Oliver Sterling's high school sweetheart, Chloe, was driving her car when she hit me while I was riding my bike. Oliver rushed to the scene. Chloe let out a sigh of relief. "My boyfriend is here. If you want any compensation, just talk to his assistant." Oliver draped his suit jacket over her shoulders. Then, he frowned, staring at my bleeding knee for a long time. Chloe’s voice was hesitant. "Do you guys know each other?" Oliver lowered his eyes, took her hand, and turned to leave. "I don't know her." I sat quietly on the curb, putting on a band-aid, showing no reaction to his words. After all. When he handed me our prenuptial agreement three years ago, the very first clause demanded that our marriage remain an absolute secret. I couldn't get an Uber during the morning rush hour. As I limped my way to work, I thought to myself: My three-year contract marriage with Oliver Sterling was about to expire. I could finally leave. 1 I always knew Oliver had a girl he couldn't forget. I just didn't know it was the woman who had just hit me. Not until Oliver arrived. For a split second, I froze. My subconscious mind actually thought he was coming to pick me up. The girl in front of me stood up and jogged over to him. Her white dress fluttered as she threw herself into his arms. "Oliver, what should I do? I hit someone." The man took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. His voice was as deep, mellow, and gentle as always. "I'll handle it." I sluggishly pulled my gaze away, staring down at my wound. It suddenly dawned on me why Oliver hadn't been coming home much lately. The girl in his arms. His unforgettable ex, Chloe, had returned from abroad. 2 Chloe let out a sigh of relief. She pulled back from his embrace and looked back at me. "My boyfriend is here." "If you want any compensation, just talk to his assistant." She offered an embarrassed, apologetic smile. "I am so, so sorry. I made you late for work, and I hurt you." "Please, don't worry. Ask for whatever compensation you need. My boyfriend is very wealthy; he’ll agree to anything!" I softly replied, "Thank you." Oliver's assistant looked incredibly awkward. He was one of the very few people who knew Oliver and I were secretly married. "Mrs... uh, no, Miss." "Well, um..." His eyes swept over my wound and locked onto it. "Why is your cut still bleeding?" "It's been half an hour since the accident." "Do you have a blood clotting disorder?" I nodded. "It's only mild." Oliver looked over, his voice dropping slightly. "A clotting disorder?" Chloe looked confused. "Is something wrong?" He seemed not to hear her. His gaze was fixed on my bleeding knee, his brow furrowed deeply. Chloe finally sensed that something was off. She looked at me with confusion, then looked at Oliver. "Do you guys... know each other?" Oliver was never going to let his first love know he had a secret wife. He snapped out of it, lowered his eyes, and masked his emotions. "I don't know her." He immediately took Chloe's hand, casually instructing his assistant before walking away. "Take her to the hospital." 3 As their silhouettes faded into the distance. I declined the assistant's offer to drive me. "I've already called a Lyft." "Just send me the $237 for my lost wages today, please." The assistant left, looking incredibly uncomfortable. I slapped a band-aid on my knee. Unfortunately, the driver called to say he was stuck in traffic and couldn't make it. I had no choice but to push myself up off the pavement and limp slowly down the sidewalk. Today is September 28th. There are exactly two months left on my contract with Oliver. It's time to start preparing for my departure. 4 From high school all the way through college, my tuition was funded by a scholarship program Oliver sponsored. For college, I specifically chose to go to a university in his city. During my junior year, I interned at his company for three months. At that time, Chloe was already in Europe getting her Master's degree. So, I had no idea she even existed. Oliver kept me close, teaching me a lot about the corporate world. He was a man who rarely showed emotion, but once, when a sleazy client tried to grope me, Oliver kicked the guy square in the chest. Oliver placed a heavy liquor bottle in my hand. He stood behind me, his arms practically enveloping me, and whispered, "Do you know what I'm teaching you today?" I was completely enveloped by his cold, cedarwood cologne. I kept my breathing shallow, forcing myself to stay calm as I answered. "You... you're teaching me to fight back when appropriate." "To control the situation by knowing when to push and when to pull back, instead of..." His large, elegant hand wrapped around mine, gripping the neck of the bottle. "Good student. But this isn't a multiple-choice test. Don't be so textbook." He guided my hand, raising it high into the air. "It's just a brawl." Smash— Without holding back, he guided my hand to smash the bottle over the client's head. The impact sent a shockwave up my arm, making my hand go numb. Oliver pulled the pocket square from his suit jacket and looked down, gently wiping the sweat from my palm. "Don't ever forget this. I've got your back." "Don't let anyone bully you." I hurriedly pulled my hand away, muttered a hasty "I got it," and ran off. Because if I stayed a second longer. The crush I had on him would have been impossible to hide. 5 Right before I graduated. Oliver came to me with a contract. He needed a marriage of convenience to fend off the relentless pressure from his parents to settle down. The term was three years. The main condition was that our marriage had to be kept an absolute secret from the outside world. I just had to accompany him to his family's estate occasionally to put on a show for his parents. We were not required to fulfill any marital duties. We were not responsible for each other. I could even date other people, as long as I kept it low-profile and didn't let his parents find out. Upon completion of the contract, I would receive a payout of $3 million. 6 Maybe it was because it was the first time I had ever loved someone. Or maybe Oliver's occasional indulgence made me lose sight of my place. After marrying Oliver, I moved into the new mansion he had bought. The thing I looked forward to most every day was waiting for him to come home from work. We ate dinner together, chatted, and sometimes he'd even watch a movie or go for a walk with me. One night, he drank a lot at a corporate event. He was brought home by his female executive assistant. His arm was draped over her shoulder, his face buried in the crook of her neck. "Mrs. Sterling, please step aside." "I need to help Mr. Sterling inside." A heavy, invisible knot formed in my chest. I didn't move aside. I reached my hands out to her. "I'll take my husband. You can leave him to me." As I supported a groggy Oliver and prepared to close the door. The secretary offered a condescending smile. "Being Mr. Sterling's wife, you should learn to be a little more open-minded." "With jealousy like that, you're going to drive yourself crazy sooner or later." "What, do you expect Mr. Sterling to fire every female employee in the company just for you?" I didn't realize Oliver was still somewhat lucid. He heard her entire speech. And he naturally realized what my true feelings were. When I brought out the hangover soup I had made. The man was slouched on the sofa, staring at me with clear, sobering eyes. "You're awake, perfect." "Drink some of this," I said, my voice tight as I pushed the bowl toward him. "It'll make you feel better." I was still angry about him being so intimate with his secretary, so I didn't want to talk to him much. Oliver just glanced at the bowl. He didn't touch it. Out of nowhere, he asked me: "Do you know why I never let you go into my study?" I was confused for a second, then shook my head. He stood up, grabbed my hand, and led me toward his study. His steps were unsteady, and I tried to support him. He shook his head, rejecting my help. He pushed the study door open. A massive canvas dominated my field of vision. A teenage girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, was standing in a field of flowers, her eyes closed, head tilted down as she smelled a blossom. From that angle, you could only see half of her face. Which is why, when I met her earlier today, I didn't recognize her immediately. Oliver leaned against the doorframe and lit a cigarette. "I've loved her since I was seventeen." "It's been exactly ten years." "If we hadn't had a massive fight, and if she hadn't left the country in a fit of rage, she would be the one I married." He was speaking in a casual, conversational tone. But every word struck my eardrums like a hammer, bringing a sharp, stinging pain. Oliver didn't seem to notice my reaction. He cut straight to the bone. "I can't give you the response you want." "So, Audrey, whatever inappropriate feelings you have... it's best you get rid of them." He used the same tone he used in boardroom negotiations: "I will be drafting a supplemental agreement to add this clause." "If you cannot manage your emotions properly and overstep your boundaries by interfering in my personal life, it will be considered a breach of contract." "In the event of a breach, not only will you forfeit your payout, but you will also be liable for a corresponding penalty fee." The study lights were off. The light from the hallway behind us spilled across the hardwood floor. I saw my own shadow turn rigid, like a piece of wood. I didn't move an inch. Inappropriately, I remembered a comment Oliver made during my internship about greedy people. "They hover around the boundary lines, itching to cross. It’s absolutely nauseating to watch." Now, I had become the exact type of person that nauseated him. I don't know when Oliver left. I just stood there in the same spot. I stood there until the sun came up. I stood there until the heavy, suffocating knot in my chest finally dissipated. From that day on, I managed myself perfectly. I never leaked a single trace of inappropriate emotion again. Calm, polite, and respectful. That was the only attitude I ever showed him. Over time. It felt like I truly didn't love him anymore. 5 Snapping back to reality, I found a random urgent care clinic to get my leg patched up. I texted my manager to take a sick day. Once I confirmed there was nothing urgent at work, I went straight to the hospital to be with my mom. "Oh, come on, since we can't get an appointment with the specialist, I might as well just discharge myself." "Staying here like this is just a waste of money, sweetheart." My mom had a tumor in her brain. The location was extremely precarious. There were no more than three surgeons in the entire country who could successfully perform the operation. I stuffed a piece of pear into her mouth, stopping her from talking any further. "Absolutely not." "Did you forget? Last time you went to the third floor for a scan by yourself, you passed out." "Besides, I heard that one of those top surgeons, Dr. Monroe, is going to be doing consultations here for the next two months." My mom's attending physician had also said that if the rumor was true, she would try to get us a spot the second his schedule opened. Thinking about how my mom's illness might soon be cured... My steps felt much lighter as I went to the cafeteria to get lunch. The head nurse stopped me, looking hesitant. "Audrey..." "What's wrong?" I asked. "Did a spot open up in the VIP wing?" This hospital was one of the best in the country. Even the VIP rooms were constantly fully booked. My mom was currently in an 8-person shared ward without a private bathroom. The environment wasn't great. So I had asked the head nurse to keep an eye out for any available VIP rooms. She sighed. "A room did open up." "And I immediately reserved it for you." "But a new patient with some serious connections just came in, and her daughter took it right out from under us." "Oh, right, her mom also has a brain tumor." "I heard people saying her boyfriend's last name is Sterling, that he's the CEO of some massive conglomerate, and the hospital administration didn't dare say no..." Almost simultaneously. I caught a glimpse of a silhouette passing by the staircase corner. The same white dress. The exact same dress I saw Chloe wearing this morning. I pulled my gaze back and offered the nurse a reassuring smile. "Thank you anyway." "The VIP room isn't that important. I just hope my mom can get her surgery as soon as possible." 8 When I got home that afternoon. Oliver was standing at the espresso machine by the kitchen island. I paused. He was actually home right now, not with Chloe. But that had nothing to do with me. I offered a slight nod. "Mr. Sterling." After greeting him, I turned to head to my room. "How's the scrape on your knee?" The man suddenly asked. "I put some ointment on it. It's fine." Oliver set his coffee down. He stood up straight and checked his watch. "I need you to come to my parents' house for dinner tonight." "Are you available?" Oliver really didn't need to ask so politely. After all, according to the contract. Even if I wasn't available, I had to cancel everything else to accompany him and put on a show for his family. I nodded. "Yes, I am." To go to the Sterling estate, I couldn't dress as casually as I usually did. I picked out a designer outfit from my closet. I expertly applied my makeup, put on jewelry, and sprayed on perfume. I ensured I was immaculate from head to toe. Arriving at the Sterling estate gates. As usual, I linked my arm through Oliver's, walked in with a docile smile, and greeted every elder perfectly. During dinner, Oliver's mother suddenly dropped a bomb without warning. "Are you two trying for a baby?" I was mid-sip of my soup. Hearing that, I choked and started coughing violently. Oliver, sitting next to me, handed me a napkin and naturally patted my back. "Audrey is still young." His mother disagreed: "She's 25. That's not too young." "You both need to start taking this seriously, understand?" I swallowed hard and nodded. "I understand, Mom." It started pouring rain that night. Oliver and I had no choice but to stay over at the estate. One bed, but we each had our own separate blanket. We were used to it, so it wasn't awkward. I changed into a nightgown, came out of the bathroom, and sat on the sofa to apply ointment to my knee. Oliver looked over. "I'm sorry I couldn't personally take you to the hospital today." He furrowed his brow, seemingly trying to figure out how to explain his relationship with Chloe to me. I interrupted him first. "It's fine." "The contract doesn't require you to fulfill any obligations to me. Don't worry about it." "And I won't pry into whatever is going on between you and Ms. Chloe." "Please rest assured, I won't expose our arrangement to her. I will continue to cooperate with you until the two months are up." He half-raised his eyes. "Two months?" It seemed he had forgotten. I reminded him: "Yes. In two months, the contract expires, and we can get a divorce and finalize the transaction." Oliver lost interest and set his wine glass down. "You certainly remember the date clearly." He threw out that bland, unreadable comment and walked into the bathroom.
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