Chapter 1
During my freshman year of college, I started dating a rich guy.
He was perfect in every way, except for one thing. He never let me into his circle.
I asked him, "Why don't we get married after graduation?"
He lit a cigarette, gave me a little smile, and didn't say a word.
That afternoon after class, as I was heading out the campus gates, a graceful woman suddenly approached me.
She asked softly, "Are you the girl who wants to marry Zander Larsen after graduation?"
Dragging my suitcase, I tightened my grip, biting my lip and not saying a word.
Deep down, I felt something was off about this.
"Don't be nervous, Emersyn," the woman said, her voice gentle as she smiled softly.
She continued, "I'm Lauren Holland, Zander's wife. Legally, at least.
"I know you've been with him for two years, and I also know you had no idea I existed.
"Today marks three years since Zander and I got married. He told me he's working late at the office, but the truth is, you two are meeting for a movie at 8:30 tonight. After that, he'll have you stay at his place in the suburbs for the winter break, isn't that right?"
She was absolutely right.
The movie ticket was sitting right in my pocket.
I spent all of class just turning it over in my hand, imagining all sorts of things about tonight.
I pictured myself cuddled up to Zander's arm in the theater, watching some cheesy romance movie together, feeling like nothing else in the world mattered.
Lauren's gaze dropped to the ring on my left ring finger.
"Did he give you that?" Lauren asked softly.
"That's a Cartier Starry Sky ring, isn't it? It's gorgeous. I used to love styles like that when I was your age," Lauren said.
Her eyes welled up, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.
"If I remember right, those are matching couple rings. He's got one too, doesn't he?" Lauren added.
I was suffocating under the weight of shame. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Instinctively, she slipped her left hand back into her sleeve and muttered, barely audible.
"Yeah," I mumbled.
Last Valentine's Day, on my birthday, Zander had booked out an entire restaurant just for us.
We were having a candlelit dinner, and right there at the table, he took the ring and slipped it onto my finger himself.
I came from a poor family, so when I found out the ring cost over 10 thousand dollars, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I actually cried.
I felt like I wanted to give Zander my whole world.
Back then, I was so swept away by happiness that it never even crossed my mind why Zander only put on his ring that one time.
Thinking back now, he did it because he didn't want Lauren to find out.
I felt a storm of anger and shame crashing over me, and all I wanted was to break down and cry.
It was just too much for me to take in.
Turns out the guy I loved was nothing but a bastard, sneaking around behind his pregnant wife's back.
So that was the real reason he kept me out of his circle.
I was just the mistress he kept hidden away from everyone.
"Emersyn." Lauren called out, her voice gentle.
She rested a hand on her lower back, breathing a little heavily.
"Would you mind coming with me to the café across the street? Just to sit and talk for a while," Lauren asked.
I glanced at Lauren's visibly pregnant belly.
I remembered that pregnant women shouldn't be on their feet for too long.
Lauren must've been waiting at the gate for quite a while. She looked exhausted.
We slipped into the most tucked-away booth in the café, trying not to draw any attention.
Emersyn took off the ring and offered it back to Lauren.
Lauren glanced at it but didn't take it.
"When Zander and I got married, he never gave me a ring. He never loved me. I've always known that," Lauren said, her voice quiet and a little bitter.
"You should keep it. If you ever don't want to wear it, you can always sell it for a little money," Lauren added, her tone soft, but with a hint of resignation.
Right at that moment, the waiter walked over and asked, "Miss Cortez, same as always? Matcha latte, classic tiramisu, and a plate of fried snacks?"
The waiter walked over and asked me, "Miss Cortez, same as always? Matcha latte, classic tiramisu, and a plate of fried snacks?"
"Miss Cortez, same as always? Matcha latte, classic tiramisu, and a plate of fried snacks?" the waiter asked, already knowing my order by heart.
The waiter didn't wait for Emersyn's answer and glanced over at Lauren, who was sitting across from her.
He looked at Lauren, sitting opposite me.
"Anything for the lady?" he asked.
"Room temperature lemon water, no sugar. Thanks," Lauren said.
"Alright, Miss Cortez, your total is 130 dollars. It's already been charged to Mr. Larsen's card," the waiter said.
My heart sank.
I couldn't bring myself to look up.
Things happened so suddenly that I had completely forgotten Zander had gotten me a membership at this café.
Lauren's eyes were soft and kind.
"It doesn't matter to me. I really don't care," she said gently.
"But you… I bet it's still hard for you to believe he'd actually do something like this, isn't it?" Lauren added.
She was right.
I had always seen Zander through rose-colored glasses.
To me, he was the smart, protective boyfriend I only read about in romance novels.
We met online.
When we finally met in real life, Zander pulled up to the campus gate in a sleek Maybach to pick me up.
Zander was the perfect gentleman, polite, sophisticated, and straight out of a romance novel.