One drunk night with my best friend's brother, Eddie Sutton, and I became his secret girlfriend.

Eight years later, my family finally snapped. They gave me a deadline and lined up a guy for me to marry.

"Eddie, my family gave me a deadline. I have to get married this year."

He went quiet, then kissed my forehead.

Same old answer.

"Just wait a little longer."

Not long after, I found a post from his intern, Gina Yapp.

The photo was of her and Eddie's marriage license.

Caption:

[CEO secured.]

What I couldn't get in eight years, she got in three months.

I swallowed the bitterness and hit Like.

Then I commented:

[Congrats. Wishing you both a happy life.]

After that, I accepted the wedding date my family had set.

My phone rang.

For the first time, Eddie sounded scared. "Don't take it the wrong way. I only got the license with Gina because I lost a bet with my friends—"

I cut him off. "Eddie, I'm getting married."

Two seconds of silence.

Then Eddie's voice came through, sharp with impatience. A girl giggled softly in the background.

"Here we go again. Are you seriously that desperate to get married? The company's cash flow is about to crash. Can you stop causing drama?"

I stood in the evening breeze, phone in hand, my voice calm. "I'm not causing drama. I'm really getting married."

He scoffed, like I'd told the funniest joke ever. "You don't even have a guy to flirt with. Who are you marrying? Air?"

I almost said Brody Blanco's name.

But Eddie was already hanging up.

"Enough. I have to take this. The license was just a dare. Don't make it a thing."

The busy tone buzzed in my ear.

I stared at the dead screen, my fingers cold and stiff.

Eight years.

His answer never changed.

"Don't overthink it."

The next day, I walked into the office with two boxes of fancy chocolates.

The whole floor buzzed.

Gina stood in the middle of the crowd, cheeks pink.

"Gina, you're insane. Mr. Sutton is so cold, and you locked him down in three months?"

"You're basically the boss's wife now. Don't forget us little people."

Gina covered her face and laughed. Not loud, but loud enough for the whole office to hear.

"It's not like that. We only got the license because of a game. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

I laughed under my breath.

She'd already blasted it online. Now she wanted privacy?

Then she spotted the chocolates in my hands and rushed over in her heels. She hooked her arm through mine and shook it.

"Ms. Jenner! Did Mr. Sutton ask you to prep our wedding favors? Thanks for doing all this!"

I was about to say no.

Instead, she grabbed the chocolates from my hands, ripped open the packaging, and started handing them out.

"Everyone, come try some! Mr. Sutton personally picked these artisan chocolates!"

The office exploded with cheers and compliments.

Everyone was praising Eddie for being thoughtful and romantic.

Just then, he stepped out of the elevator.

The crowd immediately started shouting.

"Thanks for the wedding favors, Mr. Sutton!"

Gina looked up at him shyly, every bit the glowing bride.

Eddie paused for a second.

Then he smiled and went along with it. "Glad you like them."

"The chocolates are mine."

The second I said it, the whole office went dead silent.

Every eye snapped to me.

Eddie's face darkened. Panic flashed in his eyes.

"Josie Jenner, this is an office, not the place for your tantrums."

"I'm not throwing a tantrum." I held his stare. "They're from me. I'm getting married next Saturday."

His expression got even colder. He strode over and lowered his voice, teeth clenched.

"Do you really have to push me like this?"

Someone nearby snorted.

"Josie, we've never even seen you with a boyfriend. Who are you marrying? Don't tell me you're so jealous Gina's marrying Mr. Sutton that you've lost it."

Gina's eyes turned red. She bit her lip.

"Ms. Jenner, I know you used to like Mr. Sutton, but he was never into you. When people started those rumors about you two, Mr. Sutton cleared it up with us in private. He said you were just coworkers."

The moment those words left her mouth, the way everyone looked at me changed.

Like I was some pathetic woman who'd thrown herself at a man, gotten rejected, and turned bitter.

I looked at Eddie.

He turned away and stared out the window.

Not a single word.

Eight years of a secret relationship.

I'd handled impossible clients for him. Closed deals that kept his company alive. Sat through endless rumors about me chasing him while he stayed silent every time.

And now, he couldn't even give me this one shred of dignity.

Someone else jumped in.

"Josie, Mr. Sutton and Gina are already married. If you keep going after him, you're basically the side piece. What happens if clients hear about this?"

"Seriously. Stealing your mentee's man? Have some shame."

I looked around at the coworkers I'd personally trained.

Suddenly, the whole thing felt ridiculous.

I'd planned to send them wedding invitations.

Now there was no point.

I tightened my grip on my phone and looked around the room. "In that case, I should introduce my fiancé."

I was about to pull up a photo of Brody and me.

Then someone grabbed my wrist.

Eddie ripped the phone from my hand, his face stormy.

"Back to work. All of you."

His voice cracked through the office.

Then he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward his office.

Behind me, everyone crowded around Gina, comforting her.

The looks they threw my way were filled with disgust.

The second we stepped into his office, he slammed the door and yanked at his tie.

"I told you, the whole marriage thing was just part of a game. Do you have to make this ugly for everyone?"

"If it was just a game," I said coldly, "why didn't you say that out there? Why let them call me the side piece?"

He froze for a second, then answered like it made perfect sense. "She's young. I couldn't embarrass her in front of everyone."

So embarrassing me was fine?

I took my phone back and turned for the door.

My hand stopped on the knob, but I didn't look back.

"The wedding's next Saturday. You and Gina are welcome to come."

***

As soon as I reached the parking garage, my phone rang.

It was the recruiter who'd contacted me before.

"Ms. Jenner, about that Marketing Director position we discussed—the company is willing to raise the offer by another twenty percent. Interested?"

The package was already at the top of the industry.

"I'll take it." My voice didn't waver. "And I'll be bringing an eight-figure deal with me. Make sure the commission reflects that."

The recruiter practically screamed. "Absolutely! Leave it to me!"

After the call, I sat in my car and opened my messages.

My finger hovered over Brody's name.

Then I typed:

[Don't sign the contract yet. Wait for my update.]

Eddie said the company was in trouble.

Eddie said not to cause problems.

But for the last eight years, hadn't I been the one cleaning up every mess?

The Blanco Corp partnership was a deal I'd only secured after swallowing my pride and asking Brody three separate times.

It was the deal that could save Eddie's company.

As my car pulled out of the garage, the city blurred past the window.

Just like the last eight years with Eddie.

Gone before I knew it.

The first time I met Eddie was outside my college dorm.

He was Serena's older brother. He'd come to pick her up for summer break.

Standing under a tree in a white shirt, he smiled.

A tiny mole sat at the corner of his eye.

I fell for him instantly.

Later, at our graduation party, we both drank too much.

One thing led to another, and we ended up sleeping together.

I joined his startup as an intern and worked my way up.

At first, he said we couldn't go public because people would think I was using connections to get ahead.

So I waited.

When I earned my spot as head of marketing, he said he didn't want it to affect my friendship with Serena.

So I waited again.

I always thought that one day, he'd finally give me a real place in his life.

Then I saw the marriage license in Gina's post.

That was the wake-up call.

It wasn't that Eddie didn't want to get married.

He just didn't want to marry me.

I drove back to the apartment Eddie and I had shared for the past five years.

My resignation would take a few days to go through, so I decided to pack up and move out first.

I pulled out a suitcase and opened the closet.

Most of it was filled with his clothes.

I used to tease him about dressing like an old man and tell him to try brighter hoodies.

He always had the same excuse. "I'm the boss. I need to look professional."

But now, hanging front and center in the closet, were several brightly colored designer hoodies.

It wasn't that he wouldn't change.

He just wouldn't change for me.

I was folding my clothes into the suitcase when the front door unlocked.

Eddie walked in.

His eyes landed on the open suitcase, and he frowned.

"Gina and I are seriously nothing. Can you stop making a scene?"

He stepped closer and reached for my hand. "Getting a marriage license with her was stupid. I'll file for divorce this afternoon. Once the Blanco Corp deal is signed and the company's stable, we'll go public, okay?"

I opened my mouth, about to say, 'Let's break up.'

But he cut me off, scanning the room.

"By the way, where'd you put the key to the Meadowfair apartment?"

"Bottom drawer of the nightstand."

I paused.

"Are you selling it to cover the funding gap?"

He froze for a second, then smiled.

"Sell it? No. It's been sitting empty anyway. Gina's lease is up, so I'm letting her stay there for now."

A dull ache settled in my chest.

The Meadowfair apartment was the one he'd bought me for my birthday last year.

He'd called it our future home.

Now he was giving it to another woman.

Like he hadn't even noticed how pale I'd gone, he kept talking.

"Oh, and once you're done with the Blanco Corp contract, hand it over to Gina. Her probation's almost over. This deal will be perfect for helping her get hired full-time. Don't worry, you'll still get the full commission."

Before I could say anything, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and picked up immediately.

His voice softened at once.

"Yeah, I'll send you the address. Just have the movers go straight there..."

Still on the phone, he turned and walked out without another look at me.

The door clicked shut.

I stood alone in the quiet apartment and laughed.

Eight years.

Eight years of my life meant less to him than a three-month intern.

***

When I dragged my suitcase out of the apartment, I didn't look back.

Not once.

I drove straight to my parents' house.

Ever since I'd agreed to marry Brody, my mom had been in a good mood. The second she saw me, she rushed over and grabbed my suitcase.

"I told you Brody's a good man. We've known him since he was a kid. Your father and I can finally stop worrying."

Brody and I grew up together.

My mom and his mom were best friends.

They used to joke that we'd end up married one day.

If I hadn't met Eddie in college, I probably would've married Brody years ago.

And I knew he'd always liked me.

When Eddie's company hit a financial wall and ran out of options, I was the one who swallowed my pride and went to Brody.

I asked him to give Eddie a chance to work with Blanco Corp.