The Day I Walked Away

The Day I Walked Away

July will be ok · Completed · 298.3k Words

712
Hot
5.9k
Views
192
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

For seven years, I was the perfect wife, only to be replaced by his first love.
Ethan didn't just break my heart;

he let his mistress steal my jewelry designs, and manipulated my own son into calling me a monster.
I was suffocating in a marriage built on lies.

But they made one fatal mistake: they pushed me too far.

The day I walked away, I didn't just leave a toxic husband and an ungrateful son.

I left behind the broken woman they created.

With the support of my best friend and the unexpected warmth of a powerful CEO who saw my true worth, I reclaimed my name, my career, and my life.

Now, as my designs shine on the world stage, Ethan is on his knees begging for forgiveness.

But he’s too late.

The day I walked away was the day I finally found myself.

And I will never look back.

Chapter 1

I saw my own design on the television screen.

"Congratulations to Bianca White, winner of this year's Jewelry Design Competition. Please welcome Ethan Locke, CEO of the Locke Group, to present the award!"

The camera panned to the side of the stage.

Ethan walked out in a black suit, his posture straight and commanding, and handed the trophy to Bianca. That usually cold face of his held a rare smile.

Then a little boy in a small suit ran onto the stage, carrying a bouquet of sunflowers.

"Aiden!" Bianca crouched down and pulled him into her arms along with the flowers, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, sweetheart!"

The reporters' cameras flashed wildly.

"Mr. Locke, Bianca's work is absolutely stunning. As the presenter, what are your thoughts?"

"It's said that the 'Starlight Kiss' design was inspired by love. Bianca, would you care to share?"

"The little boy is adorable! He looks so much like Bianca!"

"What a happy family of three!"

Yeah. They really did look like a family of three.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, trying to smile, but I couldn't.

Today was my wedding anniversary with Ethan.

And this was supposed to be my awards ceremony.

This Starlight Kiss was something I'd spent three full months on, revising it seventeen times before finalizing the design. In the end, Bianca destroyed my original draft with a cup of coffee. And the finished piece was gifted to her by my husband and my own son.

So Bianca traced over a version of the "original" and submitted it for the competition.

Bianca was Ethan's first love. Years ago, they'd almost gotten married.

But seven years ago, Ethan was drugged by someone with a grudge. I was working a part-time job at that hotel, and through a series of accidents, I ended up in his room. The next morning, gossip reporters posted photos of us online.

When Bianca saw the news, she was heartbroken. She bought a plane ticket and left the country the next day.

Ethan had wanted to go after her, but his parents forced him to marry me to calm the scandal and stabilize the Locke Group's stock price.

I'd always known Ethan didn't love me.

So initially, I refused to marry him. Even after I found out I was pregnant, I firmly told his parents I could have an abortion. They didn't need to take responsibility.

But Ethan's mother rejected my offer outright.

To push me and Ethan together, they even threatened me with the fact that I'd received financial aid from the Locke family. I was an orphan. I never would have made it through college without their help.

Out of gratitude, I married Ethan in the end.

After the wedding, I gave up my career and stayed home to take care of Ethan and our child. And Ethan, believing I was the one who'd drugged him that night and trapped him into marriage, had been cold to me ever since.

I wasn't discouraged by this. I believed that if I kept treating Ethan well, he would eventually accept me.

But Bianca White's return turned the past seven years of my devotion into a complete joke.

Three months ago, she came back. She found Ethan and told him she had cancer. Her dying wish was to spend her remaining time by his side.

Ethan agreed immediately.

After that, not only did he stay with Bianca constantly, but he demanded I unconditionally fulfill all of Bianca's requests.

"You owe Bianca this."

"You already have the title of wife. You shouldn't expect anything more."

"I'm just taking care of Bianca. I'm not cheating. You need to be more understanding."

That's what Ethan always told me.

Yes, he wasn't technically cheating. But everything he did for Bianca—what was the difference?

I was a victim that night seven years ago, too.

I'd been heartbroken. I'd been furious.

But it didn't matter. Bianca was still a thorn lodged deep in my marriage.

Later, even the son I'd risked my life to give birth to was gradually drawn to Bianca.

I was tired. So tired.

I turned off the TV and prepared to go upstairs to rest.

That's when Ethan walked in holding Aiden's hand. Father and son wore matching dark overcoats, standing together like a large and small copy of the same person.

"Mommy!"

Aiden ran over. "Did you see the TV? Aunt Bianca won an award! That necklace was so pretty!"

I fought back tears. "I saw. Did you have fun today, Aiden?"

"Yes!" Aiden's eyes sparkled. "Aunt Bianca took me out for ice cream and bought me the new LEGO set! Daddy went too!"

He looked up at me. "Mommy, you're not mad, are you? Aunt Bianca only has one year left. If you're angry, that means you have a really small heart!"

My chest felt like it was being stabbed with needles.

But all I said was, "The doctor said your heart can't handle too much excitement. You should eat less cold food."

Aiden's little face immediately fell. "Again? Mommy, you always control me. Aunt Bianca never does that. She even eats ice cream with me!"

My eyes reddened. "That's because she doesn't have to take responsibility for your health."

"Having it once in a while is fine. Don't be so tense."

Ethan walked over, his voice low.

Always like this.

Every time I was strict, Mr. Locke stepped in to smooth things over.

As if I were the unreasonable villain, and he was the sensible father.

Aiden stuck out his tongue and ran upstairs.

The air went quiet instantly.

I looked up at the man in front of me.

He was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his features sharp and distinguished, his presence cold and aristocratic. He seemed completely out of reach.

I blinked. "Ethan, do you remember what today is?"

Only then did he notice the decorations in the living room.

Surprise flickered in his eyes before they returned to calm. "Sorry. I had company business today, and then I accompanied Aiden to the awards ceremony."

I smiled. "The awards ceremony? That was my awards ceremony. Bianca won the gold medal in the jewelry competition because she plagiarized my work."

"Plagiarism? Selene, even now, you're still lying."

Ethan's expression was indifferent, his eyes contemptuous.

"When I gave your design draft to Bianca, she told me your draft was almost identical to a design she'd drawn before."

"So if anyone plagiarized, it's you who plagiarized Bianca's work. Bianca achieved what she has through her own ability."

"I was foolish to think about asking you to help Bianca design something."

"A housewife who depends on me for living—how could you possibly design jewelry?"

A housewife who depends on him?

That's how he saw me?

I bit my lower lip, almost laughing from anger.

"Ethan, have you seen Bianca's original design draft? She says I copied her work, and you just believe her?"

"You've been home for seven years and never shown any design talent. Bianca was already an established jewelry designer before she returned. Who do you think I should believe?"

Ethan's face darkened, his tone distant.

Fine. I understood.

Bottom line—he looked down on me from the bottom of his heart.

I clenched my fists and suddenly didn't want to argue with him anymore.

I didn't even want him as a husband anymore.

A stone that stayed cold after seven years of trying to warm it—what was the point?

"Ethan, let's get divorced. Don't you want to take care of Bianca? Once we separate, you can be with her openly."

"What did you say?"

Ethan's usually cold eyes flashed with shock.

"Stop being ridiculous."

He pressed his lips together, displeased. "Selene, you don't have a job. How will you live without me?"

"How I live from now on is none of your business!"

I looked directly into Ethan's eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll send you the divorce papers. Sign them as soon as you receive them."

With that, I stood up.

"What about Aiden? He's only six."

Ethan looked at my profile, his gaze darkening.

"Aiden loves Bianca so much. Perfect. The three of you can have a nice life together."

I kept my head down and didn't look back at Ethan.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

1.8m Views · Completed · Hannah Moore
For three years, Sable loved Alpha Darrell with everything she had, spending her salary to support their household while being called an orphan and gold-digger. But just as Darrell was about to mark her as his Luna, his ex-girlfriend returned, texting: "I'm not wearing underwear. My plane lands soon—pick me up and fuck me immediately."

Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.

Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.

In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?

From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
The Princess's Revenge

The Princess's Revenge

63.7k Views · Completed · Xena Kessler
Two nations are at war. Valencia's pack is massacred by Alpha Marcus, and she is enslaved by him. When he dies, she is to be buried alive with him as a sacrifice.

Alpha Logan is an illegitimate son whose mother disappeared when he was 10 years old. He grew up suffering from humiliation and lacking maternal love.

Alpha Logan saves Valencia at Marcus's funeral, which seems to be destined by fate—part of the Moon Goddess's grand plan.

As Valencia accidentally discovers prophecies in Logan's mother's diary that seem to be related to her, the truth gradually surfaces. Valencia appears to be merely a tool in a princess's revenge plot. How will Logan and Valencia navigate their path amid the national war and pack politics?
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

2.9m Views · Ongoing · Harper Rivers
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother.

"What is wrong with me?

Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?

It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.

He’s my boyfirend’s brother.

This is Tyler’s family.

I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.

**

As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.

Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.

When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.

I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.

**

I hate girls like her.

Entitled.

Delicate.

And still—

Still.

The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.

Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t care.

It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.

It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.

I’m not here to rescue anyone.

Especially not her.

Especially not someone like her.

She’s not my problem.

And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.

But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
After One Night with the Alpha

After One Night with the Alpha

538.8k Views · Completed · Sansa
One Night. One Mistake. One Lifetime of Consequences.

I thought I was waiting for love. Instead, I got fucked by a beast.

My world was supposed to bloom at the Moonshade Bay Full Moon Festival—champagne buzzing in my veins, a hotel room booked for Jason and me to finally cross that line after two years. I’d slipped into lacy lingerie, left the door unlocked, and lay on the bed, heart pounding with nervous excitement.

But the man who climbed into my bed wasn’t Jason.

In the pitch-black room, drowned in a heady, spicy scent that made my head spin, I felt hands—urgent, scorching—searing my skin. His thick, pulsing cock pressed against my dripping cunt, and before I could gasp, he thrust hard, tearing through my innocence with ruthless force. Pain burned, my walls clenching as I clawed at his iron shoulders, stifling sobs. Wet, slick sounds echoed with every brutal stroke, his body unrelenting until he shuddered, spilling hot and deep inside me.

"That was amazing, Jason," I managed to say.

"Who the fuck is Jason?"

My blood turned to ice. Light slashed across his face—Brad Rayne, Alpha of Moonshade Pack, a werewolf, not my boyfriend. Horror choked me as I realized what I’d done.

I ran away for my life!

But weeks later, I woke up pregnant with his heir!

They say my heterochromatic eyes mark me as a rare true mate. But I’m no wolf. I’m just Elle, a nobody from the human district, now trapped in Brad's world.

Brad’s cold gaze pins me: “You carry my blood. You’re mine.”

There is no other choice for me but to chose this cage. My body also betrays me, craving the beast who ruined me.

WARNING: Mature Readers Only
Tempted By The Enemy

Tempted By The Enemy

4k Views · Completed · rituparna darolia
Twenty-two-year-old Alyssa Van Every is in a dilemma. Her close friend, Sienna, is marrying billionaire, Lucas Donnelly who, along with his brothers, happens to be her older brother, Alex's sworn enemy.
She escapes to Preston Island to attend the wedding without informing him only to collide with Lucas’s hot, fiery and arrogant brother, the twenty-three-year-old, Nicholas Donnelly. Sparks immediately fly between them but Alyssa refuses to acknowledge them fearing her brother's wrath.
The wedding is over and Alyssa tries hard to forget the mysterious Nicholas Donnelly but can he forget her? Can he ignore the attraction he feels for her, feelings that have resurfaced after ten years?
What will Allyssa do when she is stalked by the man who has been invading her dreams since the day she met him? What will she do when she is whisked away to a deserted island by the unpredictable Nicholas Donnelly? Can she tame her heart or surrender to sinful temptations? Read to find out!
Part of the Temptation Series. Can be read as a standalone.
BROKEN TRUST

BROKEN TRUST

7.2k Views · Completed · O.J Thewriter
She broke their marriage. He walked away.

Neither of them knew she was carrying his child.

Emily’s affair didn’t just end her marriage—it erased the life she thought was guaranteed. Ryan left without looking back, carrying his anger like armor and leaving Emily alone with regret she would never outrun. Three years later, fate drags them back into each other’s world, along with a little girl who has Ryan’s eyes and a truth that shatters everything he thought he knew.

Old wounds reopen, grief masquerades as rage, and love refuses to stay buried. As parenthood binds them together and the past demands accountability, Emily and Ryan must face the question neither of them is ready to answer: is broken trust the end of their story… or the beginning of a love forged through loss, forgiveness, and brutal honesty?
Reborn: My Biased Brothers Beg Me To Come Back

Reborn: My Biased Brothers Beg Me To Come Back

9.1k Views · Completed · Eleanor Sterling
In her past life, Arabella Oberon was the lowest-ranking member of the Oberon family.

She genuinely took in Regina, the butler's daughter, only to be constantly manipulated by this cunning and manipulative woman.

Regina gradually stole the love from her three brothers.

Arabella was forced to give Regina blood transfusions time and again, her weight plummeting to a mere eighty-eight pounds.

Ultimately, under the relentless pressure from her brothers, she jumped out of a window in despair and died. Her last words were,

"What about Regina's blood transfusions?"

When she opened her eyes again, Arabella found herself reborn three years earlier—the very day Regina appeared at her doorstep crying, begging for help.

Looking at the pitiful, tearful girl before her, Arabella smiled.

No more soft-heartedness.

No more groveling.

Instead, she "kindly" arranged for Regina to move into the servants' quarters, to earn her own living through honest labor.

Faced with her brothers who sided with her, she no longer bothered to please them.

And towards her former fiancé, Theodore, whom she had once fawned over, she remained cold, distant, and indifferent.

Moreover, in this life, they would discover that her identity was far more than just the eldest daughter of the Oberon family.
The Alpha King's Human Mate

The Alpha King's Human Mate

469.9k Views · Completed · HC Dolores
“You must understand something, little mate,” Griffin said, and his face softened,

“I have waited nine years for you. That’s nearly a decade since I’ve felt this emptiness inside me. Part of me began to wonder if you didn’t exist or you’d already died. And then I found you, right inside my own home.” 

He used one of his hands to stroke my cheek and tingles erupted everywhere. 

“I’ve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart. Not other wolves, not my drunken father who’s barely holding himself together the past twenty years, not your family  – and not even you.”


Clark Bellevue has spent her entire life as the only human in the wolf pack - literally. Eighteen years ago, Clark was the accidental result of a brief affair between one of the most powerful Alphas in the world and a human woman. Despite living with her father and her werewolf half-siblings, Clark has never felt like she really belonged in the werewolf world. But right as Clark plans to leave the werewolf world behind for good, her life gets flipped upside down by her mate: the next Alpha King, Griffin Bardot. Griffin has been waiting years for the chance to meet his mate, and he's not about to let her go anytime soon. It doesn't matter how far Clark tries to run from her destiny or her mate - Griffin intends to keep her, no matter what he has to do or who stands in his way.
Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon

Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon

497.3k Views · Completed · Riley
My name is Audrey, and I'm the adopted daughter of the Bailey family.
Four years ago, the Bailey family faced a devastating financial crisis.
Just when bankruptcy seemed inevitable, a mysterious benefactor emerged, offering salvation with one condition: a contract marriage.
Rumors swirled about this enigmatic man—whispers claimed he was hideously ugly and too ashamed to show his face, possibly harboring dark, twisted obsessions.
Without hesitation, the Baileys sacrificed me to protect their precious biological daughter, forcing me to take her place as a pawn in this cold, calculated arrangement.
Luckily, in those four years, the mysterious husband never asked to meet in person.
Now, in the final year of our arrangement, the husband I've never met is demanding we meet face to face.
But disaster struck the night before my return—drunk and disoriented, I stumbled into the wrong hotel room and ended up sleeping with the legendary financial mogul, Caspar Thornton.
What the hell am I supposed to do now?
Diaries Of A Hybrid And Her Mate

Diaries Of A Hybrid And Her Mate

2.3k Views · Ongoing · Sherryann Martinez
R18 MATURE CONTENT

Beautiful Aubrianne Ivanov, raised by her single mom, had a tough childhood. With low self-esteem, she became an outcast and was alone one too many times for her liking. Time spent at her part time job, she eventually grew into a brave, confident, and determined young woman who walked right into an opportunity that would change her life forever.

Will Aubrianne truly feel whole? Will she find what has been missing in her life? Will she allow herself happiness and joy? Will she find love, and most importantly, will she survive what's to come?

Join Aubrianne on her journey as she discovers who/what she is and navigates all the heartbreak, betrayal, drama, and exciting and thrilling events that come her way...

Excerpt:

She lay before him in all her magnificent beauty draped across his king-size bed in the most compelling and provocative way known to man or beast. And for Alpha Zayne, it was the most captivating view he had ever had the pleasure of seeing with his own eyes.

She stared at his every movement, lips slightly parted, her stunning brown eyes scanning every inch of his gorgeously toned and glorious body while heat radiated off of hers. He was HERS.

Her body trembled in delight and anticipation; she was ready and wanted to be with him in every way.

As innocent as she was, she wanted him to...no need him to take her in the worse ways, bringing her to heights of pleasures she had never experienced before.

Fuck she is beautiful, one fine specimen, and she is all MINE, MY MATE. A wave of pure unbridled possessiveness vibrated through Alpha Zayne. He thanked the Divine Moon Goddess, for she has truly blessed him.

He drank her in, eyes trailing up her toned sexy legs spread wide for him, and she gave him that come-and-get-it look.
Goddess Of The Underworld

Goddess Of The Underworld

951.5k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
Left at a pack border with a name and a stubborn heartbeat, Envy grows into the sharpest kind of survivor, an orphaned warrior who knows how to hold a line and keep moving. Love isn’t in the plan…until four alpha wolves with playboy reputations and inconveniently soft hands decide the girl who won’t bow is the only queen they’ll ever take. Their mate. The one they have waited for. Xavier, Haiden, Levi, and Noah are gorgeous, lethal, and anything but perfect and Envy isn’t either. She’s changing. First into hell hound, Layah at her heels and fire in her veins. Then into what the realm has been waiting for, a Goddess of the Underworld, dragging her mates down to hell with her.

When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
Where The Ice Gives Way

Where The Ice Gives Way

52.7k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
Charlotte Pierce is used to surviving in motion. New towns, new schools, the same old house on the edge of nowhere, and the same rule that keeps her standing. Keep her twin brother, Charlie safe. Keep his hockey dream alive. Keep her own needs quiet. She works too much, sleeps too little, and saves the one thing that still feels like hers for the middle of the night, when she can lace up her worn skates and carve freedom into dangerous frozen ice. Charlotte and Charlie shifted once, years ago, and never understood what it meant. They had no pack, no guidance and no protection. Just two twins clinging to each other and pretending the voice in their heads was stress, imagination, or loneliness. Then they move to Wellington.
Blake Atlas scents his mate the moment Charlotte arrives. The bond hits hard and unmistakable, but Charlotte doesn’t recognise it. She doesn’t know why her chest keeps pulling toward the one boy she absolutely cannot afford to want. Blake is Charlie’s new hockey captain. Charlie’s chance at making something good. Charlie makes it clear; his sister is off-limits and Blake tries to do the right thing, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. Rogues prowl the edges of town. The ice cracks. The bond tightens. Then Charlotte’s rare white wolf awakens, the very thing that makes her powerful, also makes her a target.
Shanti needs Shakti. (Peace needs strength.)

Where the Ice Gives Way is a slow-burn YA paranormal romance filled with fated mates, protective alpha energy, fierce sibling loyalty, found family pack bonds, hurt/comfort, and quiet, aching tension. It’s a story about first belonging, learning to be cared for, and what happens when the girl who has always held everyone else up finally falls, and someone catches her.