Chapter 1
My ex-husband, Edward Grant, heard I was dating a toy boy; he blew up my phone with a dozen ranting texts, mocking me.
I was used to his sharp tongue, so I just blocked him.
My new boy, Ryan Simmons, was sweet, though deaf and mute; he was great at the emotional labor I needed.
Then I overheard his friends outside a bar.
The guy asked, "Ryan, how long are you gonna keep playing deaf and mute? You're not actually falling for her, are you?"
Ryan replied, tone dripping with scorn, "That will never happen."
His handsome face was practically glowing with smug satisfaction.
"Heard she's your brother's ex-wife. So, what's it like hooking up with your brother's ex?" another guy chimed in.
Someone whistled, and everyone leaned in, waiting for his answer.
I pushed open the door to the private room, crashing their party right when things were getting interesting.
Pretending I hadn't heard a word, I smiled and greeted each of Ryan's friends one by one.
Ryan switched gears in an instant, getting up and coming over to my side, looking sweet and attentive. He typed out a message on his phone and sent it to me.
He sent: [You look beautiful today. I really like it.]
He was always showering me with compliments, like my number one fan. In his eyes, I was perfect.
I led him out of the private room, and Ryan was still hunched over his phone, sending me a message to explain.
Ryan: [It's my friend's birthday today. I didn't really want to come, but everyone showed up.]
[Are you upset? Do you think I'm a hassle?]
I replied: [I just happened to be passing by. Even if I had to make a special trip, I wouldn't mind at all.]
He put his phone down and gave me a gentle smile, still that sweet, careful guy I knew.
We stepped into the elevator, and as the doors slowly closed, he bent down and pressed his lips to mine out of nowhere.
Unlike his sweet, flattering texts, his kiss was always aggressive, almost hungry.
It wasn't until someone pressed the button and the doors slid open that Ryan reluctantly pulled away from me.
He quickly typed out another message: [Forgot something upstairs. Let me grab it. Wait here for me.]
I nodded.
I replied: [Alright, I'll wait for you downstairs.]
I stood in the KTV lobby, watching him step into the elevator, wondering what he'd be showing off to his friends once he got back upstairs.
I always knew Ryan was keeping secrets from me, but I never expected he'd been pretending to be deaf and mute all this time, and that he was actually Edward's younger brother.
"Emma, what are you doing here?" Edward called out, sounding surprised.
I looked over when I heard someone call out to me.
Spoke of the devil.
Edward was making his way over, dressed in a sharp suit, his hair perfectly styled.
He was only three years older than Ryan, and while they both had those family good looks, Edward had this dark, mature edge to him.
His gaze swept over my face, and for a second, his handsome features twisted with irritation.
Edward sneered, "Emma, did you blow all your divorce money on that boy toy of yours?
"Kids these days are all about sleeping around. Careful, you might pick up something gross.
"If you think this is payback, don't waste your time. It means nothing to me."
Before the divorce, he barely said two words to me. Now he was acting like a total clown.
I was already in a bad mood, and his barrage just made me even more pissed off.
"He's younger, hotter, fitter, and way sweeter than you. So what if I'm being played? I don't care. I'm having fun," I shot back.
I wasn't about to let him walk all over me anymore.
Before he could lose it, I turned on my heel and walked right out of the KTV.
I shot Ryan a quick message, letting him know I'd be waiting for him in the car.
As I got in, I glanced up at the rearview mirror.
Ryan's kiss had left my lipstick smeared, with a teasing hint of red at the corner of my lips.
No wonder Edward was so pissed off earlier.