Her REV LOVE

C-2

Morning light seeped between the skyscrapers as I made my way to Nakamura Corporation's headquarters in Tokyo. The streets teemed with energy-businessmen heading to work, students juggling books and coffee, the farther-away honking of impatient drivers. But in me, there was silence.

I hadn't slept.

Frank hadn't come home last night.

I should have been used to it by now, but this time was different. This time, I had something precious to tell him. Something life-changing.

My fingers tightened over the strap of my bag as I stepped into the office building. Sleek marble floors reflected the bright light above them, while the freshly brewed matcha smell from the café close by wafted through the air. I kept my face neutral, even as tittering voices whispered behind me.

"Have you seen the news? Ivy W is back!"

Ivy W.

The name whispered like a curse.

I kept walking, acting like I wasn't listening. But their voices carried, and their words cut deeper than they knew.

"You mean the Ivy W? The jewelry designer?"

"Not just a designer-she's the only woman our CEO, Frank Nakamura, has ever publicly acknowledged. His first love."

"Wow. But wasn't there a rumor about him and Ruth?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows she's just his mistress."

A sharp laugh followed.

"Pathetic, really. She thought sleeping her way into his bed would get him to love her. And now that's the real woman's back, I bet she won't only lose her spot as his little secret-though she will certainly lose her job too."

I exhaled, tightening my hold on my purse.

Mistress.

That's what they thought of me.

They never knew I wasn't some woman Frank casually kept in the shadows. I was his wife, his legal, rightful wife. But nobody knew. Nobody could know, since Frank had forced me to promise that our marriage would be a secret.

And I had acquiesced.

Like an i***t.

The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. Tatiana and Judy, the two women who had been whispering about me, exchanged a look before giggling again.

"If I were her, I'd resign before the embarrassment becomes unbearable," Tatiana said.

"Yeah. It's pathetic to cling to a man who clearly doesn't want you," Judy added.

I swallowed hard, forcing my expression to remain unreadable.

What could I say? That I was his wife? That last night, while Frank was God-knows-where, I had been waiting for him, his wife, with news that would change our lives?

It didn't matter. Because in the end, I had always been invisible to him, too.

Frank’s office was a towering space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Tokyo Bay. He sat behind his mahogany desk, sharp and unreadable in his crisp suit. His hair was slightly damp—he had obviously showered somewhere else.

Not at home. Not with me.

"You’re late," he said, flipping through some documents without looking up.

My heart clenched. He wasn’t even going to acknowledge last night.

"I'm here to request a leave," I said, keeping my voice even.

His pen paused mid-air. "Why?"

"I'm not feeling well."

Lies. I was perfectly healthy. Physically, at least. But emotionally? I was exhausted.

Frank finally looked up, his gray eyes assessing me. "Fine," he said simply. "Anything else?"

I hesitated.

Ask him.

Ask him where he was last night. Ask him if he still loves you. Ask him if he ever did.

But I already knew.

".No," I whispered, turning away.

I walked out before the tears could fall.

The underground parking lot was dark, heavy with the smell of oil and rubber. As I approached my car, a gleaming, pricey wheelchair rolled into view, effectively blocking my way.

I froze.

Ivy W.

She was beautiful, even under the harsh fluorescent lighting—porcelain skin, delicate features, dressed in an elegant white ensemble that made her look ethereal.

And she was smirking.

"So, you're Ruth Nakamura?" she said smoothly.

My stomach twisted.

She knew.

"Thank you for taking care of Frank all these years," Ivy continued, her tone polite but laced with something venomous. "I appreciate it."

I stiffened.

Taking care of him?

She made it sound like I was just a stand-in all along. That I'd been babysitting a man who always belonged to her.

I raised my chin. "You don't have to thank me for doing my wifely duties."

Ivy's smirk didn't waver. She only c****d her head, observing me with curiosity.

"Of course," she said. "See you around."

She whipped her wheelchair around but then-

Her phone fell from her lap and clattered onto the ground.

I hesitated before stepping forward. "Here—"

Before I could reach it, Ivy suddenly fell from her wheelchair.

A loud gasp escaped her lips as she hit the pavement, a small cut appearing on her forehead.

"What the—"

"IVY!"

The deep, panicked voice echoed through the parking lot.

I turned, my heart stopping as Frank ran toward us.

I had never seen him like this before—his usual composed expression shattered into raw fear as he dropped to his knees beside Ivy, cradling her gently.

Blood.

There was blood on her face.

And Frank looked like his world was ending.

His head snapped up, his gray eyes burning with fury. "What did you do?"

I took a step back, horror creeping up my spine. "I—I didn't—"

"Get lost!" he thundered, the keenness of his voice capable of cutting through steel.

His words sent the breath whooshing out of me.

I stumbled backward as Frank swooped Ivy up in his arms, all attention for her.

"Don't worry," he murmured softly, brushing her hair back as if she were something fragile. "I'll take you to the hospital."

And then—

They were gone.

I just stood there, frozen.

The man who had never once held me that way. The man who had never looked at me with anything other than indifference…

Had just chosen her.

Again.

Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I swallowed them down.

There was nothing left to cry about.

I didn't go home that night.

Instead, I wandered the streets of Tokyo, watching the city move around me as if I didn't exist. Neon lights flashed, laughter spilled from bars, people lived their lives without a care.

I pulled out my phone, opening the news.

[Breaking: Renowned Jewelry Designer Ivy Wang Spotted with a Mystery Man—Sources Say It's Billionaire Frank Nakamura]

I stared at the blurry photo.

Frank.

With her.

The comments flooded in beneath the article.

"Even in a wheelchair, Ivy looks like a queen. Who's the handsome guy with her?"

"They look so good together! Are they engaged?"

"Omg, are we finally getting a new jewelry collection from Ivy?"

"Lucky girl. He looks like he'd do anything for her."

My grip tightened around the phone.

He would.

Frank would do anything for Ivy.

He already had.

And as I stood there, the cold Tokyo air nipping at my skin, I finally faced the truth.

I had been nothing but a shadow in his life.

And it was time to step into the light.

Even if that meant leaving him behind.