Chapter 3

3

As soon as he finished speaking, Emmett finally noticed me standing at the door.

His pupils trembled violently, and his face turned pale.

"Harper, what... what are you doing here?"

I looked down and smiled, gently handing over the briefcase in my hand.

"You left in such a rush that you even forgot your things."

Before Emmett could explain, I shifted my gaze to Blair.

"Emmett, aren't you going to introduce us?"

After returning to his office, Emmett pulled down the blinds.

He looked at me with a guilty face.

"I didn't mean to keep it from you. Blair just came back to the States a few days ago and doesn't have a place to stay, so I gave her a job here for now."

Blair nodded from the side.

"Yeah, Emmett and I grew up together, and we broke up a long time ago. If there was anything going on, why would he have married you, right?"

"――Harper... Brooks?"

When she said my name, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

Her tone was playful, like she was talking about a piece of property.

"I heard your brother is still in the hospital. Is he doing any better now?"

Blair purposely brought this up, undoubtedly trying to remind me.

To remind me why I married into the Crawford family in the first place.

Seven years ago, it was my face, looking so much like Blair's, that attracted Emmett.

He approached me himself, asking me to marry him as a substitute.

I refused at first, until my brother got into a terrible car crash and was fighting for his life.

Forced by the insane medical bills, I had no choice but to agree to his terms.

After my parents passed away, my brother was my only family left.

I couldn't bear the pain of losing him too.

After getting married, I thought my life would be nothing but darkness.

But Emmett wasn't as arrogant and cold as I imagined.

In our friends' eyes, he was an obsessively loving husband.

He let me check his phone, and he always prepared surprises for every anniversary and holiday.

His gentle treatment slowly made me drop my guard, and I fell hopelessly in love with this man.

For the past seven years, I always saw Emmett as my life's salvation.

Even when I knew my life was coming to an end.

The person my heart ached for wasn't myself, but him.

Thinking about it now, I was completely overthinking it.

"Miss Brooks, I hope you don't misunderstand. Emmett kissing my cheek just now was merely a greeting."

"We grew up together abroad, so it's always been like this."

Blair spoke lightly, but her tone was incredibly rude.

It was like she was declaring ownership right in front of the actual wife.

She thought I would fly into a rage and act like a crazy bitch.

But she miscalculated.

I shook my head.

"It's fine, we are getting a divorce soon anyway, so do whatever you want."