Chapter 2 It Never Rains but It Pours

Kelly's POV

I got off the bed and tried to leave, but Pierce grabbed my hand. I quickly wiped the tears rolling down my cheeks before he could see them. He stood in front of me, searching my face as I struggled to look down and avoid his gaze.

My heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. I thought… I thought I could make him fall in love with me during those three years together. I believed his feelings would deepen, that he would see me as a woman rather than just a best friend. I was foolish to hope and dream so high.

I had failed. No matter how hard I tried, his heart belonged only to his first love, Lexi.

"Kelly..."

I sucked in a breath and swallowed the pain as I looked at him. I forced a smile. "I need to wash up before eating."

He stared into my eyes, trying to figure out what I was thinking. I knew he understood me too well, so I made a concerted effort to hide my pain and smiled back at him.

He sighed and let go of my hand. "Okay. I'll wait for you here. Let's eat and go to work together."

Together? How cruel could he be? He still wanted us to get along as if he hadn't just asked for a divorce? He wanted us to stay the same right after telling me that his first love was back and he wanted to divorce me?

Oh, Pierce, what's going on in your head?

If I used to be able to force myself to remain in the role of his best friend, wishing him happiness, I no longer had that courage after the three years we'd shared. There was no way I could endure that kind of torture again, especially now that I was carrying his baby.

The baby... I had thought it was good news for us, but now... it felt more like a burden to him, I guess. A burden that would prevent him from pursuing his true love and freedom.

I knew how an unwanted child could grow up. My parents divorced even before my mother died, and my father's new family hated me. It hurt like hell. I didn't want my baby to experience that same pain. I needed to keep my child away from it.

I forced another smile. "We can't. I need to visit the studio for the photoshoot of our new models..."

"I'll go with you—"

"No." I pushed his hand away. His eyes followed my hand before he looked up at me again.

"You have some documents to sign. Our schedules are already organized, remember?"

"But..."

"I have a personal driver, Pierce. I'll be fine going alone."

He sighed and slowly nodded. I turned my back on him and entered the bathroom. I immediately opened the shower and stood under the cold water. Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I covered my mouth to suppress my sobs.

My shoulders trembled violently, and when I thought about my baby, I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself down. I wiped my face and caressed my belly. I needed to be strong. I had to stay calm. I shouldn't put my baby's life at risk just because I got my heart broken. I had to handle this wisely.

I took a deep breath and finished my shower. When I got out of the bathroom, I was shocked to see Pierce still there. He was struggling to fix his tie in front of the full-length mirror. I also noticed my pair of heels and dress on the bed.

"Hey! I picked your dress for today."

Since our marriage wasn't public, Pierce had said he would try to do little things for me as a husband. He did it well, and I used to enjoy these sweet moments, but now, they felt like daggers to my heart.

I grabbed the dress and went into the walk-in closet. I felt him following me. I put the white dress back and picked a red one. When I turned to face him, his forehead was creased.

"I prefer red today. I'd feel beautiful in this dress."

His eyes landed on the dress I was holding, and his face immediately relaxed. He nodded and walked toward me.

"I see. Help me fix this first."

I placed my dress on his arm and started adjusting his tie. I could feel his eyes staring intently and it was making my heart beat so fast. I took a deep breath and chewed my bottom lip as I struggled to fix the tie. My vision started to blur again. Damn!

"Kelly..."

I jumped in shock. "Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

I looked at him and smiled. "Yeah."

"I have something else to say."

I finished fixing his tie, then immediately grabbed the dress from him. I glanced at him before walking past him and said, "Let's just talk some other time. I'm going to be late."

I heard him sigh as he followed me again. I grabbed my underwear and got dressed while he was standing behind me. He's silent the whole time as if he's thinking about something.

"You should eat before you leave."

I turned to him and nodded. "I will. You should go now."

"Kelly, we're on the same page, right?"

I stared at him. No, Pierce. We're never on the same page. All of this was just my stupid fantasy. I thought you had feelings for me, and I was so wrong.

"If it's about the divorce, I understand everything, Pierce. I know what I have to do. Just give me some time because I'm really busy with the company. I won't run away."

"Kelly, I'm not just doing this for myself. I'm doing this for you too. You've been caged with me ever since we got married. I know you're not happy because deep down, you want to find the man you deserve. Someone who will truly love you. Not me. Not someone who's half-hearted."

"I understand what you're trying to say, Pierce," I said, trying to turn away, but he held me by the waist, keeping me in place.

He did everything he could to capture my gaze, and he succeeded. He looked at me worriedly. "You are my best friend. I don't want to lose you, Kels. You're one of the few people I…"

"I know," I said out of frustration. He looked shocked, so I took a breath to calm myself. "I-I know. You don't have to worry. I'm just stressed about work. It's not about our divorce."

His lips parted, and he slowly nodded, as if he could finally breathe properly. He walked toward me, and I froze when he gently kissed my forehead…

"Thank you, Kelly," he whispered. My heart clenched. It had been three years, but I was still such a coward. Why couldn't I just tell him that I loved him? He's my husband, and I'm carrying his baby! If I told him, he might change his mind!

I swallowed hard, ready to speak, but his phone rang. I didn't miss the caller ID. Again, it was Lexi.

"I gotta go." He scratched his head in apology, and I didn't miss the upturned corners of his mouth. "I called Luke, and he's waiting outside. Eat before you go, okay?"

With that, he left our room. The tears I had managed to hold back burst forth again. Why did I think I could have a chance? He had made his choice the moment he asked for a divorce, hadn't he?

Whenever it came to Lexi, I was always the one he would abandon.