Open Marriage (eBook)

Scorned But Never Defeated

Mary Pen (Autor)

WhosNovel （Yilena Zhang） (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
376 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-112770-8 (ISBN)

Infos

[Ten million dollars. Her price tag. An open-marriage contract.]

'The credit limit increase is generous,' the lawyer said. 'From one million to ten million annually.'

'What if I change my mind?'

'Then you lose the children,' the lawyer said, matter-of-factly. 'Without family money or independent income, custody battles become very difficult.'

After eighteen years as the devoted wife of billionaire Daniel Harrison, Emma faces a heart-wrenching ultimatum: sign a ten million-dollar open-marriage contract or lose custody of her three children.

Shattered by Daniel's cold betrayal and his affair with his calculating personal assistant, Natalie, Emma's perfect world unravels. Seeking solace, she finds an unexpected ally in Robert Langley-Natalie's betrayed husband from her open marriage, a powerful businessman and devoted father whose quiet strength ignites a forbidden passion neither of them can resist.

As their connection deepens, Emma must choose-cling to the wealth and stability her children depend on or risk everything for a love that could redeem her heart.

When betrayal collides with desire, will Emma choose safety or a second chance at a life she never dared to dream of?

Note: This is a must-read for fans of billionaire romance, open-marriage romance, marriage of convenience, forced marriage contracts, cheating-husband romance, and custody-battle drama.

Book 2 in The Marriage Ultimatum Billionaire Romance Series.

(Exclusive copyright owned by WhosNovel )

 

Textauszug

Chapter41: THE CONTRACT

*** The Contract***

Emma woke to footsteps.

Heavy. Deliberate. Coming down the hallway toward her room.

She sat up in bed. Darkness everywhere except the sliver of light under her door. The clock read 2:47 AM.

The door opened. Daniel stood there. Still dressed. Tie loosened. Face hard.

"We need to talk."

Emma's heart hammered. "It's three in the morning."

"I don't care." He walked in. Closed the door behind him. Held papers in his hand.

The contract. Emma recognized it even in the dim light. The agreement she'd signed two months ago. The one that had trapped her in this marriage.

Daniel turned on the bedside lamp. Harsh light flooded the room. Emma blinked. Shielded her eyes.

He threw the papers on her bed. They landed with a soft slap.

"Read it," he said.

"I know what it says Daniel."

"Then you know you agreed to the rules. You signed this. You accepted my terms. You chose this."

Emma looked at the contract. At her signature at the bottom. Proof of her desperation. Her fear. Her willingness to sell herself to keep her children.

"That was two months ago," she said quietly.

"Doesn't matter. A contract is a contract. You agreed to stay in this marriage. Agreed to maintain appearances. Agreed to follow my rules in exchange for security."

"I agreed to an open marriage. Not to being your prisoner."

 

"You're not a prisoner. You have everything. Money. House. Freedom to pursue your art now. What more do you want?"

Emma laughed. Bitter. Cold. "You really don't understand do you?"

"Understand what?"

"That money isn't love. That a house isn't a home. That letting me paint doesn't undo years of being told I'm nothing."

Daniel's jaw clenched. "I've given you a good life Emma."

"You've given me a cage. A pretty one. But still a cage."

"Dramatic as always."

Emma stood up. Faced him. Her hands shook but her voice stayed steady. "This isn't working Daniel. This marriage. This arrangement. Whatever you want to call it. It's killing me."

"You're being emotional."

"I'm being honest. For the first time in months. Maybe years. I can't keep doing this. Can't keep pretending we're fine when we're not. Can't keep living like this."

Daniel's face emptied of expression. Then filled with something darker. Something dangerous.

"You signed the contract Emma. Two months ago. You agreed to all of this."

"I signed because you threatened to take my children. You backed me into a corner and I signed to survive. That doesn't make it right."

"It makes it legal. Binding." Daniel moved closer. Towering over her. "You don't get to change your mind now. Not because you sold a few paintings. Not because some collector praised you. Not because you suddenly think you're too good for this family."

"I don't think I'm too good. I think I deserve basic respect. Basic kindness. Basic humanity."

"You have respect. You're Mrs. Daniel Harrison. That name opens doors. Creates opportunities. Gives you status."

"I don't want status. I want to breathe. I want to exist without feeling like I'm suffocating. I want my children to see a mother who's actually alive instead of just going through motions."

Daniel's face went red. Veins bulged in his neck. "Listen carefully Emma. Because I'm only saying this once."

His voice dropped. Became softer. More terrifying.

"Don't embarrass me. Don't make scenes. Don't talk about how hard this marriage is or how trapped you feel. You signed an agreement. You took my money. You accepted my terms. If you break this marriage, you'll regret it."

Emma's stomach turned. Fear crawled up her spine. Not physical fear. Daniel had never hit her. Never would.

But this was different. This was a man showing his true face. Not just controlling. Not just unfaithful.

Dangerous. Willing to destroy her rather than let her question him.

"You're threatening me," she whispered.

"I'm reminding you of reality. You have three children who need stability. A life people envy. Success in your art that my name helped create. You really want to throw all that away? Risk everything on some fantasy that life will be better without me?"

"Maybe it would be."

Daniel's hand shot out. Grabbed her arm. Not hard enough to hurt. But firm. Threatening.

"It won't be. I'll make sure of it. You try to leave me, try to break this family, try to embarrass me publicly, and I'll destroy you Emma. Your reputation. Your career. Everything you've built. I have lawyers. Resources. Power. What do you have? Some paintings and naive hope?"

Emma stared at him. At this stranger wearing her husband's face. At the man she'd married years ago who'd disappeared. Been replaced by something cruel. Something willing to hurt her to maintain control.

She wasn't dealing with a difficult husband anymore. Wasn't dealing with someone controlling or manipulative.

She was dealing with someone dangerous. Someone who would rather destroy her than lose control.

"Look at yourself in the mirror Daniel," she said. Voice shaking. "Look at what you've become."

"I've become successful. Powerful. Someone who doesn't let people walk over him."

"You've become your mother." The words came out before Emma could stop them. "Cruel. Controlling. Destroying someone who trusted you."

Daniel's face twisted. His grip on her arm tightened. "Don't you dare compare me to her."

"Why not? You're doing exactly what she did. Taking someone's vulnerability and using it against them. Making them feel worthless. Breaking them down piece by piece."

"I'm nothing like her."

"You're exactly like her. And you're too blind to see it." Emma tried to pull her arm free. Couldn't. "You have no right to control me Daniel. No right to threaten me. I'm not your property. That contract doesn't give you ownership. I'm a person. And I deserve better than this."

"You deserve what I say you deserve."

"Let go of me."

"Not until you understand. Not until you stop this nonsense. Stop questioning me. Stop making trouble. Stop."

"Mommy?"

Both of them froze.

The door had opened. Neither had heard it. Too focused on each other. On their battle. On their war.

Yara stood in the doorway. Small. Scared. Clutching her stuffed bunny. The worn one she'd had since she was three. The one she only held when she was frightened.

Emma's stomach dropped. "Baby. What are you doing up?"

"I heard voices. Loud voices." Yara's eyes were huge. Wet. "Are you fighting?"

Daniel released Emma's arm. Stepped back. Arranged his face into something calmer. Something less terrifying.

"No sweetheart," Emma said quickly. Moving toward her daughter. "We're just talking. Grown up stuff. Nothing to worry about."

"But Daddy looks angry. And you look scared."

Emma's heart cracked. Her baby. Her youngest. Seeing too much. Understanding too much.

"I'm not scared baby. Just tired. It's very late. Why are you awake?"

Yara's face crumpled. Fresh tears spilled. "I had a bad dream."

"Oh sweetheart. Come here." Emma scooped her daughter up. Held her close. Felt Yara's small body shake with crying.

"It was scary Mommy. You were drowning. Like in Sophia's painting. And I couldn't reach you. I tried but you kept sinking. And then you were gone."

Emma's throat closed. She held Yara tighter. Kissed her head. Breathed in her little girl smell. Shampoo and laundry detergent and innocence that wouldn't last much longer.

"I'm right here baby. I'm not drowning. I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Yara pulled back. Looked at Emma with those huge eyes. Then looked at Daniel. Standing there silent. Watching.

"Why does Daddy look so angry?" she whispered.

"He's not angry baby. Just tired like Mommy. It's very late. Everyone's tired."

"Will you stay with me? Until I fall asleep?"

"Of course." Emma carried Yara toward the door. Toward safety. Toward anywhere that wasn't this room. This conversation. This confrontation.

She paused at the doorway. Looked back at Daniel. At the man holding their contract. Their prison. Their proof of her desperation.

His face was hard. Unforgiving. But something flickered behind his eyes. Guilt maybe. Or recognition that Yara had seen too much. Had walked into something children shouldn't witness.

"We'll finish this later," he said quietly.

Emma didn't respond. Just carried her daughter down the hall. To Yara's room. Tucked her into bed. Lay down beside her. Held her while she cried. While she talked about her nightmare. While she eventually drifted back to sleep.

Emma stayed awake. Staring at the ceiling. Feeling Yara's small body curled against her. Hearing Daniel's threats echoing.

He wasn't just controlling anymore. He was dangerous. Willing to destroy her to maintain power. Willing to use lawyers and money and influence to crush her if she dared to question him.

The contract gave him ammunition. Her signature gave him leverage. Her compliance over the past two months gave him confidence that she'd never actually fight back.

But he'd made a mistake tonight. Shown his hand too clearly. Let her see exactly how far he'd go.

And Emma realized something. Something cold. Something certain.

She couldn't leave yet. Couldn't demand freedom. Couldn't fight openly.

Not when Daniel held all the power. All the resources. All the weapons.

But she could prepare. Could build her own strength. Could...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 22.12.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 0-00-112770-5 / 0001127705
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-112770-8 / 9780001127708