Chapter 3
Emma’s blood instantly froze.
Husband and wife? What fine words.
But before she could recover, she watched Dominic remove the prayer heads from his wrist and gently place them on Stella’s hand.
“And stop calling yourself a disaster,” he said, “These blessed heads–I’ve worn them for seven years. Now they’re
yours to keep you safe,
Tears streaming down her face, Stella lunged forward with overwhelming emotion and threw herself into his arms,
Emina stood outside, her vision blurring as if drowning in deep water. Her entire being felt like it was suffocating
Those prayer heads….
She’d gotten them on her eighteenth birthday, crawling on her knees through the pilgrimage path, performing the traditional prostration every few yards all the way from the mountain base to the abbey summit.
That day, torrential rain had soaked the ground, leaving her knees bleeding and palms raw by the time the abbot finally blessed the beads in the sacred ritual.
When she returned, Dominic saw her battered state and immediately reddened eyes, pulling her into his arms, his voice trembling: “Emma, have you lost your mind? Who made you suffer like this?”
She’d smiled, placing the beads on his wrist: “The abbot said these will keep you safe and grant you longevity.”
He’d kissed her, promising: “I’ll wear them for life.”
For seven years, he never removed them. Not during the most formal business occasions, not during their most intimate moments–the beads remained on his wrist.
But now, he’d placed them on another woman’s hand..
Witnessing this scene with her own eyes, her heart felt like it was being slowly carved open with a dull blade, the pain so intense she could barely breathe.
So his “lifetime” had lasted just seven years.
She turned to leave, her steps unsteady as if walking on cotton.
By the time she returned home, night had fallen.
She’d barely entered when her phone vibrated with Dominic’s message:
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Just a Stand In71 My billionaire Hubb OTHER Wife.
Chapter 3
[Baby, the company has an urgent matter abroad. I’ll be gone for a few days. Don’t be angry; I’ll make it up to you when I return.]
Emma stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, trembling slightly as she typed:
[Is it really a few days for business, or a few days with your wife?]
But ultimately, she deleted the words one by one, tears falling onto the screen, blurring her vision.
After that, she spent the time packing–documents, passport, bank cards… everything that could prove her identity
went into her suitcase.
Three days later, Dominic returned.
He pushed open the door carrying a large bouquet of roses and a strawberry cake, smiling tenderly: “Baby, I’m
back.”
4
Emma stood in the center of the living room, silently watching him.
He approached, placing the flowers and cake on the table, reaching to embrace her: “Work was incredibly busy these past few days, requiring my presence overseas. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have left you for so long. Don’t be angry,
okay?”
She shifted slightly, avoiding his embrace, her tone flat: “I’m not angry. Go take care of your business.”
He paused, then smiled: “I’m done with work. Now my job is to make you happy.”
He took her hand, his eyes expectant: “I’ve prepared a surprise for you.”
Without waiting for her response, he led her to the car.
Half an hour later, they stopped before a concert hall.
Emma walked inside to find the entire venue had been reserved, with people seated around, whispering as they
entered:
‘Mr. Chase really went all out, renting the entire concert hall just for Emma!”
‘Word is he flew in her favorite orchestra from Europe–they’re playing exclusively for her all day long.”
“That ensemble’s fee has skyrocketed lately. This must have cost him seven figures, minimum.”
“Please–that’s nothing. His reputation for spoiling his wife is practically legendary!”
Emma stood in the brilliant light, surrounded by admiring whispers, while Dominic’s tender smile filled her vision.
Yet her heart felt submerged in ice water, painfully cold.
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Just a Stand–In?! My Billionaire Hubby’s OTHER Wife
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Chapter 3
He gave her grand gestures and romance, while giving another woman legal marriage.
He let her live in the spotlight of public admiration, while letting another woman exist on his marriage certificate.
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