The Tycoon's Secret Wife's Escape novel Chapter 115

CASSIE 5: Bitter Regret

In my unconscious state, memories transported me back to when I was sixteen–a time when Asher Reid existed only as an extension of my brother’s world. He was just the boy from the mansion next door who often came to our home, and I was so used to seeing him that I barely even noticed.

That year, my friend Isabella was mistreated by classmates who believed the lies her cousin Charlotte had made up. Because I stood by Isabella, I got dragged into their mess, making my already difficult teenage life even harder.

That night, I stayed out past the curfew Dad set, caught in the rain like some foolish little girl.

Soaked to the bone, I must have looked pitiful, a forgotten, ugly duckling no one was looking for. But Asher found me. He rescued me.

And I, foolish as I was, started to admire him quietly, my brother’s friend who, for so long, had been nothing more than a distant figure in my teenage life.

Shortly after, Asher left for university abroad, far from our little world, and just like that, we drifted apart.

For years, there was nothing. Not a single memory was made, and not a single word was shared. Until I turned nineteen and followed him to his university, clinging to the excuse that I was pursuing a business course, when the truth was, it was always about him.

Throughout that period, Asher watched over me with a protective attention that intensified my growing feelings.

Somewhere along the way, I knew he had fallen for me, too, or maybe it was just the teasing of friends and family that made me believe it.

I could never be sure when Asher’s feelings became real.

All I knew was that the romance I had built in my head started to feel familiar, or maybe it was still just a dream, a deep longing I had carried for so long.

When I turned twenty–two, Asher proposed, slipping a beautiful, oversized diamond ring onto my finger–a ring that, like us, never quite fit.

“Cassie, do you want to be with me?” he asked.

The smell of alcohol on his breath was strong, but at that moment, I didn’t care. When his lips touched mine, I kissed him back just as passionately, giving in to the feelings I had kept inside for so long.

Eventually, our families decided we’d be married. His family lavished me with gifts, and the connection between our families grew even stronger.

Months passed–maybe a year–and then Asher cheated for the first time. I discovered

1/4

CASSIE 5: Bitter Regret

revealing messages on his phone; that was the first time I ever broke up with him.

I told myself I was done. I was strong, I was firm, but the truth was, I was just too in love with him.

Despite the searing pain of his first betrayal, I let him back in, clinging desperately to the hope that it wouldn’t happen again.

How naïve I was–one betrayal after another shattered me, slowly making me feel like I wasn’t good enough. Eventually, I started blaming myself for his actions, telling myself that something was wrong with me, that I wasn’t enough for him, and drove him to seek comfort elsewhere.

That’s what I tortured myself with.

He always told me he needed the women, the parties–his escape from the weight of his work. But I could never understand it.

I worked hard too–so hard, even taking on jobs my parents threw my way, working with brands, but I never felt that kind of burnout he always claimed.

I cried over the past I couldn’t change.

Yet, as I looked back on everything we’d been through, I realized I played a part in why my heart was broken.

In the middle of my emotional breakdown, I felt gentle hands hold mine, and a calming voice whispered, “It’s okay… everything’s okay.”

He gently wiped away the tears on my face with his other hand.

Even though I didn’t know who was comforting me, I let myself feel the peace he gave me, a calm I hadn’t felt in a long time.

***

Waking up slowly, my mind returned in fragments until my eyes finally fluttered open.

A vast expanse of clear blue sky greeted me through an unfamiliar window. Sunlight streamed across my face, momentarily disorienting me as I became aware of a heavy arm draped across my body, and an unfamiliar scent of room freshener lingered in the air.

Turning cautiously, I discovered myself lying beside a stranger.

“Ahhh!” I screamed, my voice raw with disbelief.

Fear coursed through my veins, and I scrambled away from the bed, retreating to the farthest corner near the floor–to–ceiling window.

The man jerked upright at my scream, his piercing green eyes locking onto mine with a look that sent a chill down my spine. His blonde hair fell in rich waves around a face that looked almost perfect! His face radiated danger.

‘Oh, Hail Mary, purest mother of the Lord! Did you send me straight to Lucifer?‘

2/4

CASSIE 5: Bitter Regret

I swallowed hard as the quilt slid off him.

My gaze involuntarily traced the contours of his body–the defined muscles marked