Sam needed a wife. I needed a stable for my horses. We agreed to a marriage of convenience, but it seemed to be more. For a while. Until my distant cousin, who was Sam's ex, showed up on our doorstep. And I was no longer convenient.

A gold medalist, newly married, is revealed as a cheater in his post-gold medal win press conference.

One lesson I learned very early in life was to be cheerful, to be agreeable, to do as I was told and ask for nothing, and to never ever complain. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't make trouble and maybe they'll love you. I grew into an adult who took care of others and never expected that those I loved would take care of me in return. I gave and never asked, never expected, never demanded. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't make trouble and you'll find someone that will love you. And then one day, a Dragon walked into my workplace and turned my world upside down with a single wink. Having grown up watching his father treat his men like they were disposable, just meat bags to be fed into the grinder, Dragon was determined to be different when he became president of the Dragon's Inferno MC. He cares about his people. He takes care of them. He was upfront with me, taking care of his MC and those he considered to be his would always be his priority. And I agreed to that, I joined him in that mission, throwing myself into becoming the perfect old lady of the prez. Smile Maddie. Act happy Maddie. Take care of them and maybe they'll love you. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't complain and maybe he'll love you. I told myself I was independent. I was strong. And I didn't need my Dragon to take care of me. And I almost believed it. Almost. But now I'm watching him with her. I'm watching him comfort her. I'm watching him listen to her, support her, reassure her. I'm watching him take time from his day to check in with her. I'm watching him worry about her. I'm watching them become closer right in front of my eyes. I'm seeing every thoughtful gesture he does for her. And me? I'm not happy. I'm not smiling. I'm done being agreeable. Fuck not causing trouble. I'm about to set my Dragon's world on fire. And then I'm walking away. She can have him. For the first time in my life, I'm choosing myself.

My husband was in a terrible accident that required six months of physical therapy. While I stood by him, cheering him on, he was making plans to leave me. For his physical therapist.

He made me his ol' lady. I thought it was because he'd finally seen me as more than my brother's little sister. Until I heard him talking with his ex, I didn't realize he was with me out of guilt, that he'd promised to protect me. So I ran and didn't look back...until I had to go back to find him waiting for me.

I knew my best friend since childhood loved me. I knew it. And when I got back from my business trip, I was going to tell him how I felt, especially when he told me he had something exciting to tell me. But it wasn't that he loved me. He'd gotten married while I was on an overseas business trip to my worst enemy.

He left me. I gave birth to his triplets after our one passionate night together. I couldn't get in touch with him, and it wasn't until more than four years later that I saw him again. And then he was with the evil twin sister I never knew I had.

Flashback to the 1950s. Veronica became pregnant by up-and-coming lawyer Paul. He did the right thing and married her. However, his plans weren't revolving around forever, and Veronica overheard him talking to his former? current? girlfriend. That's when Veronica started making her own plans.

Tabitha thought she was ready for the Big D, but when she saw him kiss another woman at a party he'd taken her to, she realized their whirlwind relationship may have happened too fast. When he didn't contact her for a month, she was sure of it. But then he came for her and wasn't letting her go.

My fiance was due back from his year-long deployment today. His job was dangerous, the area he was in even more so, which led to me keeping my heartbreaking news to myself so he wouldn't be distracted while he was overseas. Little did I know, he'd already been distracted. And she let me know it.