Chapter 2

Julian snapped out of his daze and grabbed Chloe's wrist, his face a mix of worry and tenderness.

"Since when do I ever let you cook?"

I remembered my past life. I didn't know how to cook either. But because Julian once said, "I want to eat your cooking," I literally enrolled in culinary classes.

I cut my fingers, I burned my hands on hot pans—Julian never noticed.

Just like he never cared if I liked eating shrimp.

Suddenly feeling suffocated, I stood up and walked out to the balcony for some fresh air.

Julian followed me out, his brow furrowed in irritation.

"Maya, are you throwing a fit?"

"I just had a drink and clinked glasses with Chloe. Is it really worth giving me that attitude?"

"You're an adult now. Stop acting like an emotional child. If your mom finds out about us, neither of us will hear the end of it!"

Julian had always been terrified of anyone finding out about our marriage.

That was why not a single relative knew we had been sharing a bed for three years.

I took a slow sip of my wine and said flatly,

"Then let's get a divorce."

"I'm in a rush. I have a wedding to plan with my boss next month."

Julian froze, completely blindsided by my words.

Just as he opened his mouth to lecture me, my mom pushed the balcony door open, supporting a completely wasted Chloe.

"Julian, Chloe is totally out of it. She's crying for you to take her home."

Without a second thought, Julian took Chloe into his arms, wrapping his hand snugly around her waist.

Believing my divorce talk was just a drunken tantrum, he turned to my mom.

"Maya's drunk too. Make sure she takes some hangover pills."

Down in the driveway, Julian and Chloe were kissing passionately, going from the outside of the car all the way inside.

Standing on the balcony, I let out a dry laugh.

In my past life, after throwing a massive scene at that party, I got my wish and became Julian's legal wife.

But he never acted like a husband.

While I was busy planning our overdue wedding reception alone, Julian had flown to Paris just to cheer Chloe up.

When I was burning up with a high fever, Julian was at a bar having a heart-to-heart with Chloe.

Even when I got pregnant, his reaction was freezing cold.

"If you're pregnant, just have it. One more kid doesn't change anything for me."

Later, when I went into labor, Chloe called him once, and Julian booked a red-eye flight to Paris immediately.

During my difficult labor, the doctor desperately called him.

Julian's voice had been deadpan and cold.

"Do whatever you want. Honestly, I don't care about keeping either of them."

I died on the operating table. Julian never even bothered to fly back to look at my corpse. In the end, it was my mom who brought my body back from the hospital.

Shaking off the memories, I pulled myself back to the present.

I pressed a hand against my aching chest, glanced down at the two still kissing in the car, and turned back inside without looking back.

What Julian didn't know was that my boss actually *did* have feelings for me.

He had confessed his love to me six months ago, but I had turned him down.

I pulled out my phone and typed a SnapChat message.

[Ethan, can you help me play a part? Let's have a fake marriage next month.]

In less than a second, Ethan replied, readily agreeing to this absurd proposal.

I had planned to never see Julian again.

But the very next morning, my mom forced me to deliver some gifts to his apartment.

When the door opened, Chloe was standing there.

She had clearly spent the night. Dark, fresh hickeys peppered her neck, trailing down into her low-cut red slip dress.

She swept her eyes over me, slowly tying her hair up to show off the bruises even more.