All Chapters of The Return of Her First Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Inside the private room, Rick Gilbert stepped forward."Michelle, now that I'm back in the country, I've got a big surprise for you."Amid the crowd's cheers, Rick opened the box in his hands. A piece of sheer, lace lingerie lay quietly inside.Just one look at it, and Michelle Safra's face flushed red. The crowd hooted and hollered.Rick shot a provocative glance my way. "Cyrus, this gift is meant to spice things up between you and your wife. You don't mind, do you?"Before I could even answer, Michelle let out a contemptuous snort. "Him? He's just a clueless bumpkin. He wouldn't know romance if it hit him in the face."Everyone looked at me with mocking grins. They all knew the score—in this relationship, I'd always been Michelle's doormat. She could trample all over my pride anytime, anywhere.Everyone expected me to blow up, only to get shot down by her again. But instead, I felt strangely calm.I looked at Rick and gave a slight raise of my glass. "Have fun."After downin

Chapter 2

I stared at Michelle coldly, took a deep breath, and forced down the storm brewing behind my eyes."You do your thing, I'll do mine. What's the problem?"We'd been married for three years, and she'd never allowed me any say in her life. Especially after Rick came back—she'd been coming home later and later each night. Every time I texted her out of concern, she'd not only ignore me but later tear into me for being too controlling, saying I was suffocating her."Do you even realize today is our wedding anniversary? You ditched me to go drinking by yourself—were you trying to embarrass me on purpose?" Michelle's beautiful eyes blazed at me, a torrent of accusations raining down. "Rick hardly ever comes back. He just gave me a little gift. Are you really going to make a big deal out of nothing?"I was making a big deal out of nothing?A wave of bitterness washed over me.So she did know it was our anniversary. I'd spent weeks preparing a gift and booked a fancy restaurant. But the s

Chapter 3

"You can't even make breakfast right—what can you even do?!" Michelle scolded.I rolled over and ignored her.She let out a couple of angry huffs, spun around, and spat out a "worthless loser" before storming off. She didn't even notice how I was feeling.But the strange thing was—I didn't feel hurt at all. If anything, I felt almost relieved. Like I'd just gotten used to it.After she left, I headed to the office. With the branch transfer in the works, I threw myself into a whirlwind of work. It kept my mind off Michelle, at least for a little while.After work, I remembered I still had a gym membership card lying around. Since I'd be leaving soon, I figured I'd cancel whatever classes I had left.But the moment I walked into the gym, I spotted two familiar figures in the corner.Michelle was wearing a fitted sports tank and yoga pants that hugged every curve of her body. Her skin was flushed, glistening with a light sheen of sweat. Right behind her, Rick pressed close against

Chapter 4

On the way home, Michelle and Rick chatted away like old friends.I sat quietly in the back seat, listening, but my mind kept drifting back to the past.Michelle and I met in college. That summer, a group of us took a road trip to go camping. We'd been out all day and were completely wiped out. By the time we headed back, it was already dark. I was driving, and Michelle naturally took the passenger seat.Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her beautiful profile flickering in and out of the shadows as we passed under streetlights. There was something so alluring about the lazy look on her face, the faint, almost teasing smile tugging at the corner of her lips.My heart started racing without my permission. That was when I first started paying attention to her.Times had changed.She was still sitting in the passenger seat—but it wasn't my passenger seat anymore.As Michelle stretched her arms, I noticed her wedding ring was gone. In its place was a plain silver band. Rick ha

Chapter 5

Michelle's face flushed bright red, her eyes blazing with fury."Cyrus! How can you be so disgusting?! I invited you here tonight so you two could patch things up, and you have the nerve to throw a tantrum? Who do you think you are?"I gave her a calm, dismissive glance, let out a cold laugh, and walked away.On my way home, I got a message from Rick—a photo. Michelle was leaning against him, her eyes slightly red, like she'd just been crying.[Not to be that guy, man, but you seriously need to chill out. She's a good woman. If you won't appreciate her, someone else will.]I thought for a moment, then typed back: [Yeah. Wish you both the best.]When I got home, I opened a bottle of whiskey and sat by the window, staring at the moonlight. My mind drifted back to the past once again.After that camping trip, I started slowly getting closer to Michelle. She was funny, outgoing, and full of life—not just energetic, but genuinely warm to everyone around her. Over time, we hit it off

Chapter 6

I slowly let go of Michelle's hand.I felt like I'd been plunged into an ice bath—cold all the way through.My parents' unhappy marriage had been a scar on my heart since childhood. When I'd told Michelle about it back then, she'd cried and held me tight, promising she'd never let me go through what they did.And now she was using those very wounds as weapons.Michelle left anyway, without a second thought.I lay in bed and closed my eyes. Three years of marriage—and this was where it ended.Once I'd regained a little strength, I got up, packed my things, and went to the law firm to pick up the divorce papers. When I got back, I sat on the living room sofa and waited.A full day and night passed.At sunrise, I placed the divorce agreement on the table, picked up my luggage, and walked out the door. She could choose to drag this marriage through the mud if she wanted. I'd choose a graceful exit.Before heading to the airport, I got a new phone number. After sharing it with my c

Chapter 7

The next morning, my mom woke me up.She told me Michelle had been waiting outside the door all night. She asked if I wanted to let her in.I shook my head and asked my mom to help send her away. Then I got up and left for work.At the door, Michelle tried to say something to me. I just ignored her.I thought she'd give up eventually.But when I got home that evening, she was already sitting on my living room sofa. The moment she saw me, she jumped to her feet."Cyrus, you're back! Go wash up—dinner's almost ready. Your mom and I went to the market and got all your favorite dishes."I didn't answer. I looked at my mother instead.She was looking down, fidgeting nervously. "Michelle kept asking me, and I just... I thought, you two have been married for so many years. There's gotta be something worth talking about, right? No need to..."I shook my head. "Mom, it's over between us. For good."I knew my mom meant well. But she didn't know that Michelle had made the same mistake m

Chapter 8

The turning point came when headquarters assigned a new colleague to assist me with my work.When we met, the female colleague did a double take, then called out my name without hesitation. "Cyrus Benedict? Is that really you?"I stared at her for a moment, surprised. It was my high school classmate—Lydia Willow.She had a sharp, short haircut, flawless makeup, and the commanding presence of a successful career woman. A far cry from the quiet, reserved girl I remembered."Never thought we'd run into each other like this after all these years."Lydia extended her hand and gave mine a firm, confident shake. I was genuinely thrilled to see her.After I left for college, I'd drifted away from most of my old classmates. Running into an old friend brought more joy than I could put into words."How about we grab dinner after work? I know a great place nearby."She tilted her head and gave me a playful wink."Sure," I nodded.After work, we headed to the restaurant together. The conv

Chapter 9

After the divorce, I threw myself completely into my work.My interactions with Lydia grew closer as well.One night, I stayed late at the office, going through documents. I thought everyone had already left—but then Lydia pushed the door open, carrying takeout in her hands."You're still here?" I asked, surprised."Yeah, I've got some meeting materials to sort through for tomorrow."She handed me a freshly washed strawberry and gave me a soft smile. "Hey, when you're done, do you mind if we leave together?"I looked into her bright, sparkling eyes and felt something stir in my chest.On the way home, we chatted casually about this and that. Then, out of nowhere, she turned to me with a serious look."You know, back in high school, you were always someone I looked up to."I glanced at her in surprise. "Looked up to?"She nodded, her voice soft, tinged with nostalgia. "Yeah. You were so smart, so outgoing. Whenever I didn't understand something, you'd always take the time to e

Chapter 10

Rick was taken into police custody. There were security cameras at the scene—the evidence was ironclad. There was no way out for him.Meanwhile, my wedding to Lydia was officially set in motion. I wanted to give her a grand ceremony—something she truly deserved.On the day of the wedding, Michelle showed up uninvited. She looked gaunt and haggard—a far cry from the vibrant, head-turning woman she used to be."Cyrus..." Her voice was hoarse as she reached for my hand.I pulled away. Her eyes dimmed, and her tone turned pleading. "Can you... please not go through with this? I miss you so much. Just give me one more chance, okay?"I looked at her coldly, saying nothing.She pressed on, her words tumbling out desperately. "I've cut all ties with Rick—completely. You're the only one I've ever truly loved. Please come back to me. Please."I furrowed my brow and let out a sigh. "Michelle, people have to move forward. And besides..."I glanced over at Lydia, who was walking toward me,

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