Chapter 24
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Yolanda froze for a second. Once, a comment like that would’ve cut deep, but now she stayed calm. “Having kids is all up to Charles. I’ll go with whatever he wants,” she said.
Her obedience seemed to relax Flora. “Good you get that,” Flora smiled. “Take care of Charles, and we’ll treat you right.”
Yolanda said nothing, just kept massaging Flora’s legs. After half an hour, she lowered her head and moved to Flora’s back.
She’d spent two years learning traditional massage, all to keep Flora happy.
Flora finally sat up, satisfied. “You’re good at this. Where’d you learn? C’mon, let’s go down.”
Yolanda bent down and picked up the shoes by the bed for Flora. Then she followed Flora out.
When they reached downstairs, Flora frowned, “Charles still not here?”
Yolanda thought, ‘Maybe he’s tangled up in Sophie’s sheets.’
Flora spun around, her voice sharp. “Why didn’t you come with him?”
“Granny, he’s swamped with work. I didn’t want to bug him about it,” Yolanda replied.
At this point, Flora couldn’t really say anything more. She just pressed her lips together and sat off to the side.
Yolanda saw Simone checking out the flowers in the garden and hurried over. “Aunt Simone,”
she called.
Simone nodded in response, then glanced through the window at Wyatt and Flora in the
room.
She thought, ‘Mom’s always favored sons over daughters. Yolanda’s probably gotten her fair share of the short end of the stick. But the Grant women sure know how to stay quiet and humble.
Yolanda began straightforwardly, “Aunt Simone, I heard you’re working on a new TV series. Found your lead actor yet?”
Simone narrowed her eyes, surprised by the direct question. “Aren’t you a housewife? Got someone to recommend?”
“Housewives live off their husbands,” Yolanda smiled. “I wanna start my studio, and I’ve got a talent who’d be perfect for this role. Can you give me a shot?”
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Yolanda was quite perceptive. Simone was proud, but she hated seeing capable women stuck at home.
Before coming, she’d watched Simone’s interviews. Simone had said she wanted more women to thrive in the industry.
Simone wasn’t like the other Sinclairs, or maybe just different from most women.
Men ran most businesses, most everything. For a woman to make it, she had to fight through all the sexism.
Simone was Flora’s youngest kid. Back then, because she wasn’t a boy, she never got the love. That made her real independent–maybe even a little self–absorbed.
So, Yolanda figured it was best to be straight with Simone about the role. Simone couldn’t stand girls who acted all meek. She respected ambition.
A woman with ambition still has hope. But if she was just living for her husband, that was a dead end.
Simone hadn’t paid much attention to Yolanda before–never cared to dig deeper. But now, she cracked a smile. “Y’know, if the Grants heard that, they’d give you a hard time.”
Yolanda dropped her gaze. “I only dared say it because I saw your interviews. You said women should reach high, and I wanna try.”
Simone was the rebel. High society looked down on showbiz, but she’d dived right in anyway.
She was shocked again. She’d always thought Yolanda was quiet–never guessed she’d watched those crazy interviews, let alone taken them to heart.
She patted Yolanda’s shoulder and said, “Just for what you said, I’ll give you this chance. You’ve got my number–bring your talent directly to me. But keep this quiet, especially around the old folks. Otherwise, you’ll be in real trouble.”
After all, the Grant family only married women to be full–time housewives.
“Got it.”
“Does Charles let you work?”
“He’s cheating. He doesn’t care what I do anymore.”
Simone couldn’t help but cough, her emotions complex. She’d known Charles was cheating for a while–she was his aunt, after all.
But she didn’t expect Yolanda to be this calm now. She used to be head over heels for him.
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Chapter 24
Every time she visited the Sinclairs, her eyes stayed glued to him.
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And Charles had hidden his girlfriend so well–how’d Yolanda, that once–blind fool, find out?
“You’re not gonna say anything to him, right?” Yolanda asked.
Simone found the whole situation pretty amusing. Charles thought he’d covered his tracks perfectly, but Yolanda had known all along and didn’t even seem to care–had she stopped loving him?
‘Charles’s so sure he’s fooling Yolanda, but little does he know who will end up outsmarting whom,‘ Simone thought. She could hardly wait to see how this mess played out.
“Nope,” she grinned.
Just then, the living room door swung open.
Charles strolled in, decked out in a sharp suit, and made a beeline for Flora. “Grandma, feeling any better?” he asked.
Flora spotted a lipstick smudge on his cuff and swatted at it. “Fool around outside all you want, but don’t bring the evidence home.
“Yolanda loves you to death. I don’t wanna deal with the day she finds out and throws a fit–no peace then. I like her massages, but I don’t need to hear her crying about you.”
Charles smiled and passed her a coffee. “Grandma, she barely leaves the house–how would she find out? Even if she did, she’d just cry by herself and beg me not to go. I’d smooth it over easily.”
Flora took the cup and sighed. ‘Charles is loving on the surface, but ice–cold underneath- hard to say if that’s a good thing.
If he stayed that way forever, fine. But if he ever fell hard for someone–crazy in love, like Yolanda is–then our family would be in real trouble.
But then she realized Charles was their golden boy–always on top, never failing. Even when his first love dumped him, his ego kept him from chasing after her. Born with a silver spoon, he’d never once compromised for a woman.
Finally, Flora said, “Do what you think is best. I’m just giving you a heads up.”
Just then, Yolanda and Simone walked in from the garden.
Yolanda’s face lit up when she saw Charles. “Honey, you’re here!”
Charles glanced at her, flashing a quick smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He patted her
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head absently and mumbled “hmm” before sitting down and firing off some flirty texts to Sophic.
曲
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.
