He Told Me to Disappear, So I Did

It was past midnight.

The sound of the door opening broke the silence.

Lauren Sullivan hurried over, opened it, and spread her arms to welcome the man coming home. "Jensen, happy birthday."

Jensen Shaw gave her an indifferent glance. "What's wrong with you?"

Her arms stayed open, and her smile froze.

It slowly faded.

Jensen tossed his keys onto the cabinet by the door.

He pretended not to notice the light leave Lauren’s eyes.

Nothing ever seemed to get to her anyway.

She would be fine in a moment.

Then she would come after him like an annoying cat he couldn't chase away.

Jensen took off his coat and walked farther inside.

As expected, Lauren followed and took the jacket from him. "I just made the cake. It isn't too sweet... Come light the candles and make a wish."

Hope shone in her eyes.

In her pale pink nightgown, she looked gentle and a little vulnerable.

Jensen rubbed his forehead. Disgust showed plainly on his handsome face.

"Lauren Sullivan, don't you realize how sickening it is when you pretend to be the sweet, devoted wife?"

Lauren went still.

Jensen walked around her and stopped on the other side of the coffee table.

He took out a lighter and lit every candle.

Lauren’s face brightened again.

Jensen never let her into his social circle. His family and friends seemed to have an unspoken agreement to overlook her as his wife.

Even on his birthday, she could only ask for a little of his time after midnight.

The candle flames flickered across his handsome, distant face.

The warmth that once made her heart race when they were young was gone, replaced by a grown man’s cold reserve.

Lauren smiled and clasped her hands together. "Jensen, make a wish."

Jensen looked at the woman who always smiled at him across the candlelight.

His own smile was cold. "For the past five years, I've had only one wish: Lauren Sullivan, disappear from my life forever."

All the color drained from Lauren’s face.

She reached out and caught his arm as he turned to leave.

"Let go," Jensen said, his voice low.

Lauren looked up at him. "Do you really hate me that much? You can't even bear to look at me?"

"Do I need to answer that?"

Jensen smiled.

His face was handsome, but his eyes held no warmth.

They held only disgust.

"Lauren Sullivan, you're the person I despise most in this world. Is that clear enough for you?"

Lauren always knew.

Jensen never held back when he wanted to hurt her.

They were husband and wife, yet he treated her like a bitter enemy.

It was as though he wanted to tear her apart himself.

Tears gathered in Lauren’s eyes, but she refused to release him. "Then I won't hold back either."

She threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed herself against him.

Then she kissed him with a desperation she couldn't control.

She stopped only when she tasted blood.

Jensen’s breathing faltered.

He shoved her away, his expression dark. "Lauren Sullivan, are you really that shameless?"

"You're the one who agreed to marry me!"

Her eyes shone with tears. "You said you'd be with me! Those were your words! What gives you the right to call me shameless?"

She rarely cried or complained, but that never meant she wasn't hurt.

The longer she kept her feelings buried, the harder they broke free.

"Mrs. Shaw."

Jensen drew out the words, his face grim. "You finally showed me who you really are. Why bother pretending for so long?"

"You're right..."

Lauren gave a faint smile. "I don't know what I was doing all these years."

Her cold fingertips traced the outline of his face.

The touch was intimate, and her voice was enticing. "A man is just a toy in bed. Why did I treat you so well?"

"Lauren Sullivan!"

Jensen seized her wrist, his face dark with anger.

He gripped it so hard that she thought it might break. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Oh, Mr. Shaw doesn't like hearing that."

Lauren looked into his furious eyes.

Her heart ached, but her smile grew brighter. "You're just a toy I bought for a billion dollars, Jensen. What gives you the right not to love me?"

A vein stood out on Jensen’s forehead. He looked ready to strangle her.

Lauren rose onto her toes and kissed him.

"Jensen, I want you," she whispered hoarsely.

Jensen’s face remained cold. He tore her nightgown, and Lauren went pale.

He pushed her down onto the sofa.

As they struggled together, they knocked the cake from the coffee table. It landed on the floor in a ruined heap.

Jensen’s voice was icy. "A toy doesn't know how to be gentle, Mrs. Shaw. Enjoy yourself."