Chapter 1

Linda's POV

After hanging up the phone with my mother and confirming the arranged marriage, I booked the first flight out.

Forcing myself not to think about what I'd just seen, I went home and hurriedly packed my bags.

I was grabbing a few things from the living room when Gerald came home. He slipped his arms around me, his eyes shining with a joy I'd never seen before.

"Linda, I love you so much," he said softly. "Let's spend the rest of our lives together, okay?"

He leaned in for a kiss.

The smell of alcohol lingered on his breath, and the strong scent of gardenia perfume on his clothes was almost suffocating.

Gerald always bought me the same gardenia perfume. No matter how many times I told him I preferred jasmine, he'd just smile it off and buy the same one again.

A few times, I'd forgotten to put it on, and he'd gotten furious over something so trivial.

I finally understood. The one who loved that perfume, and the one Gerald had always loved… had never been me.

From the very beginning, he hadn't fallen in love with me at all. He'd only wanted someone who could take that woman's place.

Nausea churned in my stomach, and I pulled away from Gerald.

The hunger in his eyes didn't lessen. Instead, he pressed me against the door, his cool hand already slipping beneath the hem of my shirt.

"Gerald! Let me go!"

He froze, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. I'd never spoken to him like that before.

He was just about to ask what was wrong when the doorbell rang.

As soon as he opened the door, a woman rushed inside, threw her arms around him, and kissed him on the cheek.

Then she turned to me with a bright, almost blinding smile.

"You must be Ms. Rye, the secretary who's been by Gerald's side for the past eight years, right? Hi! I'm Sarah Wheeler, Gerald's fiancee. Thanks for looking after him all these years while I was away."

The rich scent of gardenias swept over me as she moved—the exact same perfume clinging to Gerald's clothes.

I said nothing. I simply looked at him.

Gerald hesitated for the briefest moment before avoiding my gaze.

"That's right," he said with a nod. "She's the secretary I told you about. She's just starting out in her career and doesn't make much, so I let her stay in the guest room. It's convenient having her around to help with work and the house."

Sarah waved him off with a laugh.

"Gerald, why are you explaining yourself again? I'm not the jealous type—I know how to separate business from personal life.

"Besides, Ms. Rye and I look so much alike. Of course you'd feel more comfortable having her around. I should be thanking you, really.

"Oh, one more thing. Since you already know your way around the house, would you mind moving my luggage into Gerald's bedroom? We're getting married soon, so it's about time we started living together."

Sarah cheerfully ordered me around, and Gerald didn't object once.

I couldn't help remembering all the times I'd begged to move into the master bedroom.

Every time, Gerald turned me down. He always said that even couples needed their own space.

Only on the rare nights when passion got the better of him would he let me stay.

If I accidentally left so much as a hair tie behind, he'd darken with displeasure and remind me to respect his boundaries.

I'd always thought that was just who he was—someone who fiercely valued his personal space.

Now I finally understood. The place beside him had never been meant for me.

Gerald suddenly pointed at his phone.

I looked down at mine. A new message had popped up.

It read, "Sarah and I are only getting married in name. It's just for the company's partnership—we're putting on a show. Don't get the wrong idea."

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

Even now, Gerald still thought I was naive enough to believe whatever he told me.

Fine. If he wanted to insist his marriage was fake, he could keep telling himself that.

As long as mine was real, that was enough.

I turned toward the guest room to finish packing the rest of my things, but Sarah beat me to it.

"Ms. Rye," she said with a bright smile, "Gerald can be so clingy. Now that I'll be staying here, It'd be awkward for you to keep living here. Why don't you pack up and find somewhere else to stay as soon as you can?"