Chapter 8
Inside the bar.
Evan slumped in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by his closest buddies.
They looked at him, confused, and joked:
“Dude, Claire told us the engagement was official. Why haven’t we heard a thing?”
“I’ve been waiting for your wedding invite!”
“Yeah man, whenever it happens, I’m throwing down for a killer wedding gift!”
“Honestly, it’s hilarious–Raine really will do anything for money.”
“Dumped you the second the check cleared.”
“Compared to Claire? Not even in the same league!”
“So come on, Evan, how much did you offer this time?”
“What’s the price tag for keeping a mistress these days?”
“Or is she charging more now and you couldn’t cut it?”
Evan stared at his phone screen, flooded with “Payment Declined” notifications and a final red exclamation mark.
His anger built by the second.
Before, as long as the money was right, no matter how humiliating it got–I could deal.
But now she won’t even take my money… just for asking her to apologize to Claire.
She blocked me.
Even lost the bets the guys placed about her.
Made me look like a complete joke.
He picked up his drink and threw it back.
One shot after another.
Finally, one of the guys caught on that something wasn’t right.
“Evan, you good, man?”
That’s when Claire walked into the private booth, worry written all over her face.
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His ‘Just a Friend‘ Got Me Packing, And Her Karma Came Delivered
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Chapter 8
“Evan, I’m here to take you home.”
Ever since that party–where Claire publicly announced their engagement, and Raine’s lawyer used it to force a
divorce-
There’d been this invisible wall between her and Evan.
They looked close, but deep down, the distance felt like a canyon.
Evan, half–drunk, squinted at her familiar worried eyes, heard that soft voice–and instinctively whispered my name: “…Raine…”
Quiet as it was, everyone in the room heard it.
Claire’s face drained of color.
Evan reached out and pulled her into his arms.
The stubble on his jaw brushed against her hair, catching the faint scent of rose shampoo.
He frowned. The second he recognized her face, he pushed her away.
“Don’t touch me. Raine wouldn’t like it.”
“And another thing–Raine Ellis is my wife.”
“Keep her name out of your jokes.”
The room fell completely silent.
The same crew who always cracked jokes about me, called me a gold digger, said I only threw tantrums to get more
cash-
Even placed bets on how much it would take to get me crawling back.
I heard it all, one night when I came to pick Evan up after he’d passed out.
I was his wife.
The woman his friends mocked and gossiped about.
And now that I’m gone, now he wants to defend me.
What a damn joke.
Claire’s face twisted with rage, her fists clenched so tight her nails nearly drew blood.
It had been three months.
Evan still couldn’t let Raine go.
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His Just a Friend‘ Got Me Packing, And Her Karma Came Delivered
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Chapter 8
He even had the master bedroom restored exactly the way it had been when we lived together–and forced Claire to
move into the guest room.
Even the news she leaked about their upcoming wedding?
Cross Corporation shut it down overnight. Total blackout.
Like the party never even happened. His mom barely even spoke to Claire now.
And last I heard?
Cross Corp. had upped the reward on the dark web–three hundred billion dollars.
That’s how far Evan was willing to go to find me.
His so–called “soulmate” had become nothing more than the laughingstock of Manhattan high society.
And it was all because of me.
If I never existed, Claire’s life would be perfect.
So she thought.
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