Chapter 6
I remembered Zach and his father having a big fight over the inheritance of the family’s investment company. I decided to leave him, but I was stopped by his bodyguards at the airport and imprisoned in his villa.
I whispered, “Don’t make it worse. It’s not worth it to lose your right to the inheritance because of me.”
Zach pressed me against the wall, put one hand around my neck, and kissed me hard before growling, “You’re mine. You can only ever be mine. None of these losers who live on trust funds can compare to you, especially in bed!”
I glared at him, but he smiled, picked me up, and brought me into his Red Room of Pain.
After some intimate time together, his tone finally softened, fevealing a rare moment of vulnerability. He whispered, “I won’t allow you to leave me. Let’s get married immediately. This way, you can never run away again.”
Back at the dining table, Ethan scoffed disdainfully. “Seriously? If Zach Whitmore were married, it would have made the headlines of The Wall Street Journal.”
My stepfather was also doubtful. “I’ve met Zach’s father before. We met on a financing case more than a decade ago. If he were married, how could we not have received an invitation?”
I took a deep breath and replied, “We… didn’t have a wedding.” We did get married secretly. I once asked Zach why he did not want to make our marriage public.
“Because you’ll embarrass me, babe.” He smiled, as charming as ever. Then, he stabbed me in the heart. “A nameless little girl from a small town? If I made you public, would I still have a place on the board of directors?”
After saying that, he kissed me on the forehead. “But I love you, and that’s the most important thing. The world doesn’t need to know about us.”
I became his imprisoned wife-his secret, his private possession.
Chloe leaned forward, resting her chin on her perfectly manicured hands and saying sweetly, “Since you’re married to Zach Whitmore, show us your marriage license.”
My mom nodded in agreement, her tone light but scrutinizing. “Yes, dear. We could clear things up if you show us the license.”
I reached into my coat pocket, but it was empty.
A wave of panic surged up my spine.
I checked again-nothing. My bag was also empty. I remembered trying so hard to sneak the marriage license out of Zach’s office, but he must have taken it back quietly. That was his usual style.
I explained calmly, “I probably left it at home.”
Chloe chuckled, barely hiding her sarcasm. “I knew she was lying.”
I wanted to retort, but I could not be bothered to explain anything to my family since we were getting divorced anyway. I turned around and walked to my room, but I heard Chloe whispering to my parents, “Mr. and Mrs. Cole, you know what? I taught Summer chemistry when I was in college. One time, I went to the bathroom and put my bag on the lab table. When I came back, I discovered that my wallet was gone. That was the first gift I ever got for Ethan. Then, I caught her red-handed looking through my bag!”
It was a complete lie, but no one refuted it. There was silence at the table. None of my family members defended me. It was complete silence.
I almost wanted to laugh. How ironic.
