Chapter 2

"Daddy, there was a bad man at the bridal shop today who was bullying mommy. You have to stand up for her," Nora clenched her tiny fists and tried to look as fierce as she could, her voice full of adorable determination.

A cold glint flashed in Adam's eyes. As he was about to press for details, his phone rang.

"Sweetheart, can you grab my phone for me?" Adam asked, his hands covered in grease. He had no choice but to ask Nora for help.

Nora's little hand searched Adam's pocket with practiced ease, and she expertly turned on the speakerphone.

"Adam, I swear I should've checked if today was a bad luck day before heading out. I bumped into Rachel at the bridal shop. She was seriously pissed.

"To make things worse, she even brought a little girl along to mess with me. You're my best friend. You have to bail me out."

Lucas's voice blasted through the speaker, extra loud in the big living room.

Adam's expression shifted instantly, and he hung up without hesitation.

I gave him a half-smile and said, "Best friend, huh? Guess you have to help him now."

Nora's little head tilted in confusion. Then she asked, "Daddy, why does that man's voice sound like the bad man from the bridal shop?"

Adam quickly changed the subject and said, "Dinner's ready. Let's eat."

Lucas and I had been childhood friends, and we grew up together.

Lucas was sunny, always flashing that sweet-talking grin of his that melted hearts everywhere. Girls couldn't help but fall for him.

When we got to college, I was hopelessly smitten. I'd run over to his dorm, trying all sorts of dramatic confessions to get his attention.

I'd sneak love notes to him in class and show up with breakfast, hoping he'd notice me beyond the crowd.

People around us were both envious of how close we were.

I made it clear to everyone that Lucas was my boyfriend and that if anyone tried to mess with him, they would have me to answer to.

Our families came from similar backgrounds, so no one thought twice about us being together.

He treated me like a princess, taking me skiing, skydiving, and to all these fancy business events.

Everyone assumed we were a done deal.

Our parents even got together, picked out a lucky date, and started making wedding plans.

But then, the day before our engagement, Lucas vanished.

Everyone was thrown into a frenzy looking for him, and it even got so bad that the police had to step in.

The police ended up finding his blood-soaked clothes on the beach and assumed he was dead.

That night, I got a video from an unknown number.

In the video, Lucas was chugging drinks with some random woman, laughing all wild and reckless. He said, "Marriage is a love-killer. Who the hell wants to settle down so soon? I'm going to fake my death and have some fun for a few years.

"When I'm tired of playing, I'll come back and marry Rachel. Meanwhile, you guys need to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't lose her mind."

Someone asked him, "Aren't you worried Rachel might turn around and marry someone else?"

Lucas snorted, "Come on, you think I have to worry? I know Rachel inside out. Even if I bit the dust, she'd still spend the rest of her life acting like my loyal widow."

And just like that, the video cut off.

Suddenly, all that heartbreak felt like the setup to a sick joke.

The next day, right outside the City Hall, I bumped into Adam, who looked like he'd been dragged here by his family for an emergency matchmaking session.

I shot him a look and said, "So, want to get a marriage license with me?"

Adam pushed up his signature gold-rimmed glasses, expressionless as ever. All he said was alright.

Just like that, Adam and I became husband and wife. There were no wedding bells or fancy parties, only a signature and some paperwork.

We didn't tell anyone, neither family nor friends.

During dinner, Adam said, "About that wedding dress earlier, I could tell it wasn't your thing. I've already called the designer to redo it. Just tell her what you want."

I replied coolly, "Let's talk about it later."

Adam frowned and added, "Don't tell me you plan to have my kid living as a secret forever?"

I set my fork down and replied, "Adam, we made a deal. I cover for you whenever those wannabe girlfriends or nosy relatives come poking around.

"In return, you keep an eye on Lucas for me. If it hadn't been for that drunken mess, I wouldn't even have Nora."

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was ready to get rid of it. You're the one who begged me to keep her. If you're so scared of gossip, reveal her identity. As for me, I'm not planning to go public yet."

Adam let out a cold laugh, picked up Nora in his arms, and walked away without another word.

For the next month, Adam kept making things tough for Lucas's company, sometimes intentionally.

After a month, Lucas bombarded my phone with texts, only to be met with silence every time.

He tried calling me, and that was when he realized I'd blocked him.

Not giving up, he called again using a friend's number.

"Rachel, guess what? I've got some awesome news. I finally got my memory back," Lucas announced.

Without responding, I hung up, not giving him a chance to say another word.

Thinking maybe I didn't grasp his words, Lucas sent another message from his friend's phone.

The message read: [Rachel, great news. I got my memory back. It's me, Lucas. I know it's been rough on you all these years, and I'm sorry.

[But I'm back, and from now on, I'll be the one to carry all your burdens. Call me when you see this. I miss you.]

Adam's eyes grew cold as he fired back a reply: [My wife is busy in the shower. If you need something, talk to me.]

Lucas flipped out and started blowing up my phone with calls, one after another.

Adam wasted no time and immediately blocked and deleted Lucas's number.