Chapter 4

Emma 

“Who is she?” one of Rachel’s friends asked, looking me over with open curiosity. “Is she Jake’s secretary?”

Rachel glanced at me, her expression making it clear that even being mistaken for Jake's secretary was giving me too much credit.

“Please. Jake pays his employees well enough. Do you really think they'd show up to a high-profile Manhattan gala dressed like that?” she said, slowly looking me up and down from head to toe.

The women around her laughed quietly, we had only been inside the ballroom for a few minutes, but I already wanted to leave. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting warm light across the polished marble floor. Waiters in black suits moved through the crowd with trays of champagne while a string quartet played softly in one corner. Every guest looked polished and confident, dressed in expensive designer gowns and tailored tuxedos.

I felt completely out of place. Wherever I looked, people were staring at me. Some only glanced before looking away. Others whispered to the person standing beside them. Their eyes lingered long enough to remind me that I didn't belong in their world.

Jake had disappeared the moment we arrived, leaving me behind with Rachel and her friends. I had no idea where he had gone, and I was now trapped with the woman who proudly called herself his future wife.

“So, who is she?” another woman asked, clearly unsatisfied with Rachel's answer.

“No one worth talking about,” Rachel replied. Her words stung more than I wanted to admit.

I quietly turned, hoping to walk away before things became even more humiliating. Before I could take more than a step, Rachel grabbed the side of my dress and pulled me back.

“Stay here. We have to wait for Jake,” she said.

One of the women glanced across the ballroom before checking the time on her phone. “We should get going. Liam Windsor will be here soon, and I'm sitting close to his table. I want him to notice me.”

Rachel laughed. “You can dream, no one even knows what the man looks like.”

The group laughed with her before walking away, disappearing into the growing crowd.

Rachel stayed behind. Once her friends were gone, she turned to face me. The smile she had worn in front of them disappeared, replaced by a cold expression. “You'd better know how to behave tonight,” she said. “Don't do anything that embarrasses Jake.”

She folded her arms across her chest before giving me another slow, judgmental look. “I can't wait until he finally gets rid of you,” she continued. “Then I can take the place that should have been mine all along—as his wife.”

Just then, Jake walked back toward us through the crowd. Without acknowledging me, he stopped in front of Rachel and kissed her on the lips as though I wasn't standing there. Only after pulling away from her did he look at me.

His expression hardened. “I just met with the man I have arranged for you to sleep with,” he said. “I have already signed a two-month contract. You will get pregnant during those two months.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You made that decision without even telling me?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady. “You signed a two-month contract with a man I have never even met? I already told you I'd found someone.”

The frustration that had been building inside me finally spilled over. I couldn't believe this was my life now. Only a week ago, I had lost my virginity to Noah. I had never imagined that, days later, I would be expected to sleep with another man simply because my husband had decided it for me.

As much as I tried to push Noah out of my mind, I couldn't. His face kept appearing in my thoughts. The way he had looked at me. The way he had treated me. Those memories refused to disappear, even as Jake stood in front of me arranging my future as if I had no say in it.

This was what my marriage had become, a  transaction. My feelings, my choices, and even my body no longer seemed to belong to me.

Before I could say another word, Jake grabbed my wrist. His fingers dug into my skin with so much force that I winced. He leaned closer, his voice low enough that no one around us could hear.

“You are going to do exactly what I tell you,” he said. “If you don't, I will divorce you and tell Grandpa that you cheated on me. You know what that means, don't you?”

His grip tightened until it felt like the bones in my wrist might crack.

“No more money for your mother's medical treatment,” he continued. “Your father will have to repay everything my family is owed. Your brothers and sisters will end up on the street, and your whole family will have nothing. You will all starve.”

His words landed one after another, each one heavier than the last, he wasn't making a threat. He was reminding me that he controlled every part of my family's future.

 I nodded quickly. Tears burned behind my eyes, threatening to spill over, but I forced them back. I wasn't going to cry in front of him, that was exactly what he wanted.

A satisfied smile spread across Jake's face. “Good,” he said. “When the party is over, you will meet the escort I have arranged for you. And don't start thinking you are above him just because you are married to me.”

He finally released my wrist. The moment he let go, I instinctively rubbed it. His fingers had left throbbing marks on my skin, and even the slightest movement sent a sharp ache through my hand.

“Now wipe that miserable look off your face,” he said coldly. “Smile, and don't embarrass me.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned to Rachel. The harshness in his expression disappeared almost instantly as he slipped an arm gently around her waist.

“Come on,” he said.

Together, they walked toward the front row where our reserved seats were, I followed a few steps behind them.

The banquet hall buzzed with conversation as influential business executives, politicians, and socialites settled into their seats. Crystal glasses reflected the light from the enormous chandeliers overhead, and waiters quietly moved between the tables, making sure every guest had a drink.

When we reached our table, Jake pulled out a chair for Rachel like a perfect gentleman. She smiled sweetly at him before sitting down. Jake took the seat beside her.

The only empty chair left was on Rachel's other side, I stepped forward and reached for it. Just as I was about to sit, Rachel casually pushed the chair backward with the tip of her heel. The movement was so slight that anyone watching would have thought it happened by accident.

The chair slid away, I lost my balance. Before I could catch myself, I crashed onto the polished marble floor. The impact shot through my knees and palms, the  conversations around the room came to an abrupt stop.

I looked up, dozens of eyes were fixed on me. Heat rushed to my face as humiliation washed over me. Trying to ignore the pain, I hurried to my feet, brushing invisible dust from my dress.

“You can't even manage to sit down properly?” Rachel asked, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Why are you always so clumsy?”

She sounded concerned, but the satisfaction in her eyes told a completely different story.

Jake turned toward me, his face dark with anger. “I warned you not to embarrass me,” he said through clenched teeth. He glanced around the ballroom, noticing the attention we had attracted. “Now everyone is looking at us.”

“Babe, why don't you just arrange for her to meet her new lover now?” Rachel said, glancing at me with obvious disgust. “At least she won't be here making a fool of us at such an exclusive party.”

Jake smirked. “The idiot is working here tonight as one of the stewards,” he replied without lowering his voice. “He agreed to meet her after the banquet is over.”

I lowered my head, pretending not to hear them, even though every word cut deeper than the last.

Before either of them could say anything else, the lights in the ballroom dimmed slightly. The conversations around the room gradually died down as everyone's attention shifted toward the stage at the front of the hall.

An announcer walked up to the microphone with a bright smile.

“I hope everyone is enjoying the evening,” he said. “We are honored to have billionaire businessman Mr. Liam Windsor with us tonight. In just a moment, he will be joining us on stage to deliver a few remarks.”

The moment his name was announced, excitement spread across the ballroom.

Guests immediately began looking around, whispering to one another as they tried to figure out where the famously private billionaire was seated. Some people even stood slightly from their chairs, hoping to catch a glimpse of him before he appeared.

Jake straightened his suit jacket and adjusted his tie. “As soon as he's finished speaking, I'm going to introduce myself and discuss a business opportunity with him,” he said, turning confidently to Rachel. “Wish me luck, babe.”

Rachel smiled brightly. “You will do great.”

The lights focused on the stage. Every pair of eyes in the ballroom remained fixed on the entrance behind the podium. A second later, a tall man stepped out from backstage. He walked across the stage with calm confidence before stopping behind the podium.