Chapter 2
I stood in the corner, locking eyes with Boby, the leash stretched between us.
The beagle that had just thrown the wedding into chaos was now curled up at my feet, bumping its head against me again and again.
I crouched down and gave its head a gentle rub.
"It's fine. If he doesn't care about me, then I don't care about him either," I said softly.
Once we were outside, Boby didn't act hurt at all. It just shot forward like nothing was wrong.
I almost got yanked off my feet, and my arm started bleeding again.
"Boby, stop! Stop!" I called out.
Boby used to listen to me, but today it was just having the time of its life, like it realized I didn't belong to it anymore.
Right when I was at my breaking point, a strong hand grabbed the leash.
It was Camdyn.
Boby finally calmed down, wagging its tail quietly at my side.
"Thanks," I said.
He didn't look too happy either.
Honestly, no one would be smiling after losing hundreds of thousands.
Just when I thought he was about to walk away in a huff, I heard a soft chuckle by my ear.
"It's hard to get a cab at night. Let me drive you to the hospital and get that wound taken care of before you head home, okay?" he said.
All I wanted was to get away from everyone around Jamir, but a sudden cramp in my belly made me nod.
When I got home, I forced myself to eat a little even though I felt nauseous, wiped Boby down, and finally got into bed to rest.
I was barely awake when the door suddenly swung open.
Jamir stood in the doorway, the light behind him casting his face in shadow.
He pulled off his tie, knelt on the bed, and nudged Bebe—who was snuggled up to my belly—off the mattress.
Jamir didn't like Boby on the bed, so Boby usually stayed off.
The only comfort I had tonight was Boby curling up with me.
He lifted my chin, his voice low. "Why didn't you wait up for me? Already asleep?"
I froze and said, "I figured you weren't coming back."
He sounded annoyed. "It's our wedding night. You didn't want me to come home?"
He closed the distance between us, his kiss urgent and domineering.
Whenever he made a move, I always matched his passion.
But tonight, I pulled away.
He looked at me in disbelief. "Marie, did you just push me away?"
"Did Elyse come back?" I asked.
I saw the shock flash across Jamir's face.
"How did you know?" he asked.
Camdyn got a call while he was driving me home.
I heard it clearly. Elyse was divorced.
And she rushed back from abroad today.
Ever since Jamir and I slept together, he had moved in with me.
No matter how late he got home, I always left a light on for him.
I'd be at home, making sure there was hot water, laying out his clothes for tomorrow, and waiting for him to come to bed with me.
But tonight, I knew there was no reason to wait up for him anymore.
I looked at him. "Did you two meet?"
Jamir was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Even though I expected it, it still hurt more than I could bear.
Seeing my blank face, Jamir frowned, his tone gloomy.
"You're upset just because of this?" he asked.
He yanked at his hair, clearly annoyed.
"You knew this from the beginning, didn't you? Elyse and I grew up together. We've always been inseparable," he said.
"A brother gets married, and his sister shows up to celebrate. What's wrong with that? Why are you making such a fuss?" he asked.
I spoke up, my voice icy in the dark.
"Sister? You used to call me your sister too," I said.
"Jamir, ask yourself honestly. Deep down, is Elyse really just your sister?" I pressed.
His fist slowly unclenched, and his icy gaze bore into me.
"Who are you to even put yourself on the same level as her?" he shot back.
Shame and heartbreak crashed over me, leaving me breathless.
Bebe, who'd been quietly at my side, suddenly barked at him, like it was standing up for me.
"But Jamir, we're married," I said.
"You never gave up, for eight years—wherever I went, you followed, even ended up in my bed. So I just married you to finally get some peace," he said with a sneer.
His eyes were full of contempt, and every word felt like a knife to my chest, making it hard to breathe.
"So now that she's divorced, are we supposed to get divorced too?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"What?" Jamir blurted out, his voice sharp with disbelief.
"She's divorced?" Jamir blurted out, his voice sharp with disbelief.
Honestly, I'd never seen Jamir like this before. He was both anxious and thrilled.
He jumped out of bed in a hurry, stubbing his toe on the nightstand and wincing in pain.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Elyse.
Jamir barely glanced at me, then practically dragged Boby out of the bedroom.
The last thing I heard was his soft, soothing voice on the phone. "Don't cry, I'll bring Boby over right now."
Pretty sure my talk about divorce went in one ear and out the other.
Jamir and I had the most cliché first meeting you could imagine.
It was the day the SAT exam ended, and I accidentally bumped into him.