She Built His Empire, Then Watched It Burn
9.6 / 10.0
Share
When Maxwell Dickerson proposed, he pledged his eternal devotion with a promise: a fresh rose every single day. For a full year, he kept his word. But on day 366, the real blooms are replaced by a lifeless plastic imitation. Dismissing her concern, Maxwell claims a busy schedule makes the fake flower a suitable substitute. Staring at the cheap ornament, she realizes he is ready to compromise on their relationship. However, she has never been the type of woman to settle for anything less than real love.
She Built His Empire, Then Watched It Burn Summary
When Maxwell Dickerson proposed, he pledged his eternal devotion with a promise: a fresh rose every single day. For a full year, he kept his word. But on day 366, the real blooms are replaced by a lifeless plastic imitation. Dismissing her concern, Maxwell claims a busy schedule makes the fake flower a suitable substitute. Staring at the cheap ornament, she realizes he is ready to compromise on their relationship. However, she has never been the type of woman to settle for anything less than real love.
Read More
She Built His Empire, Then Watched It Burn Chapter 1
1: 1
When Maxwell Dickerson proposed, he swore he would give me a fresh rose every single day.
It was supposed to mean his love for me would never wither.
He kept it up for 365 days.
On day 366, a plastic fake suddenly appeared in the vase.
I took a picture and sent it to him.
He didn't reply until eleven that night:
"Business dinner tonight, no time to hit the flower shop. The plastic one'll do for now, looks the same anyway."
I turned and looked at the lifeless little ornament sitting in the vase.
I knew it wasn't the flower he was willing to settle for.
But me, I've never been the settling type.
1
I sat on the couch and waited a long time.
At one in the morning, the lock clicked.
Maxwell came in reeking of alcohol, walked straight toward the bathroom without even taking off his shoes, and tossed out a single line:
"Grab me a set of pajamas."
I set down the medical report in my hands and got up to fetch his clothes from the bedroom.
As I passed the coffee table, his phone screen lit up.
A message from his childhood friend:
"Damn, Max, what were you even saying? You actually that drunk? Delete the messages when you get home, don't let your wife see."
I picked up the phone and unlocked it.
The chat was wiped clean, except for three messages Maxwell had sent five minutes ago:
"So sick of it. Come home every day and she's nagging in my ear like some old nanny. If I didn't live out here she'd be checking up on me. Honestly I don't even want to come home."
"I only married her because she was simple, and she could put money into my startup."
"Real talk, I can't even stand looking at her face anymore. Ruby's the only one who gets me."
I crouched by the coffee table and stared at the screen for a long time.
Three messages, like three slaps, left my ears ringing.
Four years dating, one year married.
I'd pinched every penny, quit my job at a multinational to be his unpaid support staff, and sunk my entire twenty-thousand-dollar dowry into his studio.
But in his eyes I was just a gullible sucker who was easy to control and good for money.
The water in the bathroom shut off.
Maxwell came out wrapped in a towel.
The second he saw me crouched on the floor with his phone, his face changed.
"You went through my phone?"
He rushed over, snatched it away, and swiped at the screen twice.
I looked up at him.
"Those three messages, were they from you?"
"Dave Renner grabbed my phone and sent that garbage. It was just messing around at the table, and you believe it?"
He shoved the phone into his pocket, his voice openly impatient.
Dave was his childhood friend.
Every time he said the wrong thing or screwed something up, Dave was always the one who took the fall.
Today, all of a sudden, I didn't want to believe it anymore.
I stood, handed him the pajamas, and spoke evenly:
"Those messages were sent five minutes ago. Your drive home takes at least twenty."
His brow knotted tighter.
"So? What are you trying to say?"
"Dave dropped me off. And he's the one who sent those from my phone. We had a bet on whether you cared about me, whether you'd check my phone after seeing his message."
"Clearly, I won."
I let out a soft laugh.
"Oh. Got it."
He probably hadn't expected me to be so easy to brush off.
He blanked for a second, then put that condescending look back on his face.
"Fine, stop overthinking. I'm tired. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight so I don't wake you up getting water."
He turned to go.
I stood there, watching his back.
On the coffee table, the wind flipped a page of the medical report.
Breast nodule.
The doctor said it was highly suspected to be malignant and recommended I be admitted for a biopsy as soon as possible.
The next morning, I didn't make breakfast.
When Maxwell got up, I was sitting at the dining table.
In front of me were my bank cards and a stack of transfer receipts.
He frowned as he pulled on his jacket.
"Why's there no food today? I've got a client meeting this morning."
"Maxwell, we need to talk."
"Whatever it is, tell me tonight. I'm in a hurry."
"That plastic flower will last at least a week. I've been busy lately, so I'm not going to the flower shop. Just make do with it."
He grabbed his keys, ready to leave.
"Let's talk about a divorce."
Continue Reading
She Built His Empire, Then Watched It Burn of Contents
Chapter 1 Ch. 1Chapter 2 Ch. 2Chapter 3 Ch. 3Chapter 4 Ch. 4
Chapter 5 Ch. 5
Chapter 6 Ch. 6
Chapter 7 Ch. 7
Chapter 8 Ch. 8
Chapter 9 Ch. 9
Chapter 10 Ch. 10
Chapter 11 Ch. 11
All Chapters all
New Release Novels
7.9
Betrayed by her pack and rejected by her fated mate, Elara is left broken and cast out into the wilderness. Just as she prepares for a life of isolation, she encounters a powerful and mysterious Alpha from a rival territory. He claims she is his true lunar match, a bond far stronger than any she has ever known. Now, she must decide if she can trust her heart again while navigating a world of ancient secrets and dangerous pack politics.
7.9
Betrayed by her fated mate, a heartbroken werewolf finds herself cast out and abandoned by the Alpha she once loved. As she struggles to navigate the pain of rejection, an unexpected encounter with a powerful stranger sparks a forbidden connection. Caught between the scars of her past and the allure of a new bond, she must reclaim her strength. This fantasy romance follows her journey of healing as she discovers a love more intense than she ever imagined.
8.6
After a humiliating public betrayal, Ivy Hart vows to never love again. Her resolve is tested when ruthless Damian Blackwood demands a marriage of convenience. The contract is strict: no feelings, no questions. However, Damian’s possessive nature turns their cold deal into a suffocating obsession. When Ivy’s past returns, his jealousy flares, revealing a dangerous truth. Ivy realizes she hasn't just signed a deal; she has given herself to a man who never lets go.
9.1
On their fifth anniversary, a brutal kidnapping ends in the tragic loss of her child. The ultimate betrayal comes when she discovers her husband, Nathan, orchestrated the horror to clear the path for his returning first love—her own half-sister, Carrie. Realizing her entire marriage was a lie built on sacrifice, she walks away from the tragedy. To exact her revenge, she divorces Nathan and marries his most powerful rival, leaving her ex to beg on his knees for a forgiveness he will never receive.
8.6
A seemingly perfect relationship crumbles in an instant. When she stumbles upon a secret, entirely clean secondary operating system on her boyfriend’s phone, she uncovers a devastating truth hidden beneath the surface. The screen is filled with pages of green text messages—raw, unfiltered exchanges documenting his intense longing for another woman and his growing dissatisfaction with her. This sudden, crushing betrayal strikes a heavy blow to her heart, forcing her to confront a painful reality.
9.8
After a fatal life swap orchestrated by her unfaithful husband and his complicit family, a fragile woman is given a second chance. In her previous life, she was banished to the countryside to live as a servant, eventually being left to starve in a locked shed. Now, reborn at the exact moment of the cruel proposal, she refuses to comply. But when her husband threatens divorce and custody of her children, she must find a way to strike back against their greed and malice.
