Chapter 1
For two years, I had been William Carter's secret lover, yet I had loved him for ten.
That night in the restaurant restroom, we kissed like the world was ending.
I was thrilled because he had promised to take me to meet his parents.
But as our emotions soared, a voice from outside the door shattered the intimate moment.
"William, are you almost done? Your parents are waiting," a young woman said.
My body froze instantly.
Stunned, I asked him, "Who is she?"
His warm breath brushed against my neck as he whispered to me.
"My fiancée," he said softly.
I just stood there, frozen.
William laughed softly.
He replied to her, "Just give me a minute. Go keep them company."
As the click of her heels faded into the distance, I grabbed William by the tie, my nerves on edge.
I demanded again, "Seriously, William, who is that woman outside?"
Just a few hours ago, he'd asked me to bring some documents to the restaurant.
When I saw the address, my heart skipped a beat.
He'd said he'd take me to meet his parents, and I'd been waiting for that day, playing the role of his secret lover all the time.
I'd spent ages getting ready, and the moment I walked into the restaurant, William pulled me straight into the men's room for a quick make-out session.
We were classmates all the way back in high school.
He was always at the top of the class, and I was always coming in second right behind him.
He was the sun everyone admired, and I spent ten years just trying to catch up to his light.
Three years ago, I finally landed a job at his company and started carefully planning those "accidental" encounters, making sure he'd see me around.
One thing led to another, and we started catching feelings for each other.
It was only a matter of time before we ended up together.
Just moments ago, I was still lost in my own fantasy, imagining how wonderful it would be to finally meet his parents with him.
But reality hit me like a ton of bricks, smashing my dreams to pieces.
He caught me standing there, totally stunned. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, his hand kept roaming over my thigh.
"What's wrong? Disappointed? You look so gorgeous today. Did you actually think I had you bring the files over just so I could take you to meet my parents? Oh, Emily, you're still so naive," he teased.
His fingers kept toying with my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"You're beautiful, talented, and have an amazing body, but my mom would never approve of a girl like you. Don't you love the thrill of it?" he said.
I bit my lip so hard that I nearly drew blood, fighting back the tears.
But William just flashed a wicked grin, his lips almost brushing my ear as he went on in a playful voice.
"Your answer's written all over your face," he whispered.
I pushed him away, fighting back tears as I fixed my clothes. I grabbed the documents from the floor and threw them at him.
"Here are your files. I'm out of here," I said, my voice icy and firm.
We walked out of the restroom one after another, and right as I turned the corner, I bumped straight into the woman from before.
She was ready to lose it, but William swooped in, wrapped his arm around her, and playfully brushed her nose.
"What took you so many years to come back? Were you getting impatient waiting for me out there?" William teased, his voice full of affection.
She gave him a playful shove.
"I wasn't. By the way, who's she?" she asked, shooting me a curious look.
William rubbed his shoulder in mock pain, acting all casual as he said, "Oh, she's just here to drop off some files."
She glanced at the files in William's hand and said nothing more. Then, she looped her arm through mine, flashing a bright smile as she insisted I join them for dinner.
Maybe it was an accident, but her nails scratched my skin, making me flinch. Meanwhile, I caught sight of a nasty scar hiding beneath her left forearm sleeve.