Chapter Five — The Choice

 

One year after the day they married, Stine returned to the same registration office.

The same building.

The same courtyard.

The same rain.

But this time, she wasn't crying.

Charles stood beside her.

He held two documents.

Their divorce papers.

And a second set of papers.

Stine looked at him.

“What are those?”

“A new agreement.”

She opened it.

There was only one sentence.

No expiration date.

Stine laughed.

“You're terrible at romance.”

“I know.”

“You're supposed to give me flowers.”

“I bought some.”

“Where?”

Charles pointed behind him.

A delivery boy stood there holding an enormous bouquet.

Stine burst out laughing.

Charles smiled.

“I was told flowers were important.”

She stepped closer.

“They are.”

He reached into his pocket.

A small velvet box appeared.

Stine's eyes widened.

“Charles…”

“This isn't a proposal.”

She frowned.

“Then what is it?”

He opened the box.

Inside was her original wedding ring.

The one she had removed a year ago.

“I don't want you to wear it because you're my wife.”

He took her hand.

“I want you to wear it because you choose me.”

Stine looked at him.

The man she had married by accident.

The man who had slowly become her best friend.

Her safest place.

Her greatest love.

She slipped the ring onto her finger.

“I choose you.”

Charles smiled.

“Good.”

“Why?”

“Because I'm not marrying you again.”

Stine's eyes widened.

He pulled her closer.

“I'm keeping you forever.”

She laughed as he kissed her.

Behind them, the rain fell softly against the pavement.

One year ago, Stine had walked into that building believing her life had ended.

Today, she walked out knowing it had only just begun.

Their marriage hadn't started with love.

It had started with heartbreak, revenge, and two strangers making a reckless bargain.

But somewhere between the arguments, midnight conversations, stolen smiles, and impossible forgiveness…

the bargain had become a promise.

And the promise had become love.

Chapter Four — The Secret That Broke Them

 

Happiness never lasted without a price.

Stine discovered the truth accidentally.

Charles had known about John's betrayal before their marriage.

He had known that John planned to leave her.

Worse, Charles had deliberately stepped into her life that day.

She confronted him.

“You knew?”

Charles went silent.

“You knew he was going to leave me?”

“Yes.”

“And you married me because you felt sorry for me?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

Charles couldn't answer.

Stine's eyes filled with tears.

“You manipulated me.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“You don't get to decide what's best for me!”

He stepped toward her.

“I fell in love with you.”

“Then you should have trusted me with the truth.”

That stopped him.

Stine removed her wedding ring.

“I need time.”

She walked away.

For the first time since their marriage, Charles didn't stop her.

Days passed.

Then weeks.

Charles became colder than ever.

Stine returned to her parents' home.

Neither called.

Neither slept well.

Then one evening, Stine received a phone call.

Charles had been in an accident.

She reached the hospital breathless.

He was unconscious.

For hours, she sat beside his bed holding his hand.

“I hate you,” she whispered through tears.

Her voice broke.

“But I love you more.”

Charles's fingers moved.

Stine froze.

His eyes slowly opened.

“You came.”

She cried harder.

“Of course I came, idiot.”

He smiled weakly.

“I was hoping you would.”

Stine lowered her forehead against his hand.

“I don't want a perfect marriage.”

Charles looked at her.

“I just want an honest one.”

“You have it.”

He squeezed her fingers.

“I love you, Stine.”

She smiled through her tears.

“I love you too.”

Chapter Three — The Line Between Pretending and Loving

 

Three months passed.

The arrangement had begun to feel dangerously real.

At a charity gala, Stine arrived beside Charles in a silver dress.

Everyone stared.

The ruthless CEO had brought his wife.

Whispers followed them everywhere.

Then John appeared.

Stine's smile disappeared.

Charles noticed immediately.

“Do you want to leave?”

“No.”

She straightened.

“I don't want to spend my life running from him.”

John approached.

“Stine.”

She looked at him calmly.

“You look happy.”

“I am.”

His eyes moved toward Charles.

“You married him?”

“Yes.”

“Do you love him?”

Stine froze.

She looked at Charles.

He was watching her.

Waiting.

She didn't know why the question suddenly frightened her.

Before she could answer, Charles stepped forward.

“She doesn't owe you an answer.”

John laughed.

“You can't seriously love her.”

Charles's expression hardened.

“I don't care what you believe.”

He took Stine's hand.

“But I know one thing.”

His fingers tightened around hers.

“She deserves someone who chooses her every single day.”

Stine's heart skipped.

Later that night, they stood on the balcony alone.

“Why did you defend me?” she asked.

“Because you didn't deserve what he did.”

“That isn't what I asked.”

Charles looked at her.

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, he said softly,

“Because seeing you hurt bothers me.”

Stine's breath caught.

“Charles…”

He stepped closer.

“I think our agreement stopped being an agreement a long time ago.”

Neither moved.

The distance between them disappeared.

But just before their lips met, Charles stopped.

“I won't kiss you unless you're sure.”

Stine looked into his eyes.

For once, there was no contract.

No revenge.

No pretending.

Only two people who had unexpectedly fallen in love.

She whispered,

“I've never been more sure of anything.”

He kissed her.

And Stine realized something terrifying.

She had married a stranger.

But somewhere along the way, the stranger had become home.

Chapter Two — A Marriage of Convenience

 

The next morning, Stine woke up believing the previous day had been a nightmare.

Then she saw the marriage certificate on her bedside table.

She was married.

To Charles Foster.

The man she had met less than twenty-four hours ago.

“There's still time to annul it,” she whispered.

“You can.” 

She nearly jumped.

Charles stood at the doorway.

He was already dressed for work.

“Do you always enter people's rooms without knocking?”

“It's my house.”

Stine folded her arms.

“Unfortunately, it's my house now too.”

For the first time, Charles looked amused. 

They sat across from each other at breakfast.

Charles placed a document in front of her.

“Our marriage will last one year.”

Stine read the agreement.

Separate bedrooms.

No interference in each other's careers.

No questions about private matters.

No expectations of love.

“One year,” she repeated.

“Yes.”

“And after that?”

“We divorce.”

Stine nodded.

“Perfect.”

She signed.

Charles watched her carefully.

He had expected hesitation.

Instead, she had signed without even blinking.

“You're not afraid of me?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Stine looked directly into his eyes.

“Because the man I trusted for seven years hurt me more than a stranger ever could.”

Charles didn't know what to say.

That sentence stayed with him all day.

Their marriage began as an arrangement.

But living together quickly became complicated.

Stine discovered that Charles hated sweet coffee.

Charles discovered that Stine sang while cooking.

Stine learned that he secretly fed stray cats outside the office.

Charles learned that she cried whenever she watched emotional movies but pretended she had allergies afterward.

They argued constantly.

They laughed occasionally.

And without realizing it, they began waiting for each other.

One evening, Stine fell asleep on the sofa while waiting for him to return from work.

Charles found her there at midnight.

A blanket was beside her.

She hadn't covered herself.

He sighed and gently placed it over her.

Stine stirred.

“Charles?”

“Go to bed.”

“You came home.”

“Yes.”

“You're safe.”

He paused.

“Of course I'm safe.”

Stine smiled sleepily.

“Good.”

She fell asleep again.

Charles stood there for a long moment.

For the first time in years, coming home didn't feel like coming back to an empty house.

Chapter One — The Day Everything Fell Apart

 

Chapter One — The Day Everything Fell Apart

Stine had imagined her wedding day a thousand times.

She had imagined the flowers, the music, the nervous smile of the man waiting for her at the registration office.

She had imagined everything except seeing him leave with another woman.

“I'm sorry, Stine.”

Those three words destroyed seven years of love.

John stood in front of her with the same face she had loved since college, but there was no love in his eyes anymore.

“There’s nothing left between us,” he said quietly. “I love someone else.”

Stine stared at the woman beside him.

She knew her.

Rhea.

Her colleague. Her friend. The woman who had helped her choose her wedding dress.

Stine's fingers tightened around the marriage documents.

“So you were cheating on me?”

John looked away.

That silence was answer enough.

Rhea stepped forward. “Stine, please don't make a scene.”

Stine laughed.

A broken, humorless laugh.

“A scene? You stole seven years of my life and you're worried about a scene?”

She turned before either of them could see the tears filling her eyes.

Outside, rain had begun to fall.

Stine walked blindly through it.

She didn't know where she was going.

She only knew she couldn't go home.

Her parents would ask questions. Her relatives would whisper. Everyone would want to know why the wedding had been cancelled.

She couldn't bear it.

She reached the steps of a nearby hotel and stopped.

Then a car suddenly screeched to a halt beside her.

A man stepped out.

Tall. Impeccably dressed. Cold eyes. An expression that suggested the entire world had been personally irritating him.

“Stine?”

She froze.

She knew him.

Everyone did.

Charles Foster.

Thirty-two. Billionaire. CEO of Foster Group.

And, according to every business magazine, the most ruthless businessman in the city.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

Stine wiped her tears.

“Trying not to die of embarrassment.”

His eyes narrowed.

Then he noticed the wedding documents in her hand.

“What happened?”

“My fiancé left me.”

Charles said nothing.

Stine looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

“Actually…”

She smiled bitterly.

“He left me for my friend.”

For the first time, something changed in Charles's expression.

Anger.

Not for himself.

For her.

“Do you still have the registration appointment?”

Stine frowned.

“Yes.”

“Then marry me.”

She stared at him.

“What?”

Charles extended his hand.

“Marry me.”

“You barely know me.”

“I know enough.”

“And why would you want to marry a stranger?”

His eyes remained unreadable.

“Because I need a wife.”

Stine almost laughed.

“And I need a reason to make my ex regret breathing.”

Charles's lips curved into the faintest smile.

“Then perhaps we can help each other.”

Neither of them knew it yet.

But that ridiculous agreement would change both their lives.