Your dad is now my husband

Chapter 2

Chloe returned home, sat on the living room couch, and checked her bank account. The $2 million she had secretly saved throughout their marriage was intact. It was time to finally follow her dream of pursuing fashion design.

Seeing the balance, Chloe felt a tiny spark of hope. She could do this. She could leave Sam and restart her life.

She walked into their bedroom and began packing. She folded her dresses and placed them into a suitcase. Hanging in the closet was a pair of matching pajamas they had bought on one of their vacations in Italy. On the wall hung photos of them in Paris, laughing and kissing.

Each item silently spoke of past sweetness, yet now every memory stabbed at her heart. How had she been so blind? How had she missed the signs?

She opened a dresser drawer to retrieve a few more things. Mocking her as it lay beside her discarded wedding ring was their marriage certificate.

With trembling hands, Chloe picked it up and flipped through the first few pages, coming across a picture of two radiant young faces. Her own smile in the photograph was so sharp and innocent it hurt to look at.

It was March 7th, five years ago. They had woken up early to go to the registry office. Sam had chatted nervously throughout the entire trip.

"Chloe, we're really getting married," he had said, bubbling with excitement. "I feel like I'm nineteen again—just like the first time I saw you in biology class."

When the clerk finally handed them the certificate, Sam's hands trembled as he held it carefully, tears welling in his eyes.

"Chloe, we're finally husband and wife," he had said, his voice breaking with emotion. "I swear I'll love you for eternity. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

Chloe had believed every word. She had truly believed they were soulmates.

She stared at her smile in the photo, but before a tear could fall, she heard a knock on the front door downstairs, followed by footsteps on the stairs.

"Baby, I'm home!" Sam's voice sounded cheerful and casual.

Panicking, she hurriedly placed the marriage certificate back into the drawer, wiped her eyes, and tried to appear normal. The bedroom door was still open; she couldn't let him see the suitcase.

Sam pushed the door open, his face lighting up. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

His embrace had once been her safest haven, but now Chloe felt only disgust. She caught an unfamiliar scent on his skin—the distinct fragrance of Sofia's shower gel.

"Did you miss me?" Sam whispered gently in her ear.

Chloe's muscles tensed. She resisted the urge to push him away. "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Sam lied effortlessly. "I was so busy at work yesterday that I fell asleep in the office. I completely missed our anniversary."

He pulled a jewelry box from his pocket. "Look what I got for you."

He opened the box. Inside lay an exquisite diamond necklace worth millions of dollars.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" His eyes filled with pride. "Turn around so I can put it on you."

Chloe turned. Sam's cold fingers brushed her neck as he fastened the clasp. The heavy diamond felt suffocating against her skin.

"Perfect," Sam said, admiring how it looked on her. "Tomorrow evening is Dad's birthday party. The entire family will be there. Wearing that necklace, you'll definitely be the most beautiful person at the event."

"Do I need to go?" Chloe asked in a hollow voice. She wanted nothing more than to escape—to get away from everything connected to Sam.

"Of course you need to go. You're my wife." He leaned in to kiss her, but Chloe stepped back and gently pushed him away.

"You should take a shower first," she said.

Seemingly unbothered, Sam nodded. "Good idea."

He headed into the bathroom, and seconds later, the shower turned on.

Chloe's phone suddenly buzzed with a notification. She glanced at the screen—it was a text from Sofia.

On the screen was a photo of Sofia wearing a necklace identical to the one around Chloe's neck.

Below the photo was a message: [Big sis, does it look good? My boyfriend got it for me.]