The CEO's Contractual Wife

Chapter 2

Olivia

Ryan’s head whipped around, his eyes widening with shock. For a moment, time suspended itself. My lungs refused to work, and the room seemed to tilt sideways.

“Liv-” Ryan stammered, still connected to Sophia. “This isn’t—”

“What it looks like?” I finished, my voice surprisingly steady despite the earthquake happening inside me. “Because it looks like you’re fucking my friend on her birthday while I wait downstairs for a drink that’s never coming.”

Sophia turned her head, meeting my gaze without a hint of shame. She didn’t even bother to adjust her dress; she just rested her elbows on the dresser and sighed like I’d interrupted a business meeting.

“Oh, Olivia,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “Did you think a man like Ryan would be satisfied with just you?”

Ryan finally pulled away from her, fumbling to pull up his pants. “Baby, please, this is just a… a thing. It doesn’t mean anything.”

This book had been

“A thing?” I repeated, heat rising to my face. “Howadded on youning’ been happening?”

bookshelf.

Before either could answer, I heard footsteps behind me.

“Liv? Did you find—” Emilia’s voice cut off as she appeared at my side, taking in the scene. “Holy fucking shit.”

Ryan’s face paled further. “This isn’t what-”

“If you say ‘this isn’t what it looks like’ one more time, I swear to God I will castrate you with my bare hands,” Emilia snapped, her arm wrapping protectively around my shoulders.

Sophia straightened up, finally adjusting her dress with leisurely movements. She tossed her hair back and had the au- dacity to smirk. “Ryan and I have an understanding. It’s just sex. Great sex, but still just sex.”

“An understanding?” I laughed, the sound brittle and foreign to my ears. “And when exactly were you planning to in- clude me in this understanding? After you gave me chlamydia, or before?”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Ryan said, tucking in his shirt. “We’ve been careful.”

“Oh, careful! Well, that makes it all better then!” I threw my hands up. “You’ve been carefully fucking my friend be- hind my back. Such consideration!”

Sophia leaned against the dresser, crossing her arms. “We’re all adults here. Monogamy is so… limiting, don’t you think?”

thing limiting around here is your

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warned, her eyes

with my boyfriend too? Get in line.” Emilia turned to Ryan. “And you. You pathetic excuse for a man. Two years? Two fucking years of her life wasted on

please. We can talk about this. It’s just physical. It

feel so much for me that you bought me this dress.” I gestured to my outfit. “So, I could be downstairs putting on

amazing on

him in disbelief. “That’s what you’re going with right now?

“I’m just saying-”

then spun back. “Two years, Ryan. Two years of me rearranging my schedule for you

toward me. “Of course, it was real. I love you,

spat. “If this is your version of love, I want

wrap this up?

away. “Enjoy your birthday present. You

final glare before following me out. We marched down the hallway, my legs somehow carry- ing me forward despite

whispered, her arm still around me as we descended the

us, oblivious to the implosion that had just occurred upstairs. The music seemed too loud now,

crowd toward the front door. Someone called my name, but I kept moving, my eyes fixed

face as we stepped outside, and only then did I realize I was

it to the sidewalk when I heard the front door

Ryan called out.

us like a shield. “Go back to your birthday

Liv,” he insisted but made no

anymore,” I called back,

rounded the corner, the

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Chapter 2

out of sight, my composure crumbled. I stopped walking, my breath

believe… I can’t….” I pressed my hand to

Emilia pulled me

whispered against her shoulder.