The Disappointment of the Original Ending
The original ending of Decisions left a bitter taste in the mouths of thousands of dedicated readers who spent months tracking Aria and Grayson's tumultuous journey. After hundreds of chapters of emotional neglect and cold indifference, the resolution felt rushed and, frankly, unearned.
Readers who invested in the secret pregnancy trope and the billionaire's remorse were looking for more than a simple apology following a dramatic assassination attempt. The fundamental issue is one of power dynamics. Grayson spent years treating Aria as a ghost in his own home, yet the narrative rewards him with a second wedding and a second child almost immediately after he shows a modicum of bravery.
Many fans have taken to forums to express that Aria’s forgiveness was too easy. The psychological weight of three years of being ignored by the person you love doesn't just evaporate because of a single heroic gesture. There was a desperate need for a conclusion where Aria’s agency was the primary driver, not her reaction to Grayson’s proximity to death.
The Blueprint: Why This Rewrite Works
In this creative re-imagining, we are pivoting from a story of 'forgiveness' to a story of 'equitable reclamation.' The goal is to address the gap identified by the community: the lack of true accountability for the male lead's past actions.
This version focuses on the 'Revenge First' angle. Aria doesn't just return as a successful designer; she returns as the silent architect of the conglomerate’s restructuring. By the time she reveals her identity, she holds the keys to Grayson’s kingdom.
This shift moves the relationship from one of a 'chasing' billionaire to a negotiation between equals. Grayson must not only realize he loves her; he must realize that he is entirely dependent on her grace—socially, financially, and emotionally. The ending we deserved isn't just a wedding; it is a total shift in the balance of power.
A Different Kind of Homecoming
The rain in New York didn’t feel like the rain she left behind in the suburbs five years ago. This rain was sharp, cold, and carried the scent of wet asphalt and ambition. Aria stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of her penthouse, watching the city lights blur into streaks of neon. Behind her, a small boy with dark, unruly curls sat on the rug, meticulously building a skyscraper out of magnetic blocks.
He had his father’s eyes—piercing, intelligent, and occasionally terrifyingly observant. But he had her heart. That was the one thing he would never take from her again. She had spent five years building a fortress around her life, brick by digital brick.
Her phone buzzed on the mahogany desk. It was a single encrypted message from her lead developer. 'The acquisition is complete. You now own forty-two percent of the holding company. He has no idea who is sitting at the head of the table tomorrow.'
Aria took a slow sip of her tea, the steam fogging her glasses. Tomorrow, the man who had treated her like a piece of furniture would walk into a boardroom and find that his entire legacy rested in the hands of the woman he had discarded. She didn't want him dead; she wanted him to see her.
In the morning, the boardroom was a tomb of glass and steel. The directors whispered, their voices hushed with the frantic energy of a corporate coup. When the heavy oak doors swung open, the silence became absolute.
Aria walked in with a stride that didn't falter. She wasn't wearing the soft pastels he liked; she was draped in a structured, charcoal-grey suit that screamed authority. She didn't look at the other board members. She looked directly at the man at the end of the table.
His face drained of color. The arrogance that usually defined his features crumbled in a matter of seconds. He gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. 'Aria?' he whispered, the name sounding like a prayer and a curse.
'Good morning, CEO,' she replied, her voice as smooth as glass. She slid her tablet onto the table, the display showing the updated share distribution. 'I believe you’ve spent the last few months looking for me. Well, here I am. And as it turns out, I’m also your new boss.'
The meetings that followed were a blur of legalities and stunned silence. He tried to corner her in the hallway, his shadow looming over her just as it used to. But this time, she didn't shrink. She didn't feel that familiar, suffocating urge to please him.
'Why?' he asked, his voice raw. 'Why did you go this far? You could have just come home. I looked for you every day.'
'I did come home,' she said, looking him dead in the eye. 'I came home to myself. The woman you married didn't exist, because you never bothered to see her. The woman standing in front of you now is someone you can't afford to lose, and yet, you’ve already lost her.'
He reached out, his hand trembling as if to touch her shoulder, but he stopped an inch away. The realization was finally setting in. This wasn't a game of hide-and-seek. This was a total demolition of the man he used to be.
Over the next few months, the reconciliation didn't happen over candlelit dinners or expensive jewelry. It happened in the trenches of corporate warfare. He watched her navigate the sharks of the industry with a ruthlessness he had never seen. He saw her as a mother, watching her fiercely protect the son he hadn't known existed.
He didn't get to apologize and be forgiven. He had to earn her respect first. He had to prove that he could be a partner, not a master. He had to learn to follow her lead.
The final scene wasn't a wedding in a chapel. It was a quiet evening on a terrace overlooking the park. The boy was asleep in the next room. They sat in the silence, two people who had broken each other and then built something entirely new from the shards.
'I don't need your name,' she said, looking out at the horizon. 'And I don't need your money. If you want to be in our lives, you have to be the man who earns his place every single day.'
He looked at her, truly saw her, and for the first time, he didn't look like a king. He looked like a man who was finally, finally awake. 'Then I’ll start today,' he said. And for the first time, she believed him.
The Deconstruction: Why Justice Feels Better Than Forgiveness
What we’ve created here is a subversion of the standard billionaire trope found in stories like Decisions. While the original author opted for the traditional 'Happily Ever After' involving a quick marriage and more children, that path often ignores the trauma of the female protagonist.
By framing the reunion as a corporate and personal takeover, we satisfy the reader's desire for 'Face Slapping' (a popular trope in web novels where the underdog triumphs over the oppressor). Aria’s reclamation of her identity as a designer and a power player isn't just a plot point; it's the thematic heart of the story.
Psychologically, this ending is more satisfying because it addresses the power imbalance. Grayson’s groveling isn't just words; it's a structural change in his life. He is no longer the man in control. For a reader who has spent 400 chapters watching Aria suffer, seeing her hold the literal and figurative keys to the kingdom provides a level of closure that a second wedding simply cannot reach. Read the original version here to compare the emotional stakes.
FAQ
1. Is the ending of the Decisions novel a happy one?
Yes, the original novel ends with a definitive Happy Ending (HE). Aria and Grayson reconcile after he survives an assassination attempt, they have a second wedding, and Aria announces she is pregnant with their second child.
2. Who does Aria end up with in the novel?
Aria ends up with Grayson, the billionaire CEO who was her husband at the start of the story. Despite their three-year separation and his initial neglect, the story concludes with their reunion.
3. Why are readers frustrated with Chapter 400 of Decisions?
Many readers feel the story drags significantly between Chapters 200 and 400, and they often express frustration that Aria forgives Grayson's past coldness too easily without him making enough effort to change.
References
moboreader.net — Decisions on Moboreader
goodreads.com — Decisions Book Discussion on Goodreads
facebook.com — Romance Book Lovers Community