Chapter 2

Emma

The shrill sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of a deep sleep. I blinked several times before slowly opening my eyes. Soft morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, making me realize it was already daybreak.

My heart skipped a beat, I shot upright in bed. I had slept through the entire night. How was that even possible? I couldn't remember the last time I had slept so deeply.

Turning my head, I found Noah still asleep beside me. His chest rose and fell steadily, completely unaware of the panic that had suddenly taken hold of me.

My phone rang again. With trembling hands, I reached for it on the nightstand. The caller ID made my stomach sink, Jake.

I answered the call. "You bitch!" he roared the moment I picked up. "I gave you permission for one night, and you decided to stay out the entire night!"

I flinched at the harshness of his voice. Even after three years of marriage, I still couldn't stop myself from shrinking whenever he yelled at me. It didn't matter that he wasn't standing in front of me. His words alone were enough to make me cower.

"You were just waiting for an excuse to sleep around, weren't you?" he continued. "You couldn't wait to whore yourself out like the slut you are."

His words felt like knives, I swallowed hard and quickly lowered the volume on my phone, praying Noah wouldn't wake up and hear the humiliation pouring from my husband's mouth.

 "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I'm leaving right now."

"You'd better be," Jake snapped. "You have thirty minutes to get home."

The call ended before I could say another word, he didn't wait for an explanation.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, a new problem hit me almost immediately. How was I supposed to get home when my dress had been ripped to shreds?

There was no way I could go home wearing another man's shirt. Jake would never let me hear the end of it, even though this entire arrangement had been his idea. It was humiliating enough that he had sent me here in the first place.

"You alright?" Noah's voice startled me, and I nearly jumped.

I had completely forgotten he was still in the room. "Yeah... I'm fine," I replied, forcing a small smile as I nervously ran my fingers through my hair. I wasn't sure how to begin the conversation.

He sat up and turned to face me, I did everything I could to avoid looking directly at him. Remembering what had happened between us only made me more embarrassed.

"We got so carried away last night that we never talked about your payment," I said, clearing my throat. "How much do you charge for one night?"

I hesitated before continuing. "I also want to know how much you charge for a whole month. I might need your... services for a month."

That had been Jake's plan from the beginning. According to him, one night might not be enough. He wanted me to keep sleeping with the same man until I got pregnant. In his opinion, a month was more than enough to prove whether I was barren or not.

"One million dollars," Noah said without hesitation.

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "What?" I exclaimed.

"That's ridiculous! It's not like you will be sleeping with me every single minute. It will only be once in a while."

"Then I will lower it to five hundred thousand dollars," he replied calmly. "And that's only because I enjoy sleeping with you. I don't come cheap."

I tried bargaining with him, hoping he would lower the price even more, but he didn't. No matter what I said, he refused to change his mind.

In the end, I had no choice but to give up, I would have to go home and tell Jake how much Noah was asking for.

Before I left, we exchanged phone numbers. I promised I would contact him after speaking with my husband.

A few minutes later, Noah somehow managed to get me another dress. I had no idea how he found one so quickly, but I was too relieved to ask. After getting dressed, I quietly left the hotel and headed home.

As I drove home, my mind kept drifting back to Noah. I couldn't stop thinking about the way he had looked at me, as if I were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The way he had touched me with such care and admiration made me feel special in a way I had never experienced before.

And then there was the look he gave me that morning while I got dressed. It wasn't pity or disgust. It was something I had never seen directed at me before. A small part of me wondered if he would still look at me that way if I weren't paying him. The thought made my chest tighten.

Jake had spent the last three years convincing me that no man would ever want me. According to him, I was the blandest, most undesirable woman he had ever met. His words had become a voice in my head, one I could never seem to silence.

By the time I arrived home, I was hoping Jake had already left for work. I needed a little time to prepare myself for whatever insults he would throw at me when he got back.

I unlocked the front door and quietly walked inside, the house was unusually quiet. Thinking I was alone, I headed upstairs to our bedroom. The moment I pushed the door open, I froze. Jake was in our bed with his mistress, Rachel.

"Get out and come back when we are done!" he shouted without the slightest hint of shame.

Rachel looked at me with a smug smile before dramatically rolling her eyes. I immediately lowered my gaze, closed the door, and walked back downstairs without saying a word.

I sat silently on the couch and waited, this wasn't the first time. It wasn't even unusual anymore. Ever since we got married, Jake had openly slept with Rachel in our bedroom. She had practically lived in our house from the beginning of our marriage.

Sometimes it felt as though Rachel was the wife of the house, while I was nothing more than an unwanted guest.

More than an hour later, Jake finally came downstairs. The first thing he did was glare at me.

"You slut," he barked. "I told you to find a man to get you pregnant, and instead you spent the entire night with him."

I quickly stood up from the couch. "I thought you said I could stay the—"

Before I could finish, his hand struck my face, the slap echoed through the room. I stumbled back, clutching my burning cheek as tears instantly filled my eyes.

"I said nothing," he snapped. "You were just looking for an excuse to sleep around like the whore you are."

His words hurt even more than the slap. "I have changed my mind," he continued. "I will find someone else to get the job done. Forget about whoever you met."

My heart dropped. If Noah was out of the picture, then Jake would choose another stranger. The thought made me feel strangely disappointed.

"We are having dinner with Grandpa tonight," Jake said coldly as he turned to leave. "Be ready."

Without another glance at me, he walked away, leaving me standing there alone with my stinging cheek and an aching heart.