Chapter 4: You're cheating already wife?

The city blurred outside the car window. Dahlia pressed her temple against the glass, eyes half-closed, wishing the motion could wash away the morning.

She still couldn’t believe it.

She’d woken up married.

To a stranger.

To him.

Beside her, Nate sat with one arm draped casually across the back of the seat, a grin playing on his lips as if he were driving to brunch, not an annulment. Every few seconds he glanced her way, clearly enjoying the contrast between his good mood and her thundercloud scowl.

“Stop smiling,”she muttered.

“Can’t help it, wife” he said easily.

“Don’t call me that.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s growing on me”

Her fingers clenched tighter around the phone in her lap. “This is a nightmare.”

“Maybe for you,” he murmured. “I’m having a great day.”

She shot him a glare, but he only chuckled, the sound low and unbothered.

Her phone buzzed again. Tyler. The name stabbed through her calm. She turned the screen face-down, jaw tightening.

Of course he’d be calling. Probably wondering where his pawn had disappeared to. The memory of the betrayal, the laughter flashed in her mind.

Dahlia turned her phone face down, jaw tightening.

Her father would have been so disappointed that she was ignoring her problems instead of taking action.

She swallowed hard and looked away from the window.

“You’re cheating already, wife?” Nate leaned closer, amusement glinting in his eyes.

She whipped her head toward him. “You-don’t-stop calling me that.”

He laughed outright this time. “You prefer honey? Sweetheart?.”

She folded her arms and stared straight ahead. “I’m re-thinking letting you live until we reach the registry.”

She inhaled sharply through her nose. “I swear, if you speak again-”

He leaned closer, voice low and teasing. “You’ll what? Divorce me?”

Her silence was answer enough. Nate chuckled, turning his gaze to the window, clearly enjoying himself

The car rolled to a stop outside the marriage-registry building. Dahlia stepped out first, chin high, ignoring how his laughter followed her into the entrance hall.

Inside, the lobby buzzed with soft chatter. Couples clutched papers, rings glinting as they gestured and laughed.

She and Nate took a ticket and sat down, waiting for their number to flash on the screen.

Across from them, a young couple sat hand-in-hand, laughing softly. The woman glanced over and smiled warmly. “You two look adorable together! Are you here to get married?”

Dahlia stiffened, opening her mouth to respond-but Nate beat her to it.

“Oh, we’re already married” he said, smiling like a proud newlywed.

“Aw!” the woman cooed. “That’s wonderful! So what brings you back here today?”

Nate sighed dramatically. “Divorce.”

The woman’s smile faltered. “Oh.”

The man beside her frowned sympathetically. “What happened?”

Nate clasped his hands like a tragic hero. “She doesn’t want me anymore.”

The couple gasped in unison.

Dahlia’s mouth dropped open. “What-”

“She says she’s done with me,” Nate continued, voice cracking in exaggerated sorrow. “And I did everything she wanted! I was sweet, I listened, I even-” he paused for effect, lowering his tone- “cuddled her.”

The woman covered her mouth, eyes wide. “You poor man.”

Dahlia looked like she might combust on the spot.

“And it’s just so sad,” the woman whispered, handing Nate a tissue. “Some people are just meant to die alone” she added, glaring pointedly at Dahlia.

The man nodded gravely.

Nate dabbed his eyes dramatically with the tissue, shooting Dahlia a secret grin over the top of it.

Dahlia could only stare, speechless, as the man nodded solemnly.

“Cut the act” Dahlia hissed under her breath.

He leaned closer. “I did everything you asked of me, wife,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I licked you good, I went faster, and I even cuddled you-why do you want to leave me?”

The entire lobby went silent.

Dozens of eyes turned their way.

The young couple looked horrified. A woman nearby gasped. Someone muttered, “Disgraceful.”

Dahlia’s face burned crimson. She wanted the earth to swallow her whole.

“You are insane” she hissed, gripping her purse like she might throw it at him.

A few older women gave Dahlia matching looks of pity and judgment. Someone whispered, “She doesn’t appreciate him.”

Heat flared up her neck.

Nate’s smirk returned, small and satisfied.

When their number was finally called, Dahlia stood so fast her chair squeaked. “Finally.”

“Don’t be shy, sweetheart,” Nate teased as they walked toward the door.

“I will kill you Nate” she muttered.

Inside the office, a short man with graying hair and thin glasses looked up from behind a desk. “Good morning. I’m Mr. Roger. How can I help you two?”Dahlia strode forward and slapped their marriage certificate onto the desk. “We want a divorce. Now.”

Mr. Roger blinked. “Oh… well, that’s rather sudden.”

“Sudden is an understatement” Nate said cheerfully, leaning back in his chair.

“Please ignore him” Dahlia snapped.

Mr. Roger adjusted his glasses, glancing between them. “So… you’re sure this is what you want?”

“Yes” Dahlia said firmly.

“No” Nate said at the same time.

Dahlia whipped her head toward him, eyes narrowing. “What?”

Nate smiled innocently. “Just being honest.”

“Yes, we want to get divorced,” she corrected through clenched teeth.

She pushes the document closer to him “Please” she adds desperately

Mr. Roger studied the document, then frowned slightly. “It says here you two were married… yesterday?”

Dahlia exhaled sharply. “Yes. And it was complete misunderstanding . I need to fix it immediately.”

He sighed, sliding the paper back toward her. “I’m afraid that’s not how it works, Miss Dahlia.”

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

The clerk nodded slowly, flipping through the pages. “Unfortunately, Ms. Reyes, by law you must be married at least a year before filing for divorce.”

The room went still.

“What?” Dahlia said.

Mr. Roger sighed. “I’m afraid so. Unless there’s evidence of abuse or fraud-which, judging by your certificate, there isn’t-you’ll have to return after twelve months.”

“No, no-you don’t understand” she leaned forward desperately, lowering her voice. “I have to divorce this man right now. He’s a sex worker.”

Mr. Roger’s eyes flicked toward Nate, who was scrolling casually through his phone like this conversation didn’t concern him.

Mr. Roger gave her a sympathetic look. “There’s nothing I can do, miss. That’s the law.”

Dahlia slumped back in her chair.

Nate finally tucked his phone away “Can we go now, wife?”

She turned to him, fists clenching. For a moment, she looked like she might strangle him right there-but instead, she took a deep breath, gathered the documents, and marched toward the door.

“Thank you for your time” Nate told Mr. Roger politely as he followed her out.

Outside, the couple from the lobby waved. “How’d it go?” the woman asked.

Nate grinned. “My wife isn’t divorcing me!”

They cheered.

Dahlia kept walking, ignoring the laughter behind her.

Reality sank like lead in her stomach. She was actually stuck with this man for an entire year.

She stopped by the car door and turned. Nate was still waving at the couple, his grin bright enough to outshine the morning.

He wasn’t entirely awful, she admitted. Infuriating, yes-but kind beneath the teasing, too calm for his own good. Maybe she could survive this. For a year.

Dahlia’s phone buzzed in her hand. This time she answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi, babe. Are you okay? Why didn’t you pick up my calls?” Tyler’s voice slid through -practiced concern, the kind that sounded like velvet over steel. At one time it had made the world seem brighter.

Dahlia felt the memory of that brightness and let it go, careful and cold. “I was busy” she said flatly.

There was a beat of confusion. Tyler recovered quickly. “What time should I pick you up for the party?”

“What party?” she asked.

“Your birthday party silly.” His tone slid back into charm.

She almost laughed, a sound that tasted of iron. The word party was a trap now. Her birthday -the same night they’d plotted against her- to trick her into giving them all of her inheritance and her dad’s precious company.

He tried again, softer, “Are you sure you’re okay? I can come by.”

She could feel the old habit -the grateful flutter when he offered to be there - clawing at her. She swallowed it down hard.

“I’ll come by myself” she said, each syllable clipped and controlled. She listened as Tyler stammered - not with apology, but with the practiced pivot of someone who sensed distance and wanted to close it.

“Are we-are we okay?” he asked, voice small for a moment.

Why had she let him ask that before? Why had she trusted? “Why wouldn’t we be?” she asked, and let the iciness of it hang in the line before she cut the call.

She was done letting these people work over her, she was going to have her revenge for their horrible betrayal. And she planned to use her new husband to her advantage.

“Are you ready to go now, wife?” Nate asked, the wolfish smile back in place.

She exhaled slowly, surrendering to the ridiculousness of it all. “We’re going birthday shopping, hubby.”

For a moment, surprise flickered across his face, followed by an amused tilt of his mouth.

He watched her slide into the car, the corner of his lips lifting higher. This, he thought, was going to be fun.