Chapter 2
Grace was Eric's secretary. She was young, pretty, and knew how to work the room.
At first, I didn't pay her any mind.
Men who'd made a name for themselves always had women like her circling.
As long as Eric's heart stayed with me and he didn't cross the line, I didn't bother to fuss about it.
I thought I was still calling the shots.
But I forgot that nothing changed faster than a person's heart.
The first time I sensed something was off was at a charity auction.
Eric placed a bid on a diamond necklace worth one million dollars, claiming it was for the wife of a key client.
I even teased him, saying he was getting more sophisticated about social niceties.
But then, I spotted that exact necklace on Grace's post.
She didn't drop any names, just wrote: [Thank you, my light.]
Was she referring to 'Light' from Starlight Tech?
Phone in hand, I went up to Eric and asked him about it.
He glanced at me casually. "You're overthinking. She's a kid, and I'm keeping her happy so she'll work hard for us. The necklace is a fake. The company paid for it, only a couple thousand dollars."
A couple thousand dollars? Did he take me for a fool?
That day, we had a nasty fight.
One time, on my birthday night, Eric called from the lab.
He sounded annoyed. "Charlotte, I've got a critical test going on. It's urgent. Grace is here with me, so I won't be home. Grab something to eat."
I sat alone at the table, watching the food slowly turn cold, a wall of "Happy Birthday" balloons hanging behind me. I didn't move a muscle until midnight.
After 1 AM, Grace posted on her feed.
The photo was dimly lit. On the table was a plate of pasta, and a hand was opening a water bottle for her.
I knew that hand better than anyone.
The ring on his ring finger was the one I'd placed there.
The caption said: [No matter how late the night gets, with you here, it never feels so hard.]
I, Eric's rightful fiancée, only received a preset "Happy Birthday" text from him at midnight.
It was ice-cold, as if I were another stranger to him.
That night, for the first time, I seriously considered pulling my investment.
And that same night, Xavier called me.
Xavier was the most powerful tycoon of Petrico, and our families went way back.
He was three years older than me. Ever since we were kids, he'd been the role model every parent talked about.
He'd watched me grow up and dive into my thing with Eric.
On the phone, his voice was as steady as ever. "Charlotte, it's worth it."
I gripped my phone, unable to get a single word out.
He sighed, "Ms. Goodman, when did you become such a shadow of yourself?
"Come back to Petrico. Whatever Eric can give you, I can give you ten times over. And if he can't, I will."
"Like what?" I asked, my voice barely holding together.
"A proper marriage. Or making sure everyone who looked down on you will have to come crawling to you someday," he said.
He paused, then added, "Or a man who truly puts you first."
At the time, I figured he was being nice, so I politely turned him down.
I told him Eric was merely being foolish. Once the company went public, everything would fall back into place.
Thinking about it now, I was so stupid back then.
I kept making excuses for him, time after time.
But he never cared about the chances I gave him.
"We're here. Let's get out," Xavier said, pulling me back from my memories.
City Hall wasn't crowded.
We were led straight into a separate office.
We filled out the forms, signed our names, and submitted our IDs for verification.
When I finally held the marriage license, it still felt warm in my hands.
I looked over at Xavier's calm face and suddenly laughed. "Thanks, Xavier."
He snatched the license from my hand and tucked it into his suit pocket like he'd done it a thousand times.
"Call me honey." He looked at me, his gaze steady.
After a pause, he grinned, "Congratulations, Mrs. Lewis. From today on, Eric won't be able to touch you again."
After we left City Hall and got into the car heading to my apartment, my phone started ringing nonstop.
It was Eric. I didn't pick up.
He kept calling, again and again.
Fed up with the noise, I turned my phone off.
The car was instantly quiet, and it felt like the whole world was finally calm.
Xavier glanced at me, eyebrow raised. "Not picking up? Honestly, I thought you'd want to hear him freaking out."
"Not interested," I said, sinking back into the seat and closing my eyes. "Why waste my time on a rabid dog yapping?"
He let out a low chuckle. "Fair enough."
He paused. "Where are you going next? Back to Goodman Manor, or are you coming with me?"
"I'm going back to my own apartment. I've got some things to sort out.
"All of Eric's belongings are to be thrown out," I said flatly.
Xavier didn't push. "Alright, I'll drive you. When you're done, I'll come pick you up and we'll go to Lewis Manor to see my parents."
"So soon?" I was a little surprised.
"What else?" Xavier shot back. "I can't keep my wife under wraps forever."
His matter-of-fact tone caught me off guard.
Eric had never looked at me with such genuine regard, nor had he ever truly kept me in his heart.