Chapter 3

Strangers by day, fuck buddies by night.

The words echoed in my mind—as beautiful as they were agonizing.

I tried to focus on my work, but I couldn't stop thinking about how Atlas spoke as if our time together meant nothing to him.

But then again, I was being paid. Who was I to ask for his love? In his eyes, I was just a whore, and that would never change.

With our contract nearing its end and Nathalie’s return looming, destiny felt cruelly timed.

A tear escaped my eye, but I quickly wiped it away as Selena approached. Suddenly, a scalding liquid drenched my clothes.

"Ouch! What the hell?" I snapped, looking up at her.

"Did you seriously just throw coffee on me, Selena?"

She smirked, her eyes full of malice.

"That’s what you get for being a slut. Yesterday you were a cleaner, and today you’re an accountant? You clearly sold your body to the manager. Once the CEO hears about your scandal, you’re doomed."

My colleagues laughed, watching the spectacle.

I wasn't going to let her walk all over me. If she wanted to act trashy, I could play that game too.

"Look who’s talking," I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You’re just jealous because you’ve been here for years and you’re still stuck at the bottom. Poor you."

The fury in her eyes was satisfying, but as I turned my back to sit down, she lunged.

She grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling me back. My other coworkers joined in, pushing me until I hit the floor. Selena grabbed a dirty mop and began rubbing it across my face.

Gasping for air, I fought back.

I grabbed a nearby basin of water and threw it over her.

"That’s what you deserve, you jealous bitch!" I screamed.

The retaliation was brutal.

They swarmed me slapping, kicking, and spitting on me.

I couldn't fight them all off. My body throbbed with pain, and I felt a warm trickle of blood run down my forehead after my head slammed against the wall.

Just as I thought I might black out, a woman walked in.

She was stunning long-legged, with a sharp nose and flawless skin. The room went silent.

"Miss Nathalie," everyone whispered in unison.

My heart stopped. This was it. The moment I feared most. Was this the end of everything? Would Atlas be gone forever?

She walked toward me slowly and reached out a hand to help me up.

Thank God, I thought, she’s actually kind.

"Miss Nathalie, don't help her!" one of my coworkers shouted.

"She’s a whore! She slept with Mr. Atlas just to get promoted!"

Nathalie froze, her eyes shifting to mine.

"No, Miss Nathalie... they're lying," I stammered, my voice trembling with terror.

The kindness in her face vanished, replaced by a look of pure, demonic possession. Before I could move, she snatched a heavy vase from my desk and shattered it against my head. I screamed in agony, the world spinning as I collapsed into a pool of tears and blood.

The office was chaotic until Mr. Smith, the manager, rushed in.

“Nathalie! You’re home,” he exclaimed.

“Uncle! I’m back,” she replied with a sharp smile. “I'm here to pick up where Atlas and I left off.

But honestly, I’m disappointed to find a whore roaming the halls of this company.”

My heart sank. Mr. Smith was her uncle? It really was a small world.

I knew then that I had already lost.

Atlas would never come to my defense. He wouldn't risk his reputation for a scandal like this.

I struggled to my feet, my head spinning from the pain. I just wanted to disappear.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Nathalie demanded.

“I’ve been humiliated enough,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

“Please, I don't want any more trouble.”

I tried to walk away, but Selena and her friends blocked my path.

Suddenly, Atlas stepped out of his office. The room went silent. Everyone stared at him as if he were a Greek god descending from Olympus.

“What happened here?” he demanded, his gaze sweeping the room. No one dared to speak.

Then, his eyes locked onto mine. “You’re bleeding, Maya. Tell me—what the hell happened?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Nathalie beat me to it.

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. A toxic mix of jealousy and rage flared in my chest.

“Come on, Atlas,” Nathalie cooed, pulling him away.

“Don’t mind her. She’s just a slut.”

I remembered our rule Strangers by day.

I stayed silent staring at Atlas one last time before turning my back on them. I didn't want to be the reason for his scandal.

I cried the entire way to the hospital. After the doctors treated my wounds, I stayed overnight. I didn't go back to the villa. I didn't call. I didn't text. And when my phone lit up with his messages, I left every single one of them on read.

Where are you?

Maya come to Villa Now!!!

where the hell fucking are you??

I paid for you?.

I off my phone, para walang istorbo sa pahinga ko.

When I woke up the next morning and checked my phone, I found fifty new messages and twenty-five missed calls from Atlas. I knew what they meant nothing. He didn't care about me he just wanted to use me again.

A doctor entered with a warm smile. "Good morning, Ms. Maya."

She handed me a brown envelope. "Open it."

I pulled out the results, and my heart stopped.

"I'm... I'm pregnant? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

"How? Atlas always made me take birth control."

The doctor looked at me sympathetically. "Those weren't contraceptives. They were prenatal vitamins designed to aid conception. You’re two months along."

Confusion and rage surged through me. He had tricked me. He treated me like livestock, breeding me without my knowledge. I felt like a fool Atlas was my first, and I hadn't known the difference between a pill and a vitamin.

For a split second, a naive part of me wondered if he’d be happy. Maybe he wanted this?

I rushed back to the villa, hoping to find him. But as I reached his door, I saw Nathalie inside. They were standing so close they were almost kissing.

"Jealous?" a maid sneered, passing by with a raised eyebrow.

I ignored her and retreated to my room, my mind a battlefield.

My heart screamed to tell him the truth, but my brain shouted for me to run. Suddenly, the door swung open. Atlas stepped in.

"You're finally back," he said coldly.

"So what?" I snapped.

"You bought my body, Atlas, but you never owned my soul."

Just then, my phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen.

"Who is 'Baby Leo'?" he demanded, his tone turning lethal.

I lunged for the phone and cut the call. "None of your business."

He lunged forward, grabbing my arm and pinning it tightly.

"Remember this, little slave you don't have the right to sleep with anyone else while I'm using you. I won't have you bringing diseases into my bed."

I wrenched my arm away, my eyes stinging with tears.

"Diseases? Other men?" My voice trembled.

"Fuck you, Atlas. You treat me like a common prostitute, and now you accuse me of that? I suppose there isn't much difference to you since you paid for me anyway."

I shoved him toward the door with every ounce of strength I had left.

"The moment our contract ends, I swear you will never see me again—not even my shadow. We will be total strangers. Now, get the hell out!"

Once the door slammed shut, I collapsed to the floor, clutching my chest.

Why was I cursed to love a man who viewed me as a commodity? I couldn't force my heart to stop loving him, but I could force myself to leave.

If I'm just a whore to you, Atlas, then let’s play a game. You want to play hide-and-seek with the truth? Fine. I’ll finish this contract, but you will never know you have a child. I’m going to win this game, Atlas. I’m going to win.

Despite everything that happened, I gathered the courage to show up at the office.

This time, I had a mission avoid conflict at all costs for the sake of my baby. The office always looked like a slice of heaven, but the people inside were pure devils—that was the company’s best-kept secret.

As I sat at my desk, I opened the lunch the maids had packed for me.

It was strange they claimed to despise me because of my arrangement with Atlas, yet they never let me leave the villa without a healthy meal. Their concern was as confusing as their anger.

Suddenly, Nathalie and Selena walked in together.

The two vixens were clearly inseparable now.

I braced myself for an attack, but to my surprise, they did nothing. Nathalie simply stared at me with a cold, unreadable expression before walking away.

Were they on something? Or had they finally grown bored of me? Whatever the reason, I was grateful for the peace.

Then, I overheard the gossip swirling behind me.

"The engagement party is tonight," a coworker whispered.

"Atlas and Nathalie are finally making it official, and guess what? We’re all invited. It’s going to be the event of the year."

My fork clattered against the container. My heart hammered against my ribs. I hadn't realized the marriage was being rushed like this. What about our contract? There were still months left. Was he just going to breach it and throw me away?

I had to accept the reality Atlas and I were a business transaction, never a romance. But tonight, I decided I would tell him the truth. I would tell him I love him. Not because I expected him to stay, but so that when I finally vanished, he would have to live with the weight of what he threw away.