Chapter 33
Chapter 33
“Charles” Yolanda velled.
DOD
Charles paused, realizing she could hear him. He sighed, Darling, you know the rule. It’s a Grant family policy–anyone who stays out overnight has to get checked. It’s nothing personal”
Yolanda’s face went pale. Her eyelashes fluttered as she fought back emotion. If he was so afraid of her getting pregnant, it made no sense that he would still seek intimacy. “Is it true?” she asked, her voice trembling “About the birth control?”
Charles went quiet with a frown. He figured Renee had spilled everything. There was no use hiding it now. “The pills aren’t harmful,” he said calmly. “They just prevent pregnancy
Yolanda slowly balled her hand into a fist. Her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t say another word.
May ended the call and directed the driver to head to the Sinclair–funded hospital. The examination was deeply humiliating–they used instruments to check for any physical traces left by a man.
Yolanda lay on the cold bed, listening to the hushed whispers of the nurses, burning with shame. After a moment, one of them looked up at the monitor and reported to May, “No signs of recent sexual activity!
Which meant not even with Charles. It appeared Yolanda really wasn’t pleasing him. May waved her hand dismissively, and the nurses finally let go.
Yolanda slowly sat up, trembling, as May remarked coldly, “You should learn how to keep your husband interested. You’re not good enough, so he messes with other women. I thought you knew how to please a man
as a Grant.”
May’s tone dripped with disdain for any Grants. Without another word, she turned and walked out.
Nearby, those two nurses exchanged quiet words.
“Typical rich families… It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. You get used and still have to put up with inspections like this.”
“Shh, keep your voice down.”
Yolanda kept her eyes down, quietly pulling her clothes back on.
Outside the hospital, Jack was waiting. He stepped forward and handed her a neatly wrapped gift box. “From Mr. Sinclair, ma’am.
Classic love bombing after a blow–up. Without a word, Yolanda walked past him and hailed a cab.
Jack immediately phoned Charles, who was away on business. On the other end, Charles massaged his temples and let out a tired sigh.
7:43 Thu, Sep 11
Chapter 33
Charles didn’t get back until seven the following evening. When he found the downstairs empty. Charles headed straight up to Yolanda’s room. Shrugging off his suit jacket, he leaned against the doorframe and let the word slip out softly. “Babe.”
Yolanda didn’t so much as glance up, her attention nailed to the documents spread across her desk.
A faint smirk touched his lips. There wasn’t a woman alive he couldn’t win over, and Yolanda was the easiest of them all.
He tossed his coat onto a nearby armchair. “Jack told me you refused the gift. I cut my trip short, you know Let’s go to dinner.”
Yolanda still didn’t respond.
He moved behind her, bracing a hand on the desk to look over her shoulder. Then she noticed a fresh, thin scratch from some woman’s nail trailing across the back of his otherwise well–groomed hand. Clearly, even two days away hadn’t left him lonely.
His eyes fell on the renovation plans for the studio spread out before her. “Renovating the studio?” he asked, his voice close to her ear. “Do you need more funding?”
He then lowered his chin to rest against her shoulder, his voice a low murmur near her ear. “It’s been too long since we went out for dinner. Come on, change.”
Yolanda kept her eyes fixed on the screen. After a long moment, she finally spoke, “Tessa is paying a visit to Starlight Entertainment soon. Your new premium coffee line is picking a spokesperson, no? Just choose one of Tessa’s talents, okay?”
Charles turned his head, brushing a kiss into her hair. “It’s just a coffee endorsement. Of course, if that’s what you want. Feel better now? Let’s eat”
She glanced down and nodded.
As they were getting ready to leave, the maid handed Charles his coat with a warm, knowing smile. “You must have rushed back to celebrate your anniversary with Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Sinclair. How thoughtful.”
Charles froze for a fraction of a second, his eyes cutting toward Yolanda.
A flicker of cold irony showed in Yolanda’s gaze before she bent down to fasten her shoe, saying nothing. ‘Of course he’s forgotten, she sneered inwardly.
He recovered instantly, slipping into his own shoes and sliding an arm around her waist, his voice dripping with practiced charm. There’s a place nearby with a fantastic fireworks display tonight. We’ll go after dinner.”
Yolanda’s mind went straight to Sophie’s post. His playbook was so predictable.
Silent, she let him lead her to the car and got in, buckling her seatbelt with a quiet click. She looked down at her phone and typed a message to lan: [Landed you the coffee endorsement. Come back sometime this week for the shoot.]
His reply was almost immediate: [Okay.]
7:43 Thu, Sep 11
Chapter 33
One word, and she was back there: Ian’s clumsy kiss, the nervous jump of his Adam’s apple, and his slender fingers.
A sudden thirst parched her throat. She gulped water from the bottle in the cupholder, but the warped plastic, still marked from where he’d gripped it, brought the memory crashing back with the water’s taste.
She rolled the window down, sucking in a sharp breath of cool air to douse the heat on her skin. Fifteen years as Charles’s perfect partner and fifteen years of impeccable composure, all undone by one reckless night with a young man.
“Yolanda?” Charles called.
His voice broke through her thoughts. She blinked, her cheeks warming. “Are we here?”
He turned toward her, leaning in slowly. She instinctively drew back.
His fingers caught her chin, turning her face toward his as he studied her. “What’s on your mind?”
She swallowed, her throat tight. “I, uh-”
He suddenly released her, clicking his own seatbelt open with a low, knowing chuckle. “Must be something dirty if you can’t say it out loud.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed the car door open and stepped out into the evening air.
But she had only taken a few steps when a woman in her thirties rounded the corner. Flanked by a cluster of executives who hovered with attentive deference, she clearly held a position of power. They, too, were headed. for the restaurant.
The woman’s eyes landed on Charles, and a knowing eyebrow arched upward. After murmuring a quick word to her entourage, she strode toward him. She reached out as if to touch his face, but he smoothly sidestepped the gesture. “Mr. Sinclair,” she said.
Charles glanced back at Yolanda, a faint, almost mocking smile playing on his lips. “Honey, come meet Rachael Owens. She’s Sinclair Group’s most proactive new partner.”
Rachael adjusted her glasses, a flicker of surprise in her eyes as her hand fell back to her side.
Her gaze swept over Yolanda, and a polished, professional smile appeared. “I didn’t expect to see you two out for a romantic evening. Please, don’t let me interrupt. My team has a dinner to get to. We’ll talk more on Tuesday, Mr. Sinclair?”
Charles dipped his head, his attention seemingly absorbed by the cuff of his sleeve as he straightened it. “Naturally.”
With a final, almost imperceptible glance, Rachael tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and rejoined her waiting group, disappearing into the lobby.
Yolanda watched it all with icy clarity. With the unspoken intimacy and the casual familiarity, this might be the female CEO Max had hinted about.
7:43 Thu, Sep 11
Chapter 33
She took a slow, deep breath. A year ago, the sight might have sent a pang of humiliation and hurt through her. Now, she felt nothing but a vast, hollow calm.
田
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.
