Inception
Chapter 1
The day before my wedding, I get a freakin‘
pregnancy test result sent to my phone.
It’s for my fiancé’s side chick.
Apparently, she’s two months along and the
baby’s “healthy,” according to the report.
I’d just gotten back from a six–month
business trip in Europe, and seeing that, I
immediately told Mark I wanted a divorce.
Cue the waterworks from his little darling,
calling me up and sobbing about how she
accidentally messed up the address.
“Tiffany, I’m so sorry! Please don’t be mad!
く
Yell at me, whatever you want, I deserve it.”
I could practically hear Mark holding her,
murmuring sweet nothings: “It’s okay, she
can’t live without me. I’ll make it up to you
tonight.”
I put down the divorce papers and walked
out.
Let’s see if Mark’s precious company can
even stay afloat without my brains.
Mark got home, and I was on the couch,
buried in files.
No lights on, just the glow of my laptop
screen.
<
He saw me, frowned, and flicked on the
overhead.
I just stared at him, numb, and handed over
the signed divorce agreement.
Mark barely glanced at it, tossed it on the
coffee table, and said with this super–smug
look: “Seriously, Alex? This whole divorce
routine is so old.”
Then he went straight to opening a window.
I caught the flicker of guilt in his eyes when
he saw me.
If this had been a year ago, I would’ve been
all over him, asking what was wrong, fussing
over him like a mother hen.
く
Now? I just scoffed, “Sign it, Mark. I’m not
kidding.”
With that, I grabbed my unpacked suitcase
and headed for the door.
Six months of crazy work overseas had left
me exhausted.
I just wanted to ditch Mark, find a cabin
somewhere, and sleep for a week.
Finally, Mark actually looked at me. He ripped
the divorce agreement in half and sighed.
“Alex, this is getting ridiculous. Tiffany’s been
a wreck ever since you grilled her. She’s
crying, saying she’ll do anything you want.”
“Can we just drop it, seriously?”
r
Tiffany. Young, sweet–talking, totally Mark’s
type. The “poor little innocent” act, all wide
eyes and doe–eyed expressions.
And Mark, being the gazillionaire he is, just
ate it up.
I didn’t say anything, so Mark came over and
clapped me on the shoulder, like he was
calming down a toddler.
“Look, if you’re really that bothered, I’ll make
Tiffany apologize. We can all just move on.”
Apologize?
Yeah, that’s not happening.
What woman finds out her husband knocked
ad then insiste
atti
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up another woman and then insists on getting
an apology from the other woman?
Like his little darling’s the one who got
wronged. I’m the one who’s supposed to suck
it up and forgive and forget.
Back then I would’ve thrown a fit at the
slightest whiff of a rumor.
But now, I was just tired, so completely and
utterly numb.
“No, I don’t care. It’s your business.”
Mark rubbed his temples. “Alex, come on.
Tiffany’s not in your league. She’s a nobody.
It’s not worth getting all worked up about.”
“Just chill, okay? I’m exhausted. Our
<
wedding’s tomorrow; it’ll be a zoo.”
He looked beat, and if I hadn’t seen those
photos of him and Tiffany having the time of
their lives that afternoon, I might’ve felt bad.
But all I felt was…done.
“So you know she’s a ‘nobody,‘ but you still
knocked her up? What does that make you,
Mark?”
Mark’s face went all blotchy. He lowered his
voice, hissing, “Alex, don’t be stupid. That
kid’s gonna be part of our family. It’ll be your
kid too after we get married.”
“And you better not tell anyone anything,
otherwise…”
Г
Otherwise what? Divorce me? Fire me?
Blacklist me from every industry in the
country?
He still thought he was perfect, thought I’d
put up with anything.
Even him cheating, getting another woman
pregnant.
I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping. I
was done with Mark, once and for all.
“I’ll send you another copy of the divorce
papers. Don’t forget to sign.”
With that, I left. Mark, seeing that I meant
business, turned to pure threat mode.
“Alex, you better think this through. You walk
out that door, and you’re nothing to the
Hamiltons anymore!”
I turned back, looking at the man I’d loved for
so long, and felt like I was falling into a
bottomless pit.
I thought I knew him better than anyone. But
now I realized, I didn’t know him at all.
Mark thought I was after his money, his
power. That I’d put up with anything for that.
He was wrong. I never cared about any of
that.
I turned and walked away.
“Alex! You’re nothing without me! You’re a
nobody, just garbage to be thrown away!”
<
I’d expected it, I swear. But hearing it still
hurt.
He was right, in a way. I was an orphan. The
Hamiltons had paid for my education.
I owed them for my life. I had to thank them
for letting me work at Hamilton Enterprises,
and giving me the life I had now.
Mark and I had met in the hospital.
He had been diagnosed with autism and his
family was giving up. They wanted to find a
friend for him, and help him to open up.
Maybe it was fate, but Mark chose me and
with my help he recovered.
We went to school together and cared for
each other.
