Chapter 2
“Claire, don’t take it the wrong way–I really don’t have a choice,” Ryan said, his voice. tinged with frustration.
“Listen, once the company’s crisis is over, I’ll secretly buy you a house. You can live there and I’ll visit whenever I can.”
He paused, as if expecting me to be grateful for his plan.
“But right now, I can’t afford to lose an opportunity like the one Emily offers. She’s my only way out of this mess.
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I stared at him, utterly speechless. It was hard to believe that such heartless words could come from someone I thought I knew.
“So, let me get this straight,” I said, my voice trembling. “You want to marry her, while making me your mistress?”
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Ryan shrugged, as if it were the most logical solution in the world.
“What other choice do I have?” he snapped. “If I don’t marry Emily, the company will collapse. But if I do, I can turn everything around and have the life. DSC I’ve always wanted.
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“Since you refuse to leave me, this is the only way. You’ll just have to accept it!”
The sheer audacity of his words left me seething. Ryan even had the nerve to slam his hand on the table, acting as though I was the unreasonable one.
I couldn’t hold back any longer. Grabbing
the glass of water on the table, I splashed it directly in his face.
ho “Claire, you‘ re being ridiculous!” he
yelled, but I didn’t care.
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Without another word, I stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
From the other side, I could still hear him
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shouting, his tone dripping with contempt.
“I’m giving you three days to think this through! If you don’t agree, you can get out of my life for good!”
“And don’t kid yourself, Claire. Do you really think you‘ re better than Emily? You should feel lucky I’m even offering you this chance, considering everything we’ve been through!”
Moments later, I heard the door slam as Ryan left the apartment. I sank to the floor, leaning against the bedroom door,
clutching my knees. Hot tears streamed down my face as I let out muffled sobs.
He wanted to turn me, his loyal girlfriend of seven years, into a mistress—and he said it as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.
I couldn’t believe how blind I had been.
This wasn‘ t love.
As I sat there, my eyes wandered to the floor beneath the bed. Something caught
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my attention–a small, familiar box. I reached for it, my heart sinking as I realized what it was. It was an empty box of condoms. Seven were supposed to be inside, but all of them had been used.
The realization hit me like a freight train. In the three days I had been at my mother’s house, begging her to approve our marriage, Ryan had brought her here. Emily Hart.
They had spent those days in our bed, laughing and shamelessly carrying on while I was sacrificing everything for him. My heart clenched with pain, the betrayal cutting deeper than I thought possible.
“Ryan,” I whispered through gritted teeth, “you’ve crossed the line.” Hatred surged through me, drowning out the pain. He was going to regret this.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Emily‘ s number. Months ago, I had hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on her when I
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discovered she was seducing my father. I had confronted her back then, but I had let her off too easily.
Not this time. But as I prepared to call her, a notification popped up on my phone. It was a new post on Emily’s social media.
“I told him I didn’t want to sleep alone and my boyfriend rushed over to keep me company. This is the kind of love I deserve,” the caption read.
Attached to the post was a photo of Emily lying in Ryan’s arms, a smug smile on her face. Ryan, who had been shouting at me. just hours ago, was now cradling her like she was his whole world.
My hands trembled as I stared at the image. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, but this time, they felt more like liquid
rage.
“Fine,” I whispered to myself, setting the phone down. “If this is how you want it, Ryan, then so be it. You’ll see exactly
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what you‘ ve thrown away.”
The next morning, I got up early. My eyes were puffy from crying, but my resolve was stronger than ever. I went straight to the hospital.
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