarding for all the years she spent loving Mitchel. This couldn't be all for nothing, right? <br /> <br /> She pressed the elevator button calmly and went up to the president's office. Before she walked out of the elevator, she smoothed her hair to make sure she looked good. <br /> <br /> She had arrived at the office, only to see that the door was ajar. A man's voice came. She halted instantly. <br /> <br /> "Come on, man! Do you have any feelings for Raegan or not?"<br /> <br /> The voice belonged to Luis Stevens, a childhood friend of Mitchel's. <br /> <br /> "What do you mean exactly?" Mitchel asked in a cold voice. <br /> <br /> "You know exactly what I mean!" Luis clicked his tongue impatiently and added, "I think Raegan is a good girl. Isn't she your type?"<br /> <br /> "Do you want me to hand her over to you?" Mitchel asked carelessly. <br /> <br /> "You know what, forget it!"<br /> <br /> The scornful laughter of Luis sounded particularly harsh in Raegan's ears. <br /> <br /> They were talking about her as if she were an object. <br /> <br /> Raegan took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the document. <br /> <br /> Soon, Luis's voice was heard again. <br /> <br /> "By the way, I saw the gossip news about Lauren's mysterious boyfriend this morning. That was you, right?"<br /> <br /> "Yes."<br /> <br /> "Well, well, well! That woman still has you wrapped around her little finger. You always want to please her."<br /> <br /> Luis sighed and continued to tease Mitchel. "As the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Tell me, did you two..."<br /> <br /> Their conversation was like a thunder exploding over Raegan's head. <br /> <br /> Her face turned pale and her body was as cold as ice. <br /> <br /> The woman was indeed Lauren! <br /> <br /> Absence made the heart grow fonder! <br /> <br /> Every word drove a knife into her heart. <br /> <br /> Several whispering voices filled her head at this time. She suddenly felt light-headed. Her vision became blurry. <br /> <br /> She held the wall and took a step backward. Suddenly, the door was opened from inside. <br /> <br /> "Raegan?"<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Chapter 2 One-sided Love<br /> <br /> Luis was the one who opened the door. It appeared he was on his way out. <br /> <br /> Raegan balled her hands, turned to him, and nodded. "Hey, Mr. Stevens!"<br /> <br /> Without waiting for him to respond to her greeting, she walked past him and entered the office with the document. <br /> <br /> Mitchel was seated behind a large luxurious desk. In an expensive suit and matching tie, he looked particularly handsome. <br /> <br /> Raegan noticed it wasn't the same suit he had on when he left home last night. How did he get changed? <br /> <br /> With her eyes lowered, she swallowed that question and said instead, "Mr. Dixon, this is from the Marketing Department. Please sign it."<br /> <br /> Mitchel was expressionless as he signed the document at a glance. <br /> <br /> Raegan walked out the door as soon as he handed the document back to her. Luis was still standing at the threshold. <br /> <br /> It wasn't until she went out of sight that Luis turned to Mitchel and said in a hushed tone, "Do you think she heard us?"<br /> <br /> Mitchel's appealing eyes were expressionless at the moment. Obviously, he wasn't paying attention to what Luis was saying. <br /> <br /> To Mitchel, Raegan had always been docile and never felt jealous of anyone. <br /> <br /> Her strict obedience was all Mitchel demanded from her in exchange for treating her well. <br /> <br /> In the elevator. <br /> <br /> Raegan held her breath just to hold back her tears. Unfortunately, it didn't work. <br /> <br /> She had thought two years would be enough for Mitchel to realize how much she loved him and reciprocate her love. <br /> <br /> Now, it turned out that was just a pipe dream. <br /> <br /> She realized she would always play second fiddle to Lauren, Mitchel's true love. <br /> <br /> Reagan wiped her tears when the elevator halted. Save for her pale face, she looked normal when the doors opened. <br /> <br /> She dragged herself to the break room, intending to make herself a cup of tea. <br /> <br /> Several employees were chatting inside. <br /> <br /> "Guys, have you heard? Lauren Murray is back."<br /> <br /> "And who is that?"<br /> <br /> "Oh, my! You don't know her? Lauren is the heiress of the Murray Group as well as a world-class designer. Most importantly, she's the only girlfriend Mr. Dixon has ever shown off in public. She's his first love!"<br /> <br /> "Why is her return such a big deal? Isn't it rumored that there is something between Mr. Dixon and Raegan?"<br /> <br /> "Raegan? She's nothing to Mr. Dixon. Mr. Dixon never admitted that he was dating her. And that is no surprise to me. After all, look at her. She's not even that beautiful. Yet, she behaves as if she's already Mrs. Dixon. What a fool!"<br /> <br /> Standing at the door, Raegan smiled with self-mockery as she listened to them. It turned out everyone else saw the truth except her. <br /> <br /> The love was one-sided. <br /> <br /> "Ha-ha, have you finally woken up from your wild dream, Raegan?"<br /> <br /> A voice of mockery suddenly came from behind. Raegan turned around to see Tessa Lloyd, Mitchel's cousin, who had always despised her. <br /> <br /> Tessa must have also heard the employees gossiping. <br /> <br /> The last thing Raegan wanted to do now was argue with Tessa in the company. She turned to leave, but Tessa blocked her way. <br /> <br /> With a cup of coffee in her hand, Tessa uttered sarcastically, "Lauren is back now. Do you think Mitchel will still give you any attention?"<br /> <br /> Raegan said nothing to that. <br /> <br /> Seconds later, Tessa continued the ridicule. "Maybe it’s time for you to seek out another man, you pathetic fool."<br /> <br /> Raegan clenched her fists and said coldly, "Ms. Lloyd, if you are interested in that kind of thing, feel free to pursue it yourself."<br /> <br /> "You..."<br /> <br /> Raegan's retort made Tessa's face change. <br /> <br /> The next second, Tessa raised her hand and emptied the cup of coffee on Raegan. <br /> <br /> Raegan didn't think for a second that Tessa would do something so crazy. She held up her arms just to block the liquid from her face. In no time, the coffee drenched her clothes. <br /> <br /> Raegan frowned. "What did you do that for? Are you out of your mind?"<br /> <br /> It was lunch break and many employees were free to watch the drama. Tessa was even more complacent when she saw growing onlookers. <br /> <br /> She put on a mean-girl look as she said, "What makes you so smug every day, huh? Do you seriously think that others don't know you are just an orphan? The nerve of..."<br /> <br /> Tessa was silenced by Raegan’s shove. <br /> <br /> Her jaw dropped to the floor. She had never expected that Raegan, who was so quiet and timid, would shove her. <br /> <br /> Tessa stuttered, "You... You pushed me? How dare you!"<br /> <br /> Raegan eyed her and replied, "Yes, I did! It seems you need to be taught simple politeness."<br /> <br /> Indeed, she lost her parents when she was a child. But that didn't mean she would allow someone to walk over her for it. <br /> <br /> Wrinkles appeared on Tessa's face as she frowned in anger. As Mitchel's cousin, she was used to being fawned over and respected. This was the first time she had been treated like this. <br /> <br /> Tessa charged at Raegan like a raging bull, poised to retaliate. <br /> <br /> This time, Raegan was fully prepared for what was coming. She grabbed Tessa's wrist so that the latter couldn't move another inch. <br /> <br /> Tessa was shorter than Raegan. As a result, she struggled like an octopus that had one of its tentacles stuck in a fishing trap. <br /> <br /> Tessa cursed angrily, "How dare you put your hands on me? Who do you think you are?"<br /> <br /> These harsh words attracted more people to the break room. <br /> <br /> "That's enough!"<br /> <br /> Out of the blue, a baritone came from behind. Mitchel had left his office and ran into this hullabaloo. <br /> <br /> The entire room fell silent. <br /> <br /> "Mitchel?" Tessa's blood ran cold at the sight of Mitchel. She had always been scared of him. Her mother also warned her against provoking him. <br /> <br /> But when she remembered that Raegan humiliated her, she put on a pitiful expression and sobbed. "Mitchel, she bullied me."<br /> <br /> The sunlight from outside fell on Mitchel's handsome face. <br /> <br /> Raegan felt so grieved all of a sudden, and lowered her head to look at her clothes which were soaked with coffee. <br /> <br /> Their gaze met in the air. With a deep frown, Mitchel looked at Raegan and said, "Raegan, have you forgotten the rules of the company?"<br /> <br /> His ruthlessness made Raegan's breathing cease. She couldn't believe her ears. <br /> <br /> No one dared to make a sound at this moment. <br /> <br /> Raegan just stood straight there with her slender figure. <br /> <br /> When she got employed here, Mitchel had told her that the Dixon Group wasn't a place for her to mess around and that he would not tolerate her making any mistakes. <br /> <br /> Raegan could understand why he took this stand. <br /> <br /> However, at this moment, she was desperate to know whether Mitchel had heard those hard words Tessa scolded her or he was just pretending not to have heard because he agreed to those words. <br /> <br /> Was she truly insignificant to him?<br /> <br /> Scared to death by Mitchel's rage, the crowd soon dispersed. A few employees were bold enough to peep from a distance, unwilling to miss the good show. <br /> <br /> Mitchel's cold eyes made Raegan shiver from head to toe. <br /> <br /> Raegan pinched her palm to suppress her emotions as she looked at Tessa. <br /> <br /> "I'm sorry, Ms. Lloyd. As an employee of the Dixon Group, it was wrong of me to have offended you."<br /> <br /> Eyeing Raegan, Tessa raised her chin complacently. "Humph! Don't think you'll be let off the hook just by making a simple apology. I don't buy..."<br /> <br /> "The offence has nothing to do with the company. Personally, I refuse to apologize to you. Now, if you'd excuse me," Raegan chimed in. <br /> <br /> She then walked past Mitchel without sparing him another look. <br /> <br /> "You..."<br /> <br /> Tessa's face turned blue after hearing what Raegan said. <br /> <br /> Never in her years of being alive had she been so humiliated. She was always the bully, not the victim! <br /> <br /> The humiliation was so much that scolding Raegan wouldn't appease her anger. <br /> <br /> Pointing in Raegan's direction, Tessa shouted, "Mitchel, did you hear what that woman just said? She humiliated me, yet she's still so arrogant. Call her back. I have to teach her some manners!"<br /> <br /> Mitchel, staring at Raegan's thin back, had an ambiguous expression at this moment. <br /> <br /> "Enough!" he said coldly, raising his hand. <br /> <br /> As someone who lived and breathed drama and cruelty, Tessa didn't think Mitchel was partial to Raegan just now. She assumed that Mitchel didn't care about Raegan at all. <br /> <br /> Tessa gritted her teeth and said viciously, "Next time, I'll get someone to teach her a lesson."<br /> <br /> "Tessa!" Mitchel's tone and squint made it a reproof. <br /> <br /> Tessa trembled at once. <br /> <br /> With a somber face, Mitchel said, "I'll only say it once. Forget about what happened here today. Leave Raegan alone."<br /> <br /> The aura he exuded made her tongue go dry. All the vicious ideas she had in store against Raegan disappeared in an instant. <br /> <br /> She stammered, "Ok... Okay, got it..."<br /> <br /> Mitchel cast a cold glance at her and spoke to Matteo. "Irrelevant people wouldn't be allowed in here from today onwards."<br /> <br /> Without catching the drift, Tessa flattered Mitchel. "Nice call. This is a top company. Not everyone gains access in here."<br /> <br /> Matteo nodded to Mitchel and then walked over to Tessa. He gestured to the exit. "Ms. Lloyd, this way, please."<br /> <br /> It wasn't until this moment that Tessa realized that she was the irrelevant person Mitchel just mentioned. She tried to speak to him, but Matteo blocked her way. The security guards then escorted her out. <br /> <br /> They showed her no mercy. Her struggle was useless. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Raegan got changed when she returned to her office. <br /> <br /> Her heart was filled with sadness as she thought of how Mitchel looked at her minutes ago. <br /> <br /> Closing hour soon rolled by. <br /> <br /> Raegan took her bag and headed for the exit. However, Matteo stopped her. <br /> <br /> He said, "Mr. Dixon has something urgent to deal with, so he asked me to drive you home."<br /> <br /> Raegan declined the ride without thinking twice. <br /> <br /> She was blind before, but now she could see through the situation. <br /> <br /> In Mitchel's eyes, she was just a nobody. <br /> <br /> How could Mitchel agree to accompany her to visit her grandmother when he didn't even care about her? <br /> <br /> Upon arriving at the hospital, Raegan saw that the nurse was about to feed her grandmother dinner. Raegan took the job over and did it by herself. <br /> <br /> All her life, her grandmother had been living in the countryside, enjoying a quiet life. Everything changed last month when her routine medical checkup showed that she was in need of medical care. Raegan insisted on bringing her to the city for better treatment. <br /> <br /> Her grandmother wasn't aware of her marriage to Mitchel. <br /> <br /> Raegan had planned to surprise her today. But as it turned out, that was no longer necessary. <br /> <br /> Raegan waited for her grandmother to fall asleep before she left. She walked out of the hospital and waited for a taxi. <br /> <br /> In the distance, a black luxury car pulled into the entrance of the hospital. <br /> <br /> Raegan's eyes lit up when she saw it. She recognized that car as Mitchel's. <br /> <br /> Did he come to pick her up? <br /> <br /> At this moment, she forgot all the pain she had been feeling. <br /> <br /> Were her thoughts about him all wrong? Did he care for her, contrary to the gossip? <br /> <br /> The door of the driver's side opened and Mitchel got out. <br /> <br /> Raegan started walking toward him with her heart brimming with joy. <br /> <br /> Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. <br /> <br /> Mitchel had just walked over to the other side and carried a woman out of the car. <br /> <br /> Worry and compassion were written all over his handsome face. <br /> <br /> This wiped the smile on Raegan's face. Her heart sank. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Chapter 3 Let's Divorce<br /> <br /> Mitchel's tall and straight figure got closer and closer to Raegan. And then, without saying a word, he strode past Raegan. <br /> <br /> It was hard to tell if Mitchel saw Raegan or just ignored her. <br /> <br /> Regardless, Raegan noticed that the woman in his arms was the same one who had been photographed with him yesterday. <br /> <br /> She was Lauren. <br /> <br /> Raegan's shoes felt like they were made of lead as she walked away. <br /> <br /> She lost all awareness of her surroundings. She got into a taxi absentmindedly. <br /> <br /> Suddenly, the driver uttered, "Ma'am, where to?"<br /> <br /> Raegan was stunned for a moment. <br /> <br /> She didn't want to go back to Serenity Villas. It was only a matter of time before that place stopped being her home. <br /> <br /> After a while, she replied, "Please take me to Crystal Bay."<br /> <br /> She had purchased an apartment at Crystal Bay after getting married to Mitchel. <br /> <br /> At the time, she had hopes of bringing her grandmother to the city, so she bought the apartment on mortgage. It wasn't that big, but it had more than enough space for two people. <br /> <br /> Mitchel didn't understand why she wanted to buy an apartment. He offered to give her a bigger one, but she declined. <br /> <br /> Looking back now, she realized that buying that apartment was the only wise decision she had ever made in the last two years. <br /> <br /> When she arrived at the apartment complex, Raegan sat in the park alone, trying to cool herself down. <br /> <br /> The memories of the past two years were bittersweet. <br /> <br /> Two years had passed in the blink of an eye even though it was more than seven hundred days and nights. <br /> <br /> Love could move mountains, they said. <br /> <br /> Yet, her love didn't move that stone of a man. She finally realized what a fool she had been. She had been making herself a laughingstock in front of everyone. <br /> <br /> It was already late in the night before Raegan finally decided to go into her apartment. <br /> <br /> As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Mitchel standing in front of the door. <br /> <br /> His sleeves were rolled up casually, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone, which revealed his long neck and part of his collarbone. He was leaning on the wall by the door, his handsome face straight. <br /> <br /> Raegan froze for a moment. <br /> <br /> Why was he here? Didn't she see him at the hospital with Lauren? What brought him here? <br /> <br /> Their eyes met. With his coat draped over his arm and one of his hands in his pocket, Mitchel squinted at her. <br /> <br /> "Why didn't you answer the phone?" he asked, sounding a little grumpy like someone who hadn't slept in a long time. <br /> <br /> Raegan took out her phone and saw she had accidentally put it on DND. <br /> <br /> There were five missed calls from Mitchel. <br /> <br /> This marked the first time in their two-year marriage. <br /> <br /> Mitchel blew up her phone because he couldn't find her? Surprising! <br /> <br /> Before today, she would have been overjoyed by this. People would've thought she won the lottery. <br /> <br /> But now, she just threw her phone back into her bag, folded her arms, and said in a hoarse voice, "I didn't hear it ring."<br /> <br /> Mitchel raised his hand to check the time on the watch, and said impatiently, "I've been looking for you for two hours."<br /> <br /> After arranging everything for Lauren, he returned home to find an empty house. He looked for Raegan everywhere. When he couldn't find her, he asked Matteo to check the surveillance footage of all the roads that led away from the company. <br /> <br /> He later found out that Raegan went to Crystal Bay without telling him. <br /> <br /> "Next time, tell me when you are coming here, okay? Let's go home now." After that, Mitchel walked toward the elevator without sparing her another glance. <br /> <br /> He meant to go back to Serenity Villas. <br /> <br /> Raegan didn't move an inch. She just stared at his broad back and pondered reluctantly. <br /> <br /> Would they have a future? <br /> <br /> Mitchell turned around, only to see that Raegan hadn't taken a single step. He frowned and asked, "Can't you walk? Do you want me to carry you instead?"<br /> <br /> The light in the corridor illuminated his face, making his side profile almost impeccable. <br /> <br /> Raegan took a deep breath and said, "Let's divorce."<br /> <br /> "What do you mean?"<br /> <br /> Mitchel's voice was cold, and his handsome face changed immediately. <br /> <br /> "I want to move into my own place. After all, we will be strangers soon."<br /> <br /> Raegan forced a smile, but her heart was aching as if someone was tearing it apart bit by bit. <br /> <br /> "We will be strangers?"<br /> <br /> Mitchel smiled coldly. "Raegan, what do you think our relationship is now?"<br /> <br /> His questioning left Raegan stunned for a moment. <br /> <br /> Mitchel had made it very clear to her from the very beginning. This facade of their marriage had happened by mutual agreement. There was no love. In the eyes of others, they were nothing more than just a superior and a subordinate. <br /> <br /> Mitchel was quite the catch in Ardlens. Many young ladies longed for his love and were even willing to throw themselves at him. <br /> <br /> His question just now reminded her of that fact. Was he afraid that she wouldn't let him go that easily? If that was the case, he couldn't be more wrong... <br /> <br /> After biting her lower lip to conceal her bitterness, Raegan said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Dixon. I was giving it too much thought. Anyway, please leave me alone from now on. You don't have to come here again."<br /> <br /> After saying that, Raegan couldn't help but burst into tears. <br /> <br /> How could she not be sad when she was cutting ties with the man she had loved for a decade? It was such a long time. <br /> <br /> Regardless of how difficult it was, she knew it was time to let go. <br /> <br /> It was high time she stopped being a fool. <br /> <br /> Strangely, the light in the corridor began flickering. <br /> <br /> The deathly stare Mitchel was giving Raegan right now made the atmosphere seem like the moment before an attack in a horror movie. <br /> <br /> Although he understood that Raegan sometimes could throw a tantrum, he felt that she had just crossed the line now. <br /> <br /> His eyes shone like blazing torches at this moment. But when he saw the tears in her eyes, the rage inside him extinguished in an instant. He said in a low voice, "If this is about what happened between you and Tessa, I..."<br /> <br /> "No, this isn't about her. Mr. Dixon, please leave now."<br /> <br /> A lot of things happened between them. And the incident with Tessa didn't come close to any. <br /> <br /> Raegan felt exhausted. She passed by Mitchel and was about to open the door. <br /> <br /> Yet, Mitchel was displeased with her stubbornness. <br /> <br /> He loosened his tie irritably. He then took a step forward and grabbed her wrist. <br /> <br /> "Stop this, will you?"<br /> <br /> A second later, he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. <br /> <br /> He instantly realized that she was burning up like someone who had been set on fire. <br /> <br /> "You have a fever?"<br /> <br /> Raegan felt dizzy. She rested her head on his chest weakly. <br /> <br /> This made the whole situation complicated. <br /> <br /> Reagan was slow to catch that. When she finally realized that her body was too close to his, she put her hands against his chest and tried to pull back. <br /> <br /> Before she could escape, Mitchel pulled her back and held her by the waist. With a cold face, he said in a low voice, "Where do you think you are going?"<br /> <br /> The light flickered again. Out of the blue, Mitchel lifted her up. <br /> <br /> He then headed for the elevator. <br /> <br /> In a daze, Raegan asked softly, "What are you doing?"<br /> <br /> "What does it look like I am doing?" Mitchel remarked. "Taking you to the hospital, of course."<br /> <br /> "No way!" Raegan cried out in surprise and seemed to regain more strength. <br /> <br /> Mitchel might find out about her condition if they went to the hospital.<br /> <br /> Raegan struggled to get out of Mitchel's arms. However, his tight grip made her efforts fruitless. <br /> <br /> "Don't be so stubborn. You are sick, so you must see the doctor," Mitchel said firmly. <br /> <br /> He walked to the elevator with her in his arms. At this moment, Raegan's heart was thumping so hard that it could jump out of her chest. She flailed in protest. <br /> <br /> "Put me down! I don't want to go to the hospital!"<br /> <br /> &13&	LEARN_MORE	https://fbweb.moboreader.net/46526322-fb_contact-e	108744435202789	Novellove read	https://facebook.com/100083283215376	4,076	1	3,306,197,526,352,035	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	Learn more	Novellove read	120208491340910660	fbweb.moboreader.net	NONE	image		https://fbweb.moboreader.net/46526322-fb_contact-enj57-1125-core1.html?adid={{ad.id}}&char=216543&accid=1910509592737470	2024-05-06 05:04	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440450691_435178402491258_8288112967923104899_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zkVpBpQByfgQ7kNvgENU3Qu&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAxm3kVhCHUl3k5bOxV1_PqCvj0PSj3ByfZ49-klHIfFw&oe=6641DB5A	person_profile	moboreader	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/440441423_809300844433714_2642090200457156458_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DXh2I-fMiigQ7kNvgEUf34C&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQ1oTcbeESBChKQgT9STkf888_K1oZWzluzo4XEThNlg&oe=6641DA0B	3	Novellove read	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,778,805	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1778806}'	Yes	2024-05-08 18:43	active	760	393377050363987	#1 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯?	"𝐈'𝐦 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤'𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐄, 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞! 😍😍"	WATCH_MORE	https://sciatiease.com/fb/lungbem2bbv/?ad_id={{ad.	281415728381640	Say Goodbye to Sciatic Nerve Pain?	https://facebook.com/61557461678633	10,797	7	1,594,629,674,650,831	2024-05-08 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Watch more	Say Goodbye to Sciatic Nerve Pain?	120210844025300608	sciatiease.com	NONE	video	sold out 7 times at walmart??	https://sciatiease.com/fb/lungbem2bbv/?ad_id={{ad.id}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&campaign_id={{campaign.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&campaign_name={{campaign.name}}&source={{site_source_name}}&placement={{placement}}&cpid=36c4673e-1518-4583-a451-7089389f9467&lpid=e5aeb735-1a74-42d8-a915-5ec4d5ec34c8	2024-05-07 16:40	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438264171_1123958318813943_4811504433050288171_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=0zJ4Lgb8U6IQ7kNvgEM2yS1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDjXm3T_MrflVwLvGPGkM_IUX9gSNFPBHbl7a4ltOqSFQ&oe=6641DEB1	person_profile	Say Goodbye to Sciatic Nerve P	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438303847_957539692513595_8701045016567798851_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=G5OiggMHeOQQ7kNvgEYDYXg&_nc_oc=Adg89p1BR2fsuCc_3fTK9i-Tzw99UZ2rXreAaoMLvQO6VaYo9g1U68Oh3BgFofRB2mA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAufVJGn_J732NSnBLeNb1LcSGZkbkDBkM-ejzh9CDV-A&oe=6641C8A5	3	Say Goodbye to Sciatic Nerve Pain?	2024-05-08 02:00	View Edit Delete

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