Chapter 2
I locked myself in the guest room, pressed my back against the door, my heart racing in my chest.
Matthew didn't come after me.
I slid down to the floor, my strength gone.
The despair and the suffocating weight from my previous life still clung to me, but the sting in my palm was painfully real.
I finally did it. I slapped him, after all these years of holding back.
That slap was for the Evelyn who died before, still crying out, "Why did no one ever believe me?"
I spent the whole day holed up in the guest room.
As evening fell, the maid came knocking at my door.
"Mrs. Nolan, Mr. Nolan asked you to come downstairs. He says it's urgent," she said.
I opened the door.
Downstairs, Matthew was already dressed in a sharp suit, sitting on the sofa, back to his usual cold and distant self.
He seemed like a completely different man from the one who had lost control that morning.
When he saw me come down, he pointed to a document on the table in front of him.
"Take a look," he said, his voice cold and distant.
Turns out it was the divorce papers.
I felt a rush of excitement and reached out, eager to snatch them up.
But he slammed his hand down on the document, locking eyes with me, his gaze intense and unreadable.
"I agree to the divorce," he said, his voice cold and firm.
"But on one condition. No one finds out," he added.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Our families have been close for generations. We just held a wedding. There are joint ventures and partnerships. Our names are on half the projects in this city. If it gets out we get divorced on the second day, our families' reputations will be ruined. The stock market would go into a tailspin," he said, his tone icy and calculating.
He leaned back on the sofa, that familiar air of control settling over him once again.
"Evelyn, we can get divorced, but it stays private. No one can know," he said.
"To the outside world, you remain my life. For at least a year, until the projects are secure, then we'll find a suitable reason to separate publicly," he added.
I understood instantly.
He was asking for another performance.
Just like in the previous life, where I was asked to play the perfect wife for Cynthia and Blaire's sake, only to be treated like a ghost in my own home.
"No," I said, my voice icy and unwavering.
"You don't have a choice," Matthew interrupted coldly.
"Unless you want the Turner name dragged through the mud as oath-breakers. Unless you want your parents to be the talk of this town for the rest of their lives," he said coldly.
There it was. The same old tactic.
He was threatening me with my family, just like always.
Rage made me tremble as I glared daggers at him.
Matthew watched me, mistaking my silence for surrender. His tone softened a little.
"This isn't a bad deal for you. Name your terms for the settlement, and I'll double it in the agreement," he said, his tone cold and businesslike.
He paused, then added, "Just do your part and stay away from Cynthia and Blaire."
I looked at his hypocritical expression and couldn't help but laugh.
"Fine," I said.
I picked up the agreement.
"Since you're hiring me for this performance, Mr. Nolan, you'd better make sure the paycheck is worth my while," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Right in front of him, I took the pen and added a zero to the compensation figure on the page.
Matthew's eyes widened in shock.
"Evelyn, don't push it," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.
"Push it?" I tossed the pen onto the table. "Matthew, you're the one who needs this charade. This money buys me a year of freedom and lets your precious widow rest easy. Trust me, you're getting a bargain."
My words hit their mark. He fell silent, his jaw tight, his chest rising and falling with restrained anger.
After a long moment, he grabbed the pen and scrawled his name on the agreement.
"Now that you got your price, you'd better keep your end of the deal," Matthew said, his voice cold and sharp.
"Don't worry," I replied, slipping the agreement away. "Believe me, I want out of this farce even more than you do."
I turned and walked upstairs.
"Oh, and one more thing." I stopped at the stairs. "I'll be sleeping in the guest room from tonight. The master bedroom just disgusts me."
His face went completely black.
I meant it. I had the maid move all my things to the guest room right away.
Matthew must have been furious because he didn't show his face all night.
I was more than happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.
The next morning, I was just coming downstairs when I spotted him by the door, phone pressed to his ear.
His face was tight with worry.
"Where are you? Don't be scared. I'm coming right now," he said, voice urgent.
It was Cynthia calling.
I didn't even have to guess.
He hung up and grabbed his coat, turning to leave.
He spotted me and stopped in his tracks, with that warning look back in his eyes.
"Evelyn, whatever you're thinking, forget it. This is your last warning—Cynthia and Blaire are the ones I'll always protect," he said, his voice icy and hard.
I folded my arms, leaning against the banister, looking down at him with a cool, detached expression.
"Is that so?" I replied, my tone flat and unimpressed.
I let out a mocking laugh.
"Then don't let me keep you, Mr. Nolan," I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
"Your damsel in distress is waiting for her knight," I added, my tone full of contempt.
His face stiffened. He was clearly caught off guard by my reaction.
Seeing the confusion and darkness cloud his face, I added, "Oh, and by the way, tell Ms. Evans to keep her daughter away from me.
"I'm the villain here. The child-hater. Isn't that what you all believe?"
He clenched his fists and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.