"Burning Roses: The Captain’s Forbidden Night" Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Goodbye, Ex-Husband
Due to the lingering soreness in her legs, Clara didn't leave the hotel that night.
She took a taxi back the following morning.
Although she and Sebastian Foster had signed the divorce papers yesterday, she had yet to move out of their marital home.
As the heir to the Foster Group and the party at fault, Sebastian had provided her with a substantial financial settlement.
However, she had refused to take this duplex apartment, which spanned nearly three thousand square feet.
She and Sebastian had been married for two years, and she had personally decorated every corner of this home.
Once, she had been full of sincerity, believing this place to be her happiest harbor.
In return, she received nothing but his cold and ruthless betrayal.
Clara would never forget that night three months ago.
He had returned home stinking of alcohol, and she had helped him to bed.
It was then that she discovered a red lipstick stain on his shirt collar and a long, straight black hair that wasn't hers.
She clearly remembered how her entire body trembled. The world spun, and it took a long time for her to find any semblance of calm.
She went to check his phone, only to find he had secretly changed the passcode.
Previously, his passcode had always been her birthday.
That night, she didn't sleep a wink.
When he woke up, she didn't scream or fight. She continued her life with him as usual.
Instead, she began gathering evidence.
Within three months, she identified the woman he was cheating with.
It was a new secretary at his company.
She looked innocent and spoke with a soft, gentle voice.
When the two of them had an affair in the car, Clara quietly retrieved the dashcam footage.
That was how she learned the secretary had a fiancé named Leo Sterling.
She had once seen Leo picking up Bianca White in front of the Foster Group building.
He had the looks, the build, and the presence—he was impressive in every way.
However, he drove a rugged SUV worth only about fifteen thousand dollars. When Bianca got into the car, her eyes were filled with nothing but disdain.
Since Bianca started seeing Sebastian, she was draped in designer labels, frequented high-end restaurants, and was chauffeured in luxury cars.
Naturally, she looked down on her "poor" fiancé.
Clara had followed them quietly.
In a café, she overheard Bianca breaking up with the man.
She expected him to demand answers hysterically or beg her to stay. Instead, he simply gave Bianca a faint glance and nodded in silence.
Ironically, it was Bianca who lost control, demanding to know if he had ever actually loved her.
The man remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a hard line as if her questions had nothing to do with him.
He was cold to the point of being cruel.
ADVERTISEMENT
At that moment, Clara almost felt a hint of pity for Bianca.
Being with a man as cold as a block of ice would be unbearable for anyone.
Thinking back to the way that same man had been covered in sweat and passion the previous night, Clara found it impossible to connect him to that "ice block."
As it turned out, men were only "wild" when they were in bed.
Clara walked into the bedroom and pulled out her suitcase.
As she was finishing her packing, Sebastian returned.
He was wearing a suit and tie, looking elegant, refined, and polite.
In the past, Clara had been completely deceived by this "good man" facade.
"Honey..."
Clara swept a sharp gaze toward him. "Ex-husband, we are divorced. Don't call me that ever again."
Sebastian looked at her with a complex expression. "I didn't actually want to betray you. But we've been married for two years and you refused to have a child. My father has illegitimate sons out there. If one of them produces the first Foster grandson before I do, my position in the company will be in jeopardy."
Clara let out a cold laugh. "A maggot never thinks it's dirty, a rat never thinks it's stealing, and a jerk never thinks he's a jerk. Stop acting out this 'deeply in love' drama in front of me. I don't have the power to award you an Oscar."
Sebastian’s brow furrowed deeply. "Clara, you are truly too proud and too aggressive. A woman needs to be softer."
Clara was a forensic pathologist, a profession Sebastian never liked.
Dealing with cold corpses all day felt like bad luck to him.
He had tried to get her to work at the Foster Group, but she insisted on her own career and told him not to interfere.
They had argued about it several times; the cracks in their marriage had likely formed long ago.
Bianca was different from Clara. She was soft, gentle, and spoke in a sweet voice. She admired him and followed his every whim.
"Clara, with a personality like yours, no man will ever love you in the future."
Clara glanced at him. "Did you drink poison and rot your brain? I'm divorced, beautiful, rich, and I have a career. Why do I need a man to love me? If I need a man, I'll pay for a model who can make me feel good and provide emotional value. Would I be stupid enough to enter the 'grave of marriage' again?"
Looking at the sharp-tongued Clara, who was acting like a hedgehog, Sebastian’s temples throbbed. "I know you're still hurting..."
Before he could finish, Clara brushed her long hair away from her neck.
On her pale skin, a deep, dark love bite was clearly visible.
Sebastian knew exactly what it was.
His pupils contracted. He stepped forward and gripped her shoulder. "You went out and found some random man last night?"
ADVERTISEMENT
Clara brushed his hand away.
She curled her red lips. "What random man? I'm a single, wealthy woman now. What's wrong with finding a compliant man to have some fun with?"
She narrowed her eyes at Sebastian, whose face was growing increasingly dark. "Oh, after last night, I finally realized the joy of being a wealthy bachelorette. He was so much better than you—incredible body, amazing stamina. Last night was pure heaven!"
Sebastian’s face turned a deep, angry purple. His fists clenched until his knuckles cracked.
"Clara Ye, you have no shame—"
Slap!
Clara swung her hand and landed a sharp blow across Sebastian’s face.
She had wanted to do that for a very long time.
"Who exactly has no shame? Sebastian, if you say one more damn word to me, I’ll send the video of you cheating with Bianca to Julian Foster."
Julian Foster was Sebastian’s father’s illegitimate son, who had been brought back into the family and was currently competing for control.
If the video of Sebastian’s infidelity were exposed, his reputation would be ruined, and his position in the Foster Group would be precarious.
Sebastian touched his swollen cheek and gritted his teeth. "Clara, I told you—as long as you accepted Bianca’s child, you would still be my wife. It was your own pride that made you refuse—"
Clara cut him off. "Stop disgusting me. What century is this? You wanted to register a mistress's child under the legal wife's name? Your brain must have been eaten by zombies! Fine, I'm done talking to a loser like you. I hope you and your mistress stay locked together forever so you don't ruin anyone else. And I hope your son is born without a soul!"
"Clara, you've gone mad!"
Clara blinked innocently. "Long time no see~ Long time no see indeed~"
Sebastian didn't understand her nonsense, but seeing her voice soften, his expression improved slightly. Just as he was about to speak, she suddenly switched to a mocking tone. "Divorce is great! Divorce is fine! Get rid of the jerk and leave the trouble behind! A single life is just divine!"
Seeing her jubilant expression, Sebastian nearly vomited blood from pure rage.
ADVERTISEMENT
You May Also Like
-
CompletedChapter 8
The Divorce Papers Were His. The Prenup Was Mine.
Glow-Up10.1k words5 5 -
CompletedChapter 7
The Wife He Tried to Erase
Glow-Up8.9k words5 4 -
CompletedChapter 14
Forgotten vows under the snow
Five years ago, Clara and Ethan were the golden couple, their future written in the stars—until a scandalous leak destroyed everything. To protect her family, Clara made the ultimate sacrifice, playing the villain to push Ethan away, while hiding a truth that would haunt them both. Now, fate brings them back together in the sterile silence of a hospital corridor. Ethan is a cold, brilliant surgeon; Clara is a desperate sister fighting to save her family from a tragic cycle. As old secrets surface and long-buried emotions threaten to break the surface, can a love broken by lies and secrets ever find its way back to the light?Glow-Up|Second Chance19.3k words5 3 -
CompletedChapter 14
The Unspoken Vow
Five years ago, on the eve of our wedding, I was shattered. I was forced away, labeled a traitor, and vanished into a life of silence. Now, standing in a clinic as a doctor, I look up to see the man I once promised to marry—standing there with his new fiancée, ready for their pre-wedding checkup. He doesn't recognize me, yet every glance he gives feels like a blade against my skin. I thought I had buried the past, but Liam is back, and he is determined to unearth the truth I’ve kept locked away. Can we ever rebuild what was broken by secrets, or are we just two strangers tethered by a tragic past?Glow-Up|Second Chance19.4k words5 3 -
CompletedChapter 12
The Fragrance of Sin
Dominic Vance is a ruthless billionaire who thought paranoia was armor. When he listened to a poisonous lie and cast his innocent wife, Evangeline, into the freezing rain, he thought he was securing his legacy. Instead, he signed his own death warrant. Four years later, she returns as Eva—a lethal, breathtaking fragrance magnate with vengeance in her amber eyes and a four-year-old mini-Dominic who looks at him like he’s trash. Dominic doesn’t want mercy. He wants to bleed for every tear she shed. But even after he takes a bullet for his son and crawls across broken glass, will she ever let him back into her bed—or just leave him to burn in the ashes of his own empire?Mutual Pining|Dark Secrets|Plot Twist|Possessive Love|Sweet Romance|Second Chance10.1k words5 3 -
CompletedChapter 16
When the flowers wither
For three years, Ginger lived in the shadows as Luke’s secret girlfriend, ghostwriting love letters for him to send to other women, including the radiant Luna. After a heartbreaking breakup where Luke chose his pride over their relationship, Ginger decides to walk away for good. Just as she starts her new life in Shanghai and finds potential happiness with the gentle Sean, Luke suddenly reappears, desperately trying to rewrite a past he once treated as disposable. But in the game of love, Ginger has finally learned the most important rule: once you've given up, there's no turning back.Glow-Up|Second Chance21.4k words5 19 -
CompletedChapter 14
The Mortician’s Silent Goodbye
For three years, Clara has lived in a marriage defined by rigid, suffocating rules. As a mortician, she is constantly surrounded by death, but her husband, Julian, a celebrated heart surgeon, treats her presence like a source of contamination. He forces her to disinfect herself repeatedly until she is invisible in her own home. When she discovers Julian’s double standards—welcoming his colleague, Stephanie, into his personal space without a hint of the fastidiousness he forces upon his wife—Clara finally realizes that her only sin in his eyes is simply existing. It is time for her to walk away from the cold, sterile cage and start a new life, three thousand miles away, where she can finally breathe under clear skies.Glow-Up|Fake Relationship18.5k words5 8 -
CompletedChapter 13
My Ex's Secret Life
For two years, Aiden lived in the shadows of Vanessa, his secret girlfriend and a rising star. He gave her everything—his time, his devotion, and his resources—only to be mocked by her as a "clingy fan." But when Vanessa trades her integrity for a sponsorship deal with The Su Corporation, she doesn’t realize she’s stepping into a trap laid by the very man she discarded. Now, Aiden is stepping out of the shadows. As the son of the powerful Su family, he is ready to pull the curtain on her fake life. Vanessa thinks the game is over; Aiden is just getting started.Human Nature|Glow-Up|Second Chance17.4k words5 10 -
CompletedChapter 13
The Unwelcome Guest
Chloe thought she was just going away for a month of training, leaving her inheritance—a charming house her mother left her—safe and sound. But she returns to find her house occupied by her neighbors, the Hendersons, who have turned her sanctuary into their personal party space, with her fiancé Liam standing by, insisting she just "be reasonable." From stolen jewelry to forged lease agreements, Chloe realizes her fiancé hasn't just opened the door to her home; he's plotted to trade her life and legacy for his own gain. It’s time to stop playing the "nice girl" and start playing to win.Human Nature|Glow-Up17.8k words5 9 -
CompletedChapter 13
The Unheard Goodbye
For seven years, Clara lived in a world of silence, protected by the tender care of her husband, Marcus. Or so she thought. Every gesture, every sign, and every vow he made to her felt like a fairy tale—until the day her hearing finally returned. The reality that shattered her world was not one of love, but a calculated performance designed to satisfy his true obsession: another woman. As the truth about the "sacrificial marriage" and the cruel secret behind her infertility surfaces, Clara realizes that her seven-year love was nothing but a fragile bubble. It is time for her to stop being the pawn in his game. Leaving behind everything, Clara walks away from the life she once cherished, ready to silence the man who once taught her how to listen.Glow-Up|Marriage of Convenience18.5k words5 8