Chapter 4
After he said that, Jake stared at me intensely, like he was terrified I’d get the wrong idea.
I nodded and said casually:
“It’s fine. I can stay at Mom’s place tonight.”
Jake just stood there, stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so easily.
But Riley wasn’t about to give me a chance to change my mind. She smugly bounced back into the bedroom.
When I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door, Jake was still planted in the living room.
His lips were pressed tight, gripping my hand like his life depended on it. The guilt in his eyes kept getting deeper and deeper.
Finally, with Riley calling for him from the bedroom, he said:
“Tomorrow, after we get married, we’ll go see your mom together.”
At sunrise, I packed up everything and went back to the office for my final day.
The second I walked in, my coworkers were giving me these weird looks. When I passed by, they’d whisper and point behind my back.
Then I saw Riley sitting at my desk, and everything clicked.
Everyone was pretending to stare at their computer screens while sneaking glances at what was about to go down.
When Riley saw me, she looked at me like I was dirt on her shoe:
“I’m starting work here today, and I want this desk. You can sit somewhere else.”
I looked at her and nodded calmly.
“Sure. Let me just grab my stuff.”
We were both being super casual about it, but seeing me back down like that, my coworkers figured I was feeling guilty about being caught by the “real wife.”
Since both of us were right there, nobody dared say anything out loud.
But I could see them typing away, probably trashing me in the company chat.
I wanted to set the record straight, but what was I supposed to say?
Riley really was Jake’s legal wife, after all.
21:00
Just a Stand In?! My Billionaire Hubby’s OTHER Wife…
67.2%
Chapter 4
Anything I said would just make me look more pathetic.
I was packing up my things when Jake walked over.
When he saw me with my box of stuff, his face went tight.
“Where are you going?”
“I-”
Riley cut me off: “Making room for me. I like this spot.”
Seeing me about to leave, Jake quickly grabbed my arm.
“No way. This is your desk. Nobody can-”
I cut him off: “She likes it, so she can have it.”
I’d already quit anyway. Who sat there wasn’t my problem anymore.
Jake just stood there frozen, his expression unreadable.
It wasn’t until I disappeared with my box that he snapped out of it.
Jake shoved Riley away from the desk while she was humming and organizing it, then slapped her across the face in front of everyone:
“Did our fake marriage make you forget your place?!”
“Did you forget I warned you to stay the hell away from Chloe?”
After I left the office, Jake texted me:
[Tomorrow at the County Clerk Office. I’ll be waiting.]
[The specialist I hired for your mom arrives tomorrow.]
[After we get married, we’ll go see her together.]
I smiled, but it felt bitter.
Goodbye, Jake.
I took all my luggage and headed to the airport.
The next day, Jaké stood outside the County Clerk Office with his fresh divorce papers in hand.
2
21:00
