From Discarded Wife to Queen (Tyrone) novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1: It’s Over

Tyrone Winter’s first love—the woman he had ended things with six years ago but never truly stopped thinking about—had suddenly reappeared in his life.

And Zera Caldwell hadn’t come back alone. She arrived with a little boy, no more than five years old.

For an entire month, Tyrone had been dodging home, hiding behind endless business trips and excuses to avoid facing what awaited him.

Tonight was meant to be special—their third wedding anniversary.

Aella Reid had prepared everything with care: the dining table was set for a candlelit dinner, a carefully wrapped gift sat waiting, and she had even sent Tyrone a hopeful WhatsApp message.

But by nine o’clock, he was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, her phone rang—it was Raine Winter, Tyrone’s younger sister.

Her voice was taut, strained with urgency. “Check the message I just sent you.”

Aella’s heart skipped. She ended the call and opened her chat.

One glance at the screen, and her smile vanished completely.

The plate she held slipped from her fingers, crashing to the floor and shattering. Porcelain shards scattered, slicing thin red lines across her ankle.

Yet she didn’t flinch.

Raine had sent her screenshots from Tyrone’s private Instagram account.

He had rented out the entire Bayline Marina.

There he was—laughing with Zera and the boy, celebrating the child’s birthday beneath a sky bursting with fireworks.

Aella sank to her knees, scrolling through the images: the beach, the yacht, the dazzling display of lights, the roses scattered around.

And there was Tyrone, cradling the little boy in one arm, while his other hand—still adorned with their wedding ring—rested possessively on the waist of another woman.

A perfect picture of romantic bliss.

The caption read: “A blueberry cake I baked myself, for the ones I love most.”

Even through the cold glow of the screen, the affection felt suffocating.

Aella’s mind went blank, her thoughts scattered. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.

Her hands trembled as she clicked on Tyrone’s profile—only to find it empty. All posts had been erased, hidden from her eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out for a long, heavy minute.

At some point, he had deliberately concealed everything from her.

That was the moment the last fragile thread of hope she had clung to snapped.

But still, she refused to surrender.

She called him once. Then twice.

The third time, he cut the call.

A single message popped up on her screen: Busy.

Cold. Dismissive. Final.

A storm of helplessness, fury, jealousy, and heartbreak churned inside her, tearing her apart from within.

Aella collapsed onto the floor, clutching her head, gasping for air as if her chest might split open.

She grabbed a fistful of her own hair and screamed until her throat burned raw, then crumpled into silent, shuddering sobs.

A knock came at the door.

Summoning every ounce of strength, she rose and opened it.

Raine stood there, frozen for a moment. “Aella, are you okay?”

Tears streaked down Aella’s face as she shook her head wordlessly.

Raine’s jaw clenched tightly. “Come on. We’ll find him. Right now.”

Aella swallowed hard and forced her voice steady. “No. I’ll handle Tyrone on my own.”

Her mother had just undergone bypass surgery and was still in the hospital.

She couldn’t afford to break down—not now.

Raine left early the next morning.

Aella wandered the villa like a ghost, drifting from room to room but seeing nothing.

She and Tyrone had been childhood sweethearts—everyone knew she had loved him since they were kids.

Everyone also knew Tyrone’s heart had always belonged to someone else.

Their marriage had never been about love; it was a family arrangement.

Still, after three years, Aella had convinced herself that maybe, just maybe, if she loved him fiercely enough, he would come around. That she could thaw the coldness inside him.

Instead, she had uncovered proof of his grand reunion with his first love.

Her childhood crush, the love she had grown up with, the twenty-five years of her life—it had all been reduced to ashes.

It was over.

Her mind was clear about what she needed to do next, but her heart ached so deeply it felt like a physical wound.

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