I Was Never Part of Their Story novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Caleb found me, I was at a greenhouse-style cafe, in the middle of a date with my arranged marriage partner, Shawn Silton of Silton Group.

Shawn rubbed a finger against the rim of his coffee cup lightly. In the past three years, this acquisition tycoon, nicknamed “Mad Wolf”, had only ever shown his patient side to me.

“Day 1227 of knowing you.” He suddenly took out a blue velvet box from his coat pocket. “I’ve decided to stop counting the days.”

The instant he opened the box, the rays of sunlight shining in through the glass roof seemed to converge on the glittering centerpiece of the ring-a 12-carat rare pink diamond. Surrounding it were over 20 top-grade white diamonds.

“I sent someone to collect it from the Sortan Bank last month.” Lifting my wrist, which had a slim business watch adorning it, he added, “It suits you even more than I’d imagined.”

His right hand, which had steadily signed countless acquisition contracts, was shaking slightly out of nervousness.

He then said tentatively, “If you don’t want to wear it on your ring finger, you can wear it as a pendant instead.”

I shook my head with a smile. Just as I was about to tell him he could slip the ring onto my ring finger, there was a loud crash as the reinforced glass panels lining the walls abruptly shattered.

The glass shards fell like glittering rain upon Caleb, who charged inside like a crazed beast. His leather shoes stomped all over the glass, the crunching sounds enough to make me wince.

“Melissa!” His bloodshot eyes locked onto Shawn, who was holding my hand. “You’re my wife! What do you think you’re doing right now? Marrying another man while still being married is bigamy! That’s illegal!”

Shawn was aware of my past with Caleb and immediately realized who the latter was. He swiftly stepped forward to protect me behind him.

“You and Melissa already divorced long ago, so she’s single and available. She has the freedom and right to choose to marry whoever she wants.

“Shut up!” Caleb slammed a hand down onto the round table, overturning the cups and causing coffee to drip onto his suit pants. “She’s my wife!”

Gritting his teeth, he snapped at Shawn, “Who do you think you are to touch her? So what if we’re divorced? Melissa agreed to remarry me back then. That’s why I’m here today-to bring her home!”

Shawn made to argue with him further, but I tugged on his sleeve and gently shook my head.

Chapter 8

2/3

Looking at Caleb as though he were a stranger, aid, “Caleb, it’s been three entire years since our seventh divorce.”

Caleb’s eyes widened, his pupils trembling as he tried to digest that fact. “You’re purposely saying that only to piss me off, aren’t you? You agreed to remarry me. You still love me, don’t you, Melissa?

“This is all Aria’s fault. She seduced me, and that’s why I kept divorcing you, hurting you over and over again. I’ve already punished her.”

He took his phone out from his pocket and showed me a video. In it, a terribly pale Aria was standing in front of a window in an asylum. Her face was swollen and disfigured, side effects from long-term drug use. She was staring blankly out the window.

“I had her entertain men with her body and even sent her to an asylum.” Caleb hurriedly explained, “You hate her, so I had her pay the price…”

“Do you think I left you because of Aria?” I couldn’t stop a burst of laughter from leaving my lips. “Then let me tell you clearly right now. I. Don’t. Care. Just like I stopped caring about you long ago.”

Shawn took this opportunity to grasp my hand, and I locked my fingers with his.

I watched as Caleb’s eyes darted to our tightly intertwined fingers before he flinched as though scalded.

Subsequently, I calmly announced, “We’re getting married next month. I hope you’ll give us your well wishes then.”

Hearing that, the usually composed Shawn immediately burst into an overjoyed smile, his entire body practically vibrating with happiness.

Caleb’s lips started trembling. Suddenly, he lunged forward to seize my arm like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline.

“No… Melissa, you can’t! You can’t marry him! You promised me that you would love me for the rest of your life! Please, don’t leave me! I’m begging you, please don’t marry someone else!

“1

Giving him a level gaze, I uttered gently, “Seven years ago, when you first divorced me for Aria, I begged you on my knees, just like this.

“I attempted to take my own life, yet even with my blood soaking the floor, you didn’t even look back as you left to find Aria. The butler had to call me an ambulance. Despite being hospitalized for an entire month, you never once came to visit me.”

It wasn’t until Shawn wrapped an arm around my shoulders that I realized my body was actually trembling.

In a soft, low voice, he murmured, “It’s alright, Melissa. That’s all in the past now. Come on,

Chapter A

I’m taking you away,”

Something seemed to snap in Caleb, and he suddenly collapsed to his knees. Disregarding the crowd’s gaze, he clung to my legs tightly.

“No, you can’t leave! I can’t live without you! For the past three years, I never once gave up on searching for you! I even looked across the entire globe…”

I looked down at Caleb’s disheveled figure. The handsome face that had once captivated me deeply was painted with tears and despair. Yet, strangely enough, I felt absolutely nothing. My heart and mind felt as calm as a placid lake.

“Mr. Jenson,” Shawn began calmly, “touch my fiancee again, and tomorrow’s headlines will be about the Jenson Group’s last 7% of shares being shorted.”

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