Love Beyond All Novel – A black sedan rolled by slowly. I saw my husband Noah passionately bussing a woman. The scene made me pale and drained. “Alice, let’s get a divorce.” “The woman Gina I’ve always loved is back,” Noah said coolly, his eyes chilly. “You can have the house and the garage full of cars. Let’s part on good terms.” He ignored my shocked look, casually rolling up his sleeves. “I don’t want any of it. That stuff was yours before we tied the knot. It’s not mine to take. I’ll be talking to a lawyer tomorrow.” I clenched my fists, swallowing the agony, forcing myself to stay cool. The thought of an unplanned pregnancy had never crossed my mind, especially not one conceived on the day Noah asked for a divorce. I clenched the pregnancy test tighter and asserted, “I’m gonna keep this baby.” That’s right. I was resolved to have this baby and leave this place for good.
Stepping out of the shower, I was drying my long, wet hair with a towel when Noah Avery, leaning against the bed with a smoke in hand, dropped the bombshell. “Alice, let’s get a divorce.” I froze, staring at him blankly, questioning whether I had misheard. Noah stubbed out his smoke, stood up, and began putting on his clothes methodically. His face remained as emotionless as ever. Locking eyes with me, he said in a level voice, “Meet me at the law firm tomorrow.” “Wait.” As he turned to leave, I rushed forward, grabbing his arm tightly. “Noah, why do you want a divorce?” … Our story began with a one-night stand and escalated into a rushed marriage. Had someone predicted this divorce, I would have scoffed in disbelief. Yet, here we were—reality trumping imagination. A year ago, under pressure from my parents, I spent the night with Noah.
They were desperate for me to marry off quickly so that my brother could afford to wed, banking on my engagement gift to fund it. I came from a backward village where sexism was the norm—daughters were less valued, and I had left home early to fend for myself. Earning about one thousand dollars a month, I’d send 600 dollars home, barely making ends meet with the remainder. Still, my folks constantly hit me up for more cash—for my elder brother’s house, my younger brother’s job hunt, and his wedding. Worn out, I got plastered at a bar and woke up to Noah looking like some Prince Charming. He proposed right then because he wanted a wife and I was convenient. Impulsively, I said yes, and we got the marriage license that very day, not even knowing his last name. The day after our marriage, he sent my family a whopping 60 thousand dollars as an engagement gift.
My mom was over the moon, advising me to make it work with Noah. Despite feeling bitter, I felt powerless to resist. Though Noah was aloof, he wasn’t unkind. He was loaded but never spoke of his family. I guessed he was an orphan—a very competent one. I thought we might stick it out, but now he was pushing for a divorce. “Because the woman I’ve always loved is back,” Noah said coolly, his eyes chilly. Now that I know. The love of Noah’s life had returned, compelling him to end our marriage. “You can have the house and the garage full of cars. Let’s part on good terms.” He ignored my shocked look, casually rolling up his sleeves. “I don’t want any of it. That stuff was yours before we tied the knot. It’s not mine to take. I’ll be talking to a lawyer tomorrow.” I clenched my fists, swallowing the agony, forcing myself to stay cool. Noah shot me a cold glance. “Think of it as compensation.”
After that, he turned and left the bedroom. Watching his determined departure, I felt my strength sapped, helplessly collapsing to the floor. The air was still tinged with the afterglow of our passion, but the man who had once stoked that fire was now out of reach. One moment we were entwined in fervor, the next, it was as if we were thrown into a freezing vault, shaking me to the core. Was a marriage hustled into reality always bound to crumble? I couldn’t figure it out. Over the past year, I had grown used to Noah’s presence, to his very being, even with his usual reticence and chill. Without realizing it, I had fallen deeply in love with this man I married on a whim. And that got me thinking, ‘What kind of woman would Noah really fall for? She must be something more than I could ever be.’
The next morning, I rose early, requested a half-day off, and headed to the law firm alone. Noah was already there. He spread the divorce papers before me and said calmly, “Take a look, and if there’s anything else, speak now.” The papers clearly stated he was willing to hand over the car and the house. With real estate prices soaring, this divorce could catapult me from a simple wage earner to a wealthy woman overnight. “I can’t accept this,” I murmured, gently pushing the papers away. After all he had done to help my family since we married, how could I accept this without feeling like a total leech? As he saw my resolve, Noah’s face grew even colder. “Alice, think it over. You could flip the property for over 1.4 million dollars.”
He was right. That sum was beyond anything I could ever dream of, yet I couldn’t accept it. “That was yours before we got married, I… I can’t take it,” I insisted, biting my lip and shaking my head. “Whatever,” he muttered, looking away and signaling the staff to draft a new agreement. Ten minutes later, we each signed off. Shaking, I took the divorce papers, stood tall, and walked past Noah. Behind me, his gaze was deep and somber, chilling to the bone. Stepping out of the law firm, I completely lost it. I just stared at the divorce papers until my phone buzzed in my purse, snapping me back. I fished out my phone and my mom’s name flashed on the screen. I answered with a hoarse voice, “Hey, Mom.” “Alice, what’s your bank balance looking like?”
Her voice had that familiar edge of expectation. For years, she never cared about my well-being, only calling when she needed money. Every time, I felt immense pressure. Exhaustion hit me, compounded by my recent divorce from Noah. My tone was colder than usual. “Not a dime, Mom. I’m tapped out.” “What has got into you? I’m your mother. Is asking for a bit of cash such a crime? Think you’re too good for us now?” Her tone was accusatory. “Two-thirds of my paycheck goes to you every month. How the am I supposed to save anything in expensive City?” I shot back, losing my cool. “Well, Noah has got money, doesn’t he? Why don’t you ask him for 20 thousand dollars so your brother can get that car? He’s short, Alice. It’s the least you could do.”
She badgered shamelessly. “We’re divorced, Mom. I’m done being your ATM,” I snapped, cutting the call before she could respond. It was always the same—each call was a reminder that I was just a cash machine. Hanging up, I felt adrift, clueless about where to go. After all, the place I once shared with Noah wasn’t mine anymore. I wandered aimlessly and finally ended up at my friend Leia Ray’s place, sitting here lost in thought. Leia spotted me at noon, shock on her face. “Alice, what are you doing here?” “Just got done with the divorce papers with Noah,” I replied, stretching my stiff legs and managing a weak smile.
Leia, looking incredulous, ushered me in and handed me water, eager for the full story. “He went back to his first love, so we’re over,” I said, downplaying the pain. “Maybe it’s for the best. At least he didn’t cheat, and there’re no kids to worry about,” Leia offered, trying to find a silver lining. Leia had warned that our rushed marriage was a ticking time bomb. It now appeared that she was right. “You fell for Noah, didn’t you?” she asked, gripping my hand, her gaze intense. I smirked inwardly. ‘After a year of living together, day in and day out, how could there not be feelings? And come on, Noah is such a catch. Who wouldn’t be into him?’ “But it’s all over now, whether I loved him or not… let it be,” I said, swallowing the bitterness and pretending to be cool. “It’s best to part on good terms; that’s the wise thing to do,” Leia said slowly. Indeed, parting on good terms. I couldn’t help but wonder if Noah and I would ever cross paths again. At that moment, little did I know that a month after divorcing Noah, our fates would collide once more.
After my divorce from Noah, my world seemed to be shrouded in fog. I drifted through each day like a zombie, my mind wandering, making repeated mistakes at work, and constantly hearing my boss scold me for my lack of focus. After yet another scolding from the manager, I returned to my desk. My coworker eagerly pulled me into the latest gossip. “Heard that the long-lost heir of the Avery family is back, taking over the family business. First time he has shown his face to the media. He’s been such a mystery, nobody has seen him before.” High society drama wasn’t my thing; it felt worlds away from my reality. “Hmm, is he some kind of mythical monster then?” I replied lazily. My coworker shook her head, chuckling. “Not a monster, but definitely a hottie. Look, he’s even more dreamy than those A-list celebs.” She nudged me to check out the magazine photos. Reluctantly, I glanced over, but couldn’t tear my eyes away from the man pictured.
He rocked an ice-blue velvet suit, his hair a bit tousled but s exy, his features sharp and intense, with cold, piercing eyes and a smirk that could stop traffic. I knew him all too well—we’d spent a year under the same roof. He was my ex, Noah. “See? Stunned, aren’t you? You seemed so uninterested just a moment ago,” my colleague teased, holding her cheeks in her hands and giggling. I struggled to keep my composure, flipping through the magazine for more information. When I saw his name, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Yes, it was Noah… really him. And he was the heir to the Avery family. My husband, who I thought I knew, turned out to be a freaking millionaire. It felt surreal. A wave of helplessness washed over me, leaving me numb. Questions flooded my mind. ‘Why did he, the golden boy, marry a nobody like me? Was he just bored with the high life and wanted a thrill? So, when the novelty wore off, he decided to bail?’ Suddenly, I felt like a clown, played by Noah at his whim. Yet, thinking rationally, I couldn’t put all the blame on him. After all, we did rush into marriage.
The revelation of Noah’s true identity was quite a shock to me. I had to get out of there, so I bailed on work and crashed at Leia’s for a bit. For the time being, I stayed at Leia’s place, as finding a new place to live was not easy at the moment, and she generously invited me to live with her. I spent the whole afternoon at home sleeping, and when I woke up, it was already dusk. I hadn’t told Leia about Noah’s true identity yet. I was afraid that if she knew, she would think I was daydreaming. As I was about to get up from bed and go to the kitchen to fix something to eat, the doorbell suddenly rang. I hurriedly went to answer it, thinking Leia locked herself out again. But when I opened the door, there stood a well-dressed man in his forties. He politely bowed and said, “Hello, I’m Thomas Montoya, the butler of the Bright family. Are you Ms. Alice Baker?” The formal greeting caught me off guard. I clutched my shirt, stuttering, “Yeah, that’s me, Alice Baker.”
In my head, I was screaming, ‘The Bright family? Like, the filthy rich Brights?’ “At the invitation of our young lady Miss Bright, I have specially invited you to attend tonight’s banquet at the Bright residence. Please, follow me to the car,” Thomas continued. I hesitated and said, “But I… don’t even know her.” Internally, I muttered, ‘How am I tied to some tycoon family? Freaking weird how they know my name.’ “Just meet her, and you’ll get it,” he insisted, his smile way too perfect, as he gestured towards the car. So, with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, I slip into a light purple dress and get in his car. I had this gnawing feeling something bizarre was about to unfold, but all my questions to Thomas got shut down. He kept his lips sealed about what was going down. An hour and a bit later, we pulled up at the Bright family’s mansion. It was the first time I’d ever laid eyes on such splendor—up till now, I had only caught glimpses of stuff like this on TV.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be stepping into a place like this. Clutching the hem of my dress tightly, I followed the butler down lavish corridors, all the way to a living room that was lit up like the Fourth of July. A few well-dressed gentlemen and ladies were already there, sipping on beverage and looking every inch the aristocrats. But the minute I showed up, it was like I threw a wrench in the works. I got all these weird looks that just crawled under my skin, making me stiffen up like a board. “Noah, I’ve invited Ms. Baker over, hope that’s cool with you?” came a sultry voice that cut through my awkwardness. I looked up and there she was, a vision in champagne gold, walking over with an elegance that seemed almost too good to be true. And right by her side was Noah.Seeing Noah again, I swear my heart just stopped—like, literally froze. A month apart, and only now did I realize just how much I’d missed him. His arms, his kises, his smell—it hit me hard that I’d been in love with Noah all along, deeply, madly.
The whispering started the moment the crowd noticed me. “Look who it is! Mr. Avery’s charity case bride. What a sight, huh?” “Totally. Heard from the grapevine he ditched his fancy family ’cause Gina married Mr. Eaton, and out of spite picked someone with no silver spoon. Thought it was just idle gossip, but, it’s legit.” “She has got a look, though. Pretty face, vibrant vibe.” Sniggers spread through the crowd, and I felt a chill. So that was the deal. Noah wasn’t just killing time by playing house with me. He was on the rebound because his true love had married someone else, and in a fit of rage, he chose me. ‘And that woman he loves—is it really Gina Bright?’ I wondered. “Okay, let’s not go overboard and freak Ms. Baker out.” Gina, her arm linked with Noah’s, whispered this and the room instantly quieted down. But the stares from those people felt like they were stabbing me.
I felt like a clown, put on display and messed around with by these snobs. “Ms. Baker, sorry for dragging you here out of the blue. I hope you don’t mind. Actually, I owe you an apology.” Gina suddenly turned to me. “Apology?” I clenched my fist, stealing a glance at Noah, who was looking at me like I was some kind of stranger. Just like that, it felt like my heart had been ground into dust. It was clear, this was the signal Noah was sending. The bitter game was up; we were nothing more than strangers now. “Yeah, it’s my fault Noah ended up marrying you, dragging you into this mess. I hope you can forgive his rashness,” Gina said, extending her hand with an elegant smile. True to her elite upbringing, every move she made radiated class, while me… my rough hands and cheap clothes screamed poverty. I was so out of place I couldn’t even bring myself to take her hand. Clutching at my clothes, tears in my eyes, I was speechless. Just when I thought I would choke on the tension, Noah stepped in, holding Gina’s hand with a chilling detachment, and ordered….