Read Hot Chapters Of Novel The Billionaire's Regret Online!

"I want a divorce!"

Damien's voice was like a thunderclap in the quiet room, shaking Harriett to the core. She had barely stepped through the door, still clutching the envelope from the hospital—inside it, the test result confirming what she never thought possible: she was pregnant.

With his child.

Their only night together had been a mistake… at least to him. But to her, it had meant hope. Maybe, just maybe, this baby could fix what their marriage lacked—love.

Harriett blinked. "W-what? What are you talking about?"

Damien's eyes burned with fury. "You think I wouldn't find out you've been sleeping with my brother?"

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The accusation hit her like a slap. "Adrian? That's insane—"

He didn't let her finish. A photo slammed onto the table between them. Harriett's hands trembled as she picked it up—then dropped it as if it burned her.

"No… this—this isn't real!" she gasped.

The image was damning: a woman who looked exactly like her, tangled in bed with Adrian, both of them naked, caught in an intimate moment. But it wasn't her. It couldn't be. She'd never even shared a room with Adrian.

Her legs gave way as the world around her blurred. Someone had set her up. But why?

Someone set her up!

With a frown, Harriett defended herself. "This isn't true. It can't be!" Damien didn't want to hear any explanation from her. He felt betrayed and the only thing he wanted was for her to leave his life.

"The picture is pretty clear, Harriett. Don't you think you should give up? You must've thought you'd be able to keep it a secret forever. Why didn't you just marry Adrian if you loved him so much? Instead, you'd rather go behind me and sleep with him." Damien shot back, his voice not faltering.

"I don't love Adrian. I never have. Why would I agree to marry you if I was in love with your brother?" Harriett asked in a whisper, hot tears slipping out of her eyes.

'I am in love with you!' was what she wanted to scream, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

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Harriett and Damien had been married for three years. Their parents were close friends as well as business partners, so it was not shock that they'd wanted their children to be together. It was a way of strengthening the family relationship as well as their businesses.

Because of this, Harriett and Damien have always known each other but just as friends. They knew from a young age that they were to get married and when it was time, neither of them had any opposition to the matter. Damien was like a brother to her who always protected her and looked out for her. Harriett secretly loved Damien, although she never had the guts to tell him because she didn't want to ruin the friendship they had.

Just when she thought he was beginning to love her, he had to leave New York for England for his university. During those years, she did her best to keep their friendship alive, but she could feel them drifting apart slowly.

When Damien returned to New York, he was already twenty-six years old and was to take over his father's company. He had changed a lot in those few years, both physically and mentally. He was more mature, had larger biceps, and was even more good-looking. He didn't look like the twenty-one-year-old boy she knew. He was no longer a boy, but now a man.

Sadly, his looks weren't the only thing that had changed during his stay there. His feelings for Harriett also changed and he was no longer affectionate towards her. Harriett saw all this before getting married to him, but she chose to ignore it, thinking that things would change when they got married. Things didn't change.

Unfortunately for Harriett, Damien didn't return alone from New York. He went along with a lady, Evelyn James, who he introduced to be his friend, but Harriett understood that she was anything but a friend to Damien, and he was only referring to her as his friend because of his father. On one occasion before their marriage, she caught them kissing in Damien's office. Utterly heartbroken and betrayed, she took to her heels and decided to get over Damien. But, the heart wants what it wants, even if it is someone who has made it pretty clear that they want nothing to do with you.

Poor Harriett.

She would always make time to visit Damien. Much to her surprise, he never made her feel unwanted. He would talk to her as he would a friend but, that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him to see her as a lady.

Time went by and Damien finally introduced Evelyn to the family as his girlfriend, betraying Harriett.

She knew that she was no beauty, but Evelyn James wasn't either. They shared the same boring long jet-black hair and hazel-colored eyes. The only difference between them was that Harriett was on the thicker side, whereas Evelyn was as skinny as a runway model. Harriett always wondered if she ever really ate.

Harriett wasn't the only person who was betrayed and infuriated by Damien's revelation. His father, Thomas Daniels, was extremely furious and disappointed that he immediately threatened to take the company away from Damien if he didn't break up with her. The fear of losing all he had made Damien obey his father and marry Harriett, but he could no longer hide his hatred for her as she was the reason his relationship with Evelyn fell apart, although Harriett knew that he never really broke up with her.

Harriett was happy that his father was still able to convince him to marry her. Call her selfish, but she wasn't letting another woman take Damien away from her. Not after all the years she had spent waiting for him. She was just twenty-one when they got married and her heart yearned to be loved, especially by Damien.

For a few months, she didn't see nor hear from Evelyn, but she could feel her presence in Damien's life from how distant he was. He never spent time with her, only coming home when she was already asleep and leaving before she woke up.

Harriett knew their marriage was bound to fail.

A year into their marriage, she met Adrian, Damien's only sibling, who had been away in Italy, studying. She had never seen him before, but immediately he arrived in New York, they bonded and he became her only friend.

"I want you out of my life, Harriett. I don't want to hear any excuses you have. Get your things and leave." Damien coldly said. Water welled in her eyes as she realized that it was either now or never. She had to tell him how she truly felt. Perhaps that would get him to change his mind.

"Please, Damien. I love you. I always have." She dropped to the ground and lowered her eyes as tears flowed nonstop from them.

"I know. None of that matters, Harriett. I don't love you." Damien said with no emotion in his voice and slammed the papers against the table, causing her to shudder. Chills ran down Harriet's spine at Damien's statement that all she could do was stare at the document with a blank expression.

"You knew?" She whispered, but to no one in particular. She knew that Damien didn't love her but for him to say it out loud was something she didn't prepare her fragile heart for.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She felt like her heart had shattered to pieces. Before she could muster the courage to speak, Damien clenched his jaws and began to walk away.

She wanted to beg him to stay because she knew where he was headed. She could already see him and his lover laughing at her ill fate and rejoicing in their victory.

Instead, she watched him walk until she could see him no more.

Harriett clenched the pregnancy report in her fist until the paper crumpled, trembling.

She wasn't going to tell him anymore.

Not after that.

Not after he looked her in the eye and said—cold, final—

"None of that matters, Harriett. I don't love you."

The words echoed louder than his footsteps as he walked away.

They were never really in love, she knew that. But they were friends. Weren't they? Childhood, school, family dinners... years of her silently loving him while he pretended to care.

She let out a bitter laugh and sank to the floor, hugging her knees.

"I guess I was always just... the backup plan."

She could hear the maids whispering down the hall—muffled voices, stolen glances. Pity? Mockery? It didn't matter. She was done being someone to be pitied.

Harriett rose slowly, grabbing the torn test result, and walked to her room. The full-length mirror met her with brutal honesty. Hollow eyes. Tear-streaked cheeks. She was thinner now. Too thin. Her skin clung to her bones like grief that refused to leave.

She stared at her reflection for a long moment.

Then whispered to the girl in the glass:

"This isn't who you are."

But her voice cracked.

And the mirror didn't argue.

...

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