Chapter 4

I knew my words had left a heavy mark on his heart.

He was starting to freak out.

He realized that his little canary was thinking about breaking free from the cage.

But he wasn't ready to let go.

Not yet, at least.

The next day, I met Mia as promised.

She picked the place, a tastefully decorated café.

She wore a white dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, looking pure and harmless.

And there it was, the kitten necklace I'd given her, prominently displayed around her neck.

"Ms. Graham, you're here," Mia said, immediately standing up with a sweet smile when she saw me.

"Just call me Janet. 'Ms. Graham sounds way too formal," I said, smiling as I took my seat.

"Okay, Janet," she said sweetly, switching without hesitation.

"Janet, you're even more beautiful in real life. You have such class," Mia said sincerely, her eyes shining with envy. "No wonder Mr. Sinclair is so into you."

Into me?

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh inside.

All he really liked was a trophy that matched his taste and needs.

"You're pretty cute, too," I replied politely. "Andrew's always telling me how smart and hardworking you are."

I deliberately made it sound extra intimate.

Mia's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

She said, "Mr. Sinclair's just being kind. I still have a lot to learn."

She lowered her head and stirred her coffee, putting on that shy little act. "Actually, I've always admired Mr. Sinclair. He's so talented, so charismatic..."

Here it was.

Classic innocent girl routine.

First came the admiration, then the whole "I can't help but fall for him" bit.

In my previous life, I was already boiling with rage by now.

But now, I just wanted to applaud her performance.

"Yeah, he's definitely excellent," I replied, and my voice tinged with a mix of fond amusement and a little helplessness, like someone who'd seen it all before.

"Honestly, there are tons of girls who fall for him. You're not the first, and trust me, you won't be the last," I added.

Her face lost a bit of color at my words.

She clearly hadn't expected me to be so upfront.

"Janet, I... That's not what I meant," she rushed to explain. "I just respect Mr. Sinclair as my boss, really."

"I get it," I said, giving her a knowing smile as I patted her hand, like I really understood.

"Seriously, don't stress. I'm not mad at you," I said softly, trying to put her at ease. "You can't really help how you feel. Especially when it's someone like Andrew. Guys like him are just impossible not to fall for."

Mia looked completely thrown off by my words.

She honestly had no idea what game I was playing.

"Janet, you... you're not mad?" she asked cautiously.

"Why would I be mad?" I laughed. "Honey, I've been with Andrew for ages. If I didn't have that kind of confidence, we would've been done ages ago."

I picked up my coffee and took a delicate sip, looking every bit the picture of elegance.

"Men, especially the successful ones, always have pretty girls circling around them. Kick one out, and another pops right up. Instead of stressing over that, just work on being so incredible that he can't let you go," I said.

My little speech, radiating that queen bee composure and wisdom, completely stunned Mia.

She looked at me with a storm of complicated emotions in her eyes.

There was admiration, a flash of jealousy, and a stubborn refusal to back down.

"But..." Mia bit her lip, hesitating, like she couldn't quite get the words out. "But Mr. Sinclair... he seems to..."

"He's been pretty good to you, huh?" I jumped in, finishing her words for her.

She nodded.

"He checks if you've eaten, remembers you hate cilantro, and even covers for you when you make mistakes," I said, smiling and listing them out one by one.

These were the incriminating details I'd pieced together from their interactions in my previous life.

Mia's eyes went wide.

"Janet, how do you know all that?" she asked.

"Because he's done all those things for me, too," I said, my eyes soft with nostalgia. "That's just how he shows he cares. You might be special to him, but the way you're special isn't the same as how I am."

After a brief pause, I picked up my bag and got to my feet.

"That's all I have to say. The rest is for you to think about," I said.

I stood up, ready to leave.

"Just remember, being young and pretty alone isn't enough to truly keep a man," I added, letting the words linger.

With that, I turned and walked away, leaving Mia sitting there, her expression shifting through a storm of emotions.

I knew my words had left a thorn in her heart.

She'd start to wonder if she was really the only one Andrew treated that way.

She'd begin to envy my place as Andrew's legal wife.

And jealousy? That was what made people lose their minds.

As I walked out of the café, sunlight spilled warmly across my face.

My phone buzzed. It was Andrew's mom calling.

Her voice came through, lofty and commanding as always.

"Janet, come over for dinner this weekend," she said.

It wasn't an invitation; it was an order.

The curve of my lips turned icy.

The show was just getting started.

Now this was going to be fun.