I Gave My Heart, He Gave Me Humiliation

secret husband I loved fiercely, de

ed me in a powder room with a cruel bet: ten chances to make Et

his affection ended

ion always on Chloe, who ope

the distance, abandoned me in a fire, and watched

tried to make me take the f

such brutal indifference, repeatedly cho

secret to be hidden, while his true

missive betrayal, chipped a

that horrific attack, something

ove for Ethan Gold fin

ould reclaim my life and dignity, severing eve

ally understand

pte

va Chen in the powder

s poisoned honey, c

We need to ta

eart ha

sband, thanks to the war between the

first love, now his

" Ava tried to kee

flash of perfe

s has been. But you're a

r, her expensive

ficant private moments. Make Ethan publicly claim you,

chill. "And

n the divorce papers I'll have ready. No fuss, no

are smiles, the stolen mome

ved she could win his heart, b

d, her voice barely

he annual Gold Foundation Gala is ne

onfidence was a

ched for Ethan's han

s stiff, pulling away subtl

er, deep in conversation with Chlo

eye and gave a tiny

n. Nine

e (now Chloe's too, in a way), a business conference. Each time, Ethan w

at Ava. This was

desolate Hamptons beach house

aphrodisiacs online

to his whiskey, h

t her, to touch her with some

sip, the

k. He looked at her, a s

nt, Ava's

rdened. He stood up, hi

u do?" His v

ed, "Nothin

er arm, his fingers like steel. "You

t her with

the

ck her harder

turning his back.

, plea

walked out, leaving her alo

, Ava's sister, sent her

cerned, "comforting" a tearful Chloe

rushes to stepmother Chloe Van

een, the image blurri

e and humiliated,

eavy stone in her stomach. Ch

. Ava saw her name on the call

onely night? Ethan was such a comfort. He said

ck. Chloe w

ssments before you sign those papers. I have them

p, her han

ld tile floor of the

this desperate, foolish

a hollow shell. What wa

oked at her

he first time sh

was a guest speaker, already a yo

l way. He was sharp, intense, with

ut him, a controlled po

t, full of romantic notions. He

heir cautious, secret dat

now about Ethan Gol

ragmatic lawyer, l

t serious girlfriend. A pas

y marrying Ethan's much older, inc

hloe gave him years ago," Olivia ha

he watch. Ethan n

a charity event she knew Arthur and Chloe Gold would

wed alcove,

and radiant, laug

t his father. He wa

something. Ethan's hand had gone to

owded room, a flicker of triumph in

ver Ava. It was real

va had p

e could be better f

lity, genuine love, not t

h little self-respe

igns, the way he always k

the secret

olds, were locked in a bitter busin

nion was u

is right, Ava," Ethan had pro

d band on her finger in a

friends. Just

is promises remained empty. He

er attempts at intimacy, a

, I have an e

tired

with a flicker of somethin

l cheap for wanti

ering, given what she k

s dead. Chloe was f

, cruelly, playing

ances, felt like Chloe

his favorite meals, trying to engage him in co

worse, at her with that po

st night, the disgust, th

anything, had cracked s

hopes on, wasn't just absent; it felt

lly stunted. He was act

der. A secret to be managed,

lly constructed facade. The d

red to a toxic past, to a woma

cknowledged the failure of th

uly leaving, began to take

n her mind, "Six more

s there. The Serene Collecti

of sanity in he

over. Not yet. She