Chapter 2

Natasha's high heels came crashing down on my lab documentation. She jabbed a finger in my face, hurling insults like I was the one who wrecked their marriage.

"You shameless woman, Rhea! Gavin is my husband! What gives you the right to even talk to him?"

And Gavin? He just stood there, silent and stone-faced. He didn't say a word for my sake. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Natasha's shoulders, standing tall as her strongest support.

I pursed my lips. "Fine. I'll burn them, then."

I yanked the remaining lab documentation from my briefcase and reached for the lighter on my desk, fully ready to set it on fire.

That was when Gavin realized I wasn't bluffing. Panicked, he reached out to stop me.

"Forget it. Just take it. Call it a parting gift for your years at the company."

The whole office let out a breath of relief, but Natasha wasn't about to let me off that easily.

She clung to Gavin and whined, "Babe, you said I was the vice president, so how come I don't even have the authority to make a basic decision like this?"

Gavin, who normally indulged her without hesitation, gave her a firm nudge this time and warned her not to stir up trouble.

Then, he stepped toward me, his voice cool and distant. "Go to finance and pick up your final paycheck. Don't worry. You'll get every cent you're owed. The rest of your severance will be in your account within seven days."

I rolled my eyes on the inside.

Without a doubt, he thought that in seven days, he'd blow me off with some excuse about his memory loss, throw in a few sweet nothings, and everything would go back to normal like none of this ever happened.

But Gavin, who knew absolutely nothing about pharmaceutical research, had no idea that the batch of drugs he was about to submit was still missing one final and most critical experimental step.

If anything went wrong and those drugs hit the market, the consequences would be disastrous. And he'd be held legally accountable for distributing counterfeit drugs.

Back then, I would've swallowed my anger for him, for the sake of my research findings, and for all those sleepless nights I'd poured into those experiments. But now? I was just done. I no longer wanted the company or him.

As I packed up my things, Gavin instinctively reached for my bag, then froze, remembering he was still playing the amnesia card. His hand hovered in the air for a second before he let it drop, pretending he didn't care.

I pulled out my phone and deleted every last trace of him. Then, I took a deep breath and looked at him flatly. "Let's get a divorce, Gavin."

He froze, then blurted out, "Are you out of your mind, Rhea? You actually want a divorce?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his slip. He quickly cleared his throat and backtracked. "Don't be ridiculous. Who do you think you are? My wife is Natasha. How could I have ever married you?"

His awkward act was almost laughable, but I didn't bother calling him out. Instead, I went along with it. "Back then, you were drunk and out of it. I tricked you into marrying me. So now, I'll just undo it."

Natasha's eyes lit up as she grabbed Gavin's sleeve, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Yes! Yes, babe. Divorce her! Then you can finally marry me!"

Gavin's brows knitted tightly. It was obvious that he didn't actually want a divorce. Caught between our demands, all he could do was stall.

"Let's not rush into anything. Divorce is a big deal. We should think it through before making any final decisions."

I was baffled. If Gavin truly loved Natasha, why wouldn't he leap at the chance to end things with me? With me out of the picture, he could flaunt their affair without the need for those pathetic, exhausting excuses to keep me at a distance.

But I didn't have the energy to untangle his motives anymore. I just wanted out.

I shot him a sideways glance, my voice light but needling. "What's the hesitation? Don't tell me you've caught feelings for me? Need I remind you? You're already married."

The moment Natasha heard that, her expression snapped into a wounded pout as she latched onto Gavin. "Babe, you have me. I'm your real wife! How could you even think of marrying someone else?"

I seized the moment and pressed harder. "If our marriage was a mistake from the start, then don't make the woman you actually love pay the price for it."

Backed into a corner, Gavin had no choice but to grit his teeth and give in.