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Zack didn’t take the bait. He only picked up his glass after watching Yolanda finish three bottles without even flinching.
“Alright, I’ll cut to the chase,” he said. “Ian can take the supporting role.”
“Thanks,” Yolanda said softly, then grabbed her bag. “I’ll have someone come by tomorrow to sign the contract.”
With that, she pushed the door open, steadying herself against the wall as she staggered out.
Her stomach was in knots, and it was all she could do to keep herself from collapsing.
Just as she was about to leave, she unexpectedly ran into Sophie again.
But Sophie didn’t notice Yolanda. The slap mark on her cheek had already been covered with foundation, and right now she was bragging to her friend.
“Charles is spoiling me more and more. I said I wanted to go have drinks with Sean later, but he wouldn’t let me. He even said he’d make that bitch who hit me today apologize in person.” She let out a smug little laugh.
Her friend said, “Good thing you don’t have to go. Those directors and producers are all Sometimes when they put their hands on my waist, I don’t even dare push them off.
pervs.
“Mr. Sinclair really does love you. I just wonder when he’s gonna get divorced. But since he’s already doing this much for you, I’d say it won’t be long.”
Sophie said, “Yeah, it’s close. Last night, while he was leaving hickeys on me, he kept complaining his wife was boring and wouldn’t let him mark her.
“I don’t get why that woman even bothers pretending. She can’t even keep her man now. Serves her right.”
Her friend reminded her, “Sophie, I heard Charles’s wife comes from some really powerful family. You better be careful and not go too far.”
Sophie rolled her eyes, clearly ignoring the warning. Her head was full of nothing but how to make Yolanda pay,
She was hell–bent on tossing Yolanda to a bunch of sleazy directors and letting them have their way with her.
Yolanda stood there, her stomach churning even worse. She pushed open the bathroom door and leaned over the sink, throwing up.
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Chapter 12
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She looked at the lifeless woman in the mirror, her eyes rimmed red. She looked a complete
mess.
She quickly turned on the faucet and splashed her face hard with cold water.
But the burning in her stomach didn’t go away. She threw up three more times before she finally felt a little better.
The women in the Grant family were never good drinkers. They were raised to be housewives, not the kind who went out drinking with business partners.
The three bottles had been strong. They burned all the way down Yolanda’s throat into her stomach, making her miserable.
She reeked of alcohol. There was no way she could go home like this.
Yolanda lowered her lashes, holding her stomach. Suddenly, in the mirror, she saw a familiar face. Ian.
She quickly pulled her hand away from her stomach, bent down, and splashed her face again before turning to him, her expression calm.
“I got you the supporting role,” she said.
Ian stood there with his cap on, not moving. He wanted to reach out and steady her, but his hand froze midair. She’d told him before she hated being touched.
He lowered his eyes and said hoarsely, “You don’t have to do this.”
The bathroom had harsh overhead lighting, but even that couldn’t hide how pretty Yolanda looked. Her eyes were wet, and when she smiled, it was alive and bright.
“I told you, I’ll look after you,” she said. “Ian, you deserve this. You’ve got talent, I’ve got the means. We’re going to make it.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. At last, he let his hand fall forward, taking her arm to steady her. “That’s right.”
Yolanda had always kept her distance from men other than Charles. She tried hard not to lean
on Jan.
But the liquor hit her harder and her vision blurred. By the time they were leaving the bar, she nearly stumbled to the ground.
**
Across the street stood a luxury hotel. Max had just pulled up outside and stepped out of his
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Chapter 12
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He was here to meet a business partner. But when he looked up, he saw a tall man with a great build walking a woman out of the bar.
Max froze. He knew the woman right away–it was Yolanda. He’d known her for years through Charles’s circle.
He frowned, pulled out his phone, and called Charles. “Charles, I think I just saw Yolanda. She’s with some guy, and they looked pretty close.”
Charles was already back at the office. His fingers paused over the keyboard when he heard that. “You must’ve seen wrong.”
Max thought about it and nodded to himself. That made sense. The Grant family was strict, and Yolanda wasn’t the type to fool around with strangers.
Even after all these years of marriage, whenever she came to pick Charles up, she never even let the waiters get close. Everyone used to joke about how far she’d go for Charles.
Max chuckled. “Maybe I did. If Yolanda was really the type to do that, you wouldn’t have been cheating on her for two whole years.”
Charles stared at the phone after the call ended, frowning as a thought crossed his mind.
*****
Yolanda felt her stomach twisting, her head aching.
When she got in the car, she stumbled and banged her nose right into Ian’s chest, the pain stinging all the way to her eyes.
Ian settled her into the passenger seat and adjusted it to a more comfortable angle.
Her cheeks were flushed as she reminded him, “Remember to go to Starlight tomorrow morning and sign that contract with Mr. White.”
“Got it. But first, I’m taking you to get your stomach pumped,” Ian said.
She shut her eyes, sweat breaking out all over from the pain. “Sorry to trouble you.”
At the hospital, after the procedure, Yolanda’s face turned ghostly pale. She leaned back against the bed, drained of all color.
The doctor gave her a stern warning. “Next time, don’t drink so much. If it leads to a perforated stomach, the pain will be a whole lot worse.”
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She forced a smile. “Thanks.”
The doctor sighed, thinking she must’ve been drinking that hard because of a fight with her husband.
Sitting on the bed, Yolanda caught the strong reek of alcohol clinging to her. She quickly wired money to Megan, telling her to bring fresh clothes.
There was no way she could go home reeking of booze again. Charles might not care, but the maids would gossip.
If the Grant family caught on that she’d come home smelling like liquor two nights in a row, she’d be in serious trouble.
Megan arrived with the clothes and, seeing how pale Yolanda looked, quickly guessed what had gone down.
“Charles is just shameless,” Megan snapped. “He gives his mistress a top–tier endorsement, but you–just for trying to get your actor a supporting role–you have to drink yourself half to death.
“You two have known each other fifteen years. How can he be this heartless?”
Yolanda didn’t want to get into it with Ian sitting right there. She cleared her throat. “Megan, that’s enough.”
Megan took a deep breath, biting down hard. “Fine, I’ll shut up. But if you ever go soft on Charles again, I swear I’m cutting ties with you.
“You’re a rich girl for God’s sake. Cooking for him every day, doing everything around the house–if he had even a shred of conscience, he’d never let you be treated this way.”
Yolanda rubbed her temples, her voice faint. “Stop.”
宙
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Part 1: The Discovery of BetrayalYolanda Grant’s marriage was built on patience, sacrifice, and quiet endurance — but that illusion shattered in one night. It was late when she arrived at a dark, empty alley after receiving a mysterious message with an address. At first, she thought it was a misunderstanding. After all, her husband Charles Sinclair — a man of wealth, power, and refined taste — would never lower himself to something so vulgar. But when she saw him holding a young woman in his arms, kissing and touching her like a man possessed, every ounce of denial drained from her. Charles, the proud and disciplined businessman, was cheating — and in a filthy alleyway, no less.Part 2: The Scene of HumiliationFrom the safety of her car, Yolanda watched as the scene unfolded. The woman clinging to Charles was frail, trembling, and emotional, like a flower blooming in the mud. The surroundings — the stained floor, damp walls, and suffocating darkness — mocked everything Charles had always claimed to be. This wasn’t just infidelity; it was degradation. Yolanda’s mind swirled with disbelief. Her husband, who obsessed over class and perfection, had become a man of impulse and dirt. She didn’t confront him or make a scene; she didn’t even cry. Instead, she leaned back in her seat, numb, realizing that her marriage was already over in spirit.Part 3: Two Years of DevotionAs she sat there, flashes of the past flooded her mind. Two years of marriage — two years of her trying to please him in every way. She had known from the start that Charles didn’t love her. On their wedding day, he had made it painfully clear that his heart already belonged to another woman. Still, Yolanda married him out of hope, out of love, out of the foolish belief that devotion could melt even the coldest heart. She gave up her career, her ambitions, and her independence, just to prove she was worthy of him. She cared for him like a nurse for her patient — cooking his meals, planning his wardrobe, and tending to every detail of his life. And in return, she got nothing but distance and silence.Part 4: The Breaking PointNow, watching him entwined with another woman, everything she had built inside her — the patience, the sacrifice, the illusion — collapsed. The man she had once called her husband had become unrecognizable. He had torn off his noble mask and revealed himself as nothing more than a beast driven by desire. Yolanda felt like she’d been slapped, her dignity shattered into pieces. But instead of screaming or crying, she felt an eerie calm. Her pain was too deep to express. All she could think was: This marriage must end.Part 5: Charles’s UneaseWhile Yolanda drove home, Charles suddenly sensed that something was wrong. The headlights of a passing car illuminated his face, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn’t know whose car it was, but unease stirred in his chest. The girl in his arms whimpered for his attention, but his mind was already elsewhere. Straightening his clothes, he pulled away coldly. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said flatly. “The company’s got big projects. I can’t afford divorce rumors right now.” His words revealed not love, but calculation — every move guided by image and control. The girl, blinded by her feelings, agreed softly, claiming she would wait. But to Charles, it was just another temporary indulgence.Part 6: The Return HomeWhen Yolanda returned home, the villa felt colder than ever. She had just come out of the shower when Charles entered the bedroom, carrying his jacket. He looked as immaculate as always — tall, handsome, commanding — but tonight, his arrogance seemed cruel. On his pristine white shirt, Yolanda noticed a faint smear of pink lip gloss. She had never worn lip gloss; she hated its stickiness. That small, shiny mark told her everything she needed to know. As she dried her hair, she kept her expression neutral, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain.Part 7: The Cold ConversationCharles glanced at her and asked casually, “When did you get back?”“This afternoon,” she replied.He loosened his tie, unbuttoning his shirt as if nothing had happened. “I was out playing golf tonight,” he added. The lie rolled off his tongue effortlessly. Through the reflection in the window, Yolanda saw the dirt on his back — proof that golf wasn’t the only game he’d been playing. With quiet fury, she shot back, “Then I guess you scored plenty of holes. Congrats.”Her sarcasm caught him off guard. For the first time, he frowned, slightly unsettled. He wasn’t used to this tone from her — the woman who once worshiped him now sounded indifferent, almost mocking.Part 8: His Cruel ArroganceInstead of apologizing, Charles smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Are you mad? I told you when we got married that I didn’t love you. If you’re that unhappy, find someone else to cheat with.” His words cut through her like a blade. It wasn’t just betrayal anymore — it was humiliation. He treated her heartbreak as an inconvenience, as if her pain were irrelevant. Inside, Yolanda’s chest felt like it was being strangled with wire, every breath searing. Yet she stayed silent. Her quietness, once a sign of love, now turned into armor.Part 9: The Memory of InnocenceIn that moment, Yolanda’s mind drifted back to when she first met Charles. She was young, freshly adopted into the Grant family, and he was already the picture of perfection — disciplined, confident, untouchable. Back then, she looked at him with admiration and love. To her, he was everything she aspired to be. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that this same man would someday make her feel worthless. All those years of love, of marriage, of giving — they now felt like a cruel joke.Part 10: A New Beginning Hidden in the Word “Fine”Charles chuckled when she finally said, “Fine.” To him, it was just another empty threat, another outburst that would fade with time. He kissed her cheek, confident that her love would keep her shackled to him forever. What he didn’t realize was that this time, “Fine” wasn’t surrender — it was goodbye. Behind her calm eyes, Yolanda had already made her decision. The love that once bound her had turned to ash, and from that ash, something new was forming — strength.Chapter 1 ends with Yolanda’s quiet determination to take back her life. She won’t cry or beg anymore. This time, she’ll walk away — not as a broken wife, but as a woman reborn through betrayal.
