From The Background Wife To His Unreachable Memory
For ten quiet years, Verena carried feelings for Brayden that she never revealed, while everyone knew his heart belonged to another woman.
Three years ago, a financial crisis forced her into an arranged marriage with him to save her family's business.
During those years, his cold distance slowly wore down her devotion until nothing remained.
When news came that the woman he truly loved had returned, Verena chose to end the marriage. She walked away and cut him out of her life.
Only then did regret consume him. "Verena, come back to me."
Unfortunately, it was too late.
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Chapter 5
A sharp chill ran through Verena when she locked eyes with Brayden.
She had already started to sober up a little.
Her sight wavered, and she struggled for a moment before she finally made out who stood in front of her.
"Brayden... is that you?" Verena said, her voice rough from the alcohol as she spoke slowly.
The coat draped over her carried a scent she knew too well, and it helped clear the haze in her head.
"Put me down, Brayden. Let go of me right now!" She stiffened for a second before pushing against him, thrashing with both her hands and feet.
No matter how hard she struggled, she was too weak. It barely affected Brayden and felt more like playful teasing.
"What gives you the right to touch me? Let me go! I said let me go!" she said, refusing to stop struggling.
Brayden's expression turned darker, and he tightened his hold without hesitation, cutting off any chance for her to break free.
"I'm taking her with me," he said to Timothy, his voice low and firm.
Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the door.
From where he stood, Timothy watched everything unfold, and a bitter feeling settled deep in his chest.
He parted his lips as if to speak, but in the end, all that came out was a quiet sigh. No words followed, yet his gaze stayed fixed on them as they walked away.
A shadow passed through his eyes, as though something from the past had resurfaced in his mind.
Brayden moved quickly and pushed the club door open. The cold air rushed in the moment it gave way.
A shiver ran through Verena as she trembled in his arms.
Brayden paused briefly, and then picked up his pace without saying a word. Soon after, he reached the car and got inside.
Elsewhere in the club, a plain-looking man gripped his phone tightly, and excitement showed clearly across his face.
Going out at night to relax led him into something he never saw coming.
Those photos in his hands could secure both a promotion and a raise once they were released.
Despite the club being at its peak, he no longer cared about staying. He packed up right away and left without delay.
Inside the car, as soon as Brayden placed her on the seat, Verena shoved him away.
Breaking free from his hold, she raised her head and spoke with a hoarse voice. "I'm getting out of this car, Brayden. Let me go."
Her resistance continued, yet Brayden gave no response.
He kept his eyes on her without any reaction, as though her actions meant nothing. "Calm down, Verena. Take a look at yourself. Do you even know what you've become?"
Although dizziness still weighed on her, his words struck a bitter feeling within her.
She lifted her head again and faced him, speaking each word with effort.
"What I've become? And what does that have to do with you? Who gave you the right to control me? We're getting a divorce. Whatever I've become now has nothing to do with you!" Verena said, raising her voice at the end.
Red filled her eyes, and even though tears gathered, she held them back.
Seeing her like this caught Brayden off guard, and he paused for a moment.
A frown appeared as he continued to look at her. He seemed ready to speak, yet after some time, he swallowed what he had intended to say.
Instead, he said in a calm tone, "You're drunk."
Hearing that made the feeling inside her grow heavier.
A quiet laugh came from her, and the strength she had been holding onto slipped away at that moment.
What remained in her eyes faded, leaving only exhaustion and confusion behind.
Heat filled the car, and it made her feel more drunk.
Verena's eyes lost focus as her body swayed, and she soon fell asleep.
Seeing that her head was about to hit the window, Brayden felt panic rise in his chest.
Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly.
The strong smell of alcohol spread around him. He had always hated that smell. Even so, no sign of disgust showed on his face. Instead, something unfamiliar appeared in his eyes.
For a long moment, he kept his gaze on her before lifting his hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.
His fingers paused when he felt something cool.
Verena's earlier questions stayed in his mind.
After some time passed, he let out a quiet sigh and held her closer.
The car stopped in front of the villa.
Looking down at her as she slept, Brayden picked her up in his arms, his movements gentle and careful.
Once outside, he went straight toward the upstairs bedroom.
Although he moved quickly, the cold wind made Verena press herself deeper into him.
Through the layers of clothing, her cheek rested against his chest.
Brayden's heartbeat grew faster.
Sounds from outside reached Jayde in the living room, and she rushed out at once.
The sight of Verena in Brayden's arms stopped her in place, and shock showed clearly on her face.
She never thought Verena would come back so soon.
Even with questions in her mind, Jayde chose not to ask and quickly stepped forward to open the door.
After they entered the master bedroom, Brayden placed Verena down on the bed.
As he moved to leave, her hand shot out and caught his wrist.
"Don't go..." she said, her voice low and unsteady.
Brayden went still at once.
Different emotions crossed his eyes, and after a long moment, he did not pull away. Instead, he lay down beside her.
Darkness deepened outside the window as night settled further.
While everything remained quiet, several photos appeared online without a name attached.
In those images, a man and a woman held each other closely.
Even under low light, their identities could still be made out.
The woman in the photos was Verena, Brayden's wife.
Comments spread quickly, with people saying that while Brayden had been involved with other women, Verena turned out to be no different, making them a perfect pair.
The photos spread across the internet in just one night.
Soon after, a headline stirred even more noise. "Mr. and Mrs. Hughes Both Cheated!"
By early morning, everyone was already talking about it. The news started to affect TrueLight Group's reputation.
That morning, Brayden checked the trending posts, and his face darkened right away.
He let out a silent scoff, thinking those people had no sense of limits.
Taking photos was one matter, but releasing them online meant they were openly challenging the Hughes family.
A cold look appeared in his eyes as he left the bedroom and went straight to the study next door to handle work.
What followed, however, went beyond what they expected.
While the discussion online kept growing, competing companies used the situation to target TrueLight Group.
Within a short time, the company's name took a hit.
At the same time, some netizens began to boycott TrueLight Group on their own.
Brayden looked at the data on the screen, and a faint smile formed on his lips while his eyes remained unreadable.
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk, and then his phone rang.
The call came from Laurence Hughes, his grandfather.
A brief flicker passed through his eyes before Brayden picked up. "Good morning, Grandpa."
"Brayden, tell me what's going on online," Laurence said, his voice steady.
"I'll take care of it. You don't need to worry," Brayden said.
Laurence did not continue the topic after hearing that. "Alright. I'll leave it to you."
The call ended right after that.
Brayden's gaze returned to the screen as everyone in the online meeting settled into place.
After a brief look around, he spoke in a steady tone. "PR team, give me a solution. I want it now."
"Yes, Mr. Hughes. We're already working on it," the head of PR responded.
The urgent meeting continued inside the study as Brayden stayed focused on the discussion.
In the next room, Verena slowly woke up.
Light streamed in through the window the moment her eyes opened, and she raised a hand to press against her temples as the pain hit.
The effects of the hangover rushed over her.
Looking around, she recognized the room, and her face lost all color.
She could not recall how she had returned to Brayden's house.
Her eyes moved across the space until she spotted her phone. She quickly grabbed it.
After she turned it on and unlocked the screen, a flood of missed calls and messages appeared.
For a brief moment, she stayed still. Another call came in, and she picked it up right away. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Hughes, you finally answered. You have to check the news right now. The company is already in chaos!" the caller said.
Those words made her heart drop, and she opened the news app at once.
A headline stood out on the homepage. Her eyes widened as she tapped on it and saw the photos.
The man in the photo was Timothy, and she knew it right away.
When had he returned?
Nothing from last night came back to her, no matter how hard she tried.
Because of that, she could not figure out how those photos even existed.
A quiet sigh left her as she prepared to get ready and go to the office, but before she could move, the door opened without warning.
Caught off guard, Verena lifted her head, and the moment she saw Brayden, she went still.
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7.3
I found out my husband of three years had cheated on me and his mistress is the one who told me-because he didn't have the balls to do it himself.
I move out and get a new apartment, a job as a bartender, and try to move on with a broken heart. I wonder where it all went wrong, if I hadn't been enough for him, if I'd been stupid for marrying him in the first place.
I'm at work one night when he walks inside-the most beautiful man I've ever seen. He sits at the bar and a forest fire burns between us. I was depressed the moment before he entered, but the second I look at his blue eyes, I forget the dumpster fire that my life has become. I invite him back to my place and it's the most passionate night of my life. I expect to never see him again.
I just want him as an anti-depressant-but he wants me all to himself. I just got my heart ripped out of my chest so I want something easy and no-strings-attached, but he wants all the strings because he's hooked.
I don't get much of a say in the matter, and that's not surprising when I learn why-because he's the Butcher. The crime lord of all crime lords, the boss that overshadows all of Paris, that makes everyone abide by his rules-or pay.
And now I'm his.
8.3
In the fifth year of Irene Shaw's marriage to Ethan Hart, he was involved in a car accident and lost his memory.
No matter how she tried to prove that they had once loved each other, Ethan still insisted on a divorce.
His reasoning was hard to refute. "If I really loved you as much as you claim, how could I forget you?"
The childhood sweetheart who had once cut him off without hesitation had now become his sole emotional anchor.
He looked at Irene coldly. "Since you know this is a mistake, why not end it cleanly?"
The hands that had once refused to let her go now recoiled from even her lightest touch.
Disheartened and exhausted, Irene signed her name and pushed him completely out of her life.
Not long after, Ethan stopped her in the rain, his eyes red from crying.
"Irene, don't leave me. You said I'd never lose you."
As the car window slid shut, the arm around her waist tightened instinctively, and someone spoke before she could. "Drive on. Irene said she doesn't know him."
She lowered her gaze, feeling a serene detachment, "I really don't know him."
9.2
I died as the "Queen," an elite assassin who leveled criminal syndicates, only to wake up in a damp trailer smelling of rot and stale tobacco. My new body belonged to Arleen Brewer, a malnourished teenager with a failing heart and a life defined by systemic poverty.
A flickering blue light in my mind identified itself as a System, offering a devil's bargain: survive this life, and I could resurrect my dead brother, Dusty. To earn his return, I had to endure my alcoholic stepfather’s rage and a body so weak it struggled to even stand.
At my elite prep school, the rich kids treated me like a walking corpse, covering my desk in trash and mocking my heart condition. Even my fiancé, Shen Wenyu, publicly branded me as "unstable" and stood by while the school's golden boy tried to humiliate me.
They expected me to wither away, but they didn't realize a wolf was now wearing the sheep's skin. I shattered the bully’s nose with a metal tray and tore up my engagement contract in front of a stunned auditorium, only to be met with immediate threats of lawsuits and expulsion.
I didn't understand how the original Arleen survived this suffocating injustice without breaking, but as the Queen, I was ready to turn this school into a war zone.
Then Hale Clemons, the most dangerous man in the city, cornered me outside the principal's office. He saw through my mask, realizing his very presence was the only thing keeping my failing heart from stopping.
"I’m not buying your loyalty," he said, handing me a gold-embossed card. "I’m investing in a weapon."
I took the deal, ready to use his power to bring my brother back and bury everyone who ever looked down on Arleen Brewer.
8.6
I found the instruction manual for my own abandonment on a dark web forum while my husband scrubbed the scent of another woman from his skin in the bathroom.
The thread was titled "Burden Disposal Strategies."
The user, RatKing88, asked a simple question:
"How do I dump a loyal wife without triggering a war with the old guard? My parents love her more than me."
The replies were brutal. They suggested faking a dangerous mission, forcing a paper divorce for 'asset protection,' and then disappearing with the cash.
Moments later, Luca walked out of the bathroom smelling of cheap vanilla perfume and panic.
He grabbed my hands, his palms sweating, and spun a clumsy lie about a "Code Red" mission in Sicily.
"It is going to be a bloodbath, Sienna," he whispered, his eyes wide with manic energy. "We need to divorce on paper. It is the only way to protect you from the vendettas."
I felt a cold rage settle in my gut.
He wasn't a soldier going to war. He was a rat running off with his mistress and the family savings, leaving his stroke-ridden father and our daughter with nothing.
He planned to wait for his parents to die so he could return for the inheritance.
He thought I was just a naive, caged canary who would wait forever.
But he forgot that canaries are the first to smell poison in the air.
I didn't scream. I didn't expose him.
Instead, I looked him in the eye with carefully manufactured sorrow and signed the papers.
He thought he was escaping to freedom with a bag full of stolen cash.
He didn't realize he had just voluntarily abdicated his throne.
And I was going to take it.
9.4
Vera thought her life was over the moment she caught her fiancee cheating with his ex.
Broken and filled with pain, she is approached by a billionaire who presents a simple contract to her. Let's get married.
Sylas Gold is the man admired by the entire world. He is untouchable, powerful and incredibly controlled. Their marriage was supposed to be a contract. A performance. It was a way for both of them to win.
When Vera is kidnapped by a man who looks at her like she's already his, she learns the truth Sylas never told her, about his mafia empire, the blood, and the brother who was supposed to be gone.
Cassian Gold is the man who wants everything his brother has, including Vera.
Now caught between two brothers bound by hatred, power, and obsession, Vera must decide who to trust in a world where love is dangerous, loyalty is fragile, and desire might just be her downfall.
8.4
She was the daughter they lost. Now she's the daughter they're willing to sell.
Emma spent eighteen years as a forgotten girl in a forgotten village, until the day her wealthy biological family came to claim her. But her homecoming is no fairytale. Her place has already been taken by Fiona, the perfect adopted sister who sees Emma as nothing but a threat. And her parents? They didn't bring her back out of love. They brought her back to sign a contract.
Alex Hawthorne is the billionaire heir to the most powerful empire in the city, a genius reduced to a wheelchair after a mysterious accident. The world sees him as broken. His family sees him as a bargaining chip. When the Hawthornes demand a bride from the Williams family, Emma is offered up as the sacrifice.
The contract is simple: one year of marriage, and she walks away with enough money to disappear forever.
But no one knows who they're really dealing with.
They see a quiet country girl who doesn't belong. They don't know she's the secret protégé of a world-famous jewelry designer. They don't know she's the anonymous street racer who conquered every mountain road before she ever saw a city street. They don't know she entered an elite academy with the lowest score and rose to the top in a single semester because Emma never forgets anything.
And Alex? He knows none of this.
To him, she's just the contract bride. The quiet stand-in who agreed to a business transaction. He makes her a deal: play the part, and he'll sign the divorce papers when the year is up.
Until their wedding night, when he leans close with a teasing smirk and says, "If you want to give me a child in ten months, you will have to be on top."
She looks him straight in the eye, her lips curving into the faintest smile.
"Fine. But keep still, or I might accidentally tell everyone your legs work just fine."
He says nothing.
Three months later, the billionaire who once pitied his quiet bride cannot go a single day without her. Because every time he thinks he has figured her out, she surprises him all over again.
But in a world of gilded cages and hidden daggers, their marriage is built on a contract and the biggest clause hasn't been revealed yet.
He thinks he bought a pawn.
She's about to show him she's the queen.
And when the contract ends, one of them will break.