When the Scapegoat Walks Away

Hired by the wealthy Shelton family to save their reputation, the protagonist endures a miserable marriage to Jenny Shelton. While Jenny blames him for her failed wedding, she remains unaware that her lover actually abandoned her. After years of starvation and abuse, Jenny's reckless behavior causes a power outage that kills the protagonist's mother. He rejects her belated financial help, realizing his debt is paid. Now, he is finally walking away from the toxic Shelton legacy for good.

Chapters

Chapter 3

Embarrassed at being proven wrong, Rowena exploded in anger at Jenny. "He's your husband, Jenny, not your servant! His mother's gone. How can you ask him to organize someone else's mother's birthday party?"

Jenny sounded confused. "Wasn't Mrs. Hudson seriously ill? Where did she go?"

I didn't want to stir up trouble when I only had a few days left to stick around.

"She went back to her hometown for a while," I said vaguely, changing the subject as I accepted the task to handle the birthday party.

Jenny didn't bother asking more questions. She seemed satisfied that I didn't argue. "Good that you know your place. Once Mrs. Hudson is feeling better, I'll throw her a birthday party and make sure she has her moment too."

She still didn't know that Mom was dead.

In seven days, I would be gone. There would never be a future for us anymore.

…

Just as I was about to head home, Jenny sent me an address and told me to come over.

I thought she wanted to discuss the birthday party. But the moment I pushed open the door to the private room, the only thing waiting for me was a glass of wine thrown straight at my face.

Jenny spat, "So that's why you agreed to organize the party so quickly. Turns out you took money from Mom. It's been seven years, Caleb. I thought you'd learned your lesson by now. Guess a leopard really can't change its spots."

Jackson handed me a tissue, then started putting on a show by slapping himself. "I shouldn't have brought it up. Now you two are fighting because of me. It's my fault! Please don't blame Caleb, Jenny. If anyone should be punished, it should be me!"

Jenny grabbed his hand, looking worried as she rubbed his cheek that wasn't even red. "Don't hit yourself. It hurts me to see that. Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know that Caleb had the nerve to ask Mom for money.

"Tell me, what reward do you want, sweetheart?"

Jackson rested his chin on his hand and contemplated long and hard. "You've already bought me a Lamborghini, and you gave me that lakeside villa. With the way you're always showering me with gifts, you've spoiled me so much I barely want anything anymore.

"Right now, I just feel like having those apple pies we always get from that shop on the east side of town. Why don't we have Caleb pick some up for us? It's about 20 miles away, though. You don't have a car, right? I could lend you mine."

Jackson held out a set of car keys toward me, but Jenny snatched them away.

"You think you deserve to drive?" she spat. "Walk there and get them. It's only 20 miles. Don't tell me you can't even do that."

I nodded quietly, saying nothing.

The other young women in the private room stared wide-eyed before bursting into laughter. "You really know how to have fun, Jenny. Don't worry. We'll help you keep an eye on him!"

Jenny clearly hadn't expected me to agree so readily. She could only swallow back the words she was about to fire back and studied me closely.

Something about me these past two days felt different.

In the past, whenever Jenny punished me, I would argue back fiercely and accuse her of being unreasonable. But today, I was unnaturally quiet, like someone who had lost his soul.

She raised her eyebrows and snorted coldly. "Seven years and he still hasn't learned his lesson. You girls must've gone easy on him before this. I'm watching him myself this time."

Jenny's car followed behind me as I limped forward step by step. We passed through the busy streets and turned into an alley.

Suddenly, the car behind me stopped.

Seeing the sweat pouring down my face, Jenny scoffed. "Stay right there and wait. Jackson suddenly wanted some street tacos. We'll keep going after we're done eating."

The two of them walked side by side toward a street vendor, laughing and chatting happily.

I remembered how, back when Jenny and I hadn't fallen out yet, I once suggested grabbing some street food.

But she frowned in disgust. "It'll be humiliating if word gets out that the Shelton family's son-in-law eats street food, Caleb. Don't embarrass the Sheltons."

Continue to next part

The flight was delayed, and it was late by the time I finally returned to the States from my training abroad. I tried calling my husband to pick me up, but all my attempts went unanswered. Frustrated, I ended up taking a cab. On the way, I stumbled across a Facebook post from one of his so-called "close friends." The photo showed my husband, Ignacio, kneeling and holding her foot. She was wearing a loose, sheer blouse, her bare shoulder exposed, with a conspicuous love bite on her neck. The caption said, "Only a true friend is always there for you." I commented, "If you like him so much, why not keep him close?" Moments after posting the comment, Ignacio called me, furious. "Elina, have you lost your mind? Delete that comment right now! Rhea Scott is just a single woman, and your nonsense will make everyone misunderstand." "You know she sprained her ankle! I was just helping her out.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.1

Denying My Son's Guilt

8.1

After attending a neighborhood gathering, a wealthy mother is blindsided by a lawsuit. Her neighbor, Brenda, claims the woman's son, Cooper, brutally attacked her daughter, Tiffany. As the girl testifies about the alleged assault, public fury erupts, causing company stocks to crash and death threats to go viral. Despite the mounting pressure and protesters calling for her downfall, the mother remains calm. When Cooper finally enters the courtroom, the atmosphere shifts instantly.

Action Billionaire Modern Mystery

8.5

He Crushed My Fingers to Protect His Mistress

8.5

To safeguard his mistress, a ruthless billionaire crushes the fingers of his own wife, destroying her future as a pianist. This brutal betrayal shatters her heart and ends their marriage in blood. Years later, she returns as a transformed, powerful woman, no longer the victim he once knew. As she seeks justice for her ruined dreams, the man who broke her finds himself consumed by regret and a desperate, obsessive need to reclaim her.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.7

Love Died Before I Did

8.7

After witnessing her husband Christian Helmley’s infidelity dozens of times, Natasha has become entirely numb to his betrayals. The cycle of groveling and lies reaches a breaking point when Christian accuses her of a horrific crime against his mistress's child. Threatened with an asylum and facing his physical aggression, Natasha realizes her love is dead. She chooses a final, desperate escape by leaping into the ocean before his eyes, leaving her billionaire life and broken marriage behind forever.

Billionaire Modern Mystery Romance

7.6

Married To The Ruthless Disgraced Billionaire

7.6

I was once the untouchable heiress to the Schroeder empire, until a corporate fraud conviction stripped away my life and threw me into federal prison for five brutal years. On the day of my release, I stepped out into the freezing rain only to realize I had been utterly abandoned by everyone I loved. My family sent no one. My former best friends blocked my number, and high-society women took photos of my shivering, pathetic state for laughs. To survive, I made a desperate deal to act as the fake fiancée of Kayden Washington, a ruthless, disgraced billionaire fighting his own blood. But the moment we joined forces, the nightmare escalated. Our safehouse was ransacked, we were hunted by tactical hitmen in the dark, and my adoptive brother stole my dead mother's diary just to bribe me into leaving New York forever. Worse, the digital trail of my framing traced back to a top-tier operative manipulating both our families from the shadows. I didn't understand why my own family had sacrificed me like a worthless pawn to ignite a massive, invisible war. What dark secret was I actually taking the fall for? Just as Kayden and I prepared to burn both empires to the ground, a mysterious courier dropped a package at my door. Inside rested the Schroeder Patriarch's solid gold ring—the ultimate symbol of absolute power—sent directly to me, the disgraced exile. "They took your past, but I will give you the power to forge a new future." The game hadn't just changed. The board had been flipped, and I was going back to take the throne.

Billionaire Modern Romance

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

When the Scapegoat Walks Away

Chapter 3

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