Semua Bab Mr Ex, Call me your uncle's wife now.: Bab 31 - Bab 40

Vivian's POVThe wedding was six weeks away.I stood in the bridal boutique, staring at my reflection in the three-way mirror. The dress was ivory silk, elegant and understated, with a neckline that dipped just enough to be tasteful. It was the kind of dress a woman wore when she wanted to look like she belonged in a magazine spread… perfect, polished, passionless.The sales associate circled me, making small adjustments, her voice a pleasant hum of compliments and suggestions. I nodded along, saying nothing, watching the stranger in the mirror who was supposed to be me.My phone buzzed in my clutch.I glanced at it and Ethan's name lit up the screen.Ethan: meet me at the venue at 4. The event planner wants to go over the venue arrangement and decorationI typed back a quick confirmation and set the phone aside.This marriage was a transaction. It was a fair trade. Neither of us pretended otherwise.But sometimes, in the quiet moments, I caught myself wondering if that was enough. If

Vivian's POVDinner was served in the dining room.The table was a masterpiece of opulence… crystal goblets, silver cutlery, china plates with gold trim that probably cost more than my rent. Candles flickered in the centerpiece casting dancing shadows across the faces of the assembled guests.I was seated between Ethan and an elderly aunt who smelled of lavender and mothballs. Across the table in my line of sight sat Derek and Charlotte.It was deliberate. I knew it was on purpose. Eleanor had arranged the seating to make me feel uncomfortable, to force me to stare at the man I had once loved across a table with the trappings of the life I had almost had."Miss Vivian, " Charlotte said, her voice light. Just curious. "How did you and Ethan meet?"I slowly took a sip of my wine to buy myself a moment. The burgundy liquid was rich and velvety, a vintage that probably cost more than I had made in a week at my job. I wasn't poor_that was what annoyed me most. I came from one of the most p

Vivian’s POVSunlight was slicing through my curtains like golden knives, and I’d been staring at the ceiling for hours. My brain wouldn’t shut up… Derek’s smug little speech, Eleanor’s icy stare, Ethan’s cold-as-ice “we walk away like we never met” line. Of course that was the plan. He didn't have to remind me.I was lying there, trying to sell myself on the idea that walking away was exactly what I wanted… when I heard it Ring ring ring… someone lost their damn mind on my doorbell.Three times. Then a fourth. Then full-on pounding, like the door owed them money.“Vivian, it's me. Open up."Sarah.I groaned, dragging myself out of bed in my giant tee and sleep shorts. When I swung the door open, there she was… arms crossed, holding coffee and pastries like some kind of breakfast avenging angel. Her curls were a messy bun disaster, zero makeup, but her face screamed I’m about to fix your life.“Took you long enough,” she said, brushing past me. “I’ve been texting since seven. You gho

Vivian's POVThe sky was a perfect, cloudless blue. As if the universe itself approved of this farce.I stood in the bridal suite of the Blackwell estate, surrounded by silk and flowers and the soft hum of last-minute preparations. Sarah was zipping me into my gown… a fitted lace masterpiece."Vivian?" My mother's voice, tentative. "May I come in?"I exchanged a glance with Sarah. "Come in."The door opened, and my mother stepped inside. She was dressed in a soft sage dress, her silver hair pinned elegantly, her eyes already glistening. She stopped when she saw me, her hand rising to her mouth."Oh, sweetheart," she breathed. "You look...""Like a bride?" I offered a small smile.She crossed the room, her arms opening, and I stepped into them. She smelled like lavender and home, and for a moment, I let myself melt into her warm embrace."I'm so proud of you," she whispered.I pulled back, squeezing her hands. “Thanks, mom.”Nathan appeared in the doorway, looking handsome in his tuxed

Vivian's POVMy eyes flew open, my heart lurching into my throat. I sat up, squinting into the darkness, and there he was.Ethan.He stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of low-slung boxers that hung on his hips like they were made for him. The light caught the planes of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen, the sharp V that disappeared beneath the waistband. His shoulders were broad, his arms defined, every line of him carved like a sculpture that had been chiseled to perfection.I swallowed hard.He was beautiful. There was no other word for it. Beautiful in a way that made my throat go dry and my fingers itch to reach out and touch. His skin looked warm in the dim light, his chest rising and falling with each steady breath. There was a light dusting of hair across his pectorals, trailing down his stomach in a thin line that disappeared beneath the waistband of his boxers. His jaw was sharp, shadowed with the