Love's New Bloom by Simone Hastings

Chapter 8 An Entangled Mess

Ian’s heartless words dragged Erin back to her painful reality. She didn’t expect him to act so quickly; was he that desperate to officially be with Tracy?

“Why aren’t you signing them? You agreed to this without hesitation, didn’t you?”

Ian sharply detected how much pain Erin was in. She put up a strong front, but he didn’t miss the slightest hint of tears in her eyes. Erin averted her gaze from the divorce papers and looked into his eyes. She already knew the answer but still wanted to hear him say it.

“What exactly went wrong? Why did you betray me? Was there even an ounce of sincerity in your promises and vows to me?”

Tears streaked down her face at this moment, but she didn’t bother hiding them. Ian got up, pulled a cigarette out, and gave her a complicated look before lighting the cigarette.

He took a deep drag and blew out smoke circles before saying calmly, “I’m not the only one at fault here, Erin. Don’t think you’re innocent in this—you tested me time and time again when you refused to let me touch you, giving me that bullshit about proving how true my love for you was if I could just wait until we were married. Who the fuck brainwashed you into thinking like that?”

Erin felt dejected. She didn’t say a word and continued listening to him.

He took another drag and continued, “I remember when my dad passed away shortly after we graduated. After the funeral, I felt terrible and craved your warmth, hoping you could help me prove I was still alive. As always, you rejected me and even threatened to break up with me if I were to force myself on you. I’ll never forget that night.”

There was a sense of desolation in him, and Erin felt like she’d traveled back to the night he was talking about. Back then, she still believed in her mother’s brainwashing and strongly opposed premarital sex. She and Ian had dated for two years in university and had a mutual understanding that they’d marry after graduation, but she had never once agreed to sleep with him before then. To tell the truth, she’d always felt bad for making a hot-blooded young man hold himself back time and time again.

“Is that why you betrayed me?” Her tone was calm, but there was no hiding the need for an answer.

Ian turned to stare at her, sounding displeased. “Yes.”

“Then why’d

have a taste of your

with her

Why didn’t I

was per their earlier agreement—she’d leave the marriage without a penny to her name. The two villas and three cars they shared would all belong to Ian. Once she

him, she asked,

signing contracts on the desk. Erin bent down to sign the papers; the collar of her shirt fell open to reveal bruises and

“Wait a minute!”

straightened up and looked at

“What now?”

her by the

did you see

questioning, then sneered.

laugh. “Of course! You’re still my wife before the divorce is

marriage first, yet he was shamelessly accusing her

of me, Ian! There’s

apathy made Ian feel resentful. Erin was his first love and wife; their marriage was coming to an end, yet he’d never had sex with her. This was an insult to his pride as a man! He abruptly threw his

“Let go of me!”

by the thought of him just having fucked Tracy. Ian’s handsome

you at least

lost your mind! Let me

her face red from the exertion. However, her panic and repulsion made him more

your duty!” As he leaned close to her ear, he noticed hickeys behind her ear as well, and he pounded a

some reason, his rage

out of love with me long ago, didn’t you? Besides, your mistress is right outside. Why don’t you go