3. Who needs a cheat?

Madelyn

It was exactly three hours since I'd met with my lawyer.

He'd tried to convince me against the decision I'd taken, but my mind was made up. I was done. Completely done with this sham marriage. Forget touching me, it disgusted me when Christopher's gaze locked with mine. I wanted nothing more to do with him, and I was finally going to make him understand it.

I ignored the look of his staff as I made my way to his office, completely dressed in a silk gown for my friend Ava's wedding. My face burned with humiliation as I walked but I was determined to keep a leash on my emotions. Had they known of Christopher's infidelity? I scoffed inwardly at my question. Definitely. At the very least, one person had to have known.

I wasn't going to delude myself into thinking he didn't have dirty rendezvous in his office with that sex worker. The thought caused a burning sensation to stir in my chest but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I gripped the doorknob of Christopher's door and pushed it open. His head shot up and a surprised expression flashed across his face before he quickly masked it.

A woman was seated across from him. She shot me a dirty look at my rudeness but I couldn't bring myself to care. As though he could tell I meant business, he quickly dismissed her. He ran his gaze over me and I didn't hide my disgusted shiver from him. A confused look filtered into his expression but before he could get a word out of his mouth, I slapped the brown envelope in my hand unto his desk.

"Madelyn, what's this?" He asked with furrowed eyebrows. He angled his left hand and stared down at his watch. "Are we running late for Ava's wedding already? I had to quickly attend to my client–"

"I don't give a fuck what you had to do." I interjected. He looked taken back by my tone. The man had some serious guts, I had to give him that. He had to be the only fool to mistake a woman's silence for forgiveness after he'd been caught cheating. He really thought I was going to wait for him so we could show up to the wedding together?

I slid the envelope in his direction, watching with barely masked hate as he cautiously picked it up. "What's this?" He asked. I didn't bother dignifying his question with a response. I closely watched as he tore open the envelope and took the file out. His head came up almost instantly. "Divorce papers?" He questioned with shock.

I pressed my lips tightly.

He rounded the desk immediately. I took a step back. "Madelyn let's talk about this–"

I raised my hands to shut him up. "I want to hear nothing of it." I said coldly. "Let's not pretend this wasn't already a long time coming." His lips parted but I raised my hand to cut him off. I held his eyes firmly, my own eyes stinging painfully.

"Goodbye, Christopher." A shuddered breath escaped me. I'd done it. I'd ended my marriage. Pressing my hand to my lips, I turned on my heels and exited his office. I didn't feel as relieved as I'd thought I would but I knew I was making the right decision.

I double-tapped my phone screen to check what time it was. Shit. I was running a little late. I hurried out of Christopher’s office building, slid into the car, and quickly gave the driver directions to Ava’s hotel. It didn’t take me long to get to her floor. Her eyes shot up the second I stepped into the room.

She pushed away from the make-up artists trying to start her make-up. "Maddie, I'm so glad you're here." I took her outstretched hands, furrowing my eyebrows. I didn't think I was imagining the look of worry on her face. She took a hold of my arm and steered me away from everyone else in the room.

Her eyes where pleading when they met mine. "I have a humongous favor to ask of you." My heart immediately sank. There was no way that was good. I tried to free my hands from hers but she held on tightly. "I need you to stand in for me."

When I pulled my hands from hers this time, she let me.

"You what?" I whisper-yelled, gaining the attention of the impatient women waiting to do their job and get it over with. Ava dismissed them with a motion of her hands. We stared at their backs until they were all gone. My eyes slid back to hers. "Please tell me you did not just say what I think you did."

She was back to holding my hands. "Jason's leaving the country, Maddie." She informed me, her eyes looking suspiciously moist. The brokenness of her voice for my heart apart. Ava and Jason had been in love with each other for as long as I could remember.

Their relationship had taken a huge hit when Ava had been informed of her arranged wedding to some billionaire as a result of a business deal between their parents. I shook my head slowly. "Ava, I can't–"

"Maddie, please," She begged. "It'll just be long enough for me to say my last goodbyes. You do want me to focus on my marriage, don't you?" She asked with that pleading tone that always got to me. "I'll be back before anything serious happens, I promise. I'll be back way before the reception. I just..." She wiped the tear from her eyes. "I just need to say goodbye to him."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, wondering how I was supposed to refuse her. Knowing I couldn't refuse her. She would leave the wedding whether or not I agreed. Drawing in a steadying breath and ignoring the alarm bells going off in my head, I took the veil from her.

"You have to swear to come back."

There was a slight pause, but I could easily have imagined it. And then...

"I swear it.”