Chapter 2

I went out of my way and had the chef whip up a lavish spread. After all, our family is about to welcome not one, but two new members.

Amelie sat right next to Marvin, nibbling delicately at her food. Every now and then, she'd put on her cutest voice and say, "Marvin, this one's too oily, I can't eat it," or, "Marvin, I want that one. Can you get it for me?"

Marvin did whatever she asked, tossing me a cocky look from time to time, like he was showing off. 'See? This gorgeous young girl totally needs me to take care of her.'

I just kept eating, cool as ever, and every so often, I'd scoop some food onto Collin's plate beside me. "Eat up, you're still growing," I told him.

Collin nodded obediently, then leaned in close and "whispered", loud enough for everyone to hear. "Yasmin, your husband's taste is awful. That girl's makeup is caked on thicker than a wall, and honestly, she's got nothing on your natural beauty."

Amelie's fork slipped from her hand and hit the floor.

Marvin slammed his fork down. "Yasmin, keep your people in line!"

I just shrugged. "Hey, the kid's just telling it like it is."

Collin kept going, not missing a beat. "Mr. Garza, don't get mad. I'm just being real here. But honestly, you really need to work on your taste. You've got a real gem like Yasmin, but instead, you go chasing after those cheap glass beads you can find anywhere."

Amelie let out a loud wail, covered her face, and ran off to her room in tears.

Marvin hurried after her, shooting us a venomous glare before he left.

Collin and I exchanged a look, then raised our glasses at the same time.

"Here's to our partnership," I said with a grin.

Collin winked. "This is just the beginning, Yasmin."

Later that night, after Marvin had finally managed to calm Amelie down, he stormed into my room, looking like he was about to explode.

"Yasmin, we need to talk!" he barked, standing in the doorway with a face as dark as a thundercloud.

I was lounging with a face mask on, my words coming out a bit muffled. "So, what's this about? You wanna discuss how you brought some random girl home, or how I'm just serving you a little payback?"

He walked in and shut the door behind him, his voice sharp. "Amelie and I really love each other! She's carrying my baby. I can't just ignore her!"

I peeled off my face mask and gave him a cold stare. "Marvin, we've been married five years. I was there when you started from scratch, helped you deal with clients, and stuck by you through the roughest patches.

"Now the company's gone public and you're finally rich, and suddenly you're out here chasing 'true love'?"

He looked a bit guilty, but kept making excuses. "Hey, that's just what guys do! Name one successful man who doesn't have something going on the side. I've already shown you respect. Your spot as the main wife is safe. What else do you want?"

I couldn't believe how shameless he was, and just as I was about to snap back, Collin's voice came from the doorway.

"Yasmin, I warmed up some milk. Want some?" he asked casually.

He pushed the door open, and when he spotted Marvin, he pretended to be surprised. "Oh, Mr. Garza, you're here too? Sorry, I didn't realize you'd be in Yasmin's room tonight. I mean, shouldn't you be with your pregnant Amelie right now?"

Marvin was shaking with rage. "This is my house! I can go wherever I want!"

Collin handed me the milk, then met Marvin's glare head-on. "Well, it's my home now too, and Yasmin's."

He strolled over and draped his arm around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Mr. Garza, since you've decided to play house with someone else, I'll be the one looking after Yasmin from now on."

Marvin glared at us, his eyes practically shooting fire. "Good! Very good! Yasmin, you're really something!"

He slammed the door behind him as he stormed out.

Once Marvin was out of the room, Collin let go of me in a hurry, looking a bit embarrassed. "Yasmin, did I lay it on too thick back there?"

I sipped my warm milk and grinned. "No, you nailed it just right."

The next morning, I was woken up by all the noise coming from the kitchen downstairs.

I slipped on my robe and went downstairs, only to find Amelie bustling around the stove in an apron, with Marvin standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder.

The whole scene was so disgustingly sweet it snapped me wide awake, though honestly, it just made me want to gag.

"Morning, Yasmin! You're up?" Amelie was the first to spot me, her voice so sugary sweet that it could give anyone a toothache. "I'm making breakfast for Marvin. He always says he misses home-cooked meals..."

As she kept talking, her eyes started to well up, and Marvin instantly pulled her closer, sounding all concerned. "Hey, don't be upset. You get to have it every day now, don't you?"

I walked past them with a blank face, opened the fridge, and grabbed some yogurt.

"Yasmin, want to try some? I made eggs and bacon," Amelie chirped, presenting the plate to me with a proud little flourish. The eggs were picture-perfect, the bacon had just the right crunch, and the whole thing looked Instagram-ready, like she was auditioning for a food blog.