Chapter 2

Then I went to my mom about it, and she gave me the same advice as Selah.

Honestly, I was not exactly smart. If I were, I wouldn't have ended up as a pawn in a marriage deal, a stepping stone for my brother, Michael Brooks's business.

But knowing my husband was out there with another woman stung. I could feel deep down that it hurt more than I wanted to admit.

That night, I came home and sat on the couch, crying my eyes out.

Logan stumbled in, reeking of booze. When he saw me, his expression soured, clearly annoyed. "Why are you crying in the middle of the night? Are you trying to jinx the place?

"Look at yourself, all messy and unkempt. You don't look like a woman right now.

"Nina Brooks, it's not that I'm disgusted by you. You're so disappointing. There's nothing about you that's remotely attractive. Whatever, I'm not a bastard. I won't ditch you. Stop crying and go to bed."

There were hickeys on his neck, and lipstick stains on his collar.

After slurring those words, he collapsed onto the couch.

My crying was interrupted, and I stared at him for a while. In the end, I couldn't see him sleeping on the couch, so I helped him to the bedroom and tucked him in.

The next morning, when Logan came out of the bathroom and saw my eyes, all puffy and swollen, his expression was a mix of emotions.

After I handed him a hangover drink, he blurted out of nowhere, "Crazy woman."

*****

I spent the whole night sitting there, racking my not-so-bright brain, and finally figured out what to do.

When Logan got home, I rushed over to him, my footsteps echoing through the house. "Logan."

"What's wrong?" he replied.

"Alright, I'll do it. I'll go out and try something wild."

Logan, halfway through taking off his shirt, froze for a second and gave me a strange look.

Then he suddenly laughed. "Oh, that's great."

He had that mocking smirk on his face, but I didn't care. I added, "And I want a divorce."

Logan blinked, looking totally confused.

I continued, "My conscience won't let me cheat while we're still married, so let's get divorced first. We won't tell our parents, and then we can both do whatever we want. Once I've got some new moves, I'll remarry you."

Logan stared at me for a while, then grabbed his phone and told his secretary to prep the papers. He probably thought I was joking, because he ended up giving me a ton of money.

To be honest, a chunk of my living expenses growing up had been siphoned off by my mom and funneled to Michael.

So, when I saw that seven-figure settlement hit my account, I couldn’t quite keep the corners of my mouth from turning up.

Logan fiddled with his phone, a half-smirk on his face. "Nina, do you know how to play the game with men? Want me to show you a few moves?"

'That would be better.' I scooted over and sat down next to him.

"Sure. Everyone says guys know guys best, so hit me with your advice," I said.

Logan said, "Guys are all full of tricks. With your clueless brain, if you go out and pick someone at random, you'll get played so hard that you won't have your underwear left."

"Yeah, you are right."

"So, if you want to level up your skills without getting burned, you should find someone you know really well, someone who absolutely won't fall for you and is too lazy to bother lying. That's the safest way to practice."

"Good idea."

Logan lit a cigarette and took a slow drag. "Honestly, you don't have to take it so personally. Like I said, Ivy and I vibe, but I never planned on ditching you.

"Nina, we've been married for three years. You're soft and easygoing, and honestly, I do like you. If you're cool with it, the three of us could live together. You know, make it work as a trio."

No way. Besides, Ivy had sent me so many flirty pics, and my phone was basically an album of her.

And with Logan smoking, drinking, and partying nonstop, I was not sure what kind of trouble or diseases he might drag home.

I pressed my lips together, thought for a bit, and then looked at Logan. "I still want a divorce. I want to see what all the fuss is about out there."

'And why it could mess you up like this,' I thought.

Then another thought popped up. "After we split, do I have to move out? Or are you the one leaving?"

Logan stubbed out his cigarette and pinched my cheek like it was nothing. "Nina, you're really convincing about the divorce acting. I almost bought it.

"Up to you. Move out if you want. Stay if you want. Since we're keeping this from our parents, this place is still your home."