Library

Maghanap

Home / Romance Maikling Kwento / A Toast to My Demise / Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Toast to My Demise: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

10 Kabanata

Chapter 1

I sat in the luxurious living room, staring at faces once so familiar to me. In a daze, I could almost see the white surgical lights flickering above me."Whitney, please… just sign the divorce papers," Mom pleaded, tears filling her eyes. "This is Yvie's final wish!"She sat across from me and held Yvonne's hand, looking at me as if I were a convicted criminal. Dad stood by the window, his expression hard."Back when you came back, you took Luke from Yvie. That's why she was diagnosed with depression. You owe her this much," he said. "Now that she's near the end, you can't even grant her last wish?"I rested my hand on the swell of my belly and glanced at Luke, seated opposite me. "Do you also want to divorce me and marry Yvonne?"He rubbed his brow, frustration etched on his face. "Whitney, Yvie's really sick. I grew up with her and should've been with her. If only you hadn't returned—""Stop forcing Whitney!" Yvonne cut him off, her voice trembling. "I know I don't deserve L

Chapter 2

In my past life, I had clung to them with everything I had. But in the end, I still lost—and I died. Even my baby became nothing more than a sacrifice in their twisted tragedy.Back then, I had begged them in front of that shady clinic, pleading to spare my child's life. Yet they still pushed me into the operating room. Memories of my past suffering made my chest ache. Since they hadn't wanted me then, I figured I might as well let them have their way this time."Fine. I'll sign the papers."Everyone was stunned. None of them had expected me, who had been so stubborn and furious, to agree so quickly. In my past life, I had even threatened suicide. But in the end, it was Dad who forced my hand to sign. Luke and Yvonne went on to have a lavish wedding, even livestreaming the ceremony—while I was locked alone in a bedroom. I had clicked on the live stream, only to have my heart shattered the instant I saw them together on screen. I closed it immediately. Everyone had shared their

Chapter 3

After leaving the banquet hall, I made up my mind. This time, I would make sure both my child and I survived.I didn't return to my apartment downtown. Instead, I headed straight for the airport. In my previous life, staying in this city drove me to the brink. This time, I would leave before they could harm my child. They were ruthless, and I no longer had any ties holding me back. But I had underestimated Luke. The moment he realized I was missing, he had my bank account frozen. My phone was tracked, and even the flight I had booked in advance was canceled. I was like a caged bird, unable to escape.In the end, I had no choice but to hide away in a small rental house in the suburbs. The landlady saw my pregnant belly and took pity on me, charging me only half the rent. But I knew this peace wouldn't last. Sure enough, Luke showed up at my door two days later. "Whitney, what are you doing here?" he asked, standing at the doorway with a gentle expression. His perfectly ta

Chapter 4

"Let's have the baby delivered early tomorrow so that they can save their aunt.""No!" My eyes reddened. I wanted to try one last time to fight for myself and my child. But Luke's next words made my blood run cold. "Even if you don't agree, you have to." His grip on my hand tightened, his voice turning cold. "I don't want to get rough with a woman."The pain in my wrist made my eyes sting. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I let out a bitter laugh. Once again, my heart was shattered beyond repair. "Fine." I gave in. "Then just give me one more day. Let me take the baby to the beach for a walk. I'll come back tomorrow and do whatever you say."I collapsed to the floor, clutching Luke's thigh in desperation. "Luke… at least let me say goodbye to my baby," I whispered. He sighed in relief, then nodded after a moment of thought. "You've finally come to your senses."A flicker of guilt crossed his face. "Once the baby's born, I'll love them with all my heart."He would love

Chapter 5

"Whitney… Did she…" Luke was the first to come back to his senses, his eyes instantly bloodshot. "I'm going to find Whitney. This can't be real.""Yeah, Luke. Let's find her right now. That brat has always been good at acting. Let's see what she's really up to."They exhausted all sorts of methods to search for me. But when they finally arrived at the abandoned warehouse where I'd been held, all they found was a pool of blood, a tiny, lifeless fetus, and my blood-stained coat. Luke froze, trembling as he shook his head violently. "No way. This isn't real."Tears streamed down his cheeks. His grief was so crushing that his legs gave out, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground. Like a desperate animal, he crawled forward and clutched the bloody coat to his chest."Luke!" Yvonne cried out."Whitney, where did you go?" He then lunged forward and scooped up the tiny body, screaming hysterically, "Where's my child?""T-They were killed by the kidnappers," Yvonne said, rush

Chapter 6

Tears streamed down Yvonne's face as she gasped for breath. "I-I'm really sick…"One look at her guilty expression, and Mom understood everything. "We treated you like our own for more than 20 years, and yet you stole my daughter's place. Even then, you still weren't satisfied! How could you do this to Whitney?"Panic gripped Yvonne. "Mom! I don't want to die… Only Whitney can save me.""What kind of remedy requires the blood of your sister's baby?" Dad said coldly. "You've been leading us on this whole time, tricking us into taking desperate measures!""Security! Take her away," Luke barked. "If you claim you'll die within three days without fetal blood, then we'll just keep you locked up until the day your poison runs its course," he continued, sounding eerily calm.Yvonne's legs gave out. "No! Mom, Dad, am I not your daughter? You always said I was your favorite!""You're not anymore," Dad said, tears welling in his eyes. "You've changed. If Whitney were still alive, I'd do

Chapter 7

"Why are you still here?" I asked, surprised. "I'm waiting for you so that we can have supper together," Keanu replied, draping a cashmere coat over my shoulders. "I know you skipped dinner again."Only then did I notice the coffee on my desk had long gone cold, and the stack of documents on his desk had already been reviewed. That night, he took me to the finest restaurant in town. Snowflakes fluttered down as we walked side by side along the cobblestone street. He held an umbrella over me while snow quietly gathered on his shoulders. "You know," he suddenly said. "I think we could give this a try."I paused, but he walked on as if nothing had happened, leaving only a trail of faint footprints behind. Later, he found the best nanny and often played with my son, Andy. Despite his sophisticated appearance, he would always lie on the carpet playing with building blocks with Andy, or give him a piggyback around the house. "Keanu, when are we going to see the penguins?" Andy pe

Chapter 8

Keanu's expression was dark. "Security! Someone's making a scene here."After Yvonne was dragged away by the guards, I stared at the untouched food on the table, my appetite gone.To the Lane family, I was already dead. The last thing I wanted was to reconnect with them again.This time, my greatest fear wasn't being exposed. I was worried about Andy. His face surfaced in my mind, and I knew Luke would take him away if he ever found out about his existence. I couldn't afford to let Andy return to that twisted household.I fell into a daze, but the warmth wrapped around my hand jolted me back to my senses. "We're a family, so don't worry," Keanu said, his gaze locked on mine. "I won't let them hurt you."My heart skipped a beat. "D-Do you know what happened?"He smiled, his grip around my hand tightening. "After you left, they almost turned Aderbrook upside down searching for you. Of course, I know. I knew who you were the first time we met."Surprised, I glanced up at him and

Chapter 9

"All these years, I've been searching the whole world for you…" Luke's voice trembled with excitement as he stepped forward and tried to pull me into an embrace. "I knew you weren't dead!""You got the wrong person," I said coldly, retreating a step back."Stop it, Whitney. I could never mistake someone else for you…" he said, his voice thick with desperation. "I've missed you."I stared at him in silence."I know you still blame me… It's all Yvonne's fault—that liar! She deceived all of us, causing us to hurt you," he cried out, his back bending so low that he was almost on his knees. Joy and grief flashed across his face. "Whitney, Stratton Group has gone bankrupt!"I was surprised. Bankrupt? Stratton Group was a massive family empire. How could it have fallen so fast? Luke continued, "But I understand now. I owe you this. This is the price I had to pay to find you. Come back with me, please. I want to make it up to you."He groveled before me at my door, clinging to my leg

Chapter 10

The moment Keanu slid the ring onto my finger, the banquet hall doors burst open."Stop! This wedding can't go on!"It was Luke. He staggered inside, his right arm hanging limply at his side. The stench of alcohol clung to his crumpled suit, and he looked as if he had just crawled out of some dingy bar. Behind him, Mom and Dad rushed in. "Whitney! My dear daughter!" Mom wailed, her voice raw and piercing. "Thank God, you're still alive!"Luke's gaze fell on Andy, who was standing beside me. He froze, realizing Andy was literally the spitting image of his younger self. "I-Is this my son?" His voice quivered.In my previous life, he hadn't even spared the baby a glance back in that shady clinic. He had rushed away to deliver blood to Yvonne, leaving little Andy helpless, his life slowly fading away in the crib."You lied to me!" Luke roared. "Our child never died!"Like a madman, he lunged toward Andy. "My boy! Come with Daddy—"Startled, Andy darted behind Keanu and cried o

I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App

DMCA.com Protection Status