Chapter 2

• I stared at the clock. 6:45 PM. Dinner was in fifteen minutes.
• I sighed and glanced around my new room. It was spacious, with a queen-sized bed, a large closet, and a window overlooking the city, but it still felt cold—just like the man who had dumped me here with barely a word.
• Deciding not to make him angrier than he already seemed, I freshened up in the bathroom.
• My hair was a mess, so I threw it into a loose bun. I slipped into a simple baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants. It wasn’t glamorous, but I didn’t care.
• At exactly 7 PM, I opened my door and stepped out.
• The penthouse was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioner. I made my way toward the dining area when suddenly, the doorbell rang.
• “Who could that be?” I muttered, glancing toward the door.
• Nathan hadn’t emerged from the room he’d disappeared into earlier, so I hesitated before stepping toward the door. But before I could reach it, Nathan appeared out of nowhere, walking past me.
• “You shouldn’t concern yourself with that. Go to the dining room,” he said coldly, not even sparing me a glance.
• “But—”
• “Now,” he snapped.
• I swallowed hard, clenching my fists as I turned toward the dining room. But curiosity got the better of me, and I stopped just out of sight, peeking around the corner.
• Nathan opened the door, and a woman stepped inside. She was stunning—tall, with perfectly styled hair and a figure-hugging red dress.
• She didn’t wait for Nathan to greet her. Instead, she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
• “Nathan!” she said, her voice dripping with excitement.
• He stiffened, his arms remaining at his sides. “Vanessa,” he said flatly, stepping back as if trying to put distance between them.
• “Oh, don’t be so cold,” she pouted, clinging to him like glue.
• “Vanessa,” he said again, this time sharper. “What are you doing here? How did you even find out I was in town?”
• She smirked, tilting her head. “What kind of question is that? Does it matter how I knew you were in town? What should matter is that I’m here to see you the moment you arrive Nathan.”
• “Oh please, It does matter! You do know how much I hate it when my privacy is invaded and that’s exactly what you’re doing right now.” he said, his tone icy.
• She ignored him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “That’s enough! Aren’t you going to invite me in, Nathan? Or, are you locking me out of your house?”
• His jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he was going to say no, but then he stepped aside reluctantly. “It’s Fine. Just come in.”
• Vanessa giggled like she had won a lottery and sauntered past him, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
• As she walked into the penthouse, her gaze landed on me at the corner where I stood peeping at them.
• “Oh,” she said, stopping in her tracks. Her eyes raked over me from head to toe, taking in my baggy clothes and messy bun. I could feel her judgment like a physical weight.
• “And who is this?” she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity—and something else I couldn’t quite place.
• I opened my mouth to answer, but Nathan beat me to it.
• “She’s no one important,” he said coldly, not even glancing at my direction briefly.
• My stomach twisted, the words hitting harder than I expected.
• Vanessa laughed lightly, covering her mouth. “No one important, huh? Well, I suppose that explains the outfit. I also know you can’t stoop low to be with someone like her. I mean—”
• I bit my tongue, forcing myself to stay quiet.
• “Nathan,” she said, turning back to him, “why don’t we sit and catch up? It’s been far too long.”
• He hesitated, glancing at me briefly before nodding. “Fine. Dinner is ready anyway.”
• At the dining table, I sat stiffly across from Nathan and Vanessa, wishing I could disappear. She was all smiles, laughing at things that weren’t even funny, and leaning closer to him every chance she got.
• Nathan didn’t seem interested, but he wasn’t exactly pushing her away either.
• “So, Nathan,” Vanessa purred, twirling a strand of her hair, “how’s business? Still running CDI Tech like a pro?”
• “It’s fine,” he said shortly, cutting into his steak.
• “Just fine? Oh, come on. I bet you’re working on something huge. You’ve always been ambitious like that.”
• Nathan didn’t respond, keeping his eyes on his plate.
• Vanessa didn’t seem to notice—or maybe she didn’t care. She turned her attention to me instead. “And what about you?” she asked, her tone light but clearly condescending. “What do you do?”
• “I’m—” I started, but Nathan interrupted.
• “She’s nothing you need to concern yourself with,” he said, his voice sharp.
• I froze, my appetite disappearing entirely.
• Vanessa raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “Really? Well, if you say so.”
• She turned back to Nathan, placing her hand on his arm. “You’re still as protective as ever, aren’t you?”
• Nathan stiffened, his jaw clenching. “Vanessa, eat your food.”
• She giggled, clearly enjoying his discomfort. “Alright, alright. No need to get grumpy.”
• The rest of the meal was unbearable. Vanessa kept finding excuses to touch Nathan—his arm, his shoulder, even his hand once—and every time, my chest tightened.
• Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I set down my fork and stood up.
• “Thank you for dinner,” I said, my voice barely steady. “I’m done.”
• Nathan looked up at me, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t say a word.
• “Goodnight,” I muttered, turning and walking away before they could see the tears welling up in my eyes.
• Back in my room, I shut the door and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath.
• This was my life now. Married to a cold stranger who didn’t even acknowledge me and forced to watch another woman hang all over him.
• What had I gotten myself into?