99 Pearls of Betrayal
Daisy Swift · Completed · 5.9k Words
Introduction
He was accustomed to using extravagant pearls to atone for his transgressions, yet on the day of my mother’s funeral, he chose to vacation with his mistress while plotting to take from me the ancestral home my mother left behind.
When the hundredth pearl arrived, I presented him with the divorce papers. The pain of my miscarriage still lingered, as he offered me a rare black pearl to "atone"; moments later, he was liking his mistress's posts.
He believed pearls could purchase my love, unaware that each bead counted down the moments of our marriage.
In the end, what does it matter if he risked everything to protect me?
I shall never turn back.
Chapter 1
Just as I was about to toss the miscarriage care instructions into the trash, Augustus Williams walked in.
Three days ago, he claimed to be handling urgent business, but in reality, he was accompanying another woman. To save her father from a commercial fraud case, he had used all his connections.
After resolving her father's situation, Augustus even took her on a vacation.
I was emotionally devastated at the time, and as a result, I miscarried.
After returning from the hospital, I stared at the medical documents and the pearl necklace that Augustus had gifted me.
Then I started eating ice cream.
Augustus walked over and took the ice cream container from my hands. "Darling, shall I prepare something delightful for you to eat?"
He pulled out a velvet box from his suit pocket and handed it to me. "I brought you something. I went through a lot of trouble to get this."
Inside was a black pearl. Rare. Expensive. Probably worth over ten million dollars.
He wasn't lying. This kind of natural pearl from eight thousand feet deep was indeed hard to come by. He must have used all his connections.
If he had given this to me before we got married, I would have thrown myself into his arms.
But at this moment, I couldn't even pretend to be moved. I didn't want to try.
He crouched in front of me, trying to get my attention.
"Are you angry? Because I missed... that ceremony?" He didn't dare say the word "memorial service."
"It doesn't matter, mother is at peace now." I replied.
Before marriage, I had only made one unbreakable promise with Augustus: no matter what happened, he had to be by my side when my mother passed away.
What my mother worried about most when she was alive was that I would be abandoned by a man when I needed support the most.
And he broke it. For another woman.
When I called him, he said he had urgent business to handle.
I stood alone at my mother's grave and learned through Instagram that Augustus wasn't handling business.
He was with Evangeline that day, paying a heavy price to save her father.
That's when I lost my child.
"That was your mother's memorial service? I'm sorry, baby, I completely forgot."
He looked surprised. It didn't seem fake.
He knelt on one knee, held my hand, trying to ease the tension. "Let me make it up to you. I'll order you a necklace—a better one. Made with blood pearls, worth thirty million."
Every time Augustus made a mistake, he would repeat the same routine—apologize, play the perfect husband, then throw money at the problem.
For three years, I had never seen him raise his voice.
In other people's eyes, he was the dream husband.
However, I knew very well how empty this marriage was.
I was about to say I wanted a divorce.
He smiled and patted my head, like treating a child. "I'll heat up some chicken soup for you. Think about what you want—a pearl necklace, or a house."
He walked into the kitchen.
His phone was buzzing on the sofa.
I picked it up.
Evangeline had sent a message: "Augustus, thank you for saving my family! I had the most perfect three days."
My heart sank. I opened her Instagram.
Her latest post was a silhouette photo of her and Augustus by the river.
She was taking a selfie facing the camera, with the caption "Grateful for those who stand by me in the darkest moments."
My hands started trembling. I scrolled through her timeline.
For the past three days, every post they made was related to this "rescue mission."
"He's here—I don't have to face this alone anymore!"
"God, my most reliable person has such a warm smile!"
"POV: A girl and her guardian angel!"
Augustus had liked almost every single one of her posts.
But then I saw her latest story - a photo of the black pearl I had just received.
"Ugh, pearls again? His wife has such tacky taste."
That was the only one Augustus didn't like.
The phone buzzed again.
"Augustus, I've been feeling down since you left. Can you come over tonight?"
I frowned.
He called from the kitchen: "Baby, the soup's almost ready!"
I installed the pre-prepared spyware on his phone and eliminated any traces. Then, I returned the phone to its original place.
Augustus came out with a bowl of Campbell's canned soup, glanced at his phone, and smiled awkwardly.
Then he put on a serious expression. "Something urgent came up at work. I need to go back to the office."
I slowly stirred the soup. "If you're going to pull an all-nighter, just sleep at the office."
"Okay."
He looked relieved. Before leaving, he even brought me a blanket.
Last Chapters
You Might Like 😍
Mated To The Last Scribe
A missing woman is found exactly where her latest story said she would be.
A warehouse burns down hours after she publishes another.
Then anonymous messages begin appearing.
WE KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW.
The problem is that Iris doesn't know anything.
At least, she doesn't think she does.
When her stories attract the attention of billionaire Alpha Cassian Blackmoor, Iris is pulled into a hidden world of werewolves, secrets, and deadly conspiracies.
Cassian believes she may be connected to a mystery that has claimed the lives of powerful Alphas for years.
His wolf believes something else.
That she is his mate.
As enemies close in and events from her stories begin unfolding in real life, Iris must uncover the truth behind her impossible gift before she becomes the next target.
Because someone is watching.
Someone is waiting.
And someone will kill to keep the truth buried.
Oops. My Boss Was Seventeen
The Execution: Perfect. I brought him coffee, cheered at his games, and basically operated as his unpaid teenage executive assistant. He’s totally buying it.
The Problem: I was trying to network my way into the C-suite. I think I just networked my way into his bed.
Invincible Upon Release: The Strongest Mage
Her family looked down on him, and even she herself said coldly: “You’re not worthy of being my husband.”
Everyone thought this newly released good-for-nothing was just a poor fool who’d taken the fall for his brother.
Thorne said nothing.
He merely raised his hand, gently pressing his bride’s forehead.
In an instant, the chaos in her eyes faded. Holy light surged from beneath the church, shooting into the sky.
The world’s only candidate for the Saintess, blessed with holy power, slowly opened her clear eyes before him.
Taste of Fate: The Vampire King's Human Mate
He reached for the back of my head and pulled me up just enough to reach my neck. When his fangs slid into me, the pain was instant, electric. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My hands found his shoulders, clawing for something to hold. My legs kicked. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
He moaned against my throat as he drank, and the sound was devastating.
The Billoniare's Fake Husband
Quin is wealthy, controlling, and desperate to keep his inheritance, so he offers Tyler a deal: stay married until he clicks thirty and get paid. Tyler doesn’t trust him, but he needs the money Quin was offering, so he agrees.
What starts as a fake marriage soon turns into something messy and real. Feelings begin to get involved and walls start to crack. Suddenly Tyler is risking his heart for a man he swore to hate.
Now, with secrets coming out and time running out, they both have to decide—is this just a mistake… or something worth fighting for?
Iron And Glamour Just Don't Mix
Well… Sometimes you just might turn out to be right.
It turns out, the fae stole my little brother. In his place? A pixie with boundary issues and a talent for home repairs.
I’ve spent my life taking care of everyone else. So when my baby brother is taken, I don’t hesitate. I walk straight into a faerie mansion and make a bargain with its infuriatingly charming master.
Kie is everything you’d expect from a dangerous fae, beautiful, political, and entirely too amused by me. Power wrapped in a smirk. Sensual, mischievous, and far too aware of the effect he has on people. He agrees to help me find my brother.
For a price.
Now I’m bound by a faerie bargain and navigating a world of glamour, manipulation, and ancient rules I definitely should have learned sooner, enchanted forests, political games, magical contracts, and a fae lord who treats seduction like a perfectly reasonable negotiation tactic.
Iron is how I keep people out.
Glamour is how he draws them in.
And apparently, they just don’t mix.
The Unbreakable Oath
The Alpha Of The Shadow Pack And His Mute Luna
Vanessa, the mute runt of a cursed litter, has only ever known cruelty and abuse. Her voice stolen by a witch’s spell, her freedom crushed by a brutal father, she’s been promised to a monster she doesn’t want. But fate intervenes when she’s left for dead—bleeding, broken, and bound—only to be rescued by Alpha Alfred of the Shadow Pack.
Alfred, fighting against a generational curse that has doomed his brothers to remain wolves forever, never expected his fated mate to be a fragile girl on the brink of death. But the moment he breathes in her scent, everything changes.
Together, they must confront the past, survive betrayal, and uncover the true key to breaking the curses that bind them. Will their bond be strong enough to save them both?
Falling for My Boyfriend's Uncle
My boyfriend skipped our anniversary for her—the girl who called me a whore.
He left me walking home in the dark. When my apartment caught fire, he ignored my calls.
But his uncle showed up.
The one with the scarred knuckles and the cop badge. The one who looked at me like he wanted to burn the world down for me—or maybe burn me down instead.
Now, we live under the same roof. Three people. One bed too close.
Every time my boyfriend touches me, I flinch. Every time his uncle looks at me, I burn.
He's dangerous. He's forbidden. He's everything I shouldn't want.
Is he saving me... or does he just want to own me?
Some fires don't just burn. They consume.
Legacy Of Dragons, Royal Dragons Book 2
Ria and the Balaur brothers never imagined how far their family would come.
After surviving betrayal, loss, and the lies that nearly destroyed everything they loved, they dedicated themselves to building a future. What began as a training facility for dragons soon grew into something far greater—a place where dragons and other species from around the world could learn, train, and thrive together.
Now the facility is flourishing. Their children have grown, many finding their own mates among dragons, shifters, and other species from distant lands. The family Ria fought so hard to protect has expanded beyond anything she once dreamed possible, bringing new friendships, new adventures, and a growing legacy of grandchildren.
As old secrets continue to surface, long-held beliefs about dragons and mixed-species bloodlines are being challenged. Truths buried for generations are finally coming to light, reshaping everything they thought they knew about their world.
