Chapter 2

"Kristen, this is all my fault. I drank too much, and Jared was worried about me, so he came to check on me. I was the one who made the first move. It's all on me. You can hit me, yell at me, whatever you want, but please don't blame Jared," Erica said.

By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

I tried to step around her, but Erica grabbed my arm.

I shook her off, and she let out a scream, falling to the floor.

Before I could react, Jared burst out of the room and shoved me hard. My back slammed into the corner of the table.

The pain hit me so hard my breath caught in my throat.

He hadn't even had time to put on a shirt, just a pair of shorts, and the hickeys on his neck felt like a slap in my face.

"Kristen! If you're mad, come at me. Leave Erica out of this. Let me explain," Jared said, his voice tight.

Explain? Explain why he was sleeping with his secretary?

I was about to say something when I caught a glimpse of the family heirloom bracelet on Erica's wrist.

It was the heirloom Jared's grandmother, Edna had given me before the wedding. It was the bracelet every daughter-in-law of the Shipley family was supposed to have.

But that priceless bracelet was now worn by Erica.

I stepped forward, wanting to make sure, but Erica recoiled as if she'd seen a ghost, cowering behind Jared.

"Please, don't hit me," she cried, her voice shaking.

Her shoulders shook as she quietly cried, looking absolutely miserable.

Jared stepped in front of Erica, his expression grim.

"It's just a bracelet. Let her wear it if she wants. Kristen, you will soon be my wife. Don't be so petty," he said, his voice cold.

I hadn't been certain before, but the moment Jared said that, it hit me like a punch to the gut.

The bracelet I treasured, the symbol of my place as the Shipley family's daughter-in-law, was now flaunted on Erica's wrist.

"If you really want to marry her, I can walk away," I said, my voice icy.

Jared hesitated, remembering he could never defy his family. His face was thunderous, darker than a storm cloud.

"Kristen, it's just a damn bracelet! If she wants to wear it, let her. I've already wronged her enough. Can you please not make this any worse for me?" he snapped.

I watched Jared's chest rise and fall, and suddenly, the truth hit me. It was obvious he didn't love me at all.

Whenever he was with me, he was always composed. He never even flinched, never cared enough to react.

He rarely ever got angry, but now, for Erica, his face was stone cold, his eyes like ice, all directed at me.

That realization made my heart plummet, and a wave of exhaustion welled up from the pit of my soul.

"I just came to get my things. Once I have what I need, I'm leaving," I said, my voice flat.

I walked out holding the passport, and Jared stared at me, his brows furrowed.

"What are you doing with your passport?" he asked, suspicion in his voice.

'To marry someone else,' I answered in my mind.

But I didn't owe him an explanation. "None of your business," I shot back.

Jared automatically followed me to the front door, but just as I was about to leave, Erica's voice, weak and full of grievance, drifted over. "Jared..."

Jared stopped in his tracks, watching as I slammed the front door in his face.

Once I was outside, I made a call. "When you get back, let's go get our marriage license first."

"Alright, I'm almost done here. Just wait for me," the man replied.

I gazed up at the blue sky, telling myself things really weren't as bad as they seemed.

At least I left that loser behind.

I had my stuff moved into the man's spacious apartment, and started setting up our new home for the wedding myself.

I kept myself busy until evening, when Jared texted me.

He wrote: [I'll have Erica move abroad, so you won't have to see her again. You'll still be the my wife. Happy now?]

I looked at the message, couldn't even bother to reply, and just deleted it.

His wife? Sorry, I didn't want it anymore.

*****

Even though I was dead set on calling it quits with Jared, our families still had business dealings.

Before I dropped the bomb, I had to keep up appearances. At my birthday party, I held onto Jared's arm, wearing a fake smile as I accepted all the well-wishes.

Erica was in a white dress, her hair in an updo. When I sat out on the balcony to rest, she was right there next to Jared, giving him a gentle smile.

Honestly, they looked like they belonged together.

But I didn't remember inviting her.

After a few of my elders called Jared into the study, Erica came over and sat down beside me.

Just before Jared went upstairs, he shot us a worried look.

I knew exactly what he was thinking. He was afraid I'd give Erica a hard time.

Erica watched as Jared's figure vanished around the corner, then lifted her wine glass in a mock toast. "Congratulations, Kristen."

"Are you congratulating me on my fiancé cheating, or is this a toast to you finally landing in his bed?" I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Erica's smile froze for a moment, jealousy flashing in her eyes.

Realizing I wasn't going to be polite, she stopped pretending. "You really think last night was the first time we slept together?"