Chapter 1

Before I could stop myself, I tapped the message.

It opened to a group chat filled with Fred Thompson's usual circle of friends.

My hands shook as I scrolled up.

[Everyone else is out. There are just Hannah and Ayla left. One's your official girlfriend, while the other's your new favorite secretary. Final round, man.]

[I'm betting on Hannah. She's been with you five years; she's sweet, obedient, and yeah, she's got a great body. Perfect wife material.]

[But Ayla's not bad, either. You've only known her for five months, and you've already been ditching Hannah to go see her every day. Damn, with a body like hers, no wonder you're hooked.]

The messages got worse from there, all crude and disgusting. A cold chill spread up my spine.

Then I saw Fred's reply.

[Hannah's definitely marriage material, but Ayla's got her perks, too. She's more fun, knows how to keep me entertained in bed.

[I'll see how they perform. Whoever scores higher, that's who I'll marry.

[And make sure you act normal around Hannah. Don't let her find out. With her personality, she'd lose it.]

The fork slipped from my hand and clattered onto the floor.

Hearing Fred's hurried footsteps, I quickly put his phone back where it was.

"You okay, babe? You should be more careful."

He picked up the fork, swapped it out for a clean one, and wiped the floor as if nothing had happened.

But I had already lost my appetite. My stomach churned.

I asked, "Fred, if you had to rate our relationship, what score would you give it?"

He chuckled. "Full marks, obviously. We've been together five years. When have we ever had a problem? What's this about, babe? Why ask that all of a sudden?"

I drove my fork hard into the slice of cake in front of me.

"Nothing. Just saw something online."

I pulled up the post and showed him. He glanced at it and immediately put on an innocent expression.

"Babe, how could I ever be that kind of guy? We've been together for five years. Don't you know how I feel about you? I've always loved you with my whole heart. I've never once had any other thoughts."

I didn't respond. I just stared into his eyes, searching for something. Anything.

But even while lying, he looked the same as always: calm, gentle, and reassuring. There wasn't a single crack.

I was about to speak when his phone rang.

Fred glanced at it and stood up. "I need to take this."

When he came back, he ruffled my hair, his voice soft with apology.

"Babe, something urgent came up at work. I've gotta head out. I'll be back later, okay?"

He left in a rush.

The moment the door closed, I broke. Tears spilled out before I could stop them.

So the love he had shown me for five whole years was nothing but an act.

To him, I was just another contestant in his twisted little selection game. Just something to score, compare, and rank with his disgusting friends.

They had turned my body, my personality, and even my skills in bed into numbers on a scale.

It made me sick.

I didn't even know when he had gotten involved with that secretary of his.

I grabbed the half-eaten cake and dumped it straight into the trash, then called my father.

"Dad, I'm coming home."

On the other end, his voice lit up with joy.

"My sweet girl, what brought this on? But that's perfect timing. You've been away for five years. It's about time you came back and took over the business. Oh, and do you remember? That kid is still waiting for you."

I froze. His words pulled a familiar figure into my mind.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself.

"Yeah. When I get back, I'll agree to marry him."

But before I left the country, I still had a score to settle with Fred.