Chapter 4

I stared at the notification for a whole minute, barely able to believe it.

It was the most money I'd ever seen in my life.

My eyes were practically blinded by all those zeros in my account balance.

I took a deep breath, turned off my phone screen, and slipped it into my drawer.

Right after I turned on my computer, the marketing manager walked over and said to me, "Kylie, come to my office for a moment."

I trailed after her into the office.

She closed the door, wearing a strange look on her face.

"Is it true you actually married Mr. Carter yesterday?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Congrats," she said, but her smile was a bit awkward. "But the company has a rule that direct family members can't work in the same department, so..."

I understood immediately.

"So you want me to transfer to another department?" I asked.

"It's not really a transfer."

She hesitated, searching for the right words.

"Honestly, it's that people might start talking. You know how it is. Mr. Carter runs the strategy department, you're in marketing, and if you two end up working together..."

"I understand," I said, cutting her off.

"Which department do you want me to transfer to?" I asked.

She let out a sigh of relief.

"HR is short-staffed right now. Why don't you go there for now? Your pay and benefits will stay the same," she said.

I nodded. "Sure."

Work was work. As long as I got paid, I really didn't care which department I was in.

At noon, I packed up my things and got ready to head over to HR to check in.

As soon as I stepped out of the office, I spotted James waiting by the elevator.

He was dressed in a sharp black suit, with his car keys in hand.

He spotted me and came over. "Let's go grab some lunch."

Everyone in the office was staring at us.

I lowered my voice. "Why'd you show up?"

"I told you I'd pick you up for lunch," James replied.

He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He pulled me into the elevator.

Right before the doors slid shut, I spotted a group of women from the office whispering together, shooting us curious glances.

The car pulled up in front of an exclusive chef's restaurant.

Inside the private dining room, the table was already loaded with food.

James pulled out a chair for me and then sat down across from me.

"Eat up," he said.

He filled my plate for me, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I kept eating, not saying a word.

"I know about your transfer," James suddenly said.

I looked up at him. "It's company policy. There's nothing I can do about it."

"It's not company policy," James said.

He set down his fork and added, "She's afraid I'll go easy on you."

I scoffed, "You? Go easy on me?"

James stared at me in silence.

His stare made me feel guilty for no reason.

I lowered my head and kept eating.

"HR is not so bad. At least I won't have to deal with all those meetings and office drama every day," I said.

"Kylie," James called out. " If you don't want to go, I can..."

"It's fine," I interrupted him. "I can take care of it myself."

After lunch, James dropped me off at the office.

Before I got out, he gave me another kiss on the forehead.

"I'll pick you up tonight," he said.

With my face bright red, I rushed into the office.

HR was on the twelfth floor.

As soon as I walked in, a few colleagues crowded around me.

"You're Kylie, right?"

"Wow, Mrs. Carter, we've all heard about you."

"Happy to have you join us."

I smiled and went along with it, but honestly, I felt pretty uncomfortable inside.

Everyone was trying to win me over with their looks.

Back in marketing, some people sucked up to me, but most treated me as one of their own.

Now, the way everyone looked at me was totally different.

It was like I'd suddenly become some high-and-mighty lady.

During the afternoon meeting, the HR manager specifically introduced me to the team. "This is Kylie. She's joining us from today, so let's all help her settle in."

The applause that followed was pretty sparse.

After the meeting, I sat at my new desk, zoning out in front of my computer.

A female colleague scooted over to me and asked, "Kylie, how did you and Mr. Carter meet?

"I heard you two used to be total rivals?

"Oh my, that's so romantic."

I brushed her off with vague answers.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from James.

James: [I've got a dinner party tonight. Come with me.]

I replied: [With whom?]

James: [Business partners.]

I hesitated for a moment but ended up saying yes.

After all, our contract said I had to put on a show whenever other people were around.

After work, James was waiting for me downstairs right on time.

He drove us to a high-end private club.

Inside the private room, a few middle-aged men were already seated.

As soon as we walked in, they all stood up.

"Mr. Carter, this is..." one of them asked.

"My wife, Kylie," James said.

He pulled out a chair for me to sit.

The men looked me up and down, sizing me up with their eyes.

I straightened my posture, flashed them a polite smile, and said hello.

Halfway through dinner, one of the balding men picked up his glass and walked over. "Mrs. Carter, let me toast you."

Just as I was about to take the glass, James reached out and blocked it with his hand.

"She can't drink," he said.

The balding man froze. "Wow, Mr. Carter, you really look out for your wife, huh?"

James replied calmly, "My wife isn't in great health, so she can't drink."

He sounded so sincere that it almost made me think he actually cared about me.

The balding man gave a sheepish smile and shuffled back to his seat.

I glanced sideways at James.

He was talking to someone else, his profile looking sharp and chiseled.

Back at the office, whenever we argued in meetings, it was always this same face.

And now, he was my husband.

Funny how fate worked.

After dinner, we stepped out of the restaurant.

The night breeze brushed past me, making me shiver.

James took off his suit jacket and gently placed it over my shoulders.

"Let me know if you're cold," he said.

I wrapped the jacket around myself, breathing in his scent.

There was a faint trace of cologne, mixed with a touch of tobacco.

We were halfway home when my phone started buzzing.

It was a number I didn't recognize.

I answered, "Hello?"

"Kylie?" It was a woman's voice. It sounded unfamiliar, but somehow it rang a bell.

"It's Sophia White," she said.

I froze.

Sophia White was the runaway bride.

I looked at James.

He was totally focused on driving and didn't notice me.

"What's up?" I said quietly.

"Did you really marry James?" Sophia's voice was dripping with sarcasm." You really think you can actually marry into the Carter family? You are only a stand-in."

My hand clenched around my phone.

"Whether I'm a stand-in or not, that's got nothing to do with you," I shot back.

"Is that so?" Sophia said.

She laughed, obviously making fun of me.

"Do you know why James got engaged to me?" Sophia asked.

I stayed silent.

"Because he loves me," Sophia said, every word dripping with arrogance.

"I had something come up, so I couldn't make it. I'll be back in a few days. And when I do, you, the replacement, better get out of my way and go back to where you belong."

With that, she hung up.

I held my phone, my palms sweaty.

"Who was that?" James suddenly asked.

I snapped back to reality and shoved my phone into my bag.

"Just some annoying call," I said.

He glanced at me but didn't ask anything else.

The car pulled up in front of the villa.

I got out and headed inside.

James suddenly grabbed my hand. "Kylie, if you ever need to talk, let me know."

I looked up at him.

Under the streetlight, his eyes were serious.

"You're my wife. Whatever comes up, we'll handle it together," he said.

Something inside me softened.

Still, I shook my head.

"It's nothing," I said.

Back in my room, I sat on the bed, staring at my phone, totally spaced out.

Sophia said James loved her.

So why did he marry me?

Was it really because I happened to be there?

I lay in bed, tossing and turning, and couldn't get any sleep.

In the middle of the night, I got up to go to the bathroom.

Walking past the study, I saw light spilling out from the crack under the door.

I pushed the door open and saw James sitting at his desk, with a drink in front of him.

He heard me and turned around.

"Why are you still up?" James asked.

I walked in. "What about you?"

He stayed silent, raised his glass, and took a sip.

I sat down across from him.

"James, do you regret it?" I asked.

He set his glass down and looked at me. "Regret what?"

"Do you wish you hadn't married me?" I said.

I met his gaze, refusing to look away. "After all, I'm a stand-in."

James was silent for a long time, so long that I thought he wasn't going to answer.

"I never do anything I regret," James said, his tone resolute.

He suddenly stood up and walked over to me. "Kylie, remember, you're not a stand-in for anyone."

He leaned in, placing his hands firmly on the armrests, trapping me between his arms and the back of the chair. "You're my wife. Mine alone."

His voice was deep, carrying a seriousness that made my heart tremble.

I stared at his face, so close that I could feel my heart pounding right out of my chest.

"You... you're drunk," I stammered.

"I'm not drunk," James said.

He stared straight into my eyes. "Every word I said is true."

Then, he suddenly stood up and left the study.

"Good night," he said.

He left me all alone, my heart thundering in my chest.