CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

Cassie slammed the door of her husband’s office open and froze.

“What the actual fuck?” she whispered. “You didn’t come home last night. I’ve been worried sick. I called you over and over, and you kept declining my calls, only for me to find you here with your assistant. Really, Briar?”

Briar and Fiona froze. Fiona quickly pulled away and straightened her dress, her face turning pale.

Briar didn’t look guilty, He looked annoyed. “Cassie,” he said coldly. “What are you doing here?”

Cassie stared at him, tears burning her eyes. “What am I doing here? I came to talk to you about the deal before you ruin it like last time. I’m your wife, Briar. Your wife. And I walk in here to find you with her.”

“Find me doing what?” Briar asked calmly. “We were just talking.”

“Talking?” Cassie’s voice shook. “You were kissing her! Your hands were all over her!”

Briar sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Calm down. You’re making a scene.”

“A scene?” Cassie laughed bitterly. “I knew something was wrong, and now I finally have proof.”

“Proof?” Briar raised an eyebrow. “You suspected me and still stayed. That’s your problem.”

Cassie stepped closer, her hands trembling as she fought to hold back her tears. “After everything I did for you? The IVF, the injections, the treatments, and all those tests your mother forced me to take? And you still cheated on me.”

Briar only shrugged. “What did you expect? You couldn’t give me children, so I found someone who could.”

Cassie turned to Fiona, her eyes filled with disbelief. “Someone like her?”

“Exactly,” Briar said. “She’s young, healthy, and fertile. Everything you’re not.”

Fiona stepped forward, her eyes already filling with tears. “Cassie, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Don’t,” Cassie said coldly. “You knew exactly what you were doing.”

“I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just—”

“You wanted my husband,” Cassie cut her off. “You wanted his money, his status, and his name. And now you have him. Congratulations.”

Briar stepped in front of Fiona, blocking Cassie’s view of her.“Leave her alone. She’s not the one you should blame. I am. I chose her. I wanted her, not you.”

Cassie’s anger finally broke through her tears.“You’re a piece of shit, Briar! I gave you everything. My money, my connections, my time, and my love. I helped build this company and saved you from bankruptcy.”

Briar laughed bitterly. “Did you? All I see is a wife who made me look like a fool. Everyone knows you’re barren. They pity me for being married to a broken woman.”

“Pity you?” Cassie stared at him in disbelief.

“Yes. I’m stuck with a wife who can’t even do the one thing she’s supposed to do.”

Cassie’s hands shook as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I didn’t choose this. I was only nineteen when that accident happened. Someone ran a red light, and I almost died.”

Briar’s face remained cold. “You should have died.”

Cassie stared at him for a second, unable to believe what she had just heard. Then she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

The sound echoed through the office.

Briar touched his cheek in shock. “You hit me?”

“You deserved it,” Cassie said, her voice shaking with anger. “You’re a pathetic, worthless man.”

His face hardened. “How dare you? I’m a Welson. I’m the heir to this empire. I could destroy you. No, I’m going to sue you instead.”

“Destroy me?” Cassie laughed bitterly. “You can’t even run your own company without me saving you. You’d be nothing without me.” She wiped her tears and looked him straight in the eyes.“But I’m done. I’m done with this marriage. I want a divorce.”

Briar glanced at Fiona before looking back at Cassie. “A divorce? I don’t want that. I love you. We can work something out.”

Cassie stared at him. “What exactly do you want?”

“You can stay my wife on paper,” Briar said calmly. “But Fiona will be the mother of my children. She’ll come with me to parties, meetings, and family events. She’ll stand beside me while you stay in the background.”

Cassie’s face hardened. “You want me to stay your wife while you parade your mistress around like a queen?”

“I want you to be reasonable,” Briar replied. “You can’t have children. Fiona can. She gets the public life, and you stay married to a Welson. Everyone wins.”

“Everyone except me.”

Briar simply shrugged. “You were never going to win anyway. This is the best deal you’ll get. Take it or leave it.”

“I’m not going to be your silent wife,” Cassie said. “I won’t stand by while you play happy family with your mistress and hide me in the background. I deserve better.”

“Better?” Briar laughed. “No one wants a barren woman. No one wants a broken wife. You’ll end up alone. Is that what you want?”

“I want to be free of you.”

Briar’s face turned red. “You can never be free of me. I own you. I’ll divorce you when I’m ready. And that proof you claim to have? It’s just words. No one will believe you.”

He stepped closer, his voice filled with anger.“You dare divorce me? You dare walk away from Briar Welson?”

Cassie met his eyes without backing down. “I’m not walking away,” she said. “I’m running as fast as I can.”

“You’ll regret this!” Briar shouted. “I’ll ruin your life. I’ll destroy your reputation and make sure everyone knows what a useless, ungrateful woman you are!”

“My lawyers will contact yours tomorrow,” Cassie replied. “Don’t waste your time. I’ve made my decision.” She turned and walked out of the office without looking back.

A few minutes later, Cassie stood outside the company. Her hands were still shaking, but she refused to cry.

She felt nothing. Then suddenly, a scream rang out across the street.

“What the—?”

People suddenly started running. Cars crashed into each other as panic spread through the street.

A blood-covered man sprinted past Cassie. She grabbed his arm. “What’s happening?”

“There’s an outbreak!” he gasped. “People are turning and attacking everyone. Run!”

“Turning into what?”

“I don’t know! Zombies or something! It’s spreading fast. Everyone is heading to Welson Corporation.”

Cassie froze. “Welson Corporation?”

“They have a bunker! The Welson family has been preparing for months. They have food, water, everything!”

Cassie’s blood ran cold. She stared at him in disbelief. “A bunker?” she whispered. “What the actual fuck, Briar?”

The man pulled his arm free and ran. Suddenly, everything made sense.

The secret meetings. The late nights. The strange purchases. The restricted areas. The supplies being moved into the building. The construction in the basement.

Briar knew.

He had built a bunker, stocked it with supplies, and prepared for the end of the world.

And he had never told her. “Briar,” Cassie whispered, her lips trembling. “You knew the world was ending, and you hid it from me?”

A low growl came from behind her. Cassie’s body went stiff.

Slowly, she turned around. A blood-covered figure staggered toward her. Its clothes were torn, its eyes were empty, and blood covered its mouth.

Cassie took a shaky step backward. “What the hell?” she whispered.