After three years of marriage, my husband had always treated me with gentle affection, yet I was the one who finally asked for a divorce. That night, he was like a completely different person, backing me into a corner. "Give me a reason." I was trembling like a leaf. "I... I want to have a baby of my own." His eyes darkened, and he let out a low, cold laugh. "Are you blaming me for not performing my duties?" 1 Alexander Sterling was always busy. Whenever it got too late, I’d call him, worried. "When are you coming home?" Sometimes it was loud on his end, like he was playing poker or at a loud bar. He’d exchange a few words with his friends, then find a second to answer me. "Don't wait up. Go to sleep." I never knew what else to say, so I’d just say okay. Before hanging up, he’d always thoughtfully say goodnight, and I’d politely reply, "Thank you." I'm a light sleeper. I always knew when he came home, but I pretended to be asleep. Sometimes, I even hoped he would slide over from behind, wrap his arms around me, and show some warmth. But the reality was, every single time, he was as still as a monk, leaving me with a racing heart and a sleepless night. 2 Marrying Alexander was a complete accident. Three years ago, my parents were relentlessly pressuring me to get married. After I rejected blind date after blind date, they started getting aggressive, telling me that if I didn't find someone soon, all the good men would be taken. I was swamped with work every day. One time, to brush them off, I just blurted out, "Don't worry, I already have a boyfriend." Who knew they would take it seriously? They immediately FaceTimed me, demanding to see what he looked like. And right at that moment, Alexander happened to walk past my camera. My parents excitedly yelled, "He's so handsome! Looks very put-together too. Look at those glutes, I guarantee you two will have three kids in three years." Even though I spent the next few minutes desperately explaining, "He's my boss!" My parents had already mentally written an entire "Billionaire CEO Falls for Me" romance novel in their heads. I couldn't defend myself. What happened next was completely out of my control. I have no idea how my parents managed to contact Alexander, but when I saw him standing in my parents' living room, I was absolutely stunned. Alexander adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses with a long, elegant finger, his voice deep. "Your boyfriend?" My parents were smiling warmly at the two of us. I was riding a tiger and couldn't get off. I figured I might as well double down and placate the old folks first. So, under the table, I tugged on the seam of his pants, signaling him to help me out. Alexander glanced down, raised an eyebrow, and surprisingly played along. "I thought you told them we were planning to get married." Married??? I couldn't process this. I kept shooting him looks. Okay, you've acted enough, don't take it too far! Predictably, my parents exploded with joy, hugging each other and crying happy tears. And then, somehow, in a total daze, I ended up at City Hall getting a marriage license with Alexander Sterling. As for our married life... how do I put this? We had plenty of domestic bliss, but zero passion. The Alexander who was a ruthless, decisive CEO at the office was so gentle at home he could drown you in it. But it had been three years. We were husband and wife in name only. We had never actually slept together. 3 Tonight was the company dinner. A new male subordinate kept toasting me. Feeling a bit down, I had a few too many. When I came out of the restroom, the subordinate cornered me. "Claire, are you okay?" "I'm fine." I waved my hand, but bile was rising in my throat. "Your name is Mason, right?" "You have a great memory, Claire." Mason had just graduated college. His skin was flawless, his face young and inexperienced, and his eyes practically sparkled. Youth is truly something to envy. "Keep up the good work." I tried to walk past him, but my legs gave out, and I almost fell. Mason quickly caught me. It was in that moment of support that I realized something was wrong. I immediately pulled away from him. Mason didn't try to hide it at all. "Claire, you're really cute when you're drunk." A young guy's intentions aren't hard to guess, especially when he's not trying to hide them. I replied, "Even if I am, it has nothing to do with you. Don't say I didn't warn you, our company has a strict policy against office romances." After saying that, I headed back to the private room. Halfway down the hall, I ran straight into Alexander. He gave me a look as he walked past and muttered, "Lightweight. You get drunk and then you're going to cause a scene when we get home." I usually don't smoke or drink, but at every company dinner, I love to indulge. I had been drunk quite a few times before, though I always blacked out. I only knew snippets of what happened from what Alexander told me— Like the time I hugged him and called him "Daddy." Though sometimes, apparently, I also called him "my good boy." 4 The alcohol hit me hard later. By the time the dinner ended, my feet felt like they were floating on clouds. Since everyone had been drinking, people were either calling designated drivers or Ubers. Someone asked me, "Claire, how are you getting home?" I instinctively glanced over at Alexander out of the corner of my eye. "I'm taking an Uber too." Everyone said their goodbyes and left. Seeing no one familiar around, I quickly slid into Alexander's car. The next second, a voice piped up from the back seat. "Claire, you're heading this way too?" I was shocked. I turned around and saw Mason leaning forward excitedly. I looked at Alexander in bewilderment. Why is this kid here??? Alexander started the car, his tone nonchalant. "One more word and you can crawl home." Mason snapped his mouth shut. He asked Alexander, "Uncle Alex, can I stay at your place tonight? I really don't want to stay in a hotel anymore, it doesn't feel like home at all. My parents don't even know I sneaked back to the States. You know they just want me to stay in Europe and develop the market there." Uncle??? Wait, he's staying at our place? My head was spinning. I felt like throwing up. Mason leaned his head forward worriedly. "Claire, are you not feeling well? Where do you live? Let Uncle Alex drop you off first." 5 I chose silence. Alexander chose to ignore him. Not long after, I fell asleep. I woke up later to the sound of Mason's voice. Alexander was carrying me to the bedroom, and Mason was hovering behind him, nervously rambling. "Uncle Alex, is this really okay? We just brought a drunk woman home and put her in your bed... shouldn't we wake her up and take her home?" I was already awake, but I pretended to be asleep. After all, I had just righteously lectured the kid about "no office romances." As his direct supervisor, I absolutely could not lose my authority. Alexander placed me on the bed, pulled the covers over me, and turned to leave. Mason quickly backed out of the room as well. My body felt like jelly. I propped myself up and pressed my ear against the crack in the door. Alexander didn't entertain any nonsense; he just told Mason to take a shower and sleep in the guest room. Mason asked, "Then where are you going to sleep?" Alexander replied, "That's none of your concern." Not daring to say another word, Mason obediently went to shower and was back in his room within minutes. I was bursting to pee. I threw open the door and bolted for the bathroom, taking a quick shower while I was at it. When I came out, I saw Alexander leaning back on the sofa, eyes closed. I stopped in my tracks on the way back to my room. What was the point of our marriage to him? We only had a marriage license; no wedding, I'd never met his extended family, and hardly anyone knew about our relationship. I wasn't rich, and he clearly wasn't after my body. But I was different. I had agreed to the fake marriage to dodge the endless pressure from my parents, but after three years of living together, I had long since started lusting after him. Whatever, I had the marriage license in hand. Sleeping with him was perfectly legal, right? Taking advantage of the liquid courage still coursing through my veins, I decided to exercise my rights as a wife. 6 My legs gave out, and I practically threw myself at Alexander. He slowly opened his eyes, looking down at me through dark lashes. "What are you trying to do now?" "My head hurts." I simply rested my head against his chest. "I don't think I can stand up. Can you carry me to the bedroom?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, the depths of his eyes swirling with an unfathomable emotion. "Are you sure?" I swallowed hard. My hands rebelliously climbed up to the back of his neck, and I leaned in to kiss his lips. The next second, a large hand clamped down over my puckered lips. Alexander warned in a low voice, "We have a guest in the house. Behave yourself tonight." I leaned closer to his ear, keeping my voice low too. "Don't you think it's more exciting because there's a guest?" Alexander frowned, his gaze locked onto me without blinking. My cheeks were burning. Shamelessly, I pushed further. "Anyway, I'm drunk. I won't remember a thing tomorrow morning." "Claire, do you know what you're saying right now?" Alexander's tone was stern, his eyes growing darker. The hand restraining my wrists slowly tightened. I whined, "That hurts," and he let out what sounded like a low chuckle. "That hurts?" His tone was so gentle, yet his eyes were dark and dangerous. I felt a bit scared and tried to pull my hands back, complaining softly, "When I got drunk before, did you always bully me like this?" He didn't let go, a half-smile on his lips. "Who knows? Maybe I did worse things. After all, you won't remember anything tomorrow anyway." He was teasing me. My temper flared, and I challenged him. "Then I can bully you today too." And then, fueled by the alcohol, I started getting handsy... Alexander tried to stop me, but I was being too chaotic. He was getting a bit flustered. Just as the two of us were tangled together in a mess, the guest room door handle clicked... Almost instantly, Alexander scooped me up into his arms, his long legs striding quickly toward the master bedroom. 7 As soon as Alexander kicked the door shut and locked it, I heard Mason's voice from the living room. "Uncle Alex?" He called out a few times, then silence. It was eerily quiet outside. Separated only by a thin wooden door, Alexander held me pinned against it, making absolutely no sound. I covered my mouth to muffle a giggle. Alexander looked down at me. "Funny?" I nodded, deliberately teasing him. "Say, if I yelled 'Help!' right now, would your nephew come bursting in?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, completely unbothered. "Why not give it a try and see?" Well... Okay, I didn't dare. He was always like this. It seemed like nothing could threaten him; he was always so perfectly composed. He had no sense of romance. I suddenly lost the mood, slipped out of his arms, and flopped onto the bed in three quick steps, closing my eyes to sleep. Suddenly, a soft blanket landed on my rear end. Alexander looked down at my nightgown. "You're exposed." Gee, thanks! "You're no fun!" I muffled my head in the pillow and mumbled, "I'm starting to think you don't even like women!" Alexander leaned down, whispering right into my ear, "You don't need to doubt that. I am 100% not into men." I was even more annoyed now. I flipped over angrily. "So you're implying I'm just not attractive enough?!" As soon as the words left my mouth, my face flushed bright red. Alexander's face was inches from mine, his eyes staring at me with a casual intensity. I awkwardly looked away, kicking myself for losing my nerve at the crucial moment. By my ear, Alexander's voice was low. "How much did you drink tonight?" "...Not much." "If you ever drink like this again, I'm going to have to enforce household rules." I looked at him in surprise. "Household rules?" Since when did we have those? Alexander smirked, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Try drinking like this again and you'll find out." I felt a bit intimidated. It sounded serious. I pushed gently against his chest. "Aren't you going out to sleep?" "No need." He stood up, unbuttoning his shirt with one hand. "Do you think my nephew is stupid enough not to know where I am right now?" True. I stared at the straight lines of his back, feeling that familiar itch again. Alexander didn't even turn around. "Don't even think about it. You're not getting me tonight." Damn it! 8 When I woke up the next morning, Alexander was already out of bed. Opening the bedroom door, I saw Mason. He gave me a look—a look that practically screamed he knew exactly what was going on. Alexander made breakfast, and we ate in a very quiet atmosphere. After we got to the office, Mason's client was still not completely satisfied with the proposal. Mason was new, so he asked me to come along and meet the client to resolve the issue once and for all. On the way there, Mason finally broke the silence. "Our whole family knows you're married to my uncle." "Mhm." I kept my eyes on the road. Mason asked, puzzled, "You don't mind?" I smiled, checking the traffic. "That's exactly why I decided to marry him." "What do you mean?" "I don't want to deal with complicated mother-in-law dynamics, and I don't want to have kids. Being completely detached from his family means I don't have to deal with any of that." Actually, that was only half true. I really hadn't wanted to get married or have kids initially. Getting a marriage license with Alexander on a whim was definitely to avoid the endless pressure from my parents, but it was also because I wouldn't have to interact with his family. My explanation to my parents at the time was that I was marrying Alexander the person, not his family. We weren't planning on having a wedding, and there was no need for our parents to meet. As long as we lived happily, that was enough. My parents couldn't convince me otherwise, and since they were incredibly impressed with Alexander, they reluctantly accepted our "modern" views on marriage. But now... All those initial reasons had turned into a massive question mark in my mind. Mason was silent for a moment before speaking up again. "But I don't think my uncle married you because he loves you." My heart skipped a beat. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and laughed. "Is it because I'm so irresistible he just couldn't help himself?" Mason let out a dry laugh. "Claire, you're slumming it with my uncle." I clicked my tongue. "Stop calling me Claire. Call me Aunt Claire." Mason stubbornly looked out the window. "It's either Claire or your full name. Take your pick." Wow, this kid... needs a good smack. 9 The point person at the client's company was a beautiful woman. When she saw Mason, she greeted him familiarly. "Mason, your mom told me yesterday she couldn't reach you. You still haven't told them you're back?" "Rachel, please don't tell them. I want a few more days of freedom." "Don't worry, my lips are sealed." The two seemed to know each other well. Mason introduced us. "Claire, this is Rachel." I reached out politely. "Hello, Claire Bennett. Nice to meet you." Rachel gave my hand a weak shake and led Mason toward her office. I understood now. The contract Mason secured was largely due to personal connections. I followed them inside. Just before entering the office, I heard Rachel ask Mason, "Why didn't your uncle come with you?" 10 I instinctively looked at Rachel. Mason shot me a nervous glance and stammered, "Rachel, my uncle is busy. Claire is my manager. If you need any changes, telling her is the same thing." Rachel's lips twisted in a disappointed pout. "I see. Well, let's wait until your uncle has time then. I'm not in a hurry anyway." She sank into her leather chair and started chatting with Mason about family matters. She completely ignored my presence. I understood now. Her repeated dissatisfaction with the proposal was just an excuse. What she really wanted was to see Alexander. "Ms. Rachel, I'll pass your message along to Mr. Sterling. We won't take up any more of your time today." I smiled and glanced at Mason. "Let's go." With that, I turned and headed for the door. "Mason and I haven't finished catching up. Mason, you stay. We'll grab lunch later." Rachel was very assertive, her tone dripping with arrogance. I stopped in my tracks but didn't say anything. After a moment, I looked back at Mason. Perhaps intimidated by my glare, Mason shrank back, hurriedly gathered his files, and followed me. "Rachel, I'm going to head out. I'll... I'll treat you to lunch some other time." Rachel frowned in disbelief, shooting a death glare our way. I offered a polite smile in return and walked out with Mason trailing behind me. 11 Mason had been at the company for less than a month, but he definitely knew my temper. On the drive back, I didn't say a single word. Mason finally came clean. "Rachel is my uncle's ex-girlfriend. They were childhood sweethearts. Three years ago, they suddenly broke up for some unknown reason. Now Rachel is back from Europe and wants to rekindle things, but they're both too proud..." "So Rachel was just looking for an excuse to get him to come to her?" "Yes." I let out a laugh. Grown adults acting this childish. When we got back to the office, Alexander cornered me near the restrooms. "I heard the moment I walked in that you went to Rachel's company?" "Yeah, I went." I stood calmly in front of him. Alexander could always see right through me. "You saw Rachel?" "Yeah, I saw her. She's very pretty." I turned to leave, but he suddenly grabbed my arm. "Are you mad?" I didn't look up. "She didn't do anything to me. Why would I be mad?" I went back to my desk to keep working. But I never expected that right before the end of the day, the company Slack channel would explode! "Claire, look at the group chat!" Mason alerted me. Surprised, I opened the chat window, and the next second, I was stunned. Someone had secretly taken photos of Alexander and me "arguing" by the restrooms, and posted several pictures of me getting out of Alexander's car and following him into his apartment building. The chat was dead silent. But everyone was looking at me with thinly veiled mockery. I could hear the whispers— "No wonder she became a department manager at such a young age. She slept her way to the top." "Always acting so high and mighty. Turns out she's got the big boss backing her!" "Look at that pathetic, clingy posture. She really knows how to manipulate a man." I quietly clenched my fists. Mason whispered beside me, trying to comfort me, "Claire, don't listen to their nonsense. Do you want me to tell them about your relationship with my uncle...?" "Mind your own business." I continued processing the paperwork in front of me. Mason studied my face. "You're not mad?" "I'm furious." I forced a smile, my eyes darkening. "Once I find out who posted this, they're dead meat." Mason rested his chin on his hand, looking confused. "Who would do it? And why?" "Don't worry about who for now. Are you free tonight? Want to grab a few drinks with me?" "With your tolerance? Claire, I'm afraid you'll say I took advantage of you." I smiled, narrowing my eyes. "We'll see who's taking advantage of who." 12 After work, I took a cab straight to a bar. Alexander texted me: "Where are you?" I raised an eyebrow and replied, "Going drinking." "?" He sent a question mark. I bit the inside of my cheek and replied, a bit playfully, "Didn't you say if I drank again, you'd enforce household rules? I want to see what these household rules look like." Alexander didn't reply for a long time. Eventually, he asked: "Address." I put my phone away, signaled for Mason to get out of the cab, and walked into the bar. After a few rounds, I was pretty buzzed. Just as I was about to pour another drink down my throat, Mason snatched it and downed it in one gulp. "Claire, I really don't think you need to do this." He held the empty glass, leaning closer to me. The distance was incredibly intimate, and his eyes were full of a certain... invitation. I poured myself another glass. As I went to drink, he snatched it again. After a few times, he was visibly unsteady. I smiled faintly, running a hand through my messy hair. A flash of youthful impulse crossed Mason's eyes. The next second, he reached out to grab my waist... I dodged. "You haven't even been at the company for a month. You like me that much?" Mason licked his lips, not denying it at all. "You're mature and cute. It's only natural I'd like you." "Mhm, true." I propped my cheek on my hand. "Pretty with a bit of a temper. That's exactly what attracts young guys like you." Mason leaned his face closer to mine. "Don't assume just because I'm younger that you can look down on me. Younger guys have their advantages." "Such as?" "Stamina." Ha. Well, that point certainly appealed to me. Kids really do know what older women want. My eyes looked hazy with intoxication as I lined up another row of shots. Ten of them. I ran my fingertip along the rim of the glasses, signaling him to continue. Mason hesitated for a few seconds, then actually drank them one by one. By the time he was done, he looked like he was about to throw up. He barely kept himself upright, getting even bolder as he tried to pull me into an embrace again. I stood up, taking a step back. My eyes instantly cleared up, completely sober. "Young guys really do have great stamina." Mason realized something was wrong. His pupils constricted. "You're not drunk?" "Out of all those drinks, I legit had maybe three. I can handle at least that much." Mason's lips pressed into a thin, unhappy line, and he dry-heaved a few times. I leaned in, faking sympathy. "Feeling sick? Deal with it, kid. Older women can be a little wicked. This is the lesson you deserve for trying to play me." "You know?" He didn't seem surprised. I scoffed. "You insisting I go with you to see the client was just a setup to get Rachel in front of me, wasn't it? And those photos in the Slack channel. Besides you, I honestly can't think of anyone else who would just 'happen' to see Alexander and me going home together at that exact moment." "That's just a theory." "So is this proof?" The person who posted the photos was an employee currently processing their resignation. I had just messaged him, and with a little pressure, he confessed. The mastermind was Mason. Mason wiped the spilled liquor from his mouth, a crooked smile appearing. "What can I say? I like a wicked woman even more." I smacked the back of his head. "Mason, I'm warning you. If it wasn't for the fact that you're Alexander's nephew, I wouldn't let you off this easy. This is just a warning. Next time, see what I do to you." Mason ground his teeth, looking aggrieved and defiant. "I shouldn't have to tell you how to handle the mess in the Slack channel, right? Clean up your own garbage!" I turned and walked away. Mason yelled bitterly behind me, "I really don't get what's so great about my uncle. It's a fact that he has another woman in his heart, isn't it? Rachel wasn't an actress I hired. You're going to suffer eventually." I stopped dead in my tracks. Mason instinctively took a step back. I left him with three words: "None of your business!"
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