Married to My Enemy's Blood novel Chapter 1

Ophelia Flynn secretly arranged for the young woman Augustus cherished to attend a top music school overseas.

Augustus, always regarded by everyone as cold and detached, lost it. He was convinced that Ophelia was trying to make things difficult for his sweetheart.

So he took their son, Julian Reynolds, on an Arctic cruise, forcing Ophelia to hand over Kimberly.

As the ship entered international waters, Augustus’s assistant, Tobias, abruptly hoisted five–year- old Julian over the railing and suspended him above the sea. Ophelia watched, paralyzed by pain, as her son screamed and cried.

Augustus’s deep, malicious voice sounded. “Honey, you have five minutes to decide. Otherwise, our son will sink into the sea!”

In the first minute, Ophelia recalled her five–year–long secret crush on Augustus and how she became his secret lover. He came from a top medical family, while she was just a plain–looking, ordinary girl, so she never pushed to make their relationship known.

In the second minute, she remembered how the Reynolds family tried to arrange for Augustus to marry a rich heiress after graduation, but Augustus instantly took Ophelia to City Hall to register their marriage.

In the third minute, Ophelia recalled Augustus’s immense loyalty. When she became pregnant, the Reynolds family still refused to acknowledge her, so Augustus cut them off. Later, she gave birth to Julian.

In the fourth minute, she remembered how Kimberly, his friend’s niece, had entered their world, and the loving look Augustus gave Kimberly on her 20th birthday.

In the fifth minute, her thoughts shifted to the devastating image of Augustus and Kimberly entwined in bed…

The leather band Augustus had worn for nearly 20 years was gone.

He had never allowed Ophelia to touch it, but it was now on Kimberly’s right ankle.

Augustus’s eyes were utterly cold. “Ophelia, I’ll ask you one last time. Where is Kim?”

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Ophelia’s throat ached Julian’s cries tang in her ears. “Mommy, save me

The cold sea wind whipped her face, leaving her cheeks raw and stinging.

“Honey, you want Jules to die, don’t you?”

Ophelia’s chest hurt so much that she could barely breathe. She fixed her tearful eyes on Augustus.

*Augustus, Jules is your son! How can you threaten me with his life?”

Augustus replied. “But Kim means more than my life!”

Tears streamed down Ophelia’s checks. “Kimberly means so much to him? What about me and Jules?” she thought.

“Ophelia, as long as Kim comes back, you will still be my wife.”

Ophelia composed herself. “Augustus, I don’t believe you’d kill Jules for Kimberly. Besides, I haven’t harmed her.”

Augustus’s voice turned colder. “Five seconds left. If you don’t tell me where she is, Julian will be thrown into the sea for the sharks!

“Five… four… three…”

Ophelia panicked. “Kimberly is at the Royal College of Music in Britain.”

She collapsed to the ground, crushed by the realization that he would kill their son for Kimberly.

Augustus immediately pulled out his phone, clearly anxious. “Prep the helicopter. I’m flying to Britain now.”

He didn’t look at her again, only staring at his phone.

Ophelia grabbed a handful of sand, her hand shaking.

For an entire decade, she had been Augustus’s silent partner, working in the shadows to bolster every achievement and project he pursued.

He built the Reynolds Group from scratch. While he focused on management, shifting his time away from research, she toiled in the lab for up to twenty hours a day to develop the medicine he required.

She succeeded. The Reynolds Group became a top medical company on par with the old Reynolds Group.

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That night, Augustus held her in his arms, kissing her neck with affection.

“Lia, you are everything to me.”

Ophelia used to think everything was going well. She proved that she deserved to stand by him. Her professional achievements gradually earned her recognition from his family, and their relationship improved over the last two years.

But in the end, Augustus fell in love with a woman nine years younger than him. She was pure, carefree, and playful, constantly clinging to him.

“Augustus, I want you to stay with me.”

“Augustus, I can’t solve this problem. Help me.”

“Augustus, you must come to my cello competition. If you don’t, I won’t play…”

“Augustus, I love you so much.”

Ophelia had never acted that way with Augustus.

She had never confessed her love to him.

Augustus craved that kind of relationship dynamic. He fell hard for Kimberly–the woman who couldn’t even manage her own affairs–and adored pampering her every need.

The helicopter soon arrived.

Augustus couldn’t wait for the cruise to return. He boarded the helicopter for Britain.

Watching the helicopter fly away. Ophelia called him several times, but he rejected them all.

She had no choice but to text him, “When will Jules be back?!”

“Three hours later. Kim is entrusted to my care. I’m like an uncle to her. I cannot let my friend down.”

Ophelia forced a bitter smile.

Cannot let his friend down?

As she was about to lock her screen, a few new messages popped up.

“I love Augustus, Ophelia, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us. He wants me; we have incredible sex. He’s lost all interest in you. Just let him go.”

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“Ophelia, tonight Augustus came to my school again. We went to a hotel. He loves the bunny outfit I wore today.”

The rest of the messages were all variations on the same theme.

There were also explicit videos detailing Augustus’s intense passion.

Ophelia turned off her phone and sat by the sea, numb, waiting for her son to return.

Her tears were dried by the sea wind.

She once thought it was enough for her to love Augustus.

She dismissed his cheating as only a fling, merely physical. She never once considered divorce, convinced Julian needed a functional family.

But now, she realized she had reached her limit, and she was done.

Alone most of her life, having never known parental love or family warmth, she believed she had finally found true love. Now, that illusion–her entire world–was utterly destroyed.

Ophelia opened a contract on her phone.

It was the divorce agreement she had signed to help the Reynolds Group go public.

She gave up all her shares and marriage rights.

Before the listing, Augustus’s father, Dominic Reynolds, approached her with an offer. “Ophelia, if you sign this, I will personally ensure the Reynolds Group is listed in London, just as Augustus wishes. With my help, his company will rival the old Reynolds Group.”

To reassure the Reynolds family and for Augustus’s sake, she signed the agreement behind Augustus’s back.

She never thought Augustus would abandon her. Everything had changed.

Soon, Ophelia sent another message.

“I agree to join Scripps Institution of Oceanography.”

This was the world’s most elite marine medical research team, comprising the best talents from across the globe. After joining them, she had to stay underwater for thirty years.

Her only condition was to take Julian with her.

Augustus would never find her and Julian again!