Two Years Ago

“Not with you, obviously,” Beatrice said coldly, pulling her arm back.

Cohen had already told her, he hadn’t touched that woman. 

She didn’t know why, but hearing that had given her a small, quiet sense of relief. Still, she wasn’t about to show it.

“He’s a good man,” the woman said with a soft smile, completely unbothered. “He won’t cheat while he’s married. He told me he’ll marry me after you two divorce.”

Beatrice let out a light laugh. “Then congratulations.”

She wasn’t going to give her the reaction she wanted.

The woman paused, clearly surprised. “You’re not angry?”

“Oh, I am,” Beatrice said calmly. “But if you’re planning to wait for us to divorce, you might need to be patient.”

“What do you mean?”

Beatrice rested a hand lightly over her stomach, her lips curling slightly. “We’re planning to have a child first. After that… we’ll see. So take your time.”

She didn’t wait for a response. She turned and walked away, leaving the woman standing there in stunned silence.

A child?

Cohen was planning to have a child with her?

***

Back at the dorm, Beatrice sat on her bed with her laptop, reviewing a case study from a major acquisition deal her boss had worked on.

Her phone suddenly rang so she glanced at the screen.

[Hubby]

She declined the call without hesitation and changed the name into [Ex-Husband].

That woman showing up earlier… he must have allowed it. If they were divorcing anyway, why should she keep tolerating everything?

The phone rang again. She rejected it again. And again.

Just as she was about to silence it completely, someone knocked on the door.

“Daisy?” she called out, thinking her roommate had forgotten her key.

She walked over and opened the door and froze.

Cohen stood there with his phone still in his hand.

He glanced at her screen, his eyes turning cold. “Who’s ‘ex-husband’?”

Beatrice rolled her eyes. “I’ve only been married once. Who do you think it is?”

“Change it.”

“No.”

He stepped forward, took her phone from her hand, and changed the contact name back to Hubby before returning it to her.

“What did you say to her today?” he asked.

Beatrice let out a dry laugh. “What? Are you here to stand up for her?”

“She tried to kill herself,” he said flatly.

The words hit her like a slap.

“…And that has what to do with me?” she shot back after a brief pause even though something twisted painfully in her chest.

The way he was looking at her like  she was the one at fault and like she had pushed that woman to it.

“She’s in the hospital. Come with me and apologize,” he said.

“No.”

Beatrice’s eyes reddened as she pushed the door slightly. “From now on, unless I’m going back to the house or visiting Grandpa, we don’t need to see each other.”

He actually wanted her to apologize?

In his eyes, was she really the villain who bullied his precious first love?

Cohen pressed his hand against the door, stopping it from closing. His gaze darkened. 

“What did you just say?”

Tears blurred her vision, but her voice stayed steady. “If Grandpa wasn’t in such bad condition, I wouldn’t stay married to you for another second.”

For a moment, he froze. Then he suddenly pulled her into his arms.

Beatrice stiffened, caught off guard.

He looked down at her tear-filled eyes, something tightening in his chest. She rarely cried. The only time she ever cried before… was when he pushed her too far in bed.

“Come home,” he said quietly.

“No.”

“How long are you going to keep this up?” His tone turned colder, impatience creeping in.

Beatrice shoved him away. “Go be with your precious first love. Stop bothering me.”

Cohen’s expression darkened instantly. “You’re being generous now? Then why did you force her to leave two years ago?”

Beatrice froze.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” he said, gripping her wrist tightly with anger flashing in his eyes. “Two years ago, you paid her off to leave the country. Then you came to me and proposed a contract marriage. Well played.”

Her mind went blank.

“…What?”

“I underestimated you, Beatrice,” he said coldly before releasing her and turning to leave.

The door slammed shut behind him.