Chapter 2
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After sending a quick text to my lawyer about starting the divorce process, I went to bed early.
In the middle of the night, a notification from WhatsApp woke me up. It was 1 a.m., and as expected, the other side of the bed was still empty.
I checked my phone and saw several messages from Jenna.
[Brandon is just so hot!]
[I wanna eat him up while he’s sleeping!]
Attached was a photo of Brandon asleep. His head rested on her pink cartoon pillow, his hair tousled, lips slightly parted in a way that once made my heart skip a beat.
When she saw the “typing…” indicator appear at the top of the chat, Jenna quickly deleted the messages and sent me an emoji of a cat begging for forgiveness.
[Oops! Meant to send those to my bestie, but accidentally sent them to you. I was just messing around—don’t be mad! Brandon’s already knocked out.]
She probably expected me to blow up her phone with angry calls, like I had before.
But this time, I just blocked her and went back to sleep.
Whether she was playing games or being serious didn’t matter anymore.
The next morning, they showed up at work together.
Jenna, always trying to be delicate, tripped over her own feet, her face going pale with fear.
Without hesitation, Brandon scooped her up and carried her into the office.
Her cheeks flushed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, glancing back at me with a smug grin.
One of my coworkers sidled up to me, whispering, “Can you believe that girl? Jenna doesn’t even know how to work the copier, let alone anything else. How has she been Mr. Louis’s secretary for half a year? You don’t think he’s, like, actually into her, do you?”
I was busy texting my lawyer and nodded absentmindedly. “Maybe.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard Brandon’s voice. “Sylvia, come with me.”
I turned around to find him standing right behind me, his eyes cold and unfeeling.
No one in the office knew we were married. Brandon was adamant about enforcing the company’s no–office–romance policy, so to everyone else, I was just another senior employee.
At work, he always kept his distance. Once, when I had a 104–degree fever and could barely stand, I went to him, hoping he’d take me to the hospital. But he brushed me off, worried about what people might think, and told me to get HR to give me the day off. Yet, if Jenna so much as whispered about a stomach ache, Brandon would cancel
Love Ends Freedom Awaits
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meetings and rush her to the doctor.
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I followed him into his office, watching as he gently told Jenna to go rest in the back room. Once we were alone, Brandon came over and grabbed my hand, his voice low. “Still mad?” I pulled my hand away, keeping my tone distant. “I told you, I’m not mad.”
He placed his hands on my shoulders, his eyes drilling into mine. “Don’t lie to me. I didn’t come home last night, and you didn’t even call or text. And you expect me to believe you’re not upset?”
I frowned, confused. “Jenna was with you, right? She’s your secretary. She’d take care of you,”
His expression darkened, and his grip on my shoulders tightened.
I winced from the pressure and tried to pull away. In the struggle, he shoved me onto the couch. As I pushed myself up, my hand brushed against something. I tugged at it and pulled a pink lace bra from between the cushions.
The anger drained from Brandon’s face as soon as he saw it. “That’s…”
I didn’t care to hear his explanation. I tossed the bra back onto the couch, my voice calm. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going, Mr. Louis.”
After work, I had a meeting with a client. Just as I stepped outside, Brandon’s car pulled up in front of me. “Get in. We’ll drop Jen off first, then head to that seafood buffet by the water,”
Jenna poked her head out from the passenger seat, grinning. “Sorry, Sylvia, I’m hitching a ride again!”
I was busy trying to hail a cab, and without looking at her, I said, “You two go ahead. I’m allergic to seafood.”
Brandon’s face turned dark immediately. He knew I wasn’t allergic to seafood. In fact, that buffet was one of my favorites.
He opened his mouth, ready to say something, but I didn’t give him a chance. I walked around his car and got into a cab across the street.
Chapter 2 Chapter 1
The day I found out I was pregnant, my husband Brandon’s secretary, Jenna, posted a photo of her baby bump on Instagram. The caption read, [As long as you’re loved, you can still be a beautiful girl–even when you’re pregnant!]
In the picture, she was wearing nothing but lace lingerie, leaning into Brandon’s chest while they took a selfie. His hand was resting on her bare, swollen belly. On his finger was the exact same wedding ring as mine.
I commented, [Congrats.]
Seconds later, my phone rang. Jenna was on the other end, frantic. She apologized, claiming she posted the picture to get back at her boyfriend after a fight.
Brandon grabbed her phone and snapped at me, “You can’t have a baby, so now you’re losing it seeing someone else pregnant? No wonder you can’t get pregnant with all that jealousy.”
Five minutes later, Jenna posted again: [Soon, I’ll have two strong men protecting me!] And Brandon liked it immediately.
I took off my wedding ring, tossed it into some bushes, and headed back to the hospital to
schedule an abortion.
For once, Brandon made it home before 9 p.m.
He noticed the untouched fertility meds in the trash and frowned. “Throwing a tantrum over something so small?”
I kept my voice steady. “I’m not angry.”
He laughed mockingly. “You threw away your fertility meds, but sure, you’re not mad. Do whatever you want. But remember, you’re the one who’s desperate, not me.”
I was about to show him my pregnancy report when he handed me a dark shoebox. “This is from Jen. She’s young, and doesn’t know any better. She freaked out when she saw you upset and said something as dumb as talking about abortion. She wanted to send you a gift to apologize.”
He opened the box. Inside was a pair of YSL heels.
But they were obviously Jenna’s. The soles were worn, and the paint on the heel was chipped.
“Take them. They weren’t cheap, and she barely wore them. She’s only been working for a short time, so she doesn’t have much. But giving you these shoes really hurt her,” Brandon said.
I let out a dry laugh. Thirty minutes before he got home, Jenna had posted on Instagram, flaunting her brand–new Chanel sandals with the caption: “To the best boss in the world! Thanks for your obvious favoritism–it gives me the confidence to show off!” When I didn’t take the shoes, Brandon’s expression hardened. “Sylvia, what’s your problem? You’re almost 30, and you’re still giving a young girl a hard time? Is this really necessary?”
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He threw the box at me, hitting me square on the head.
I groaned, grabbing my forehead as tears filled my eyes.
Brandon looked alarmed. I didn’t mean to do that. Let me see.”
I pulled away as he reached out. I’m fine,” I muttered.
Ignoring me, he pried my fingers away from my forehead, seeing the swelling. His face darkened. “This doesn’t look fine. Stay here. I’ll get some ice.”
Before I could stop him, his phone rang.
The screen lit up, showing the caller ID: “Little Trouble, dripping with affection.
“Brandon Jenna’s voice came through.
Hearing her whimpering, Brandon tensed. “Jen, don’t cry. What’s wrong?”
“I have a stomachache, Jenna sniffled. “I want to go to the ER, but I got on the wrong subway and I don’t even know where I am.”
Brandon frowned. “Why didn’t you call me when you decided to go to the hospital? We agreed I’d drive you.”
Jenna’s voice was timid. “I was dumb again today and made Sylvia mad. I didn’t want to bother you both.”
Brandon’s tone turned serious. “Jen, you’re pregnant. Nothing is more important than that. Send me your location on WhatsApp, and I’ll come get you.”
“No! Brandon, I can get to the hospital on my own, really. Don’t forget, today’s Sylvia’s ovulation day. You need to stay with her and make sure you two have a baby!”
Brandon chuckled. “Silly girl, one more time with her isn’t going to magically get her pregnant. You’re what matters right now. Send me your location.”
He hung up the phone and gave me an exasperated look. “Did you hear that? Jen’s so concerned about you, and all you can do is act paranoid. I’m taking her to the hospital. I’II grab some ice packs for you on the way back.”
He snatched his car keys, ready to head out.
“Brandon, wait,” I called out.
He spun around, clearly at the end of his patience. “Sylvia, can you stop? This is about two lives–hers and the baby’s! Don’t turn this into some jealous tantrum.”
I didn’t bother trying to defend myself. Instead, I walked over to the coat closet, grabbed the jacket he’d worn a few days ago, and pulled out a card. “Jenna’s insurance card. You’ll need it.”
Jenna never bothered with handling her own appointments; Brandon always kept her
insurance card.
For a second, Brandon looked surprised. Then he finally reached out and took it. “Thanks.” He looked like he wanted to say something more, but I cut him off. “Drive safe.”
I reached up and straightened his collar, just like I always did when he left. Deep down, I
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knew this would be the last time.
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Brandon’s expression softened slightly like something in him had shifted. He grasped my hand and pulled me closer to his chest. “I’ll be back soon. Wait for me.”
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I didn’t wait.
