Chapter 2
I replied casually, "Nicholas, your bet is done, isn't it? Didn't you get what you wanted?"
He took a deep breath, as if he was trying to keep himself in check.
Just as I was about to hang up, Nicholas switched gears. "You really spared no expense to mess with me, huh? Was the fake wedding worth it?"
"Fake wedding?" I felt like laughing.
Nicholas's voice was icy. "Nora, I'm telling you now. I'll never see you again from today on."
Nicholas was always so arrogant, but whether he believed it or not, it no longer mattered to me.
After being caught up with him for so long, I was honestly sick of it.
I rubbed my temples and said, "Good."
After hanging up, a tall shadow suddenly loomed over me.
I turned my head and found myself staring at Matthew Jones's handsome face.
Taller than Nicolas, Matthew was leaning against the wall, looking intimidating in his black suit.
"On the phone?" Matthew asked.
I paused, sensing an edge in Matthew's tone, like he wasn't happy about it.
I barely knew Matthew; our marriage was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Before I could respond, he suddenly leaned down toward me.
He was so close that I could feel his breath, and I held mine without thinking.
Before I could say that things were moving a bit too fast, he picked up a glass from the table beside me and smiled when he noticed my reddened ears.
"Let's celebrate. Want a drink?" he said.
Matthew chose juice instead of anything stronger.
We stood quietly together when Matthew suddenly asked, "You still haven't told me why you went to the city hall that day."
I couldn't really hold my liquor, and I could feel my cheeks getting hot.
I squinted, thinking it over. "Just a coincidence, I guess."
Actually, that day was my birthday.
I hadn't been in touch with Nicholas for a while, and all of a sudden, he showed up saying he'd planned a birthday surprise for me.
Even though I didn't really buy it, and even though he'd pulled so many pranks on me before, I couldn't resist going to check it out.
As I got close to the city hall, I suddenly heard a loud rumbling overhead.
It was a helicopter, raining petals down, and there was Nicholas, sitting inside.
My heart gave a violent jolt.
The petals were custom-made, each one oversized, with words written on them.
I picked up one of the petals, my hands trembling so much that I could barely hold it as I opened it up.
It read: [Will you be my girlfriend?]
Right then, my phone buzzed. It was Nicholas calling.
"See? I told you it'd be a surprise," Nicholas said.
My mind went blank when I saw the name at the bottom of the petal. It was Scarlett Levine.
Nicholas laughed loudly over the roar of the helicopter. "Nora, she said yes. Aren't you going to congratulate me?"
In that moment, my body went cold.
I couldn't make out anything he said after that.
I remembered when Nicholas told me he liked me back in college.
It was after he lost at truth or dare, and he chose me out of all the girls in the group.
It was a silly moment, and I should have brushed it off, but back then, I thought maybe he just needed a push and some guts, so I said yes.
After that, we dated for four years, just like any other couple.
As I watched the petals fall, it hit me that Nicholas and I had never sincerely told each other how we felt.
I suddenly felt exhausted.
I realized that no matter how long I chased after him, there was never going to be an outcome for us.
That was when Matthew walked over from the corner at City Hall.
He was so handsome that it was almost unreal, and he was completely mobbed by girls trying to get close to him.
He pleaded with me, "Come on, I swear I'm just passing by. Can you do me a favor and pretend to be my girlfriend for a minute?"
By the end of that afternoon, however, we already registered our marriage.
It all felt so unreal.
He said his family was pushing him to get married, and after chasing Nicholas for so long, I was already 28, a proper time for marriage.
We just went with it, and honestly, there was nothing wrong with that.
Matthew finished his juice and helped me get into the car.
My head was spinning a little.
The driver suddenly hit the brakes hard on the way. Startled, I opened my eyes to find a black car blocking us in.
I recognized it right away; it was Nicholas's ride.
Through the window, I saw Scarlett sitting right next to him in the passenger seat.
Nicholas got out in a few quick steps and came straight over, knocking on my car window.
Matthew rolled down the window. He was wearing sunglasses, locking eyes with Nicholas. "What do you want with my wife?"
Nicholas sized him up, resting one hand on the window and wearing a smug grin. "Nora, your hired actor really knows how to play the part. Putting on such a long wedding must have taken some real effort, huh?"
My lips twitched in annoyance.
If I'd had my marriage certificate with me, I would have slapped it right in his face, but I didn't even care enough to prove anything to Nicholas.
"Move," I said coldly.
Nicholas's expression shifted for a moment, but he quickly went back to his usual indifferent look.
"Scarlett forgot her coat, and it's cold outside. Give her yours," he ordered.
Scarlett shot me a glance, then turned away with a dismissive look.
I was really speechless. "Nicholas, can't you just buy one?"
He pulled stunts like this all the time.
He loved watching me get jealous and upset over him, and then, when I was actually mad, he'd sweet-talk me until I calmed down.
I kept flipping between moods, always holding onto the faint hope that maybe Nicholas was different with me.
But now, I calmly grabbed the coat from the back seat and tossed it at Nicholas. "Whatever. You can have it."
It was a matching jacket we bought together back in college. It was time to get rid of it anyway
He recognized it and froze for a second, then his voice sharpened with anger. "Nora, you've made your point. Can we stop now?"
Matthew hit the gas and smoothly swung the car around Nicholas's car, leaving him behind without a second glance.
After a moment, the car stopped, and I realized we weren't at Matthew's place at all; we'd pulled up in front of a luxury boutique.
Matthew got out and opened the door for me. "Come on."
"Right now? I don't really need new clothes," I said.
He kept a straight face and casually switched topics. "Really? Well, I need some new clothes, especially the couple's sets."
He walked right in, and I stood there, stunned for a while.
How did Matthew figure out that it was a couple's jacket?