Chapter 8
Despite being married and pregnant, the female side character and Chester hadn’t shared at bed since that one night–the night that had changed everything.
The mind of the original Angelina back then had been consumed with money, shopping sprees, and high–society galas. She wanted to be the center of attention, the brightest star in every room. Chester also treated her politely, almost too politely.
That careful distance only made the gap between them more obvious.
Now, the thought of sharing a bed again made Angelina’s face burn. She perched awkwardly on the edge of the mattress with her back to him. Her cheeks flushed red as reality hit her. She was about to sleep beside the most handsome, powerful man she’d ever known.
Could she really do this? And if she did, what about the novel’s main character?
“You can sleep up here,” Chester said suddenly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take the floor.”
Before Angelina could stop herself, she blurted, “No!”
Chester paused, surprised.
“If anyone has to sleep on the floor, it should be me,” she insisted.
Chester looked at her like she’d grown a second head. “You’re pregnant.”
Even if she weren’t pregnant, Chester wouldn’t let her take the floor. He sighed, rubbing his temples. “How about this? We’ll both sleep on the bed. Nothing’s going to happen. We’re married, aren’t we?”
Angelina met his gaze earnestly. She had nothing to hide, so what was the big deal?
After a long moment, Angelina relented. “Alright.”
The bed wasn’t huge, but they made it work–barely. Chester hugged the very edge of the mattress, one wrong move away from falling off. Angelina stayed on her side, flat on her back, barely touching the space beside her.
Hours passed. Sometime in the middle of the night–Angelina wasn’t sure if it was midnight or the early hours of the morning–she woke up and felt the urgent need to use the bathroom.
Groggily, she reached out to steady herself… and touched someone.
Her brain was still half–asleep, so it took her a second to realize what–or rather, who–it was. She yanked her hand back like she had touched fire, her face burning as she rushed to the bathroom.
Chaps
“Where are you?”
Kierra’s shrill voice pierced through Angelina’s grogginess the next morning.
“Huh?” Angelina muttered, still half–asleep. The sunlight streaming through the window told her it was already late.
“You moved again, didn’t you? Send me your address. I need to talk to you.
Angelina rubbed her eyes and padded into the living room. A note from Emily sat on the table. “Lunch is in the pot. I’ll be back later to make chicken noodle soup.”
glanced at the clock, which showed 10:00 am She ended up sleeping in.
She p
On the other end of the phone, Kierra wasn’t done. “Do you know how humiliated I was yesterday? Adrian wanted you, not me, and you stood him up. He took it out on me, but you wouldn’t even answer my calls?”
Angelina vaguely remembered the situation. Apparently, the female side character had agreed to Kierra’s ridiculous scheme. But that wasn’t her problem.
www
Kierra continued with venom in her voice, “Listen, Angelina, you humiliated me. If you think you’re going to live your happy little life, think again. You owe me.”
Angelina stayed silent. She knew how this story ended. Kierra and the other so–called “friends. “the original Angelina surrounded herself with all had miserable endings. They either burned. out chasing money or made decisions they couldn’t undo.
Kierra’s downfall was particularly bad. After becoming desperate for cash, she turned to
surrogacy.
Midway through the pregnancy, the couple split up and demanded she terminate it. That was when she learned she’d never be able to have children again.
“I’m serious,” Kierra pushed, her voice turning smug. “Adrian really likes you.
In the novel, the female side character did end up with Adrian, but his interest in her wasn’t about love–it was pure malice aimed at humiliating Chester. For a long time, while Chester was down on his luck, different men would brag about how they had slept with his ex–wife.
Chester bottled it up, though there were moments when he snapped and got into physical fights with those men.
Women tied to Chester always seemed to carry a certain allure, as if they were wrapped in an invisible halo. Everyone wanted a piece of them. But even halos faded, and over time, the original Angelina became so desperate for money that she stopped being picky. The men who came after her no longer thought sleeping with Chester’s ex–wife was worth boasting about.
“Adrian Hendrix?” Angelina’s voice was cold.
Chaps
“Yeah! He said he’s willing to pay big money–five million!” Kierra’s voice was full of excitement. “Five million, girl! While you’re still Mrs. Whitmore, satisfy him and take the money. Everyone wins!”
In reality, Adrian’s exact words to Kierra had been an offer of ten million just to spend a single night with Mrs. Whitmore.
“So, what do you think? Have you thought it through? Chester is completely broke! Did you see the news? He’s hit rock bottom–he’s nothing now. With that money, you could walk all over Isadora, make her life miserable, and do whatever you want to her.”
“I’ll give you 200 bucks. Consider this the end of our friendship. Don’t contact me again,” Angelina said flatly.
Before Kierra could respond, Angelina hung up and blocked her number again. But Kierra, ever persistent, just switched to a new number to keep calling. Her shamelessness knew no bounds.
After blocking Kierra once more, Angelina started getting other unwanted calls.
“Hey, baby. Weren’t we supposed to meet today?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve booked a hotel room. I even bought you that necklace you love so much. Do you want it?”
Fed up, Angelina grabbed her ID and went straight to the service center to change her phone number, tossing her old SIM card away. Finally, peace returned.
“Emily, I changed my number. Save this one,” Angelina said on a call with Emily.
“Angelina, I probably won’t make it back by noon. Can you wait a bit? I’ll come home later to cook. They’re not paying me until 1:00 pm.”
“It’s okay, Emily. I can cook for myself.”
“You? Cook?”
“Yes, I know how to cook.
“Alright, but I won’t be working tomorrow. I’ll stay home to take care of you.”
“Don’t worry about it, Emily. We’re family; no need to fuss.”
Angelina also texted Chester to inform him that she had just gotten herself a new phone number.
For someone as proud as Emily to take a job as a part–time nanny, it was clear Whitmore Group’s financial situation was worse than Angelina had imagined.
When Angelina got home, she started by cooking some pasta. In a bowl, she cracked two eggs and added grated cheese to make the carbonara sauce.
Chapter B
She found some chicken in the fridge, rinsed it, and simply grilled it.
Finally, she made a salad.
A modest meal of carbonara pasta, grilled chicken, and a salad was enough for her.
After she was done eating, she left a portion for Emily.
The front door opened just as Angelina was about to check online for the sale of her secondhand handbags. Chester walked in, holding a plastic grocery bag. He stopped, startled by the aroma of homemade food..
“You already ate?” he asked, glancing at the kitchen.
“I did. Do you want some?” Angelina asked, noticing the takeout box he was holding.
“You…” they said at the same time, then paused.
“You can cook?” Chester asked.
“Why did you come home?” Angelina asked.
Angelina shrugged and explained, “Yeah, I know a little. You learn early when you grow up
with nothing.”
Chap
