When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

If he had just turned his head, even for a second, he would’ve seen her–his wife, sitting alone at the edge of the sidewalk, drenched in the rain, shaking from the cold, her eyes completely

empty.

However, he didn’t.

He was too lost in the thrill. That young girl in his arms lit him up with something new. In that moment, he forgot he had a home, a wife, or a past.

Anneliese watched the car fade into the city’s neon blur. Then, she stood.

She reached into her purse, pulled out the fertility report, and tore it apart piece by piece. Her fingers moved slow and steady. When she was done, she walked to a nearby trash bin and dropped the shreds in.

Then, she turned and walked the other way.

The night had deepened, and the misty rain still fell.

Even the busy business district had gone quiet.

At the corner, an old lady squatted on the curb. Her white hair clung to her skin under the streetlight, and rain misted across her thin coat. A few bunches of flowers rested by her feet.

Life was hard. Love meant nothing.

Anneliese slipped off her wedding ring. She stepped toward the old lady and gently took her hand. She placed the ring into her palm and folded her fingers over it.

“It’s raining. You should go

home.”

The old lady said nothing. Anneliese didn’t wait for a reply. She turned and walked away.

Two minutes later, a black Phantom pulled up to the curb. The driver’s door opened, and a man stepped out.

His leather shoes tapped the pavement, polished and narrow, catching the streetlight as he moved. His suit pants lifted slightly as he stepped forward, revealing dark socks and sharp, lean ankles.

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Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

Free Coins

He stood tall. His frame filled the sidewalk as he opened a black umbrella arid walked straight. to the old lady.

He reached down and steadied her as she tried to rise. Her voice wavered. “Don’t be upset, Jonathan. 1 didn’t expect the rain. I’m still healthy. A little water doesn’t bother me.”

She explained that she had left a concert. On the way back, her driver had accidentally knocked down a flower seller. He took the girl to the hospital, so she waited here since the company building was nearby. She figured her grandson, the workaholic, could come get her.

However, when she saw the chill in his eyes, her words slowed.

Suddenly, she remembered the ring. She fumbled to push it into his hand.

“A young woman gave this to me by mistake. She walked away before I could say anything. Quick, go after her! She went that way!”

She pointed toward the street.

Jonathan Fullbuster–the old lady’s grandson–looked where she indicated and spotted a faint silhouette. A slim figure walked into the lights and fog, her form fading with each step.

“Get in the car.”

He helped his grandmother into the back seat. He turned up the heat, spread out a blanket, and waited until she was settled. Then he shut the door and took off after the girl.

His stride was steady, long, and determined. The figure ahead became clearer.

She walked at a calm pace, straight into the rain. Her mist–blue coat clung to her back, soaked clean through. Her waist looked small, almost fragile. She held herself upright. Her whole presence felt distant, as if nothing in this noisy world could touch her.

She turned the corner and disappeared into the night.

By the time Jonathan caught up, she was gone.

The long street stretched ahead, still and empty. Light reflected in the puddles, casting blurred shapes across the sidewalk. It felt like she had never been there at all.

Back in the car, the old lady leaned toward him. “Well?”

“I didn’t catch her.”

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Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

She scowled. You run an airline and pilot your own planes, and you couldn’t catch one girl?”

“Grandma, your logic is a little off”

“Don’t get smart with me. I’m disappointed. That girl was beautiful and kind! Why didn’t you show up five minutes earlier? You might’ve met her! You have no idea how perfect you two would be together!”

“She’s married,” he replied, holding up the ring. It looked like a wedding band.

The old lady didn’t take it. She shoved it back toward him. “So what? She took it off, didn’t she? That means something. You’d better go find her and give it back.”

Jonathan turned the ring between his fingers.

The soft pink diamond caught the dim light and glimmered like a secret.

It feels weird… holding a stranger’s wedding ring.

His grandmother stared him down.

He gave in and tossed the ring onto the center console and let out a quiet sigh.

A faint smile tugged at the edge of his lips. His sharp profile looked softer in the dark. “Well, I appreciate your faith in me.”

“I don’t care. That ring’s worth at least a million. You’re going to find that girl and return it. Got it?”

“Got it, Your Majesty.”

He answered without conviction, but his eyes still flicked to the ring. What a headache, he thought.

Anneliese didn’t check her phone until she was in the back of the cab. Only then did she see the message Zacharias had sent two hours ago.

“Honey, something came up. Not coming home tonight. Sleep early.”

She didn’t reply. She swiped away the pinned chat. Then she deleted the contact name “Hubby” and changed it to something else.

The bedroom looked like it had been staged for a photo shoot.

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Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

Roses covered the floor, their petals trailing from the doorway to the bed in a winding path of red.

Anneliese had dressed the bed in her favorite silk set, a soft shade of yellow that reminded her of buttercups in carly spring.

She had gone all in. Every corner felt warm and full of promise.

But now, it felt like a cruel joke.

She stormed in and ripped the sheets off in one hard pull. Petals scattered across the floor, tumbling in every direction like confetti after a failed celebration.

The next morning, the doorbell kept ringing. The sound clawed at her skull. Her head throbbed, her temples pounding in sync with every buzz.

She forced herself downstairs and opened the door.

Jessica Sweeting stood there with fury all over her face. Before Anneliese could say a word, Jessica pulled her into a tight hug and started shouting.

“That j*rk! *sshole! He can forget about becoming the richest man now!

“He’s got another woman in his heart, treats you like a stand–in, and still manages to fool everyone into thinking he’s such a good guy. D*mn. That’s some next–level manipulation.

“What storm drain did he crawl out of? Who let him loose to wreck people’s lives?

“I swear, I hope he lives long enough to regret everything. May he stay infertile forever, and still have grandkids he doesn’t deserve!”

Jessica’s mouth didn’t stop. Each curse came harder than the last.

Anneliese pulled her inside, guided her to the couch, and poured her a glass of water.

Jessica downed it in one long gulp. When she looked at Anneliese again, she noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the tired slump in her shoulders. She stopped yelling and dug through her bag for a stack of photo

“Annie…”

“I’m fine. Just show me what you’ve got.”

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Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

Anneliese gave her a weak smile and took the pictures. She had tried to prepare herself. But the moment her eyes landed on the photos, her chest went right.

Zacharias had Coral tucked away in a private villa just a few streets from his company.

They walked around together like a couple on vacation, bold and casual, with their hands locked like they had nothing to hide.

In one photo, taken just before dusk, Coral had her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her into the villa. Her body pressed close. Her expression smug.

On her private social account, Coral showed off designer bags–bags identical to the ones. Zacharias had given Anneliese.

In her latest post, Coral wore a diamond bracelet. Her fingers rested on a man’s chest, her

my hand.

caption written like a claim–‘His love is in the diamond. His heart is uhan’s chest, her

Anneliese clenched the photo. Her knuckles went pale, and her eyes burned.

It wasn’t about missing him. It wasn’t even about heartbreak anymore.

It was about everything she had poured into a man who gave her back nothing but lies.

Jessica snatched the photos from her hand and hissed under her breath.

“Thank God you never slept with him. Or you’d be at the doctor by now. And even if everything came back clean, you’d still be sick just thinking about it.”

Anneliese gave a tired laugh. “Yeah. Lucky me, right?”

She stood up and headed upstairs. A few minutes later, she returned with two big bags and dropped them at Jessica’s feet.

“Help me sell all of it. And use the money to support some girls who actually need it. Someone who deserves a shot.”

The bags were full of expensive gifts–watches, perfumes, purses, and jewelry. Things Zacharias had given her over the years.

But packing them made her realize something. None of it had ever meant anything. It was just money.

effortless spending. Thoughtles

She used to treasure those things. Now she couldn’t stand to look at them.

Why keep them, just to risk running into Coral wearing the same purse?

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Chapter 3 Don’t Even Think About It

Jessica and Anneliese had grown up together in the same group home.