Chapter 2

Mom died when I was little.

Dad ran a construction crew, and during the real estate boom, he'd saved over ten million dollars.

Lately, the market tanked, so he figured he'd go for one last big score before retiring.

However, instead of cashing in, he lost everything—and the stress gave him a stroke.

David was a scholarship student Dad had sponsored. He came from nothing, was top of his class, and stayed in touch with Dad over the years.

Dad knew his days were numbered.

He was worried about me—his beautiful but utterly clueless daughter. So he called David, who was already working, hoping he'd look after me.

Out of gratitude, David agreed and even offered to marry me right away.

I wasn't sure, but with Dad literally on his deathbed, I couldn't say no and let him die worried.

When Dad saw our marriage license, he finally looked at peace and passed away.

David was exactly my type—handsome, steady, reliable. I found myself depending on him before I even realized it.

At first, I actually thought we could make it work. Marry first, fall in love later.

But I soon discovered he had a childhood friend he was completely in love with, and she felt the same.

My naive, ridiculous pride couldn't accept that he'd never love me.

So I went full drama queen, demanding a divorce.

Now that I'd been given a second chance, I was past that childish bullshit.

Who cares if the fruit's sweet or not—as long as it does the job.

I wasn't just sticking around—I was gonna have his babies, squeeze him for child support if we split, and when he finally kicked the bucket, inherit everything.

Just thinking about it filled me with joy.

I went back to my room, took a quick shower, and slipped into my sexiest nightie.

Then I grabbed a bottle of red wine from the living room and poured myself a massive glass.

I swear I wasn't just building courage—I wanted to set the mood.

Once the wine started kicking in, I wobbled over and knocked on his door.

A few seconds later, David opened the door.

He was shirtless, just wearing gray sweatpants.

My eyes ran on autopilot, sweeping over his chest and abs before locking onto the spot I was most curious about.

"Wanna sleep together?" I asked.

He caught me staring. "What are you looking at?"

"You."

"Sleep with who?"

"You, obviously!"

"What exactly are you looking at?"

I'd been bold and ready, but finally, my courage fizzled. "Forget it."

Just as I turned to leave, his hand tightened around my arm.

I glanced back, giving him a confused look.

David smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement—he was actually enjoying this.

"Didn't you just say you wanted to sleep with me? Why are you running? Scared?"

Maybe it was the booze, but even though I wasn't as impulsive anymore, he still got me fired up.

I shot back, chin raised. "Who says I'm scared? Let's do it and see who's better!"

David laughed. "Alright."

Before I could react, he scooped me up with one arm and kicked the door shut behind us.

Turns out, I was better.

The first time was a bit uncomfortable, but after that, I was completely hooked.

When I tried going for round four, David grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"It's late. Save some for tomorrow."

I pouted.

Turns out those romance novels lied—guys do get tired.

"Fine, rest up. We'll continue tomorrow," I said.

I slipped my nightie back on and strutted out— oblivious to David clenching his jaw in frustration behind me.

It wasn't that I didn't want to stay—I just couldn't sleep anywhere but my own bed. Plus, I was a total wild sleeper.