
Beyond A Substitute
Chris Muna · Completed · 226.0k Words
Introduction
Realizing too late that Katherine was his true love, Kingsley tries to win her back. But Beth, obsessed and unhinged, takes a dark turn, bending reality to keep him by her side.
As Katherine uncovers the chilling truth, she must decide whether to give him a second chance and fight for their love or walk away forever.
Chapter 1
"Let's divorce," Kingsley said calmly, placing a set of documents on the coffee table in front of her.
Katherine looked up from where she sat on the couch, her expression unreadable at first—until her brows slowly drew together. "What did you just say?"
"I want a divorce," he repeated, his voice low and steady. "I came with the papers. All I need is your signature."
Katherine's lips parted in disbelief. "You're serious?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "A divorce?"
Kingsley didn't answer.
Her confusion gave way to a sharp, bitter laugh. "After all this time... You're asking me for a divorce? Me, the woman who's been in the shadows for you. The one no one even knows you married. The woman you made invisible so you could pretend to the world you were single."
He looked down, jaw clenched.
"You kept me hidden, Kingsley," she went on, her voice gaining strength. "And I let you. I told myself it was temporary, that it was for us, for your career, for your image. But now you're here, handing me a divorce like it's some business transaction?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said quietly. "But this... it's the only way."
Katherine shook her head, heart pounding. "Is this about Beth? Of course it is. The whole world saw you kissing her on the red carpet last night. The way you held her, smiled at her like she was your everything."
Kingsley hesitated, then nodded. "I love her."
A silence fell between them.
"I love Beth," he said again. "She's the one I want to spend my life with. The one I can be with openly, without secrets."
"And what was I?" Katherine's voice cracked. "What am I to you, Kingsley?"
He took a breath, his eyes softening for the first time. "You were comfort. Safety. Your eyes... they reminded me of her."
Katherine stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "You married me because I reminded you of Beth?"
He nodded slowly. "I was confused. I told myself I could move on, that I could learn to love you the way I needed to. And for a while, I thought I could."
"And now?" she asked, rising to her feet. "Now you want to marry her instead?"
"She's always been the one," Kingsley saId, you can't understand, we have been together before, our story; it's complicated."
Katherine stared at him, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "So I was a placeholder. A shadow."
"I'll make sure you're taken care of," he said quickly. "You'll never have to worry. I'll give you money, property—whatever you need to be comfortable. Just sign the papers, Katherine. Let's end this quietly."
Katherine walked toward him slowly, eyes locked on his. "You think this is about money?"
"I'm trying to make things easier."
"For you or for me?" she snapped.
He didn't answer.
She stood just inches away from him now. "You humiliated me. You buried our marriage like it was something to be ashamed of. And now you want to walk out and play prince charming to your precious Beth. But I'm not going to make this easy for you."
"I don't want to fight," he said, voice firm but calm.
"No," she said, stepping back. "Of course you don't. You want everything neat and clean. You want your secret wife to disappear so you can parade your new bride in front of the cameras like a saint."
Katherine turned toward the hallway. "Come find me when you're ready to tell the world the truth. Until then... I'll be in the bedroom."
She disappeared down the hall, the soft click of the door her final word.
Moments later, the silence was broken by the soft footsteps of another woman emerging from the corner of the hallway—Beth.
"She's not going to sign it," Beth said quietly, folding her arms.
"She will," Kingsley replied, without hesitation. "She has to."
Beth looked at him, uncertain. "Kingsley, I don't want to come between you and—"
"You're not," he cut in gently. "You're the one I've always loved. She was just... she was a mistake I kept making. But no more."
Beth gave him a small, unsure smile. "You promise?"
"I swear it," he said. "Go home. I'll call you when it's done."
Beth nodded and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you."
"I love you too."
She turned and left.
Kingsley stood still for a long moment, staring down at the divorce papers.
Then, with a long breath, he walked toward the bedroom.
Last Chapters
#128 128
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#127 127
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#126 126
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#125 125
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#124 124
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#123 123
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#122 122
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#121 121
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#120 120
Last Updated: 1/29/2026#119 119
Last Updated: 1/29/2026
You Might Like 😍
FROZEN HEART BURNING SOUL
Then the festival comes to her town, and with it comes Ryder Callahan a rough, loud, motorcycle-riding wildfire fighter who looks at her like she is not a monster. Like she is just a girl. A girl he really wants to know.
But Bella is hiding more than her powers. Someone dangerous is coming for her. And the closer she lets Ryder get, the more she puts him in danger.
He says he is not afraid of fire. She says she is not afraid of ice. Maybe together, they can survive the storm that is coming for them both if she does not freeze him out first.
Everybody is Guilty Here
Middlesbrough's underworld is a dangerous game, and Matthew Smith finds himself right in the middle of it. A once-feared gang leader, he is now forced to be a pawn in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Matthew's only shot at freedom is helping the police bring down Mr. K, the elusive mafia boss of the city. The only problem is that the detective he is forced to work with is the same man who arrested him years ago.
Masahiro Payne is everything Matthew hates: cold, calculating, and relentless. But their only hope for survival is by pretending to be a happy couple, blending in amidst dangerous crime, deceit, and power struggles. The closer they find themselves to taking down Mr. K's empire, the more they are attracted to one another, an affair too potent to turn from.
As their undercover mission spirals into a web of lies and hidden desires, they face a growing threat from all sides. But the greatest risk is the one they can't control-their own feelings. With every touch, every stolen kiss, the line between their fake relationship and real emotions blurs.
In a world of betrayal, trust is a luxury, and falling for each other may be the deadliest mistake of all. Can they survive the deadly mafia games or will their passion be their demise?
The Softest Chains
Rejected By My Family, Desired By The Mafia
While the real heiress struggled to survive, the nanny’s daughter, Talia, was raised in luxury as the beloved jewel of the Laurent family, pampered by Camille’s parents, adored by her three brothers, and even promised to the prestigious Matteo Devereux through a childhood engagement arranged by their grandparents.
Then the truth came out.
Six months ago, Camille was finally brought back to the Laurent family. To protect the family reputation and prove their devotion to their bloodline, the Laurent patriarch transferred 35% of his personal shares into Camille’s name overnight, instantly making her one of the wealthiest heiresses in the country.
It brought anxiety to all the Laurent family. But what they don’t know…is that Camille never needed them.
Behind her elegant smile lies a woman filled with secrets powerful enough to shake the whole family. She's a miraculous healer capable of curing the incurable poisons.
Yet despite everything, her family still chooses Talia.
Every accusation against Talia is forgiven. Every scheme against Camille is brushed aside. Even Matteo, the man who was supposed to be Camille’s fiancé—cannot let go of the woman he always believed belonged by his side.
But while the Laurent family underestimates Camille, another man begins to see exactly who she is.
Dante Moretti.
The ruthless heir of an old-money dynasty. A billionaire CEO worshipped by the public…and the merciless king of a criminal empire hidden beneath the city’s glittering surface. When Dante is poisoned by a rival syndicate with a deadly toxin no doctor can cure, he offers a fortune for anyone who can save him.
Only Camille can. Their deal is simple: she becomes his personal physician, and he gives her anything she wants.
Bonds at War: The Virgin is Mine
Perhaps then they would stop controlling my every move. Maybe my brothers would stop resenting me. Perhaps I wouldn’t feel so invisible anymore.
No one believed I could do it—not even my mate, Alpha Jaxon Trevane.
The night I planned to tell him... I found him tangled in bed with my best friend.
Heartbroken and humiliated, I left everything behind and went to Elite alone.
But the academy isn’t the fairytale I dreamed about.
Beneath the grand halls and traditions, a brutal game is being played.
The four ruling Alphas of the North, South, East, and West fight for power, dominance... and now, for me.
A virgin. Untouched. Unclaimed. The prize they all want.
There’s the mate who shattered my heart and swears he’ll win me back.
The brilliant strategist who wants me as his Luna.
The dangerous playboy who promises no one will ever touch me but him.
And the cold, possessive Alpha who watches from the shadows—and would destroy anyone who dares to take me from him.
But in a place where love is a battlefield and lust is a weapon... falling in love might be the most dangerous thing I ever do.
Welcome to Elite Order Academy—where every desire has a price, and my body is the ultimate trophy.
Faking It With My Worst Enemy On Ice
But on his birthday, everything falls apart when his girlfriend exposes Clare's most humiliating secret in front of the entire team.
Just when Clare is ready to disappear, Rhys Calloway, her worst enemy and the team's arrogant captain, pulls her into his arms and tells everyone she is his girlfriend.
She should have pushed him away, but she kissed him back instead.
Now Clare is locked into a two-month fake relationship with the most infuriating man she has ever met, trying to get over a stepbrother who never cared and survive a captain who makes her forget why she was supposed to hate him.
The problem is that Rhys kisses like he means every single second of it, and just when Clare starts to move on, Zane decides he wants her back.
One girl, two hockey players, and a heart that was never supposed to feel this much. Will she choose the stepbrother who broke her or the enemy who caught her when she fell?
Let Them Kneel
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.
But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.
Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.
When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.
For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.
Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.
But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.
And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.
Especially him.
She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.
Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
The enforcer's redemption
Tyler Rodriguez is the most feared enforcer in professional hockey, six-foot-three of controlled aggression, paid to hurt people and too hollowed by guilt to care about the cost. When a brutal hit sends rival player Danny Martinez to the hospital, Tyler expects hate. What he doesn't expect is Danny's sister.
Sofia Martinez has spent two years rebuilding her life after escaping an abusive marriage, raising her daughter Emma alone, watching every exit, trusting no one who looks like violence. Tyler Rodriguez looks exactly like violence. She knows better than to let him in.
But Tyler keeps showing up. At the hospital. At her school. In the quiet spaces, she thought were hers alone. And for the first time in years, Sofia's threat assessment comes back wrong because the most dangerous thing about Tyler Rodriguez isn't his fists. It's that he listens.
As their forbidden connection deepens, Sofia's ex-husband, Marcus, is watching, and when he files for custody of their daughter, naming Tyler as evidence of Sofia's poor judgment, everything they've carefully built begins to crack.
Tyler must choose between the only language he's ever known and the man he's desperately trying to become. Sofia must decide whether protecting her daughter means keeping her walls up or finally letting the right person through them.
The Enforcer's Redemption is a sizzling, emotionally raw forbidden romance featuring a brooding hockey enforcer haunted by grief, a fiercely independent single mother rebuilding from trauma, and a slow-burn love story set against the backdrop of professional sports, custody battles, and the hardest question of all: can broken people protect each other without breaking again?
Perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy, Devney Perry, and Elsie Silver.
Mission: Steal the Male Lead
But the more Morwenna changes the story, the stranger the world becomes. The heroine seems to know the future, unseen spectators begin commenting on her life, and the gods watching from above grow obsessed with the drama unfolding before them. Trapped in a story where fate has already decided the ending, Morwenna must choose whether to follow the script or rewrite it entirely. But if the world itself was never meant to belong to its characters, can she steal the male lead before fate steals her freedom first?
THE CHRONO WITCH: BENDING TIME TO SAVE HIM
What she wasn't ready for was finding out Zayn Ponteris had been dead the entire time.
The grief shatters something inside her. And before anyone can stop it, Kayla does something no sorceress should be able to do—she travels back in time.
Suddenly she's fifteen again, standing at their end of year formal, with Zayn alive and right in front of her, completely unaware that in another timeline she watched his parents mourn him.
This time, Kayla is determined to save him. Except nothing goes according to plan.
Zayn has a girlfriend. And the closer Kayla gets to changing his fate, the more she realizes her powers are bigger and more dangerous than she ever imagined.
The supernatural world is closing in. The clock is running out. And the one person standing between Kayla and everything hunting her is the same boy she keeps bending time to protect.
Kayla has no idea what's in store for her.
Because when you bend time, fate bends back.
The rejected white luna
The Spy Who Left
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.












