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Before Falling Stars Touch Earth We Remember Our Promises by Theo Jaxon Reid 19

Before Falling Stars Touch Earth We Remember Our Promises by Theo Jaxon Reid 19

Echo of Pieces by Charles Dickens 19 Summary

In Chapter 19 of “Echo of Pieces” by Charles Dickens, the story opens with a sense of impending doom emanating from the CEO’s office, where Joseph is overwhelmed by desperation. After a month of failed attempts to lift travel restrictions, he decides to take drastic measures by using a fake identity to stop the wedding of Isabella and Ethan, which he sees as his last chance. His secretary, shocked and fearful, warns him of the potential consequences, but Joseph is resolute in his mission, driven by a mix of love and desperation.

As the wedding unfolds at the lavish rose manor, Ethan has meticulously planned every detail to express his love for Isabella, believing she feels the same. The atmosphere is filled with romance, and as the officiant begins the ceremony, Joseph bursts in, interrupting with a plea for Isabella not to marry Ethan. The tension escalates when Joseph, in a moment of madness, threatens to end their lives together if she goes through with the marriage. This shocking revelation sends the guests into a panic, transforming the celebratory event into chaos.

Isabella, initially unfazed, confronts Joseph’s threats with a mix of fear and defiance. She struggles to maintain her composure while Ethan stands protectively between her and Joseph, urging her not to succumb to his manipulations. The emotional stakes rise as Isabella makes a bold decision, giving Joseph three days to change her mind, while asserting her independence and unwillingness to be dragged into Joseph’s turmoil. This ultimatum highlights her strength and determination, even as she grapples with the emotional fallout of the situation.

The chapter concludes with a tense standoff, as Joseph’s obsession clashes with Isabella’s resolve. Despite the chaos, Isabella’s commitment to her own choices shines through, revealing her inner strength amidst the turmoil. The emotional complexity of love, desperation, and the struggle for autonomy is palpable, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation in the days to come. The stakes are high, and the characters are left to navigate the wreckage of their relationships and the choices they must make.

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**Echo of Pieces by Charles Dickens**
**Chapter 19**

**288 Vouchers**

The unmistakable clamor of destruction reverberated once more from the CEO’s office, a cacophony that sent shivers down the spine of anyone within earshot.

Outside the imposing door, the secretary stood frozen, his heart racing, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. He felt as if the very walls were closing in on him, the tension palpable in the air. For an entire month, he had exhausted every avenue, every possible strategy to assist his boss in lifting the travel restrictions, but it had all been in vain. The weight of failure pressed heavily on his shoulders.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a force that startled him, and there stood Joseph, his expression a storm of darkness and despair.

“Tomorrow,” he declared, his voice low and menacing, “I’m using a fake identity to go to Country A.”

The secretary’s eyes widened in disbelief, and the files he had been clutching slipped from his fingers, cascading to the floor like leaves in autumn. “M-Mr. Ashford, if you’re caught, you’ll go to jail…” His voice trembled, filled with a mix of fear and concern.

Joseph’s face, drawn and haggard, bore the marks of sleepless nights and relentless worry. “I can’t afford to think about that right now. Tomorrow is Isabella and Ethan’s wedding. I have to stop it. This is probably my last chance.” The desperation in his tone echoed in the silence that followed.

In the opulent rose manor of Country A, Ethan had spared no expense in orchestrating the wedding of his dreams. The manor was a breathtaking spectacle, adorned with Ecuadorian roses, each one handpicked by him with painstaking care. The fragrance of the blooms filled the air, a sweet reminder of his devotion.

The pianist, a virtuoso, had played pieces that Ethan had selected after five sleepless nights, each note a testament to his love and commitment. The fireworks, custom-designed to resemble sunflowers—Isabella’s favorite—were set to erupt in a dazzling display, spelling out her name at the most romantic moment of the evening. Every detail of the venue was an ode to his affection for Isabella, a love that he believed was reciprocated.

As the bells chimed, a hush fell over the gathering. The officiant’s deep, resonant voice echoed through the hall: “Mr. Fuller, do you take—”

Before he could finish, Ethan interjected, his voice unwavering, “I do.”

“Ms. Garcia, do you take—”

“She doesn’t!”

The doors to the banquet hall burst open with a dramatic flourish, and there stood Joseph, a tall, slender figure silhouetted against the bright lights, his suit in disarray, his chest rising and falling in frantic gasps.

“Isabella…” His voice cracked, raw and filled with emotion, almost a sob. “I’m begging you, don’t marry him.”

Isabella, resolute and unyielding, didn’t even glance his way. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, unflinching.

“I do. Mr. Officiant, please continue.”

In that moment, the anguish that had flickered in Joseph’s eyes morphed into something darker, a wild madness taking hold.

“Isabella, if you insist on marrying another man, then… we’ll die together!”

Her heart raced, a jolt of panic coursing through her veins. She turned her head sharply, her eyes widening in horror as she beheld Joseph, strapped with explosives, the red lights blinking ominously like a countdown to doom.

“Are you insane?!” she shouted, her voice trembling with fear.

Joseph suddenly erupted into laughter, a chilling sound that echoed through the hall, his gaze locked onto hers, a mix of mania and obsession. “Isabella, you finally turned to look at me.”

Chaos erupted as the guests scrambled to escape, fear gripping their hearts. In an instant, the once-crowded banquet hall was left desolate, the three of them standing amidst the wreckage of shattered dreams.

Isabella’s fingertips dug deep into her palms, the pain grounding her amidst the turmoil. “What in the world are you trying to do?” she demanded, her voice steady despite the tremor in her body.

“Come with me,” Joseph implored, his eyes burning with intensity.

“Give me one more chance.”

“I will never forgive you,” she replied, her voice firm, yet laced with sorrow.

“Then let’s die together.”

His tone was stubborn, reminiscent of a petulant child demanding a toy he could not have, and it sent shivers down her spine.

Ethan stepped forward, a protective barrier between Isabella and Joseph, his voice steady. “Don’t give in to his threats. I’m willing to die with you.”

Isabella bit her lip, the taste of metal flooding her mouth as she shook her head slowly, her heart heavy. “But I’m not, Ethan. I don’t want to drag you into this.”

With that, she turned her icy gaze toward Joseph, her resolve hardening. “I’ll give you three days. If you can’t change my mind in three days, you will let me go, and you can never come looking for me again.”

Ethan opened his mouth to protest, but Isabella squeezed his hand, her eyes pleading. “Trust me. Wait for me to come back and marry you.”

Joseph’s face lit up with a manic joy, his impatience palpable as he reached for Isabella, pulling her toward him.

Ethan, however, had regained his composure, quickly ordering his men to follow them discreetly. He understood something that Joseph did not: Isabella would never waver in her decision, not for any reason other than her mother’s life.

Conclusion

In the aftermath of chaos, the air hung thick with unresolved tension and the weight of choices made in desperation. Joseph, once a figure consumed by obsession, now stood on the precipice of his own destruction, his fate intertwined with Isabella’s resolute heart. Her decision to grant him three days was a flicker of hope amidst the madness, a fragile lifeline that would either lead to redemption or further despair. The emotional stakes had reached a fever pitch, with each character grappling with their own demons—Joseph’s madness, Isabella’s courage, and Ethan’s unwavering love. The choices ahead would not only dictate their futures but also echo through the remnants of their shattered lives, each moment a testament to the fragility of the human spirit.

As the dust settled, the foundations of love and loyalty were tested in ways they had never imagined. For Isabella, the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty, yet she stood firm, embodying a strength that would not be easily broken. Ethan’s steadfast support offered a glimmer of solace, a reminder that love could be a sanctuary even in the darkest of times. The ticking clock of Joseph’s ultimatum loomed over them like a shadow, but in that moment, Isabella’s resolve shone brighter than any explosive threat. The choices they made in the days to come would not only shape their destinies but also redefine the very essence of love, sacrifice, and the echoes of pieces that linger long after the storm has passed.

What to Expect in Next Chapter?

In the next chapter of *Echo of Pieces*, readers can expect a thrilling escalation of tension as Joseph’s desperate gamble unfolds. With the clock ticking down, the stakes have never been higher. Will Isabella’s three-day ultimatum hold, or will Joseph’s spiraling madness lead to irrevocable consequences? As the story delves deeper into the psyche of its characters, we will witness the lengths to which Joseph is willing to go to reclaim Isabella, and the choices she must confront that could alter the course of her life forever. The emotional turmoil is set to reach a fever pitch, leaving readers on the edge of their seats.

Meanwhile, Ethan, now more than just a man in love, must navigate the treacherous waters of Joseph’s obsession while protecting Isabella from a fate she cannot foresee. With the wedding plans shattered and chaos reigning, Ethan’s resolve will be tested as he attempts to outsmart Joseph’s twisted intentions. Will he be able to save Isabella not just from Joseph, but from the very choices that could lead her to a path of destruction? As the narrative unfolds, readers will be drawn into a whirlwind of emotions, betrayals, and unexpected alliances that promise to keep them guessing until the very last moment. Prepare for a chapter that will challenge loyalties and redefine love in ways no one could anticipate.

Before Falling Stars Touch Earth We Remember Our Promises by Theo Jaxon Reid

Before Falling Stars Touch Earth We Remember Our Promises by Theo Jaxon Reid

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Status: Ongoing Type:
Before Falling Stars Touch Earth We Remember Our Promises by Theo Jaxon Reid

Betrayal, Manipulation, and the Breaking of a Devoted Heart

The story opens with Isabella standing on the precipice of a devastating truth—one so shattering that it flips her world upside down in a single moment. She overhears Joseph’s friends mocking her, teasing Joseph for his elaborate deceit: faking an illness, inventing a ritual marriage, and creating a dramatic lie all so he could bring another woman—Sophia—into their home without suspicion. They laugh, crediting him as a “mastermind,” marveling that only someone as innocent as Isabella could have believed his story.

That single moment becomes the spark that ignites Isabella’s unraveling. The protective charm she carries, the same charm she had prayed over for Joseph’s recovery, suddenly burns hot in her hand as if reacting to the betrayal itself. Her body feels cold, her heart colder still, as she realizes the entire façade of Joseph’s illness was a trap—a well-calculated play to hide infidelity under the guise of tradition.


Chapter 1 — The Cruel Unveiling

Outside the living room door, Isabella overhears Joseph’s friends discussing his “ritual marriage,” a fabricated ceremony that supposedly required intercourse exactly ninety-nine times to save Joseph’s life. Joseph had told Isabella that if he stopped the ritual before completing the ninety-nine sessions, he would die.

Now, his friends joke about the absurdity of it. Joseph himself lounges casually, relaxed, entirely unconcerned—his demeanor the complete opposite of the pale, dying patient he pretended to be in front of Isabella.

His friends tease him about having already been with Sophia ninety times. “Just nine left,” one laughs. They ask what he plans to do afterward. Joseph responds with a light smirk and a sip of his drink: once the ritual is “complete,” he simply plans to keep Sophia as his secret lover.

Isabella freezes. Everything inside her goes numb. She cannot believe that the man she prayed for every night was capable of such coldness.


Joseph’s Contradictions: Love and Possession

The mockery continues until one friend finally asks what Isabella herself wonders:
If Joseph supposedly loves Isabella, why hurt her so deeply? Why fake an illness? Why create a fake spiritual ritual? Why allow his family to punish her?

Joseph’s answer reveals the truth.

He explains that the Ashford family, a century-old legacy obsessed with rigid tests and loyalty trials, never approved of Isabella. She came from humble origins, and Joseph had bent the family rules to marry her without subjecting her to their traditional trials. The family resented this and blamed her for everything—even Joseph’s so-called “curse.”

Joseph claims he created the ritual marriage as a tool to shut down the family’s complaints, to retroactively justify Isabella’s position as his wife. He paints it as a way to protect her, insisting she “doesn’t complain even when he is with someone else” and “prays sincerely for him.”

His friends applaud him. They praise Isabella’s obedience and submissiveness, calling her a perfect Ashford wife. Joseph drinks in their admiration, convinced he has found the ideal balance—his wife at home suffering silently, and Sophia fulfilling his desires elsewhere.

But when a friend asks whether Joseph worries Isabella might leave him if she discovers the truth, Joseph laughs it off. His confidence borders on arrogance.

“Isabella loves me too much. She would never leave. And even if she tried, no one in Coastal Harbor would dare help her file for divorce without my permission.”
He even adds that if she ran away, he would drag her back.
“She is mine—in life and in death.”

Those words hit Isabella like poison. A relationship she believed was built on sacrifice, loyalty, and devotion was, in Joseph’s eyes, nothing more than ownership.


Isabella’s Pain: A Love Built on Sacrifice

As Isabella stands outside the door, tears blur her vision. Memories flood back—memories of the Joseph she once loved:

  • She had quit school to pay for her mother’s treatment.

  • She worked tirelessly diving for pearls.

  • She rescued him from the ocean when he was wounded and dying.

  • She nursed him for an entire month.

  • He had pursued her with relentless sincerity, breaking through her defenses.

  • He once took a burn for her, protecting her during a violent conflict.

  • At their wedding, he knelt and vowed eternal devotion, promising she would never suffer again.

But those vows now feel hollow—lies spoken with passion but never rooted in truth.

The image of him lying with Sophia while Isabella prayed for him all night at a cross—bleeding from rosary beads digging into her hands—becomes unbearable. Her pain is not just emotional; it is spiritual, physical, all-consuming.

And now she knows: the illness, the ritual, the prayers, the scolding from the Ashford family…
Everything was a cruel fabrication.


The Rise of Strength: Isabella Decides to Leave

Her tears dry. Her love for Joseph evaporates like mist in the sun.

Isabella does not confront Joseph. She does not scream. She does not expose her hurt.

She simply turns and walks away.

Her first destination is her mother. She confesses everything—Joseph’s infidelity, his cruelty, his manipulation. Her mother is devastated but resolute. She recalls how Joseph had once knelt for ten days outside her home to beg for permission to marry Isabella. She thought he was a good man. She believed he was worthy of her daughter.

But now she stands firmly with Isabella.
“Let’s leave together.”

For the first time, Isabella feels a glimmer of freedom.


Erasing Her Identity — Breaking the Ashford Chains

Joseph had claimed Isabella’s name would stay in the Ashford family tree until death—that no one could remove her.

So she decides to erase the name herself.

Isabella begins the legal process to dissolve her identity and change her name entirely. It is a long process, taking half a month, but she is determined. She advises her mother to remain quiet and hidden. Isabella must return to the Ashford household and maintain the illusion of loyalty, or else Joseph will sense something is wrong.

His influence is far-reaching. If he suspects anything, escape will become impossible.


The Return to the Ashford Villa — A Final Betrayal

When Isabella returns home, still emotionally fragile but outwardly calm, she expects Joseph to continue his facade of sickness.

Instead, she opens the door and is met with the most soul-crushing sight yet.

Joseph is on the sofa—entwined with Sophia, kissing her passionately, completely immersed in her.

And Sophia is wearing Isabella’s wedding dress.

The dress Joseph once said made her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
The dress she wore as she vowed to love him forever.
The dress symbolizing everything she fought for, everything she sacrificed for.

Now it is draped on another woman—Sophia, the center of Joseph's lies—while Isabella stands frozen, her heart shattering one final time.


THEMES OF THE STORY

1. Deception Wrapped in Love

Joseph weaponized Isabella’s loyalty against her. His manipulations were not born from love but from control.

2. A Woman’s Awakening

Isabella transitions from a devoted wife blinded by love to a woman reclaiming her identity and agency.

3. Toxic Power Dynamics

Joseph’s belief that he “owns” Isabella reflects deep-rooted patriarchal control.

4. Betrayal by All

It was not only Joseph who betrayed her—his family, his friends, and even societal norms played a part.

5. Liberation Through Self-Erasure

Erasing her legal identity is symbolic—Isabella is killing the version of herself Joseph tried to imprison.


CONCLUSION

This portion of the story marks the beginning of Isabella’s transformation. Once defined by devotion, sacrifice, and unconditional love, she is now propelled by betrayal, clarity, and the determination to reclaim her freedom.

Joseph’s arrogance, entitlement, and manipulative cruelty have destroyed any remnants of affection, leaving Isabella with only one choice—rebirth. Her departure is not merely an act of rebellion but a declaration of self-worth.

The chapter ends as Isabella stands in the doorway, staring at Joseph and Sophia on the sofa, with her wedding dress draped over the woman he betrayed her with—symbolizing the death of her marriage and the birth of a new, stronger self.

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