Chapter 3

Chloe opened the car door and called out in a sugary voice, "Honey~"

Julian seemed to remember something then, giving me a look of guilt.

"Um, I'm afraid she might get upset again, so I'm letting her stay in our marital home for a few days."

He said, taking off the wedding ring engraved with my name and pressing it into my hand.

"Keep the ring for now, so I don't accidentally upset her. She's fragile right now, you need to cut her some slack."

I looked up at him, my eyes red, and let out a cynical laugh.

"Julian, what makes you think I'd 'cut her slack'? And what makes you think I'd ever stay with you?"

His face instantly darkened. He gripped my wrist, a warning in his voice.

"Skylar, the alliance between our families isn't something you get to decide. I think you understand that clearly."

He was right. The alliance involved a multi-billion dollar project. This was Julian's way of thinking he could control me.

He gave me the most envied wedding in the city, announcing to the world that I was the wife he loved most in this life.

But his real wife wasn't me.

I pulled my hand free and slapped him hard.

"But you married someone else. You broke the contract between our families first."

He wiped away the blood from his lip, a cold smirk on his face, but he didn't get angry.

"Getting bold, Skylar? That's the first time you've ever hit me."

Seeing my face remain stone cold, he sighed helplessly.

"Fine, yes, I admit I was in the wrong first.

But we can't force a living girl to her death over this, can we? If I didn't marry her, she threatened to jump. What was I supposed to do?"

He reached up and wiped away the tears I couldn't hold back. He stepped forward and hugged me, then softened his voice, nuzzling my neck.

"Just give me three more months, Skylar. Let me handle this. After everything we've been through, don't leave me. Just stay by my side, and be my wife, okay?"

He always looked at me with those deeply affectionate eyes. It seemed Julian hadn't forgotten our unforgettable past.

That time he risked his life escaping a bear attack to save me, his leg was so badly bitten the bones were exposed. Yet he endured the pain, smiling as he wiped away my tears.

"Why are you crying? Afraid no one will want you if I die?"

Back then, Julian was a bit reckless, but he always put himself in danger for me without a second thought.

So many close calls, even now, thinking back sends shivers down my spine.

Julian loved me enough to risk his life, but he was tainted. That was an undeniable fact!

"No!"

I pushed him away, the sickness like I'd swallowed a fly churning in my stomach. I glared at him fiercely.

"Don't touch me, Julian. Either you divorce her right now, or we're completely over! As for the board's losses, our families will each bear their own."

"You!"

He frowned in anger, then pulled out his phone from his pocket, his voice chillingly cold, a tone I'd never heard from him before:

"Skylar, don't regret this. Our first time last night was too precious, so I recorded it.

You don't want your naked body watched by thousands of online strangers, do you?"

I gasped, sucking in a cold breath.

"What did you say?"