The next day, I discovered that my husband had blocked every possible way for me to contact him. But I needed an explanation. He couldn't just block me like that and walk out of my life without even looking me in the eye and explaining how he had gotten involved with Karen. My moment of rage had passed, and now I wanted to talk calmly and understand what was happening. He was still my husband. I deserved an explanation. He couldn't simply throw our history away like trash. We met when he started working at my father's company. He was a kind man who took weeks to gather the courage to ask me out. Our connection had been immediate. It was the beginning of a beautiful love story. Between dating and marriage, only six months had passed. Soon after, my parents died in a car accident. Carl stayed by my side the entire time, supporting me and helping with all the paperwork. Back then, my father owned a construction company, but as I later discovered, it was drowning in debt. Karen had

My ex-husband's wedding to Karen happened so quickly that the only possible explanation was that they had been planning it for a long time. They had simply waited until the last possible moment to tell everyone. Three months later, Karen got married in a huge celebration, exactly the kind of wedding I had always dreamed of having myself. When I married Carl, we were struggling financially. We had a civil ceremony, and the "reception" was nothing more than lunch at a restaurant. The plan had always been to renew our vows later and finally have the wedding I wanted. The entire family attended Karen's wedding, even my aunt, who believed in forgiveness. Only Camille stayed by my side. The friends I had while I was married disappeared. Every single one of them took my ex-husband's side. Every single one of them attended his wedding. I had nothing left. The money was gone, and I needed a job. Since I barely slept anymore, I couldn't focus properly, and the only work I managed

August posted a cryptic photo from our dinner on social media, hinting that he had found someone special. Of course, he was only planting the seed, since nobody would truly believe he had met someone important enough to completely change him. After that, he asked me to visit his office because there were still details we needed to settle, and he thought it would be good for people to see me there. August worked at his father's company, a massive corporation in the corporate security industry. That was all I knew. The headquarters was an imposing building in the center of the city, complete with a waterfall at the entrance and the Salvatore name carved into the stone facade, a clear display of the family's arrogance. The moment I gave my name at reception, they immediately allowed me inside without further questions. August's office was enormous, with an entire glass wall overlooking the city. The place radiated money and power. But according to August himself, it still wa

"You're going to marry August Salvatore?" my cousin asked in shock. I had thought about hiding the whole marriage contract arrangement, but Camille wasn't stupid. She would never believe I was suddenly marrying August out of nowhere. Besides, I needed to talk to someone who wasn't my lawyer, and since I still hadn't signed the contract, I wasn't under the confidentiality agreement yet. So technically, talking about it wasn't illegal. "I am. Look, it's an opportunity for me to rebuild my life. It's only going to be a fake marriage." I explained how marrying August would give me enough power to fight for what rightfully belonged to me. Camille looked thoughtful. She was my best friend. We had grown up together. Alongside my aunt and Karen, she was the only family I had left. She knew me better than anyone, just as I knew her. I could tell she was carefully trying to find the right words to explain just how insane she thought this was. "Isabelle, sweetheart, think carefu

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me. The makeup artist had done an incredible job. My skin looked healthier, less pale and exhausted. My hair was styled into an elegant updo, carefully arranged to look effortlessly loose. The dress was stunning. It hugged my body perfectly and was surprisingly comfortable. The heels were gorgeous too. I looked gorgeous. For the first time in a very long while, I looked in the mirror and saw someone beautiful instead of a miserable shadow drowning in self-pity. The night of August's grandmother's birthday dinner had finally arrived, and despite feeling beautiful, I was genuinely nervous. August had planned everything carefully, but the story still felt fragile and ridiculous to me. Who would believe it? I had no idea how to behave around those people who, judging by the photos I found online, looked intimidating and impossible to impress. I was almost ready to give up when August ar