Love Blooms At Second Chances

"Are you sure about this, Chloe?" Ethan' s voice came through the phone, a mix of hope and disbelief. "Marrying me?" For seven years, I had loved Mark, believing we were a power couple, an architect and a developer building dreams.

A week ago, I discovered I was just his "pastime," a "fun distraction." He was already engaged to Sophia Miller, a socialite whose picture was plastered all over the society pages. He offered to keep me as his mistress, a proposition he tried to seal with a diamond-studded collar engraved with "Mine."

I reeled, but kept my face blank as he left for Sophia' s birthday party- which I later learned was a surprise party at his mountain estate. He abandoned me on a deserted road after I slapped him for trying to put the collar on me in the car. Sophia appeared, feigning concern, then publicly humiliated me and accused me of pushing her, an accusation Mark instantly believed.