His Unwanted Wife, The Nation's Hero

His Unwanted Wife, The Nation's Hero

Bu Chuang

5.0
Comment(s)
823
View
170
Chapters

On our wedding anniversary, I came home to find my husband, Jace, celebrating with another woman in our living room. She was wearing my mother's necklace-the only thing recovered from the explosion that killed my parents. Jace laughed, calling it a "cheap piece of junk," and tried to write me a check to buy a new one. His family called my parents' ashes "garbage" and "unsanitary." When I confronted them, Jace sided with his mother, ordering me out of the penthouse I secretly owned. He let his friends publicly humiliate me, calling me a gold-digging leech with no background. But that wasn't the worst of it. When a gunman stormed the restaurant we were in, Jace shoved me directly into the line of fire to shield his mistress. The shotgun blast tore through my arm. As I lay bleeding on the marble floor, I stared at the man who had just used me as a human shield, his face pale with terror as he protected her. In that instant, every ounce of love I ever had for him died. The pain in my arm was nothing compared to the cold, hollow void that consumed my heart. He thought he was sacrificing a quiet, useless wife to secure his future. He had no idea he had just declared war on Captain Cilla Henson, West Point valedictorian and the most lethal operator of the Eagle Task Force.

His Unwanted Wife, The Nation's Hero Chapter 1 No.1

The heavy brass handle of the Manhattan penthouse door felt cold against Cilla's palm.

She pushed the door open, stepping into the foyer.

Today was her wedding anniversary. She had spent the entire afternoon preparing, convincing herself that the recent distance between her and Jace was just a phase.

Before she could even take off her coat, the sound of bright, ringing laughter drifted from the living room.

It was a woman's laugh.

Cilla's stomach dropped. The muscles in her jaw tightened instantly.

She slipped off her coat, hanging it on the rack with slow, deliberate movements. She took a deep breath, forcing her heart rate to steady.

"Oh, Jace, it's absolutely stunning. The vintage cut is so unique," the woman's voice cooed.

It was Carolyn.

Cilla's blood turned to ice water in her veins. She walked briskly down the hallway, her low heels making no sound on the imported marble floor.

She stepped into the living room. Her eyes immediately locked onto Carolyn's neck.

Resting against Carolyn's collarbone was a silver pendant, shaped like a teardrop with a subtle, intricate engraving on the back.

Cilla's chest seized. Her lungs forgot how to pull in air.

That was her mother's necklace. The only thing recovered from the explosion that took her parents' lives.

Jace stood next to the marble kitchen island, a relaxed smile on his face. He popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and poured it into two crystal flutes.

He didn't even look up to acknowledge Cilla's presence.

Cilla closed the distance between them in three long strides.

"Take it off," Cilla said. Her voice was flat, devoid of any warmth.

Carolyn gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in a perfectly practiced gesture of shock. "Oh! Cilla, you're home early. I'm so sorry, we were just..."

Jace finally turned around. His smile vanished, replaced by a deep frown.

"What is wrong with you?" Jace demanded, setting the champagne bottle down hard. "You walk in here and immediately start ruining the mood. Have some manners."

Cilla pointed a rigid finger at Carolyn's chest. "I said, take that necklace off right now."

Carolyn's eyes welled up with tears instantly. Her lower lip trembled as she looked up at Jace, shrinking her shoulders to appear smaller.

"Jace, I... I didn't know it was hers," Carolyn whispered, her voice cracking.

Jace stepped squarely in front of Carolyn, using his broad shoulders to block Cilla's view.

"Stop acting crazy, Cilla," Jace said, his tone dripping with condescension. "It was just sitting in a dusty box in the guest room. It's a cheap piece of junk. Carolyn liked it, so I gave it to her."

A harsh, bitter laugh scraped its way out of Cilla's throat.

"A cheap piece of junk?" Cilla repeated, her fingernails digging into her own palms until the skin nearly broke. "That is the recovered property of a fallen CIA operative. It was my mother's."

Jace blinked. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face, but his pride quickly swallowed it. "Don't pull that CIA card, Cilla. It was a tragic accident, not some movie plot. That was years ago. Don't be dramatic," Jace scoffed. He reached into the inner pocket of his tailored suit jacket and pulled out his checkbook.

He grabbed a pen from the counter and started scribbling.

"Here," Jace said, ripping the check free and holding it out to her. "Buy yourself a new one. Buy ten. Just stop embarrassing yourself in front of our guest."

Cilla stared at the piece of paper. The sheer disrespect made her vision blur at the edges.

She slapped her hand upward, striking Jace's wrist.

The checkbook flew out of his grip. The loose check fluttered through the air, landing on the floor like trash.

Carolyn let out a high-pitched shriek and scrambled to hide completely behind Jace's back.

In that split second of chaos, Cilla lunged forward.

Jace realized what she was doing. He reached out, his large hand aiming to clamp down on her wrist to stop her.

Instinctively, Cilla flinched away from his touch, her body reacting to the sudden aggression. She stumbled back a half-step, her shoulder dipping just enough so that his large hand grabbed nothing but empty air.

She reached around his torso and grabbed the silver chain resting on Carolyn's neck.

With one sharp, violent yank, Cilla pulled.

The metal clasp snapped with a sharp click.

Cilla closed her fist around the pendant, the cold metal biting into her skin.

Carolyn clutched her neck, letting out a dramatic sob. "She hurt me! Jace, she choked me!"

Jace's face turned a dark, furious red. "You are an unreasonable, psychotic woman!" he roared.

Cilla stood her ground. She looked at the man she had married.

The man she had quietly supported, the man whose company she had built from the shadows.

Every ounce of warmth she had ever felt for him evaporated, leaving nothing but a hollow, freezing void in her chest.

"Apologize to her," Jace ordered, pointing a finger at Cilla's face. "Right now."

Cilla didn't say a word. She turned on her heel and walked toward the front door.

Her steps were even, measured, and completely resolute.

"If you walk out that door, don't expect a single cent for your living expenses!" Jace yelled down the hallway.

Cilla paused with her hand on the doorknob.

She looked over her shoulder, her lips curling into a smile that held absolutely no joy.

She pulled the door open and slammed it shut behind her.

The heavy thud echoed in the hallway.

Cilla stepped into the private elevator and pressed the button for the lobby.

She opened her fist and looked at the silver teardrop resting on her palm.

Her chest rose and fell in a deep, shaky breath.

She was done playing the quiet, useless wife. It was time to bring her parents' ashes home.

Continue Reading

Other books by Bu Chuang

More
His Unwanted Presence

His Unwanted Presence

Modern

3.5

The smell of grilled meat and Olivia' s expensive perfume filled the backyard. We were hosting a perfect summer barbecue, or so it seemed. I was the guy flipping burgers, the stay-at-home dad, while my wife, Olivia, laughed a bright, theatrical laugh, her hand resting on my cousin Liam' s arm-the one who got away in college. My twins, Max and Chloe, looked up at Liam with wide, adoring eyes, asking him to do magic tricks and cut their food, preferring their "Uncle Liam" over me, their own father. Olivia, too, openly favored Liam, remembering his steak preference while dismissing me with cold precision: "Ethan, the trash is overflowing. And did you forget to buy more ketchup?" Each laugh, each dismissal, felt like a confirmation: I wasn' t their father or husband. I was just a convenience, my expiration date rapidly approaching. A week later, while fixing the AC-because calling a professional was too expensive on my non-existent income-I fell off a ladder, breaking my arm. Olivia' s first reaction? Not concern, but irritation. "Are you serious? Today? I' m about to close a seven-figure deal, Ethan. Is it really that bad?" At the hospital, my kids barely noticed my bright white cast. Max' s only question was, "Is Uncle Liam coming over for dinner?" That was it. The clarity cut through the pain. My wife, my children-they didn' t care. My pain was an annoyance; my presence, a service. I looked at my angry wife, at the backs of my children' s heads. I was completely alone, a disposable tool. That night, I looked at our wedding photo, two smiling strangers. I made a decision. Quiet, solid, absolute. I was done. "I want a divorce," I told Olivia. She closed her laptop, her face shifting from annoyance to clinical curiosity. "Don' t be ridiculous. We don' t have time for a divorce." Then Max and Chloe walked in. "A divorce?" Max said, his eyes calculating. "Does that mean we can go live with Uncle Liam?" Chloe brightened. "Yeah! Can Uncle Liam be our new dad? He' s more fun." Their words, fueled by Olivia' s cultivation, hit harder than any fall. My children, my own flesh and blood, wanted my replacement. Olivia, seeing my pain, delivered the final cut. "This is your own fault, Ethan. You let yourself go. The kids want a father they can look up to." A cold rage burned through me. I pulled out the divorce papers, already signed, that I' d secretly prepared. Olivia snatched and shredded them. "No one is divorcing me. You work for me, Ethan. You don' t get to quit." The children watched, not scared, but as if it were a power play, knowing whose side they were on. A chilling emptiness settled over me. I walked away, locked myself in the guest room, the click of the lock the first taste of freedom in a decade.

Love After the Betrayal

Love After the Betrayal

Romance

5.0

The scent of lilies and hairspray usually meant joy, but for me, Abigail Turner, on what was supposed to be my wedding day, it was a suffocating prelude to disaster. I stood in my bridal gown, gazing into an ornate mirror, my heart a storm. Then Brandon Hayes, my fiancé, walked in, his eyes cold and distant. He took his mother' s diamond necklace, an heirloom he' d given me, straight from my neck. "I need that back," he said, his voice flat. Before I could process the shock, my cousin, Seraphina Vance, appeared, clutching an overnight bag, her eyes red-rimmed. Without a word, Brandon fastened the necklace around her neck. My future, my life, was now hers. "I can' t marry you, Abby," Brandon declared, his voice devoid of emotion. "The wedding is canceled." Then, he looked at Seraphina, his voice softening. "I' m marrying Seraphina. Today." Just like that, my own cousin, who should have been my bridesmaid, was taking my place. "Why?" I managed to choke out. Brandon sighed, as if burdened by immense self-pity. "It' s for the good of the family. There' s a curse, Abby. A psychic told Seraphina' s mother. If I don' t marry her, something terrible will happen." Seraphina sniffled, burying her face in his chest. "I' m so sorry, Abby. I didn' t want this." He held her tight, then looked back at me, his eyes filled with a bizarre pity. "It' s just for a few years, Abby. Once the danger from the curse has passed, I' ll divorce her. Just wait for me. You' ll always be the one I love." The absurdity of his words was staggering. He wanted me to wait. My family rushed in, drawn by the commotion. My mother' s face paled at the scene: me in my dress, Brandon holding Seraphina, the necklace on the wrong neck. Everyone expected tears, screams, pleas. But a strange calm washed over me. The heartbreak was a cold, hard stone in my chest, but my mind was clear. I looked at Brandon, the man I thought I would spend my life with, and saw a stranger-a weak, arrogant man easily manipulated by my jealous cousin. I turned to my father, my voice steady and firm. "Dad, do you remember the arrangement with the Beaumont family in Europe?" His eyes widened in shock. "Abby, you don' t mean…" "I do," I said. "Call them. Tell them I accept." Silence fell over the room. My life as Abigail "Abby" Turner ended in that moment. The next day, I was on a plane to Europe. Five years later, the world knows me as Ava Beaumont. I am a respected art curator, happily married, and six months pregnant. I am back in the United States for the first time in five years, for my husband William' s grandfather' s ninetieth birthday. And I am a completely different woman.

Betrayal's Bitter Harvest

Betrayal's Bitter Harvest

Modern

5.0

The anesthesia was a thick fog, but the voices cut through it. "Is she going to be okay?" That was Mark, my boyfriend, a rising musician. "She' ll be fine. She gave you a kidney, Mark, she can handle a little post-op pain." That was Jessica, his new manager. My blood ran cold. A kidney. I' d donated a kidney to save his life, worked three jobs, sold my art, used family connections, all for his dream. Then the words that shattered my world. "She was a good stepping stone, Mark. She got you where you needed to be. But you can' t have a sick, tired artist clinging to you when you' re about to become a star. You need… Jessica' s Lullaby." Jessica's Lullaby. Our lullaby, a deeply personal melody from my childhood that I rewrote just for him. He had given her our song. He didn't just take my kidney, he stole my art, my trust, everything. Even when he came back to the hospital, publicly proposing with cheap roses and a camera crew, it was a sham. Jessica staged an illness, and he abandoned me, rushed to her side, his devotion clear for all to see. The man I loved had betrayed me, not just by stealing my art, but by commodifying my sacrifice, casting me aside as a mere stepping stone. My heart was a hollowed-out cavity. But in that emptiness, a cold, hard rage began to burn. He thought I was just a stepping stone. He was about to find out how wrong he was. I reached for my phone, scrolling for David, the head of a rival record label. "David," I said, my voice raspy but firm. "It' s Sarah. I have a proposition for you."

Trampled Legacy: The Hero's Daughter

Trampled Legacy: The Hero's Daughter

Modern

5.0

My daughter Emily, just seventeen, had a heart of gold. She wanted to change the world, much like her father, James, a Medal of Honor recipient who died serving his country. Emily was kind and brave, even standing up to Kevin Jennings, the mayor’s son, when he bullied a disabled classmate online. Then, one cold night, Emily was gone. The doctor’s words were flat: "Severe internal injuries. Hypothermia." The police officer’s words were a punch: Kevin Jennings claimed Emily attacked him, and he’d acted in self-defense. They found my sweet girl beaten and left in the freezing rain. The powerful Jennings family immediately offered hush money, threatening to smear Emily’s name if I didn't comply. The media, in their pocket, painted Emily as "aggressive," while online, I became a "gold digger" facing vicious attacks. When I tried to protest, Kevin Jennings himself publicly *stepped* on James’s Medal of Honor, disgracing everything sacred to me. The system closed ranks, branding Emily’s death "mutual combat." But I knew the truth. Emily’s journal revealed she was trying to reason with a monster. This wasn't self-defense; it was murder, a brutal cover-up by the powerful. How could they erase my daughter’s memory, twisting her kindness and trampling on her hero father’s legacy? Broken and alone, I remembered a sacred promise James’s commander, Colonel McGregor, had made: "His family is our family." Hundreds of miles away, he was my last, desperate hope. I packed my bags, clutched James’s Medal, and drove out of that corrupt city. The Jennings family *would* pay. This fight wasn't over. It had only just begun.

You'll also like

No Longer Mrs. Cooley: The Architect's Return

No Longer Mrs. Cooley: The Architect's Return

Xiao Xiaosu

I went to the City Clerk’s office for a routine copy of my marriage license to finalize a trust fund audit. I expected a simple piece of paper, but the clerk’s pitying look told me my entire life was a lie. "The license was never finalized, Ms. Oliver. In the eyes of the state, you are single." The three-hundred-guest wedding at the Plaza and the Vogue features meant nothing. My husband, Gray Cooley, had intentionally filed the documents with a "procedural defect" so he could discard me without a legal divorce. Moments later, an iCloud invite titled "Our Little Secret" popped up on my screen. It was a photo of my best friend, Brylee, holding a positive pregnancy test at our Hamptons estate. Gray’s text to her was the final blow: "Happy anniversary, babe. This baby is the best gift. Once the trust unlocks today, we’re done with the charade." I soon discovered they were even stealing my career, reassigning my architectural masterpiece to Brylee while preparing my eviction notice. Gray's mother called me a "barren mule" in a leaked recording, mocking the infertility I suffered after saving Gray’s life in a construction accident. I wasn't a wife; I was a three-year placeholder used to secure his inheritance. How could the man I bled for treat me like a disposable prop? How could my best friend carry his child while pretending to comfort me through my darkest moments? The betrayal burned until it turned into a cold, hard stone of fury. I didn't cry. Instead, I walked into the penthouse of the Barretts, the Cooleys' most powerful rivals. I signed a marriage contract with Kane Barrett, the man the tabloids called the "Beast of Wall Street." "I want a wedding," I told his father, my voice steady and lethal. "Bigger than the one I had with Gray." If they wanted me gone, they would have to watch me become the woman who owns their world.

Secret Triplets: The Billionaire's Second Chance

Secret Triplets: The Billionaire's Second Chance

Roderic Penn

I stood at my mother's open grave in the freezing rain, my heels sinking into the mud. The space beside me was empty. My husband, Hilliard Holloway, had promised to cherish me in bad times, but apparently, burying my mother didn't fit into his busy schedule. While the priest's voice droned on, a news alert lit up my phone. It was a livestream of the Metropolitan Charity Gala. There was Hilliard, looking impeccable in a custom tuxedo, with his ex-girlfriend Charla English draped over his arm. The headline read: "Holloway & English: A Power Couple Reunited?" When he finally returned to our penthouse at 2 AM, he didn't come alone-he brought Charla with him. He claimed she'd had a "medical emergency" at the gala and couldn't be left alone. I found a Tiffany diamond necklace on our coffee table meant for her birthday, and a smudge of her signature red lipstick on his collar. When I confronted him, he simply told me to stop being "hysterical" and "acting like a child." He had no idea I was seven months pregnant with his child. He thought so little of my grief that he didn't even bother to craft a convincing lie, laughing with his mistress in our home while I sat in the dark with a shattered heart and a secret life growing inside me. "He doesn't deserve us," I whispered to the darkness. I didn't scream or beg. I simply left a folder on his desk containing signed divorce papers and a forged medical report for a terminated pregnancy. I disappeared into the night, letting him believe he had successfully killed his own legacy through his neglect. Five years later, Hilliard walked into "The Vault," the city's most exclusive underground auction, looking for a broker to manage his estate. He didn't recognize me behind my Venetian mask, but he couldn't ignore the neon pink graffiti on his armored Maybach that read "DEADBEAT." He had no clue that the three brilliant triplets currently hacking his security system were the very children he thought had been erased years ago. This time, I wasn't just a wife in the way; I was the one holding all the cards.

The Ghost Wife's Billion Dollar Tech Comeback

The Ghost Wife's Billion Dollar Tech Comeback

Huo Wuer

Today is October 14th, my birthday. I returned to New York after months away, dragging my suitcase through the biting wind, but the VIP pickup zone where my husband's Maybach usually idled was empty. When I finally let myself into our Upper East Side penthouse, I didn't find a cake or a "welcome home" banner. Instead, I found my husband, Caden, kneeling on the floor, helping our five-year-old daughter wrap a massive gift for my half-sister, Adalynn. Caden didn't even look up when I walked in; he was too busy laughing with the girl who had already stolen my father's legacy and was now moving in on my family. "Auntie Addie is a million times better than Mommy," my daughter Elara chirped, clutching a plush toy Caden had once forbidden me from buying for her. "Mommy is mean," she whispered loudly, while Caden just smirked, calling me a "drill sergeant" before whisking her off to Adalynn's party without a second glance. Later that night, I saw a video Adalynn posted online where my husband and child laughed while mocking my "sensitive" nature, treating me like an inconvenient ghost in my own home. I had spent five years researching nutrition for Elara's health and managing every detail of Caden's empire, only to be discarded the moment I wasn't in the room. How could the man who set his safe combination to my birthday completely forget I even existed? The realization didn't break me; it turned me into ice. I didn't scream or beg for an explanation. I simply walked into the study, pulled out the divorce papers I'd drafted months ago, and took a black marker to the terms. I crossed out the alimony, the mansion, and even the custody clause-if they wanted a life without me, I would give them exactly what they asked for. I left my four-carat diamond ring on the console table and walked out into the rain with nothing but a heavily encrypted hard drive. The submissive Mrs. Holloway was gone, and "Ghost," the most lethal architect in the tech world, was finally back online to take back everything they thought I'd forgotten.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
His Unwanted Wife, The Nation's Hero His Unwanted Wife, The Nation's Hero Bu Chuang Modern
“On our wedding anniversary, I came home to find my husband, Jace, celebrating with another woman in our living room. She was wearing my mother's necklace-the only thing recovered from the explosion that killed my parents. Jace laughed, calling it a "cheap piece of junk," and tried to write me a check to buy a new one. His family called my parents' ashes "garbage" and "unsanitary." When I confronted them, Jace sided with his mother, ordering me out of the penthouse I secretly owned. He let his friends publicly humiliate me, calling me a gold-digging leech with no background. But that wasn't the worst of it. When a gunman stormed the restaurant we were in, Jace shoved me directly into the line of fire to shield his mistress. The shotgun blast tore through my arm. As I lay bleeding on the marble floor, I stared at the man who had just used me as a human shield, his face pale with terror as he protected her. In that instant, every ounce of love I ever had for him died. The pain in my arm was nothing compared to the cold, hollow void that consumed my heart. He thought he was sacrificing a quiet, useless wife to secure his future. He had no idea he had just declared war on Captain Cilla Henson, West Point valedictorian and the most lethal operator of the Eagle Task Force.”
1

Chapter 1 No.1

22/03/2026

2

Chapter 2 No.2

22/03/2026

3

Chapter 3 No.3

22/03/2026

4

Chapter 4 No.4

22/03/2026

5

Chapter 5 No.5

22/03/2026

6

Chapter 6 No.6

22/03/2026

7

Chapter 7 No.7

22/03/2026

8

Chapter 8 No.8

22/03/2026

9

Chapter 9 No.9

22/03/2026

10

Chapter 10 No.10

22/03/2026

11

Chapter 11 No.11

22/03/2026

12

Chapter 12 No.12

22/03/2026

13

Chapter 13 No.13

22/03/2026

14

Chapter 14 No.14

22/03/2026

15

Chapter 15 No.15

22/03/2026

16

Chapter 16 No.16

22/03/2026

17

Chapter 17 No.17

22/03/2026

18

Chapter 18 No.18

22/03/2026

19

Chapter 19 No.19

22/03/2026

20

Chapter 20 No.20

22/03/2026

21

Chapter 21 No.21

22/03/2026

22

Chapter 22 No.22

22/03/2026

23

Chapter 23 No.23

22/03/2026

24

Chapter 24 No.24

22/03/2026

25

Chapter 25 No.25

22/03/2026

26

Chapter 26 No.26

22/03/2026

27

Chapter 27 No.27

22/03/2026

28

Chapter 28 No.28

22/03/2026

29

Chapter 29 No.29

22/03/2026

30

Chapter 30 No.30

22/03/2026

31

Chapter 31 No.31

22/03/2026

32

Chapter 32 No.32

22/03/2026

33

Chapter 33 No.33

22/03/2026

34

Chapter 34 No.34

22/03/2026

35

Chapter 35 No.35

22/03/2026

36

Chapter 36 No.36

22/03/2026

37

Chapter 37 No.37

22/03/2026

38

Chapter 38 No.38

22/03/2026

39

Chapter 39 No.39

22/03/2026

40

Chapter 40 No.40

22/03/2026