TOP UP

Reading History

Sign out

Get the APP

The Rejected Burden: Rising From The Shadows

Chapter 5 No.5

Word Count: 888 | Released on: 04/02/2026

ng to wash her out of existence. Isadora took a step off the cur

ground, but her right heel snapped. The shoe ca

hispered. "

broken shoe. She kicked the broken one off. Being barefoot was better t

e screen flickered green, th

ying to preserve whatever body heat she

kness. Twin beams of white light that il

wasn't a taxi. It was the sa

burning in her chest. She didn't want anyone to s

eside her. The rear win

ows across his sharp cheekbones. He looked at her-at her wet

g. He looked angry. H

a second, holding a massive black

the driver sa

th chattering. "I... I can't. I

rough the sound of the rain. It wasn't a

tomatic response. Isadora ducked under the

y. The silence inside was absolute. The air was w

ition between them and the driver slid up, turning

he unbuttoned his suit jacket. He took it off a

fed her. Isadora pulled the lapels tight against her neck

ipping from her hair onto the pristi

efrigerated compartment and pulled out a bottle o

s shaking so much the wat

n reached into a storage cubby near hi

nsole between them

ith white frosting. It looked simple,

er mascara was definitely smeared under

e dinner I just left," Kingston said

He flicked it. A small flame danced in the dim light. He h

wish,"

reflected in Kingston's grey eye

on to love her. But the memory of t

wish to be free of him.

dle. Kingston snapped the ligh

y, Isadora," h

. She took a bite. The frosting was sweet, melting on her t

He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his e

adora looked out the window.

said. Her voice

. "Keep the jacket. The drive

or. The cold air rushed in, but she w

n said, still not looking at he

hts of the sedan disappear around the corner

Chapter End

Claim Your Bonus at the APP

Open

The Rejected Burden: Rising From The Shadows

Annabell Seto Modern

“I liquidated every asset I owned for a single gala ticket, convinced that after twenty years, Grafton Blanchard was finally going to ask me to be his partner. My husband, Kingston Riddle, even hinted that the diamond "Eternity Lock" bracelet I'd been eyeing was gone from the vault, and I was sure it was waiting for me. But when I reached the VIP suite, Grafton didn't look at me with love; he snapped that very bracelet onto the wrist of my rival, Bella Sterling. He stood before the crowd and announced their engagement, laughing as he called me his "little mascot" while I stood there in my best dress, feeling the entire world crumble beneath my feet. The betrayal went deeper when I overheard him telling his friends I was nothing more than a "burden" and a "puppy" he was too kind to kick to the curb. Desperate to fix his image, he lured me to a "peace offering" dinner where Bella theatrically threw herself down a flight of marble stairs. Within seconds, Grafton was looming over me, his face twisted in fury as he accused me of being a jealous, vicious monster. "I'm calling the cops. You want to play games? Let's see how you like a holding cell," Grafton roared, snatching my phone so I couldn't record his cruelty. The restaurant manager and the crowd sneered at me, ready to watch me be hauled away in handcuffs for a crime I didn't commit. I was a pariah, discarded by the man I'd spent my entire life protecting. I stood trembling against the wall, realizing that the man I loved was willing to ruin my life to protect a lie. I felt the weight of twenty years of devotion being thrown into the trash, and for the first time, I stopped wondering why I wasn't enough and started wondering how I could have been so blind. Just as the security guards moved in, the heavy doors swung open. My husband, Kingston-the man I thought was a cold stranger-stepped into the light and demanded the manager play the security footage on the big screen. As the video of Bella launching herself backward played for the entire restaurant, I didn't look at Grafton's pathetic apologies; I looked at the exit and realized my life was finally beginning.”