Chapter 7
When I hired a lawyer to file for divorce, we made a shocking discovery–Aaron and I had never been legally married.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I remembered how he’d kept postponing to get the official papers, claiming he “didn’t want to burden me.” Later, I’d realized he was still hung up on his childhood sweetheart.
It was only after the so–called wedding, which was held at a park, that I started to realize he still harbored feelings for his childhood
sweetheart.
What I never imagined was that his betrayal had started long before we even exchanged vows.
Oddly enough, at least this simplified the paperwork
I thought I was done with Aaron for good–until I ran into him at the mall.
While I was out shopping at Nordstrom, I ran into a wired guy. The man looked wrecked. Dark circles shadowed his bloodshot eyes, and his usually impeccable appearance had deteriorated into disheveled desperation. The moment he spotted me, his hollow gaze ignited with something like hope.
“Jen, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Someone said they saw you around here, so I came as quick as I could.
He sounded desperate, his voice cracking with emotion.
‘Ever since you left, I can’t stop thinking about you–whether my eyes are open or closed, you’re all I see. I can’t live without you anymore…. I’m sorry, Jen. It took losing you for me to realize how much you mean to me.”
“Can we please start over?”
I stared at him–dark circles under his eyes, his face gaunt and drawn. But I felt nothing but cold indifference. My voice was icy as I replied:
“You’re only panicking because you finally realize you’re losing me. Need a reminder of what you actually did?”
My laugh was bitter. “Your inferiority complex made you tear me down–calling me “spoiled, trying to mold me into some obedient doll. And when that failed, you ran to Wendy–someone easier to control, someone who’d play by your rules. You never loved me. You loved the ego boost I provided.”
“Go live your life with your sad little pride. We’re done.”
But he grabbed my wrist–then dropped to his knees. Right there in the middle of Nordstrom
I turned to leave, but Aaron grabbed my wrist–then dropped to his knees. Right there in the middle of Nordstrom.
“Jen, I don’t care about pride anymore. Please, don’t leave me. This is all my fault.”
He slapped himself, hard, right in front of everyone.
“It’s all my fault, Jen! Please, forgive me!”
The sharp crack of his hand against his cheek echoed through Nordstrom, drawing stares from everyone nearby.
Shoppers gasped. Phones came out.
And then-
“What the hellis Chris?!”
Wendy stormed toward us, her face twisted with rage. When she saw Aaron on his knees, her eyes turned venomous.
“Aaron,” she hissed, “you owe me. Or did you forget I’m carrying your baby?” She smirked at me. “Not that it matters. He never married you anyway.”
So. She’d known. The whole time.
D
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I was the only one left in the dark.
Aaron’s face went pale, and he shouted back, panicked:
“No! That’s impossible! We never ”
But Wendy, eyes brimming with tears, pulled out her phone and flashed a video of the two of them, nude.
“You were drunk, Aaron! That night… It just happened, and now I’m pregnant. Even if you hate me, you can’t just abandon your own! child.”
I watched their drama unfold, utterly disinterested, and quietly slipped away from the chaos.
Of course, someone in the crowd caught the whole scene on video and posted it online. Not long after, I got a call from Wendy, her voice practically dripping with triumph.
“Everyone knows I’m having Aaron’s baby now. No matter how much he loves you, he’s going to have to marry me in the end.”
I scrolled through the headlines:
MONOCLE MEDIA CEO’S LOVE CHILD SCANDAL!
AARON PRESTONG MISTRESS PREGNANT WAS W
¦ HIS MARRIAGE A SHAM?
The desert livestream had already made Aaron enemies. Now, they were all piling on, waiting for the perfect moment to give him the
final shot.
I always thought Aaron would try to suppress the scandal as soon as possible. But this time, he shocked everyone by making a public
statement on X-
I will never marry Wendy Rowland. The only
rest of my life making amends.]
woman 1
ever loved is my wife, Jennifer. Even if she n
never forgives me, I’ll spend the
[I know this will destroy my career. I don’t care. Everything I have came from her. If she doesn’t want me anymore, she can take it all.]
The moment he posted that, Monocle Media Group’s stocks plummeted.
The scandal of Aaron Preston’s inability to keep his pants on, and refusing to take responsibility, was everywhere. The company was on the verge of collapse.
And yet, even now, there were still shippers in the comments:
[Aaron’s risking it all to win back his wife. This is the ultimate grovel, and I’m here for it!]
[Exactly! THEY BUILT MONOCLE TOGETHER FROM NOTHING. THIS IS LITERALLY A ROMANCE NOVEL]
(Aaron and Jen get back tohether plz!]
#RedemptionArc
That hashtag started trending like crazy. Then–vanished.
In its place, an army of bots flooded in, trashing Aaron as a total loser, a gold–digger fraud who’d do anything to climb the social
ladder.
D
