His Betrayal, My Obsession / Chapter 3: The First Test
His Betrayal, My Obsession

His Betrayal, My Obsession

Author: Grace Davis


Chapter 3: The First Test

Let me think, when did I become Preston’s lackey? I try to remember the exact day, but it all blurs together—the smell of burnt coffee, the hum of fluorescent lights, the low-level buzz of anxiety in the office. Sometimes, I think my life started the day I met him and ended right after.

It must have been half a year ago. Back then, I was just a low-level employee at a branch office. Preston came to inspect. As soon as he walked in, all the higher-ups surrounded him like satellites around a planet, pouring coffee and water, falling over themselves to please him. Preston pretended to be approachable, asking a few random questions. Everyone in the office stood ramrod straight—except for me, still slouched in my chair, daydreaming. The office AC rattled overhead, and the coffee tasted like burnt rubber. I was half-asleep, doodling in my planner.

Preston walked over and stared at me without saying a word. His gaze was cold, assessing, like he was weighing me on a scale I couldn’t see.

The branch manager slapped me on the head, snapping me out of it. “This is Mr. Hawthorne! Aren’t you going to stand up and greet him?” His voice was trembling, half fear, half fury. My ears rang from the slap, but I stood up, trying to look less like a deer caught in headlights.

I got up, dazed, and nodded at Preston. I’m not the type to grovel, or rather, I despise it. My cheeks burned, but I stared back. For a second, I thought I saw amusement flicker in Preston’s eyes.

Preston pushed up his glasses and said to the branch manager, “This young man’s good. Have him report to headquarters tomorrow.” His voice was smooth as whiskey, but there was something hard beneath it.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a pure malice in Preston’s gaze. It was like he’d spotted a new toy on the shelf and couldn’t wait to see how it worked—or how fast it’d break.

I never believed in free lunches. Instinctively, I didn’t want to get close to this rich kid, but I needed money badly. My sister had leukemia, and I’d spent all my savings on her treatment. I even sold the old house our parents left us. The hospital’s medicine was getting worse and worse, and my sister was down to barely sixty pounds. The two of us only had each other. I couldn’t just watch her suffer. I’d have worked three jobs at a Waffle House if it meant keeping her alive another month.

The next day, I put on a suit and reported in. Preston eagerly dragged me to the garage and asked, “Can you drive?” The garage smelled like new tires and polish—rows of gleaming Teslas, Mercedes, a cherry-red Mustang. For a second, I felt out of place, like a stray cat in a Rolls-Royce showroom.

“Yes.” I wasn’t confident. I’d had my license for a while, but only driven a few times. My hands were sweating just looking at the cars.

“Good. Drive me to Magnolia Estates.”

The Tesla’s steering wheel made me dizzy, but Preston was patient, introducing all the buttons and letting me start slowly. I hit the brake by mistake a few times, but he didn’t complain. He wore an excited expression I couldn’t understand. Along the way, people kept taking pictures of the car. At a red light, some college girls even knocked on the window, flirting and asking for a ride. Preston said, “What do you think? If you like any of them, let them in.”

My face flushed—not from lust, but from nerves. If I scratched this car, I couldn’t pay for it if I sold myself a hundred times. I kept my hands at ten and two, my knuckles white. The girls giggled and waved, but I barely looked their way.

At the intersection in front of Magnolia Estates, while waiting at a red light, a pregnant woman slowly crossed the street. At that moment, Preston leaned close to my ear and said, “See that pregnant woman?”

“Mm.” I swallowed, my heart thudding in my chest. I thought maybe he wanted to do some charity stunt, but his eyes were too bright, too eager.

“Floor it and run her over.” Preston urged. His voice was low, urgent, a dare and a command all at once.

What kind of sick joke is that? Cold sweat broke out on my back, my hands trembling on the wheel. The world narrowed down to the glow of the dashboard and the woman’s slow, careful steps.

“Do it! Run her over!” Preston’s voice grew louder.

“Boss, that’ll kill her.” I gritted my teeth. My foot hovered over the brake, but I couldn’t move.

“I’ll give you a million. I’ll hire you the best lawyer—at most you’ll do two years in jail. A million! You’d have to work five hundred years at your old job for that, right?” His tone was half-joking, but his eyes were dead serious.

“Boss, she’s pregnant...” My voice cracked. I thought of my sister, of my mom, of every woman who’d ever smiled at me.

“Two million, damn it! Run her over!” The pregnant woman was already right in front of the car. Preston was getting impatient, slapping me on the head. Each slap felt like a countdown.

At that moment, a thousand images flashed through my mind—my sister lying in her hospital bed, the empty fridge in our rented apartment, the manager cursing me out. My hands slipped on the wheel, the car lurched an inch before I slammed the brake. My brain screamed at me to move, to freeze, to do anything but what he asked. The pregnant woman turned and looked at us, her eyes wide with panic, hands pressed to her belly.

In the end, I didn’t do it. I slumped in the seat, gasping for air, as if all the strength had drained out of me. The light turned green, but my vision tunneled and I thought I might faint.

Preston slapped me on the head again, then sat back in the rear seat. I glanced at the rearview mirror—his expression was terrifyingly sinister. I felt like I’d failed some test, but I didn’t care. I’d failed as a human being if I’d gone through with it.

But after a minute, he was calm again and said, “Green light. Let’s go.” His voice was flat, like nothing had happened. I pressed the accelerator, heart pounding, and drove on in silence.

You may also like

His Betrayal, Her Revenge
His Betrayal, Her Revenge
5.0
Rachel’s perfect marriage shatters when her husband Derek—diagnosed with ALS—installs a bedroom camera and confesses a forbidden obsession with another woman. As she unravels his secrets, Rachel’s heartbreak turns to fury, igniting a fierce battle for her son, her fortune, and her dignity. But if Derek and his so-called 'angel' think their happy ending is secure, they’re about to meet a storm they never saw coming.
Traded Her Life for My Promise
Traded Her Life for My Promise
4.8
At my engagement party, my world shatters when my best friend exposes the truth: the wife I thought dead has been waiting, betrayed and broken, for a decade. Her family has stolen everything from her—her money, her freedom, even her hope—forcing her into a coffin wedding to erase my memory. I’ll risk everything, even parachuting from a jet, to save the woman I abandoned and claim the love I swore to protect, even if it means turning my powerful fiancée into my enemy.
My Wife Waited While I Betrayed Her
My Wife Waited While I Betrayed Her
4.8
I was the husband everyone envied—until my secret affair with the girl I once worshipped shattered everything. While my wife braved the snow for my health and waited up with a birthday feast, I was tangled in another woman's arms, convincing myself guilt was love. Now, in the freezing silence, my wife stares through the glass, and I know the truth is about to destroy the only warmth I have left.
He Betrayed Me for My Sister's Honor
He Betrayed Me for My Sister's Honor
4.8
On the night of our engagement, my perfect fiancé was found in bed with my younger sister, destroying both our reputations in front of the entire town. He claimed to have taken advantage of her, choosing her honor over the love he promised me—leaving me to face the shame, heartbreak, and whispers alone. But the real truth is darker, and in Savannah, betrayal is a family tradition.
I Betrayed My Pregnant Wife for Her
I Betrayed My Pregnant Wife for Her
4.7
While my wife carried our unborn child, I gave in to a forbidden affair with my ambitious subordinate. Torn between the security of my marriage and the thrill of Madison’s reckless passion, I risked everything—my job, my family, my soul—for a woman who might never love me back. But when my wife went into labor, Madison forced me to choose: would I watch my daughter be born, or run into the arms of my mistress?
His Betrayal Was With My Best Friend
His Betrayal Was With My Best Friend
4.8
Rachel thought she had it all—a successful career, a loving husband, and finally, a baby on the way. But when Ethan’s smallest gestures spark suspicion, she’s forced to unravel a web of secrets, loyalty, and heartbreaking choices. If she looks too closely, she risks losing everything she’s worked for—and everyone she loves.
Hired to Ruin My Husband’s Mistress
Hired to Ruin My Husband’s Mistress
4.8
When the billionaire husband she built her life around strays for a younger, ruthless rival, she’ll do anything to keep her crown—even hire a seductive con artist to shatter the other woman. But as her own children get drawn into the war and secrets spiral out of control, one mother must decide: how far will she go to protect her family, her fortune, and her place in a world that punishes the weak? Betrayal is a luxury she can’t afford, and this time, survival means getting her hands dirty.
Stolen by My Boyfriend’s Secret Admirer
Stolen by My Boyfriend’s Secret Admirer
4.8
When I defend a classmate from public humiliation, she turns her gratitude toward my boyfriend—and then invades every corner of our lives. Betrayed and blindsided, I fight to keep my love and dignity as a cunning rival spins a web of lies and sabotage. With my relationship and reputation at stake, I must decide: stand my ground or lose everything to the girl I tried to save.
His Secret Rash, Her Shattered Trust
His Secret Rash, Her Shattered Trust
4.4
One late-night confession in the ER threatens to destroy everything: he fears a deadly secret is written across his skin, while his girlfriend clings to hope and suspicion in equal measure. Guilt, shame, and a forbidden encounter from his past collide under the harsh hospital lights. When the truth comes out, will love survive the scars—or will one test result end it all?
Sold by My Sun, Silenced by Love
Sold by My Sun, Silenced by Love
4.9
He was my sun, my secret, and my undoing. As the Lane family’s loyal attendant, I grew up loving Ethan from the shadows—until the day he traded my trust for his own ambition, poisoning me and selling me to Magnolia House. Stripped of my voice and dignity, I become a silent prize in a world of velvet cruelty and whispered deals, caught between the ruthless Marquis Carter and the man who once swore to save me. Yet every humiliation is a test: how much pain can love survive, and how far will power go to bury the truth? When a forbidden night puts me back in Ethan’s sights, will I find freedom—or lose what’s left of my soul? What does a broken boy do when even hope becomes a weapon?
I Let My Wife Die for My Mistress
I Let My Wife Die for My Mistress
4.8
The night my wife needed me most, I chose my first love instead—and my son will never forgive me. Now, haunted by guilt and shattered trust, I must rebuild a broken family with the woman who tore us apart. But when my son’s rage turns icy and unforgiving, can love ever wash away the blood on my hands?
Stolen by My Husband’s First Love
Stolen by My Husband’s First Love
5.0
Rachel thought her marriage to Nathan was unbreakable—until a call on their anniversary shatters everything. Betrayed and left bleeding on the street while Nathan protects another woman, Rachel’s world collapses, exposing secrets, lies, and a love that was never hers to keep. Now, with everything at stake, she must choose between vengeance and survival in a city that never cared if she made it out alive.