Before I Leave

Upon Ethan Shaw’s passing, Stella Walker finds a hidden photo album revealing his devotion to another woman. Having lost everything to her husband's ward, Stella dies in agony only to regress to the eve of her wedding. This time, she abandons the relationship to chase her own ambitions. Yet, as Stella moves on, Ethan becomes consumed by her absence, launching a desperate search for the woman who walked away from their life together.

Chapters

Chapter 7

Ethan's expression finally changed.

"Stella? What the hell are you doing?!"

Stella ignored him and stabbed her thigh repeatedly. Her white evening gown turned crimson in seconds.

Ethan stood frozen.

Stella would rather hurt herself than let him lay a hand on her? That thought hit him hard. An indescribable feeling rose in his chest.

"Stella!" he roared, grabbing her wrist.

The scissors clattered to the floor. Pain shot through her body, but oddly, her dazed mind began to clear.

Just then, applause erupted from downstairs. The guests were waiting for the birthday girl to speak.

Stella wrenched free from Ethan's grip and walked out, clutching the banister as she made her way down the stairs.

Gasps filled the room the moment she appeared in her blood-soaked dress.

However, Stella looked calm. She held her chin high, the crimson blooming across her dress like wild roses clinging to a cliffside.

She raised her glass and smiled at the crowd.

"Happy twenty-ninth to me," she said. "May my future be bright."

With that, she collapsed.

Screams followed.

Ethan rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground.

…

Stella was unconscious for a full day and night before she finally woke. She was discharged and returned home, quietly packing her bags to leave.

Ethan showed up before she could barely zip her suitcase—with Rachel beside him.

"I looked into the drugging," Ethan said stiffly. "It was a mistake. It wasn't your doing."

Stella barely reacted.

Meanwhile, Rachel began to cry.

"Aunt Stella, it was all my fault. I said things I shouldn't have. I made Uncle Ethan think it was you. I'm sorry."

She stepped forward with a soft smile, holding out a wedding gown. "To make it up to you, I designed this wedding dress just for you and Uncle Ethan. It's also my birthday gift to you."

Stella finally looked up. Her eyes locked onto the dress.

The memory from her past life surged up again.

She chuckled coldly. "You designed it without checking the size, did you? I can't fit into that."

Back in her previous life, before their wedding, Rachel had presented her 'handmade' wedding gown to Stella as a gift.

Without discussion, Ethan returned Stella's meticulously custom-made gown and forced her to wear Rachel's instead.

Rachel's gown had been so tight that Stella could barely squeeze into it.

Yet, all Ethan said was to let Stella lose some weight to fit it.

Stella had not dared eat or drink for two days. She even fainted at the altar.

She would not make the same mistake again.

Rachel paled.

"I-I'm sorry," she said in a panic. "I've imagined myself as the bride—"

Ethan's head snapped up. His eyes darkened, unreadable.

Rachel's hand flew up to her mouth. She looked like she had just realized what she said.

The air froze with awkward tension until Stella smirked.

"Well then," she said, her voice cold. "Why don't you wear it?"

Continue to next part

For three years, I wasn't a foster child. I was a living, breathing cure. Hidden away in the attic of the Thomas mansion, my sole purpose was to keep their precious daughter alive. Every week, they drained my blood to treat her rare disease, leaving me anemic, scarred, and invisible. I was the "walking blood bag" from the wrong side of the tracks-a stray they'd reluctantly taken in. The day Katharina was finally cured, I overheard the truth. "That walking blood bag has served her purpose," the grandmother hissed. "We are done with her." They threw me out into a freezing rainstorm, tossing a crumpled check at my feet like a tip for a beggar. Payment, they said, for the years I'd "leeched" off their family. Payment for the six thousand milliliters of blood they'd stolen, for the chronic anemia, for the scars. I shredded their charity in front of their faces and walked into the storm. They laughed, screaming that I'd be back, that I'd be begging on the streets by morning. But as I stood alone on that dark road, my world shifted. A sleek, black Rolls-Royce pulled up in silence. The door opened, and my real family stepped out. I wasn't a stray from the slums. I was their lost heiress. And the Thomases are about to learn that the girl they bled dry is now the one holding all the power.

Billionaire Modern

7.5

Marry My Billionaire Second Husband

7.5

Amelia has slaved her whole life, working multiple jobs to help support her poor husband Caleb― only to discover he is a millionaire! When confronted, Caleb feels no guilt. He divorces her immediately to pursue his true love, leaving her with nothing to her name. "Kelsie is the woman that I love, the woman who truly deserves to be by my side," Caleb said. "Now, sign the papers and I can end this farce of a marriage." But thankfully, fate has yet to close all its doors on her. The messy breakup has led Amelia to meet the elusive Matteo Montgomery, the mysterious owner of X'el International Inc., and even though Amelia could have sworn that this is the first time they have ever met, Matteo seemed to hold more interest in her than ordinary. With her divorce finalized, Matteo's courtship quickly grows more extravagant. He offers her everything, from a job as his secretary, a new penthouse apartment, and a permanent home in his heart. But just as Amelia's heart begins to open up to Matteo's sincerity, Caleb comes crawling back, determined to ruin her life. *** [Excerpt] "Oh?" Matteo asked, and Amelia caught a hint of amusement in his voice. "Then pray tell, what did we converse about?" Amelia swallowed. Good heavens, he was so close. She could barely even breathe, afraid that every movement she made would just amplify how loud her heartbeat was. It was racing like a bullet train at this point, and she felt it clog at her throat, refusing her a chance to speak. "I... I...I―" "I have no girlfriend, Amelia," Matteo said. "And before you overthink, I do not have a wife in secret either." His fingers didn't let go of her wrist, and instead, it even tightened its grip. It wasn't painful in the slightest, but it sent surges of electricity rushing through her body as though she had been struck by lightning in the most thrilling of ways. A coy smile curved his lips, and he leaned in just the slightest. His lips were now a hair's breadth away from hers, and Amelia instinctively held her breath. "Unless, perhaps you would like to volunteer?"

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.0

Now I’m Someone Else’s Bride

8.0

Abandoned at her Napa Valley wedding, she watches her life shatter when her fiancé, Liam Parker, runs off to a retreat with his childhood friend using their honeymoon savings. The devastating betrayal sends her father into cardiac arrest. Unable to afford his emergency surgery because of Liam's spending, she must make a drastic choice. When her father wakes, she vows to save him by marrying the man he originally chose for her.

Modern Romance

9.0

Pregnant Wife's Justice

9.0

After waking from a three-year coma, Lin Wan is devastated to discover that her husband, Lu Shen, has replaced her with her own sister. Her family has been destroyed, and her father’s death remains a mystery. Now pregnant and fueled by a need for justice, Lin Wan must navigate a web of betrayal and hidden secrets. She is determined to reclaim her life and uncover the truth behind the tragedies that shattered her world while seeking revenge.

Modern Mystery Romance

9.6

Scratching for Survival

9.6

After years of her mother dismissing every achievement as mere luck, the protagonist of Scratching for Survival is abandoned at Westridge University with nothing but a book of scratch cards for her expenses. Blocked by her family and left penniless, she must win to eat. As the semester progresses, she descends into starvation, scavenging for scraps and battling severe anemia while hoping for a winning ticket. Her mother’s cruel experiment reaches a desperate, ironic climax on the final card.

Modern Young Adult

8.0

The billionaire's secret baby

8.0

After a single night of passion with a powerful billionaire, a young woman discovers she is pregnant. Fearing his reaction and the complexities of his elite world, she chooses to disappear and raise the child in secret. Years later, a chance encounter brings them face-to-face once more. As her hidden truth threatens to surface, the tycoon is determined to reclaim his family, forcing her to confront a past she tried so hard to leave behind.

Billionaire Modern Romance

Before I Leave

Chapter 7

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