My 'Widowed' Years Were His Biggest Lie, Now I'm Reborn to Wreck This 'American Hero'! Novel

Marcus flipped through it . Expression slowly darkened . " What's this supposed to mean ? " Inside was a 20 % stake transfer for the east side project . To Marcus . Meaning he didn't lift a finger and still made bank . Itucked a strand of hair behind my ear . " Just figured your secretary's pretty solid . Thinking about letting him go ? " Marcus's face went sour . " Laney ! " I smiled . " If not , forget it . " Wasn't trying to be a jerk . Just suddenly realized - young guys with good waist - to - hip ratios looked like they had stamina . As for me and Marcus ?

Maybe he caught feelings after sleeping together . But from the start , it was all calculated . Him calculating Easton , calculating my marriage . I knew all of that . Between adults , knowing when to stop is enough . He used a plot of land to watch a good show . I used the knife he handed me to cut through the mess , clean and quick . We're even . Without all that baggage , I threw myself into work . Every now and then , I'd hear about Easton through other people . Things weren't going well for him and Bailey . Easton didn't walk away with much in the divorce .

And Bailey's pregnancy complications were severe . Medical bills piled up . Most importantly , that delicate , carefully maintained innocence of hers ? Couldn't survive real life . Bills . Pressure . She was supposed to be a resilient morning glory . She was supposed to be a pure , devoted mother . 18:17 O My ' Widowed ' Years Were His Biggest Lie , Now I'm Reborn to Wreck This ' American Hero ' ! 40.3 % Chapter 8 So she wanted a title . Wanted to stand next to Easton with the baby , out in the open . But Easton said no . He was drowning in business problems . Told Bailey to wait .

Wait till he got things under control , then they'd talk . Bailey didn't fight . Didn't make a scene . Just started posting cryptic stuff on social media . [ Turns out so - called devotion is just a mirage . ] [ Only those who can endure loneliness will see their true intentions . ] Usually paired with a photo of a corner of a window , or a book , or a cup of tea . That innocence she used to have ? Now it just made Easton irritated . But wasn't that exactly what he fell for in the first place ? Her stubbornness , her purity ?

When I ran into Easton again at an industry summit , he'd clearly lost weight . Dark circles under his eyes . " Laney ... " His voice was dry . I stopped walking . " Baby born yet ? " A flicker of discomfort crossed his face . " ... Soon . " " Congrats . " My calm seemed to hurt him . Before I left , he grabbed my arm . Out of nowhere , he asked , " Can you tell me the truth ? You and Marcus ... ? " My eyes drifted to Marcus standing not far off . Then smiled faintly . " Wanna know ? Too bad . I'm not telling you . " When I left , Easton kept following me . I glanced back at him . " Laney ...

" He said , " I just ... wanted to see that you're doing okay . " " I'm fine . " My voice flat . " At least I don't have to worry about someone taking my bracelet by mistake . And I don't have to raise someone else's kid . " He stood a few feet away , smiling bitterly . " You don't need to hate me this much . " 18:17 O My ' Widowed Years Were His Biggest Lie , Now I'm Reborn to Wreck This ' American Hero ' ! 40.5 % Chapter 8 Of course I don't . Because I don't have the time . " You're wrong . " I pulled open my car door . " I'm just too lazy to pretend around you .

" When I got back to the hotel , the young male secretary was already waiting in the suite . Tall build . Clear eyes . Yep . Marcus's former secretary . " Hey , you must be tired . " He naturally took my purse . Crouched down , hands skilled as he massaged my calves and ankles . Pressure just right . Not too hard , not too soft . Warmth seeped through my skin . Vibrant , youthful energy . I closed my eyes . A 24 - year - old guy . Never been in a relationship . Clean and strong . Too bad his expiration date's only a year out . A friend once said , envious : " Rich , hot , no husband .

I'm so jealous . " " Too bad you don't have an heir , though . " I just smiled . Didn't respond . Bailey did end up having a son . When word spread through our circle , I was in a South American rainforest . Phone signal cutting in and out . Caught a few photos people posted . In them , Easton was holding the baby . But his face didn't have that new - dad glow . He looked exhausted . Comments underneath : [ Word is , Easton's mom won't even look at the baby . ] [ His business is in the toilet . That project ?

Nearly wiped him out .] 18:17 O My ' Widowed ' Years Were His Biggest Lie , Now I'm Reborn to Wreck This ' American Hero ' ! 40.7 % Chapter 8 [ And get this - the side chick won't shut up about wanting to make it official ... ] I turned off my phone . The secretary's strong arms wrapped around me as we kept walking . The guide pointed ahead at a massive broad - leafed plant . Said it had incredible resilience . Could take root even in the most barren soil . Yeah . Some things, rotting in the mud , actually become fertilizer . ( 0 )