Introduction
"It's just an hour," he said.
But by the time he opened that door, he had lost his daughter, his wife, and his mind.
Read to find out how a broken mother takes her ultimate revenge.
Chapter 1
After the seventh time Russell abandoned Marnie and me for Wren Cole’s dog, we finally learned to not make a fuss.
He paraded Wren and that Golden Retriever around like a family.
They trended on social media and graced the covers of equestrian magazines.
I didn't say a word.
When he ripped up Marnie’s favorite sketchbook to line Duke’s dog bed, my daughter didn’t even cry.
That was until that damn dog chased Marnie down the stairs.
She hit her head, got a concussion, and was rushed to the ER.
Only then did Russell finally show up.
"Rachel! Why didn't you call me?" he yelled, storming down the hospital corridor. "I'm Marnie's father too!"
I had been sitting outside the emergency room all night.
I looked up at him, my voice completely deadpan.
"It's nothing major. Just a mild concussion. "
"They'll keep her for observation for a couple of days, then she can go home."
"I know how busy you are. Marnie understands."
Russell froze.
"A concussion is serious, and you’re telling me it’s nothing? What kind of mother are you?"
He was about to explode, but the whispers from his PR assistants, who had followed him into the ward, stopped him in his tracks.
"Russell and Wren are such a better match. If Wren hadn't left for Europe back then, a nobody like Rachel wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Seriously. She doesn't even fit in, and she can't even watch her own kid."
Russell scowled. "Wren and I are strictly professional. I just see her as a little sister!"
I gave a slow nod.
"I believe you."
"Prince chased Marnie down the stairs. I know that dog is Wren's whole world. I didn't dare tell you. I didn't want to put you in a tough spot."
A flicker of guilt crossed Russell's face.
"I'll get Marnie the best pediatric neurologist in the state." He paused, rubbing his neck. "Prince is Wren's emotional support, Rachel. You know she struggles with her mental health."
"I understand, Mr. Rainer," I said evenly. "Don't worry. In the future, I'll teach Marnie to just call you 'Uncle Russell'."
Panic flashed in his eyes.
"If you're mad, just yell at me! Stop acting like this and dragging our daughter into your passive-aggressive games!"
I nodded again.
"Okay. I understand."
I wasn't going to yell. I wasn't going to make a scene ever again.
Our tickets were already booked. In five days, we would be completely out of his life forever.
Marnie woke up in the middle of the night.
The very first words out of her mouth were, "Mommy, don't tell Daddy I'm in the hospital. I'm afraid he'll be mad at me."
Russell happened to be pushing the door open at that exact moment. He heard it.
His voice tightened as he walked over to the bed. "Marnie, Daddy doesn't need to stay with Prince. Daddy is staying right here with you."
Marnie looked at him for a long moment, then shrank back behind me. "Uncle Russell."
In an instant, Russell's face turned paler than our daughter's.
He opened his mouth to say something, but his phone rang.
Wren's tearful voice blared through the speaker.
"Russell, Prince threw up. Please come check on him. I'm so scared."
He looked at his daughter in the hospital bed, then down at his phone.
"Wait for me. I'll be right back."
He quickly tucked the blankets around Marnie. "Daddy will bring you a strawberry cake."
Marnie didn't say a word.
She was allergic to dairy. Ever since she was little, I had to scrape every bit of buttercream frosting off her treats.
He never remembered.
He walked away fast.
Marnie stared at the empty doorway and suddenly asked, "Mommy, does Uncle not like me?"
I stroked her hair. "It's not that he doesn't like you, sweetie. He just found something he likes more."
In the early hours of the morning, Wren posted an Instagram story.
[With you here, I'm not afraid of anything.]
The photo was a side profile of Russell feeding medicine to Prince.
His brow was furrowed, looking totally focused and gentle.
I liked the post.
On the day Marnie was discharged, Russell didn't come to pick us up.
It wasn't until we got home that I realized he hadn't just skipped picking us up—he had given our master bedroom to Wren and Prince.
Our belongings were packed into two suitcases, sitting outside the small north guest room.
I stood downstairs, watching Aunt Maggie take down our large wedding portrait.
After hanging there for eight years, it left a faded, pale rectangle on the wall.
Russell walked by just in time to catch the heavy frame.
I thought he was going to say something to me.
Instead, he just wiped the dust off his sleeve and handed it back to the housekeeper.
"Put it in the old stone storage shed on the estate. Don't chip the frame."
Then, he turned to me to explain. "Seeing our wedding photos might trigger Wren's trauma. Just be the bigger person."
I looked at him.
"Russell, if I keep being the bigger person until the very end, what will I have left?"
He thought about it for a second.
"You'll still have me."
That night, in a rare domestic mood, he cooked for me. It was a homemade tomato soup.
He had learned the recipe years ago, just for me.
I had barely picked up my spoon when Wren came downstairs, Prince trailing behind her. "That smells amazing."
Russell slid my cup over to her.
"Eat this first. There's more on the stove."
There wasn't any more on the stove. He had only made one serving.
Wren took two bites, then placed it directly on the floor.
"Prince wants some too."
It was my mother's vintage porcelain teacup. I sat there, watching the dog bury his snout in it and lick it clean.
Russell didn't stop them. He actually chuckled. "Slow down, buddy. No one's taking it from you."
I stood up and went upstairs.
Marnie was waiting for me in the guest room. She dug into her little backpack and pulled out half a blueberry muffin.
"Mommy, they gave out snacks at school. I saved this for you."
The muffin was already stale and dry.
I ate it anyway, washing it down with hot water.
Russell came into the room later that night, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
"Don't be mad at me. Once Wren's mental health improves, I'll send them away. We'll go back to how things used to be."
I didn't pull away.I only nodded.
"Okay.”
He had no idea that Marnie and I had already stopped waiting for him.
Last Chapters
You Might Like 😍
Inked Adonis - Mafia Romance
Of me saying I want to climb him like a tree.
And he just. Texted. Back.
It's the dog's fault, really.
If this untrained Great Dane I'm walking had any manners at all, I never would've ended up here:
With my leash wrapped around the most gorgeous man I've ever seen.
Lucky for me, the guy is a good sport about it.
(Although his joke that “Dogs take after their owners” hits a little too close to home when Rufus starts humping his leg.)
He leaves me with his business card and a smile that makes my knees weak.
I'm still pinching myself as me and the bestie resume our walk.
“Methinks you had a little crush on him,” she accuses.
Not thinking and a little flustered by the whole experience, I reply, “I’d wrap my legs around his waist tighter than that leash.”
THAT'S when she reveals that she'd been recording my response.
THAT'S when she gives me the most devilish grin I've ever seen and says, “You're welcome.”
And THAT'S when she hands me my phone and reveals...
She sent the recording to him.
My heart is in my throat as those three little dots appear…
Then a text.
“PROVE IT.”
The rejected white luna
Bride To The Werewolf King
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?
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.
My Billionaire Husband's Secret
He was the CEO of the Blackwood Group — a man whose wealth and power eclipsed ninety-nine percent of the world.
He was gentle. Romantic. Attentive. I fell for him fast.
But a year into our marriage, I began to notice something — a pattern.
Lucas's sexual appetite was intense — he wanted me almost every night. Yet every single month, he arranged a solo trip to send me away. I told myself it was his way of spoiling me.
Then a message arrived from someone called Sweet An.
Do you really know your husband?
From that day on, my life filled with shadows.
I suspected my husband of having an affair.
When Lucas and I made love, something felt wrong — his body too large, too much, like something I couldn't explain.
I heard sounds during sex — animal sounds, like something feral had crawled into bed with us.
My best friend Mia said: "There are men sick enough to let dogs fuck their wives."
The family doctor, Daisy, told me: "You could never stay by Lucas's side forever. Your background doesn't make you worthy of being his wife. Do you understand?"
I went looking for whoever had been tearing my marriage apart. I fought to win my husband back.
But the deeper I searched, the larger the secret grew — something far darker hiding beneath this supposed betrayal.
Does Lucas truly love me?
And why, out of everyone in the world, did he choose to marry me?
Fated to the three Alphas of MOONCREST college
Fated to the three alphas of MOONCREST college... book 1
Fated at mooncrest: Stuck with the two alphas.... book 2
A half-blooded girl. Three charismatic Alpha Wolves. And a destiny-bound bond.
Malia Reed always felt she was nothing special except for her bloodline; she only wanted to survive in the shadows.
Until she entered Mooncrest college…everything changed. A destined, inescapable bond bound her to the powerful and handsome Alpha Wolves—Aiden, Cian, and Rowan Moonfall Wolf.
The entire academy was abuzz with excitement; everyone was talking about it.
As her hidden powers awakened, the dark secrets of her parents surfaced. Enemies drew closer. And what about her three destined companions? Their feelings were subtly shifting…
But only one could truly win her heart.
The Billionaire's Surrogate's Secret
“Who said that’s still fucking true? We stopped being just man and surrogate the first time our eyes met.” He walked towards me, boring into my eyes with those eyes of his. “I fucking want you, Vanessa.”
My heart stuttered.
This could not be real.
“But the rules—“
“I made them. I can destroy them. I already destroyed them when I kissed you.” He was dangerously close now, but all I kept getting was danger signals combined with the panic, alarm, lust and above all, the guilt.
It was killing me.
Vanessa Sterling who never liked men because of what her father did to her mother ended up having a drunken one night stand with a stranger and that might end up changing her life forever.
Rodri Darnell who doesn’t want to get married or have kids but is forced to give his father a grand child, decided to use a surrogate.
Vanessa Sterling was supposed to be an ordinary surrogate to Rodri Darnell of the Dolphin Emirates, but he fell in love with her.
Their only problem will be Vanessa's secret.
Tempted By The 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.
Luna On The Run- I stole The Alpha's Sons
But Axton is more than just a rival, he's her fated mate. And he's been searching for her not for love, but for revenge and a chance to destroy her father's pack. The next morning, Elena rejects him, walking away before he can trap her in his ruthless schemes.
But Axton does not take rejection lightly, and his retaliation is brutal: a leaked video, a ruined reputation, and a family that turns their backs on her drive her to flee the city in disgrace.
But when Elena disappears, she takes something Alpha Axton never planned to lose - his sons. Now, he'll stop at nothing to get them back. He wants his heirs, he wants his mate, and Elena will learn that no one runs from the Alpha.
The Mafia King's Unknown Doctor Wife
Letters to a Dark Prince
Thrown into Isteros Academy—a world of old money, blood money, and cruel social games—she's an outsider by birth and an afterthought by design. Her sister Solyn is the school's untouchable queen and Mara is her favorite target.
Everyone expects Atreus to treat his fiancée’s scholarship sister like everyone else does—as if she doesn’t matter.
Instead, his dorm room sits directly across from hers, close enough that she can see his light go out at night. Some nights, he climbs the old maintenance trellis just to check on her. He teaches her chess. He shows up exactly when something's gone wrong—and never once asks to be thanked for it.
"Don't fall in love with one piece," he warns her, over a board neither of them treats like a game anymore. "It punishes the person who only sees half of it."
Mara doesn't understand why the boy who's supposed to make her life harder keeps quietly making it easier—not until she realizes the anonymous stranger she's been writing to every week already has a name.
His.
He doesn't know he's writing to her, either.
By the time they find out, it's too late to stop what's already happening. Far too dangerous for anyone to find out.
In an empty studio, in the middle of a rainstorm, she asks him: 'Am I the kind of girl who kisses a boy engaged to my sister?'
He doesn't answer.
So she asks: 'What are we?’
He told her not to fall in love with one piece.
She fell anyway.
And he was never far behind.
