ManyWriters

For ten years of our marriage, whenever Damian Blackwood cheated, I was the one who cleaned up his messes.
It had become an open secret, whispered throughout the elite circles of Los Angeles.
Until he started toying with a viral model from Texas and carelessly knocked her up.
As was my routine, I threw down a ten million dollar check, ordering her to have an abortion and disappear.
But that very night, as Amber Lynn lay in the hospital, tears streaming down her face, Damian lost all control and kicked the door open.
"Who told you to lay a hand on her?"
"Claire, Amber isn't like the others. I'm keeping this child."
"From today onwards, you are to take care of her every need. If anything happens to the child, you'll be held solely responsible!"
His investment partner, standing nearby, tried to placate me:
"Mrs. Blackwood, this is just a passing fancy for him. Don't take it to heart. Amber is merely a pretty plaything; how could she ever measure up to you?"
"Making a bit of a fuss is one thing, but that should be the end of it. You wouldn't actually dare to divorce him, would you? You've endured this for ten years; this time will be no different."
He had cheated hundreds of times before, and each time, I was the one managing the public relations fallout.
Everyone said I was hopelessly devoted to Damian, that I'd sooner die than leave his side.
But this time, I suddenly felt… weary.

Gilded Cage, Broken Wings

At the last traffic light, he slammed his fist against the steering wheel, a restless agitation consuming him.


The moment he closed his eyes, his mind was flooded with vivid memories of his passionate romance with Claire.


When he had first become part of the Blackwood family, he'd been an unwelcome outsider.


And when he joined their company, he'd faced one setback after another.


If Claire hadn't drawn upon her past experiences to guide him, to strategize for him, he would never have reached the powerful position he held today.


Even after Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood passed away, Claire had tirelessly used every connection, every resource her family had built up over the years, all for him.


It was undeniable: without Claire, he wouldn't be the man he was today.


Lost in a haze of memory, the scene of their wedding day surfaced in his mind.


Not a single relative from the Blackwood side had attended.


Chapter 10