-3-
Yasmi n
This certainly was not how I expected to spend my anniversary—in the hotel suite of another man. There's no way I could have imagined Ethan treating me this way, not after I made it a point to stay away from his verbally abusive family. I guess it's true what people say: you never really know how someone feels about you until they have to choose between what they know and the narrative they're given.
I glanced at Rafael, who had just shut the door behind him and walked over to me. For the second time tonight, I couldn't help but admire his gorgeous face. His face was shaped by the gods, with wavy brown hair and beautiful brown eyes to match. It was a wonder some lucky girl hadn't snatched him up yet, but with a face and body like that, it was obvious why he was a bachelor. No man like him would ever want to be tied down to one woman, at least not while he's still young.
"Please make yourself at home," he gestured for me to follow him. My feet moved on their own as I admired the beauty of his home. It was the typical bachelor pad, but the view of the city made it special.
"You have a beautiful home," I spoke carelessly, beyond captivated by the city lights.
"Thank you," he spoke calmly. "I know I offered you tea but would coffee work instead?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Okay, give me a minute, and I'll be right back."
I didn't answer; there was no need to. While he was busy making the coffee, I continued to admire the city I'd grown to love in the last two years. Being raised in France made me appreciate the architecture and history of places I visit. I felt sadness as I thought about my sister and the last time I spoke with her. She wasn't happy about my marriage to Ethan; in fact, she warned me that my father wouldn't be happy about it. I ignored all her warnings and married him anyway. I thought it was for the best, that if I could prove he was with me just because he loved me, then it wouldn't matter, but I was wrong.
I knew I would eventually have to confess everything to my family and tell them everything that's happened, but I also wanted to hold out for as long as possible. I wasn't in a rush to face the truth, no matter if it was already slapping me in the face. All I wanted to do now was focus on getting revenge.
"Here we are," I slowly turned around to watch him bring in a coffee maker, two cups, spoons, and what I assumed was a packet of sugar and milk, all balanced on a tray.
I walked over to him, helping him to set the tray on the coffee table. I sat on the couch opposite him, eyes focused on everything he brought in. "What's all this?"
He shrugged. "I thought it best I let you watch me make your coffee."
I arched a brow in his direction. "Are you afraid you can't resist the urge to poison me?"
He laughed as he started the machine. "Not at all, I just know all the messed-up things your ex-husband is capable of. I would hate for you not to trust me because of whatever he did."
Okay, I was not expecting him to say that and honestly there was nothing I could say in response. As the coffee brewed, the tension in the room eased a bit. Rafael poured the coffee into the cups and handed one to me. I reached for two milk packets, pouring it into my steaming cup. With a cup stir of the spoon, I took a sip, savoring the rich flavor.
"You make a good cup of coffee," I admitted, beyond pleased by the taste.
"Thank you. So, Yasmin, is it okay for me to ask what happened between you and Ethan?"
I sighed, knowing this was a conversation I couldn't avoid, not after following him to his suite. "Ethan accused me of cheating, and that's why we got divorced."
Rafael's eyes widened in surprise. "Did you cheat?"
I drew back, his question reminded me of how insulted I felt when Ethan accused me without giving me the chance to defend myself. Rafael at least was brave enough to ask me, but I still felt insulted by the whole thing. "No, it was just a lie orchestrated by Ethan's mom and sister."
His expression turned serious. "I always knew those snakes would continue making him miserable."
When he saw the confused expression I was sporting, he continued. "His sister told him that I was planning on stealing a deal from him, a deal that I wasn't even aware of. He wouldn't even listen to my side of the story, as soon as she finished talking, he was against me."
Ethan mentioned that Rafael and he were no longer friends, but he never went into details and now I knew why. How embarrassing was it that he ended a long-term friendship because of false accusations? "I had no idea." I wondered if he ever tried to confirm what his sister said.
"Yeah, it's for the best," he set his cup aside and stared at me. "I have a proposal for you."
I could only look at him. "What kind of proposal?"
"Let's get married."
"Married!" the word alone left a bitter taste on my tongue. "Is this some kind of joke to you? If it is, it's not funny."
I leaned further back into my seat as he pushed forward, making him closer to me. His eyes were wide with what I could only describe as glee as he outlined what should be a brilliant plan. "Think about it, you're probably mad at him and want him to pay for what he did, what better way to get revenge on him than dating the very guy he hates."
I opened my mouth to retort but found that I couldn't. He had a point, I wanted to get revenge on him anyway and this would be a great way to do it. He clearly thinks so little of me that he could discard our love without a second thought. It wouldn't surprise him if I hooked up with someone to make him jealous but this, this was next level. There's no way he'd expect me to not only get with his ex-bestie but marry him as well.
"What would you get out of this? There has to be a reason for you even suggesting it."
"My parents are threatening to make my life miserable if I don't marry soon. I don't want to call their bluff with this."
I snorted at how cliche that sounded, of course, his parents wanted to squash his bachelor image. It must not be good for business, especially if he has an aging board. This was the craziest deal I've ever been offered... maybe I like the craziness because it sounded way too appealing. "Fine, I'll do it. Let's get married."
Rafael's eyes sparkled with excitement and relief as he gazed at me. "You won't regret this, Yasmin."
"But what about the actual marriage? Won't it be weird? How will we make it believable?"
Rafael smiled, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. "We'll have to make it convincing, won't we? We can fake a whirlwind romance, a spontaneous proposal, and a small, intimate wedding. Let the rumors spread like wildfire."
I sighed, already feeling a headache forming. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."
He chuckled. "Trust me, Yasmin, it's the perfect revenge. Ethan will see what he lost, and my board will see that I'm a stable, committed man. We'll both come out on top."