Ten Years of Passion
Chapter 1
It was supposed to be his birthday party.
But then my husband, the one who’d been
“dead” for ten fucking years, strolled in.
And he wasn’t alone.
He had her – his precious Chloe and their
two sons right beside him.
One of his asshole buddies slapped him on
the back, laughing.
“Ethan, man, that whole playing dead stunt?
Genius!”
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“Seriously, Hollywood should give you an
Oscar for that performance.”
“Remember how Sarah was running around,
pregnant and frantic, looking for you?”
“Everyone called her a pathetic, clingy bitch.”
“God, that was hilarious.”
Ethan scoffed.
“If she hadn’t been so fucking desperate to
trap me into marriage, Chloe wouldn’t have
gotten so devastated she tried to kill herself.”
“She needed to learn what it felt like to be
dumped.”
<
“Unless she gets on her knees and begs
Chloe for forgiveness at this party tonight,
she and that little bastard she was carrying
can forget about ever having my name!”
He looked so damn smug saying it.
Like he couldn’t wait to see me groveling and
sobbing at his feet.
But the joke was on him.
He had no idea his little “death at sea”
charade fell apart years ago.
His bullshit stunts tanked the company stock.
We were facing bankruptcy within days.
The stress gave his father a massive heart
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attack.
He died right there, full of anger and regret,
before anyone could even call 911.
His mother blamed me for everything.
She went completely insane, grabbing a knife
and lunging at me.
And I was eight months pregnant.
The cold steel plunged into my stomach.
Blood poured out.
My baby… my baby died right there inside
- me.
Just before the cops arrived, she threw
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herself off the balcony.
Smashed to pieces on the pavement below.
They saved me, somehow.
And then I married Arthur Ford the man
Ethan owed a fortune to.
Our daughter?
She’s old enough to sass me back now.
1
“Ethan, man, you should’ve seen Sarah back.
then.”
“She was a total wreck, crying and screaming
in the streets like some psycho bitch who got
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dumped.”
“Seriously, what a desperate loser.”
“She deserved to be alone.”
Ethan sneered.
“Thinking she could tie me down just because
she got knocked up.”
“She needs a reality check.”
“How could someone like her ever compare to
my Chloe?”
Just then, his eyes met mine across the room.
He froze for a second.
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Then he stormed towards me.
“Sarah? What the hell are you doing here?”
“I disappeared for ten years to get away from
you!”
“Why won’t you fucking leave me alone?”
“Get the hell out, now!”
“This isn’t the place for your drama.”
People around us started murmuring.
“Who is that? Getting yelled at like that and
she’s just standing there?”
“I heard Mr. Ford is introducing his wife
tonight“!
<
“If this clingy psycho ruins it for them, she’s
gonna pay.”
“Wow, she’s got some nerve causing trouble
at Mr. Ford’s party.”
“No wonder she got dumped.”
I stared straight at Ethan, my voice cold.
“You faked your death and vanished.”
“I had our marriage legally dissolved years
ago.”
“You have no right to tell me what to do.”
“Everyone knows you’re obsessed with me,
that you’d follow me to the ends of the
earth,” Ethan scoffed.
<
“You really think I’d buy that bullshit story
about a divorce?”
The crowd started whispering about me
again.
“Damn, this woman has no shame.”
“After being humiliated like that, she’s still
here?”
“Mr. Ford absolutely adores his wife.”
“If Mrs. Ford gets upset because of this bitch.
tonight, he’ll make her life hell.”
Hearing the whispers, Ethan’s face twisted.
He grabbed my arm hard.
<
“Get the fuck out of here! Stop being an
eyesore!”
He’d worked his ass off just to get invited to
this party.
He was terrified I’d screw up his chance to
suck up to Arthur Ford.
He started shoving me roughly towards the
exit.
Just then, Chloe walked over, holding her two
boys‘ hands.
She looked me up and down, her voice
dripping with fake innocence.
“Sarah, honey, it’s been ten years.”
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“Why are you making such a scene the
moment we see each other?”
“I know it must have been hard, raising a child
all alone these years.”
“If you’re angry, blame me.”
“Don’t make things difficult for Ethan.‘
“Whatever you’re feeling, just take it out on
me, okay?”
“Please don’t cause a scene here, everyone’s
watching.”
Her words, pretending to help, just poured
gasoline on Ethan’s fire.
He glared at me spitting venom
<
He glared at me, spitting venom.
He accused me of deliberately starting shit.
Looking at those two faces…
The horror of our wedding night flooded back.
That night, I was so excited, waiting for
Ethan, ready for our life together.
Then his phone rang.
It was Chloe, threatening suicide.
He didn’t even offer an explanation.
He just grabbed his jacket and ran out,
staying away all night.
L
The next day, the story was all over town.
I was a laughingstock.
The pathetic girl who threw herself at him.
I yanked my arm free from Ethan’s grip.
My eyes bored into Chloe.
“Aren’t you tired of pretending?”
“Because I’m sick to death of watching your
little act.”
“Sarah, I know you don’t like me,” Chloe
whimpered, “but I never meant to hurt you…”
Before she could finish, Ethan pulled her
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behind him protectively.
He glared at me.
“That’s enough! I won’t let you bully Chloe.”
“I left back then to teach you a lesson.”
“Looks like you haven’t changed one bit.”
“So let me make it crystal clear for you
today.”
“Chloe took care of me all these years, she
suffered.”
“And she gave me two sons.
“I’m bringing her home to live with me.”
<
“You better learn your place from now on.”
“Or I’ll throw you out on your ass
immediately.”
Hearing him, I didn’t know whether to laugh or
rage.
“Ethan, I remarried years ago.”
“Who you bring home has absolutely nothing
to do with me.”