Chapter 2

2

Below that post, there was a comment thread between Caleb and Riley.

"Are you satisfied now, your highness? I must have owed you a debt in a past life."

"Shut up, Caleb. You owe me in this life too. Remember when you got into a fight as a kid and tore your shirt? You ran to my house and stole mine right off my back!"

"You have a lot of nerve bringing that up. If you hadn't scared those kids with a toad, they wouldn't have cornered you. I was saving you!"

"A dog saving its owner is just nature. You dare to rebel?"

Reading their nostalgic banter made my knuckles turn white.

I couldn't even bring myself to watch the video a second time.

I was afraid I would vomit right there in the car.

I drove home like a maniac. The first thing I did was open Caleb's laptop.

Caleb was a renowned surgeon, a man defined by his discipline and professional excellence.

He was supposed to be rigorous, solemn, and devoted to his work.

The way he acted with Riley tonight had shattered that image, but one question haunted me.

During our three years together, he was always 'at the hospital.' He wouldn't even take a day off for my birthday.

Once, when I was so sick I couldn't move, he wouldn't even come home because of an emergency in the ER.

When did he find the time to spend 'two days and nights' with Riley?

I opened his digital calendar. I scrolled back to the beginning of the year.

In January, there was only one major event blocked out for an entire month.

"Savannah Medical Summit."

Savannah. That was Riley's hometown.

It hit me like a physical blow. He told me he was there for a conference.

The realization felt like a string snapping in my brain. I searched deeper and found at least two hundred entries for 'Savannah' over the past year.

Summits, consultations, late-night emergencies.

Every time he told me he was working or traveling to Savannah, he was actually with Riley.

When he claimed to be at the hospital for a night shift, were those kinky toys hidden in his medical bag?

The nausea was overwhelming. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to stay grounded.

When I opened them, I saw his graduation photo on the shelf―serious, scholarly, and prestigious.

I couldn't take it anymore. I walked over, ripped the photo out of the frame, and shredded it.

A disciplined man of medicine? What a freaking joke.

But then, my eyes caught the rows of trophies next to the frame. A plan began to form.

This wedding wasn't just about the two of us. It was a massive business merger between the Thorne and Pierce families.

I couldn't just think about my broken heart.

I threw the scraps of the photo into the trash and spent the rest of the night making phone calls.

The next morning, I heard the door unlock while I was in my room.

It wasn't Caleb. It was Riley, storming in like she owned the place.

"Morning, Elara! I'm just here to grab Caleb's razor. His beard is getting all scratchy and it's grossing me out."

She marched straight into the master bathroom, finding the electric razor with practiced ease.

I noticed the key ring dangling from her finger. It wasn't Caleb's set.

This was our new house, bought for our marriage. I had only moved in a week ago, but her key looked worn and old.

When she came out, I was leaning against the doorframe with my arms crossed.

I arched an eyebrow. "Is this where you usually give my fiancé his 'lessons,' Riley?"

Riley paused, then looked away with a look of pure annoyance.

She muttered to herself, making sure I could hear every word.

"Here we go again. Women are so much drama. Always looking for something to be jealous of."

As she passed the guest room, she saw my traditional red wedding robe hanging on the wall. She laughed.

"Elara, why did you pick such an ugly robe? The one Caleb and I bought last year was way hotter than this."