I should have seen it coming. Should’ve known the day Reo walked into my life with that devilish grin on his face that nothing good could come from it. But I was naïve. I thought I could handle whatever he threw at me. I was wrong. And now… now I’m trapped in this fake marriage with his brother, living a lie I never asked for.
The mansion feels like a tomb. Cold, silent, and suffocating. Leo is somewhere in the house, probably hiding out in his office like he always does, avoiding me like the plague. I glance around the room—everything is pristine, perfectly arranged, like it belongs in a magazine. But there’s no warmth here. No life.
I can’t help but think about how I got here. It all happened so fast. One minute, I was just Jennie, trying to make a life for myself, working a decent job in PR, and the next… I was tangled up with Reo Cuss. He swept into my life like a storm, all charm and chaos, and before I knew it, I was pregnant with his child.
*And now here I am, married to his brother. Forced to cover up the mess he made.*
The memory of that day comes rushing back, like a punch to the gut. I had just found out about Reo’s affair with Adele—Leo’s fiancée. The betrayal stung like a thousand needles, but what came next was worse.
I remember the way Reo cornered me in his office, his voice smooth but dangerous as he laid out his plan.
“We need to fix this, Jennie. Leo can’t find out about Adele. You’re going to marry him, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
I laughed, thinking it was some kind of twisted joke. But Reo wasn’t laughing. His cold eyes bore into mine. “You’re pregnant. You want to keep that kid, don’t you?”
That shut me up real quick. I was terrified. Not of Reo exactly, but of what would happen if I said no. So I agreed. I let him manipulate me into this mess. And now? Now I’m stuck in this marriage with a man who barely looks at me.
I shake off the memory, trying to focus on the present. The silence in the mansion is deafening, and I can’t help but feel the weight of it pressing down on me. It’s not like Leo and I ever talk. He’s always so distant, so cold. It’s like I don’t even exist to him.
I hear footsteps coming from down the hall and brace myself. Leo appears in the doorway, his dark hair slicked back, his expression unreadable. He looks at me for a split second before turning his attention to his phone. Typical.
“Hey,” My voice comes out softer than I intended. “Do you want me to cook dinner tonight?”
He doesn’t even look up. “I’ve already eaten.”
Of course. Why did I even bother?
The awkwardness between us is unbearable. We live in the same house, but we might as well be strangers. Every time I try to connect with him, it’s like hitting a brick wall. He barely acknowledges my existence. I’m just a tenant in his life. Nothing more.
I’m about to leave the room when I hear it—his phone rings, and I catch a glimpse of the name on the screen. *Adele.*
Leo answers the call, his voice soft, almost… tender. It’s a side of him I’ve never seen before. He walks toward the window, his back to me, but I can hear every word.
“I miss you,” his voice is filled with longing. “I know things are complicated, but I’ll always love you, Adele.”
I freeze, my heart sinking. Of course, he still loves her. He always will. I was stupid to think I could ever mean anything to him. I’m just a placeholder. A band-aid to cover up Reo’s screw-up.
I slip out of the room before Leo can notice me, my stomach twisting uglyily. This is my life now. Stuck in a loveless marriage with a man who will never care about me, all because of Reo’s mistakes.
I walk back to the kitchen, trying to push the hurt aside. I’m not surprised, not really. I knew Leo was still hung up on Adele. But hearing it… hearing him say it out loud, that cuts deeper than I expected.
I open the fridge, trying to distract myself with the mundane task of making a sandwich. But as I reach for the bread, a wave of nausea hits me out of nowhere. I drop the loaf and clutch my stomach as I stumble back; my head’s spinning.
Oh God.
I rush to the bathroom as the nausea overwhelms me. This isn’t just stress. This is something else. Something familiar. I stare at myself in the mirror as my heart pounds.
*No. It can’t be.*
I thought it was just wishful thinking.
But deep down, I know. I’m pregnant. Again. And I know for sure, it’s Reo’s child.