After transferring fifty thousand dollars into her account, Adriana visits a luxury boutique to buy a handbag priced at nearly the exact amount. While the expensive bag symbolizes her dignity, Adriana feels a mix of satisfaction and sadness, aware that for Matthew, the money is trivial. She notices a far more expensive limited edition bag, the same model Matthew gifted Natasha, highlighting the vast divide between her and Natasha\u2014not just financially but in family and upbringing.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back at her apartment, Adriana lists the handbag for resale, intending to donate the proceeds to the orphanage where she grew up, hoping to provide winter clothing for the children. As she prepares for a meeting with Curtis, Matthew unexpectedly enters her apartment unannounced, carrying a simple gift. Their interaction reveals tension: Matthew cancels her resignation from his company and insists she stay, but Adriana remains distant, determined to end their complicated relationship.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana confronts Matthew about his upcoming marriage to Natasha, expressing her intention to leave both the company and his life, refusing to be \u201cthe other woman.\u201d Matthew reacts with annoyance but tries to keep her close, mentioning a family dinner where he plans to propose to Natasha and urging Adriana to attend to avoid suspicion. Adriana firmly rejects his demands, signaling her resolve to move on despite Matthew\u2019s controlling behavior.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Throughout the chapter, Adriana struggles with feelings of insignificance and the harsh contrast between her world and Matthew\u2019s privileged life. Matthew\u2019s patronizing attitude and possessiveness underscore the emotional conflict, while Adriana\u2019s pride and determination to help the orphanage reveal her strength amid the pain. The chapter ends with unresolved tension as Adriana resists Matthew\u2019s control and prepares to face her own future.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4: You\u2019re Getting Married, Right?<\/p>\n
After transferring the money into her bank account, Adriana made her way directly to the large mall nearby. The bustling atmosphere of the place contrasted sharply with the heaviness she felt inside. Fifty thousand dollars was an enormous amount for her\u2014something that could change lives. But for Matthew? It was probably just spare change, a trivial sum tossed around without a second thought.<\/p>\n
With a deep breath, Adriana stepped into a high-end boutique, trying to steady her nerves. \u201cI\u2019d like to see that bag,\u201d she said, her voice steady but her heart pounding.<\/p>\n
The salesgirl glanced at her, sizing her up quickly. \u201cThat one costs $49,800,\u201d she replied with a hint of indifference.<\/p>\n
Adriana smiled softly, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and sadness. Perfect. That was exactly the amount she had.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take it. Please wrap it up,\u201d she said calmly, sinking into a chair as the ache in her legs grew too much to bear.<\/p>\n
Instantly, the salesgirl\u2019s demeanor shifted. Her face brightened into a warm smile as she went to fetch the bag. In this store, a bag priced just under fifty thousand dollars was considered entry-level\u2014nothing extravagant. But for Adriana, it symbolized something far more valuable: her dignity.<\/p>\n
Holding the bag in her hands, she noticed how heavy it felt\u2014not just in weight, but in significance. Yet, instead of boosting her confidence, it made her feel even smaller, more fragile.<\/p>\n
Just as she was about to leave the counter, her eyes caught another bag displayed prominently nearby. \u201cHow much is that one?\u201d she asked, curiosity piqued.<\/p>\n
She remembered that bag well. Matthew had given the exact same model to Natasha. When Natasha carried it, she looked graceful and self-assured\u2014radiating a confidence Adriana could only dream of.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a limited edition,\u201d the salesgirl explained with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s a store display piece. To qualify for it, you\u2019d need at least $30 million in accumulated purchases or to buy around $10 million worth of products.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adriana felt her breath catch. Thirty million. The number echoed in her mind.<\/p>\n
What did thirty million even mean? For Matthew, it was pocket change\u2014something he might casually spend just to see Natasha smile. But for the orphanage where Adriana had spent much of her life, that amount could save hundreds of children.<\/p>\n
Life was strange that way\u2014both priceless and, at times, painfully cheap.<\/p>\n
And Adriana? She was firmly on the cheap side of that divide.<\/p>\n
The gap between her and Natasha wasn\u2019t just about the price tag on a handbag. It was about family, upbringing, education\u2014every small detail that shaped who they had become.<\/p>\n
Matthew would never casually throw a few thousand dollars at Natasha and consider it enough, because Natasha\u2019s worth was far beyond that.<\/p>\n
Adriana was never meant to be part of their world. It was almost laughable that she had once believed she meant even a little something to Matthew.<\/p>\n
What a cruel joke.<\/p>\n
Back in her apartment, Adriana listed the bag for resale on a popular site. It was brand new, priced slightly below retail to ensure a quick sale. Once the money came through, she planned to transfer it immediately to the orphanage director\u2019s account.<\/p>\n
The children there still lacked proper winter clothing. Forty thousand dollars would be enough to keep them warm through the cold season.<\/p>\n
After a hot shower, Adriana stood in front of her clothing rack, completely naked, trying to decide what to wear for her meeting with Curtis the next day.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the door opened without any warning or knock. Matthew walked in.<\/p>\n
Startled, Adriana instinctively grabbed a towel to cover herself. \u201cMr. Langford\u2026\u201d she began, her voice trembling.<\/p>\n
He frowned, carrying a plastic bag filled with cheap fruit from the market downstairs. He never showed up empty-handed, but his gifts were always small\u2014mini cakes, a handful of fruit, a simple bouquet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou quit?\u201d Matthew asked, his tone sharp.<\/p>\n
Adriana nodded. This apartment was his rental anyway; his coming and going was nothing unusual.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry about Mia. I\u2019ve got it covered.\u201d He pinched her cheek lightly, then pulled her gently onto the bed. His voice softened in a way that caught her off guard. \u201cStill hurts?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adriana lowered her eyes and shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI already spoke to HR. Your resignation is canceled. Take a few days off and come back whenever you\u2019re ready,\u201d he said, as if doing her a favor.<\/p>\n
To Adriana, it felt like charity\u2014nothing more.<\/p>\n
Honestly, it always had been. Since the day Matthew discovered his sister had led those girls who humiliated Adriana in college, he\u2019d been looking down on her with a mixture of pity and condescension.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re getting married\u2026 right?\u201d Adriana took a deep breath, forcing the words out despite the lump in her throat.<\/p>\n
Matthew fell silent. He didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n
She smiled through the sting in her eyes. \u201cI won\u2019t go back to the company. I\u2019ll move out soon, too. Matthew\u2026 let\u2019s end this. Best wishes to you and Ms. Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n
She still had her pride. She refused to be the other woman.<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s face darkened with annoyance. \u201cAre you trying to pick a fight with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adriana gave a weak smile in reply. \u201cNo\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
He pulled her close, as if soothing a child\u2019s tantrum. \u201cStay here for now. We\u2019ll talk when the wedding actually happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
His tone was casual, as if none of this was painful or complicated.<\/p>\n
Maybe, from the very beginning, he never truly saw her as a person.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout that car accident\u2026 Natasha was scared. She felt bad for not checking on you.\u201d As he spoke, his hand slid along her slim waist\u2014he had always admired her figure. After all, he\u2019d been the one feeding her since her teenage years.<\/p>\n
At nineteen, Adriana was still underdeveloped from years of poor nutrition. Matthew was the one who had taken her in, ensuring she finally ate real meals instead of surviving on water, stale bread, and leftovers.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow night, Natasha\u2019s hosting a family dinner. A few friends will be there, and I plan to propose to her at home. Come early and help out.\u201d<\/p>\n
He tugged the towel from her body, his hands already moving, breath warm against her neck.<\/p>\n
Adriana thought he was downright cruel.<\/p>\n
Deep down, he and his sister were cut from the same cloth.<\/p>\n
Had Natasha not satisfied him during all those days in Neocoralis?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going\u2026\u201d Adriana said firmly, pushing him away and grabbing the towel from the floor. Her stomach churned with discomfort.<\/p>\n
She had a meeting with Curtis tomorrow night anyway.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t show up, she\u2019ll get suspicious,\u201d Matthew warned, his tone hardening. This was the first time Adriana had ever pushed him away. \u201cShe\u2019s divorced and a bit sensitive. I don\u2019t want her getting any ideas about us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana\u2019s journey in this chapter is a poignant exploration of self-worth and the painful recognition of her place in a world that values wealth and status above all else. Her purchase of the expensive bag, a symbol of dignity and aspiration, contrasts sharply with the cold reality of her relationship with Matthew and the stark divide between her and Natasha. The emotional weight she carries is palpable, as she grapples with feelings of fragility, invisibility, and the harsh truths about love, power, and belonging.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the bitterness and heartbreak, Adriana\u2019s resolve to preserve her pride and forge her own path shines through. Her decision to leave Matthew\u2019s world behind, to refuse the role of the other woman, and to focus on helping those who truly need her kindness, speaks to her strength and resilience. The chapter closes on a tense note, with Matthew\u2019s controlling presence lingering, but Adriana\u2019s quiet defiance hints at a growing determination to reclaim her life and self-respect.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled emotions and power dynamics between Adriana and Matthew. As Adriana faces the looming family dinner where Matthew plans to propose to Natasha, the tension between duty, pride, and heartbreak will intensify. Readers can anticipate a charged atmosphere where Adriana must navigate her own feelings of rejection and her determination to assert control over her life, even as Matthew\u2019s presence continues to blur the lines between kindness and cruelty.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emotional stakes are high as Adriana prepares for her meeting with Curtis, hinting at new possibilities and alliances that might challenge the status quo. Yet, the shadow of Matthew\u2019s manipulation and Natasha\u2019s role in this intricate web will create a simmering conflict that threatens to expose vulnerabilities and hidden truths. The next chapter will explore whether Adriana can find strength in her independence or if the past will continue to hold her captive in a painful cycle.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn 4 When Time Tried to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-comeback-queens-crown-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23915\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}