Three years into our marriage, my husband, Julian Hughes, started publicly bringing a young college student, Selena Black, to various parties.

It wasn't even subtle. Even our friends teased him relentlessly.

"Yo, Julian, aren't you worried your wife's gonna get mad about this?" one of them joked.

He didn't care at all. In fact, he just pulled Selena into his arms like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Wait, wife?" He chuckled. "Megan’s just a way to meet my parents' expectations about marriage." He turned to Selena, a smile spreading across his face. "But this—" he gestured between them, "—this is your real sister-in-law. The one I actually love."

And it wasn't just that. Julian brought her to our annual hiking trip with friends, and the whole day was a mess.

During the hike, we both fell off a cliff.

Selena got off easy, just a sprained ankle, but I wasn't so lucky.

I hit my head hard, and blood started pouring out. I begged him to help, but he just shrugged me off impatiently.

"Selena's scared of pain," he said as he helped her. "I gotta get her back quickly."

"You'll be fine," he added, barely glancing at me. "Just wait for the rescue team."

He gave her all the attention, all the affection. Meanwhile, I was bleeding out, lying there with a head injury.

When I finally decided I'd had enough and told him I was done, he grabbed my wrist. His eyes were wide, desperate.

"You said you're my wife. You promised you'd never leave me," he pleaded.

——

There I was, lying at the foot of the cliff for hours. The rescue team was taking forever. If another hiking group hadn't come by and found me, I swear I might've just died there.

It wasn't until later that I felt the bandage on my forehead and looked up. The yard was glowing from a fire, and laughter and conversation drifted to me in the cool night air.

When I reached the gate, I could already see them. Julian, surrounded by our friends, was out in the yard, laughing and chatting, totally carefree. I couldn't help but notice Selena was right there by his side.

I heard one of our friends call out through the wooden gate, mocking him.

"Julian, aren't you gonna go to the hospital or something? Your wife's been in there for a week. She must be seriously hurt. You're throwing a party here like nothing happened?"

I could hear the others chuckling, but Julian didn't care. He was too busy holding Selena close and grinning.

"What wife?" he sneered. "Don't call her that. This is your real sister-in-law here."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Megan's just a tool to get my parents off my back. She doesn't even count."

His voice dropped to a more serious tone. "If her parents hadn't passed away and left her some decent inheritance, who would have married her, huh?"

He paused, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Mark my words—once her parents are gone for good, life will be way easier."

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I didn’t care to hear another word.

I just pushed open the gate and walked straight into the yard.

As soon as I stepped through, the chatter stopped. It was like someone hit mute. Everyone exchanged uncomfortable glances, their faces dropping as they realized who had just entered.

Julian froze. His eyes locked onto me, but it didn't take him long to recover. "Don’t you see all these friends in the yard?" he snapped. "Are you mute or something? Can't you greet anyone? Did you hit your head so hard that you're dumb now?"

"Megan!" he called out, his voice sharp.

I couldn’t help it. I curled my lips into a cold, knowing smile and turned to face him.

"Julian," I said, my voice steady but cutting. "If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to say anything right now."

I stepped forward, crossing my arms, watching his face change. "Stop acting like you're in charge here. I've been in the hospital for a week, and you didn't even visit once. I've just gotten out, and you have never even asked if I'm okay."

I paused for a moment, letting it sink in.

"What makes you think you have the right to act all high and mighty in front of me?"

Julian's face turned red, his patience thinning. But there was a flicker of anger, too, a simmering resentment that boiled over when I didn't back down.

"You're fine, right?" he said, rolling his eyes like I was the problem. "Why are you making a fuss over this?"

He glanced at Selena, who looked at me like she couldn't care less.

"Selena sprained her ankle too, you know," Julian added, his voice almost mocking. "She was in pain. You saw that."

"Why are you being so unreasonable? You're completely losing it. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you actually fell to your death!" Julian shouted, his irritation clear.

I stayed silent, processing his words, and that's when Selena stepped in, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

"Julian, don’t get upset," she said, putting on a pitiful pout. "Megan's just out of the hospital. She's in a bad mood."

Then she turned to me, her expression innocent, almost angelic. "Megan, please don't argue with Julian. It was my sprained ankle that ruined everyone's mood that day. I invited everyone over today to apologize. If this is causing problems between you two, I feel so guilty."

I could see right through her act. Selena wasn’t the first "woman" Julian had brought around, and I had always ignored it before. But after spending an entire week in that hospital bed, things were finally clear.

And at that moment, I was done.

I took a breath, turned slowly, and met Selena's eyes, locking in with a steady gaze. "Cut the act. It's nauseating."

Her eyes widened in surprise, but I wasn't finished.

"Apologizing here?" I scoffed, glancing around the room. "I almost thought this was your house. My house doesn't have you screeching like a parrot."

I stepped forward, closing the space between us, my voice low and controlled. "Stop playing the mistress who thinks she's leveling up. If you manage to get Julian to divorce me, then maybe—just maybe—I'll give you some credit."

With that, I turned on my heel, refusing to stay any longer to watch the shock on their faces. I walked straight into the house, not bothering to look back.

No sooner had I entered than I heard the unmistakable sound of glass shattering, followed by Julian's enraged shout.

"This is outrageous! Completely outrageous!"

His voice oozed fury as he continued, "What did Megan do this time? Since when does she get to make decisions in this house? She's just an orphan with no parents! How dare she talk to me like that?!"

Hearing him spit those words sent a sharp pang through my chest. My body sagged against the door frame, and before I knew it, the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over, heavy and relentless.

Yes, I'm an orphan.

Four years ago, my parents died in a plane crash. Despite my overwhelming grief, confusion, and shock, I had to focus on arranging the funeral and cleaning up the mess at the company.

The first time I saw Julian was at my parents' funeral. Everything felt like it was happening in a blur, faces blending together in a haze of grief, but Julian stood out. He was the first to approach me when everyone else lingered at a distance, whispering behind their hands.

After that, Julian didn't back off. Not once. He pursued me with relentless intensity. He'd show up to pick me up from work, drop me off at home, and surprise me with flowers or little gifts—always unexpected, always with that same eager, hopeful look in his eyes.

And every time, I turned him down. But he didn't take it personally. It was as if my rejection only fueled him, like a game he refused to lose. He kept showing up, day after day, until one afternoon when the company's partners and the bank showed up, demanding answers.

I can still remember that day so clearly. They walked into the office, their faces stern, their words sharp. They wanted guarantees. They didn't believe I could handle the company on my own.

I was still reeling, struggling to keep it together, too shaken to even form coherent thoughts. And that's when Julian stepped in.

"He's right," Julian had said, his voice a low growl, staring down at the men blocking the entrance. "Her parents just died, and you're here trying to pressure a grieving woman? Is that really how you want to do business?”

He turned to the bank representatives, his voice firm, all traces of kindness gone. "Hughes Corporation will back Wilson Corporation. Your loan is covered. No more questions."

It was bold, a power move, but it worked. The tension in the room dissolved instantly. The partners and the bank reps backed off as if they'd been given an order they had no choice but to obey.

The company wasn't in immediate danger, but after my parents' death, the partners hesitated to put me fully in charge. They didn't trust that I could manage everything, especially not alone. Julian's intervention shifted the dynamic. They saw him as a protector, someone with influence. And in that moment, I started to realize how dependent I was becoming on him.

Later, when the office had emptied and the noise of the day faded away, I was still too stunned to say a word. I couldn't shake the feeling of being small, of being lost.

And that's when Julian pulled me into his arms, his touch surprisingly gentle.

"Megan," he murmured, his voice lower than usual, almost tender. "Trust me. Let me help. I can be your support."

Everything around me felt like it was falling apart, but his words—his simple offer of support—felt like a lifeline.

"I know you're not ready for all this business stuff," he continued, his gaze steady and serious. "I can wait for you. I'm not going anywhere."

Then, his tone shifted, and I saw something more than determination in his eyes for the first time. "Megan," he said, his voice resolute. "I'm not just trying to date you. I want to marry you. Let's build a future together."

Maybe it was the shock of everything that had happened over the last few weeks, or maybe my nerves were just shot, but those words hit me harder than anything.

Maybe it was because Julian seemed so sincere that day, or perhaps I just wanted to believe in something.

Either way, I actually believed his words.

After that conversation, I let down my guard and accepted his kindness. I started facing our relationship head-on, not sure if it was real or just something I needed for myself.

The company was back on track a year later, and everything seemed to fall into place. We got married, just like that. No big surprises, no deep conversations about love—just... we did it.

But on our wedding night, something didn't feel right as we stood there in the quiet of our new home. I couldn't shake the unease in my stomach, a feeling like a cold knot twisting, as if there was something I wasn't seeing.

Julian wrapped his arms around me, holding me so gently, as if I were something fragile, something precious.

"Megan," he whispered, his voice soft but serious, "you are my wife from today. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He paused momentarily, like the words were hard to say, but then continued, "I will love you and take care of you on behalf of your parents, up in heaven."

His words stung in a way I hadn't expected, but I didn't pull away. I let him hold me, let him say his vows.

"I swear, I will never let you down," he promised, and I nodded, even though I wasn't sure if I believed him anymore.

Later, I stood up, wiped away the tears I hadn't realized I'd shed and walked upstairs to the bedroom.

The vows still echoed in my head, but the man who had said them…

He didn't seem like the same person anymore.

Maybe it was because I hadn't rested well in the past few days after being in the hospital, or perhaps it was just the exhaustion from everything that had happened. But after taking a quick shower and getting into bed, I drifted into a deep sleep.

I had no idea how long I had been out, but suddenly, the door slammed open, and the noise jolted me awake.

Julian strode into the room, looking furious. He didn't even pause. He marched straight to the window, yanked the blanket off me, and turned to face me with that cold, almost mocking smile.

"Wasn't your injury serious?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Look at you, sleeping like a baby. Guess you're not as hurt as you said."

I pulled the blanket back from his hands, trying to get under the covers. I had just been discharged from the hospital and didn't want to catch a cold.

But Julian wasn't having it. He just got angrier.

"Megan, have I been too kind to you? You embarrassed me in front of all our friends today!" His voice was low but sharp. "Who are you putting on this victim act for?"

I didn't say anything. I wrapped myself in the blanket tighter, not wanting to deal with his outburst.

"Are you mute now, or did the fall knock some sense into you?" Julian growled. "I'm talking to you! Why are you acting like you're dead?"

I sat there, numb, but his next words hit me like a ton of bricks.

"We're not kids anymore. This is just a business marriage. Don't tell me you were hoping for some fairytale love story."

Business marriage.

The words echoed in my mind, and suddenly, everything clicked into place.

It hadn't really been a fairytale, had it?

Sure, Julian had been sweet. He'd done all the right things at first. But the truth was, I'd been living in a fantasy, too afraid to see it for what it was.

A business deal.

A way for him to please his parents and make his life easier.

Since marrying Julian, I'd spent most of my time working with him on company stuff or simply being there for him. He had made me feel like I was the center of his world.

But was I really?

Or was I just a means to an end?

Every day, I went to his office for lunch, like it was the most normal thing in the world. We'd plan weekend outings—hiking, movies, or sometimes just lazy days at home.

Every morning before he left for work, he'd kiss me while I was still half-asleep. At night, he'd pull me close and cuddle me until I drifted off again. There were always surprise gifts, flowers, and sweet notes.

For a while, I believed all of it.

I thought maybe he really was my parent's gift to me—an angel sent to love me on their behalf, especially after everything that had happened with their passing.

Maybe I needed that hope to get through.

But everything changed on our first anniversary. Julian invited many of his friends over to celebrate, and I was running late because of a work issue at the company.

When I finally arrived at the private room where they were gathering, I overheard a conversation that made my stomach turn.

I didn't recognize the voices, but one of them joked, "Hey Julian, looks like you’re the perfect husband now, huh?"

Another voice chimed in, "Seems like our sister-in-law still has her charm. Got the playboy to settle down so easily, huh?"

A third person laughed and said, "Look at all this. Julian, is this true love for your sister-in-law?"

At first, I felt a brief flutter of happiness, like maybe it was a compliment, or I was just imagining it.

But then I heard Julian's response, and all my sweetness turned to ice.

"True love?" Julian said, laughing a little like it was a joke. "It's just a business marriage. My parents pushed me into it, honestly." Then, he casually added, "Megan's parents are dead now, so there's less trouble. And her family's well-off—perfect marriage candidate, right?"

Julian continued, "And she's never been in a relationship, so she's really easy to fool."

I froze for a moment, my hand that had been about to push the door stopping mid-motion. His voice, colder than I'd anticipated, sliced through the air.