I Married the Man Above My Ex

Chapter One

The birthday cake was beginning to feel heavier than it looked. Kathy adjusted the white bakery box in her arms as she stepped out of the elevator, smiling to herself on her way to her fiancé's apartment.

The bakery had insisted on wrapping it twice to protect the delicate frosting, and she'd spent the entire drive praying nothing happened to it. Tonight had to be perfect.

The restaurant reservation confirmation was still open on her phone.

8:30 p.m.

The rooftop restaurant had been fully booked for weeks, but after calling almost every day, she'd finally secured a table.

Months ago, her fiancé, Lucian Hayes, had casually mentioned wanting to eat there someday. Tonight was supposed to be that day.

She smiled to herself. She hoped he liked it. No, she knew he would. Lucian always kept everything she gave him.

Movie tickets. Coffee receipts. Sticky notes. Even the ridiculous little sketch she'd drawn during one of their first dates because she'd been too nervous to hold a conversation.

He had carefully folded it and slipped it into his wallet.

"You made this," he'd said.

"So?" she'd asked.

"So it matters," he'd replied, beaming like a high school kid in love for the first time.

Her mind drifted back to work. She had an early morning tomorrow, so she had to make sure tonight ended well but early, too. Helping build Hayes Technologies—Lucian's family company had left Kathy little time for herself lately.

Long nights. Endless coding. Impossible deadlines. Sometimes she joked that she'd accidentally become married to work before marrying Lucian. She loved him, and she had never complained.

She was certain they weren't just building software. They were building a future.

She reached his apartment door. It wasn't fully closed. Her eyebrows lifted. "Seriously?"

She shook her head with a smile. He'd probably forgotten to lock it again.

She nudged the door open with her shoulder.

She closed it quietly behind her. Adjusting the cake again, she walked farther inside.

"Luce?"

No answer. Her smile remained.

She imagined him stepping out of the bedroom, pretending to be annoyed before pulling her into one of his hugs.

He gave the kind of hugs that made the rest of the world disappear.

She had needed those hugs more than ever lately. The past few weeks had been exhausting.

Then Lucian's laugh drifted down the hallway. He wasn't alone. Maybe Easton had stopped by. She relaxed. Easton had practically become family over the years.

Lucian always called him his brother.

She'd once joked that she might get jealous because the two of them spent so much time together.

Lucian had laughed so hard he nearly spilled his drink. "You'll always come first," he'd assured her.

The memory warmed her heart.

She reached the bedroom door. Then she heard a muffled laugh. Another sound followed. Not laughter this time. A soft moan.

Kathy frowned. Her fingers tightened around the cake box. Slowly, she pushed the door open.

The room came into focus. Lucian and Easton were kissing. Rumpled sheets. Naked bodies. Their limbs tangled together.

The birthday cake slipped from her hands. It struck the floor with a dull crash. White frosting exploded across the polished wood.Both men jerked apart.

Kathy stared at them. Her heartbeat quickened. Her vision blurred. She blinked.

Nothing changed.

Lucian found his voice first. "Kathy..."

She looked at him as though she'd never seen him before. Guilt flickered across Easton's face. He stepped back. Only half a step. It wasn't enough. Almost as though he didn't truly want to let go.

She couldn't breathe. She turned.

One step. Then another. She somehow reached the hallway.

By the time she stumbled downstairs, her legs were shaking so badly she could barely remain standing.

She was only a few steps from the front door when hurried footsteps echoed behind her.

"Kathy!"

She stopped and turned slowly. Lucian and Easton were there. Half-dressed.

Still breathing hard. Looking at her like she'd interrupted something intimate.

Lucian ran a hand through his hair. "I never wanted you to find out like this."

Kathy laughed. The sound startled even her. It wasn't laughter. It was heartbreak ripping her apart, limb by limb. "Find out what, Lucian?"

For the briefest moment, he looked at Easton. Then back at her. "Easton and I are together. We fell in love along the way. We've been together for three years."

Kathy stared. "What?"

Lucian swallowed. "I love him."

Her chest tightened so painfully she thought she might collapse. She looked at Easton. He didn't deny it. He didn't even look away. Instead, he quietly moved closer to Lucian.

Her voice barely rose above a whisper.

"We've been together for four years... and engaged for two."

Lucian lowered his eyes. No one answered. No one needed to.

Kathy's lips trembled. "So..." She swallowed against the lump in her throat.

"What was I?"

Lucian took a hesitant step toward her. "Kathy..."

"No." She raised a trembling hand. "Don't."

For the first time in four years, she didn't want to hear his voice.

She looked at them one last time. The man she'd planned her future with. The man she'd loved without hesitation. Then she turned and walked away.

This time, neither of them followed.

Outside, the cool evening air slapped against her face.

With shaking hands, she unlocked the car door and slid into the driver's seat. Her breathing came in uneven bursts.

One question echoed relentlessly inside her head.

If Lucian had lied about loving me...

...what else had been a lie?

There was only one person who could answer that question. Margaret.

Lucian's mother. The woman who had spent four years calling Kathy her daughter.

The drive to the Hayes estate passed in a blur. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the diamond engagement ring dug painfully into her finger.

"I've always wanted a daughter."

Margaret used to say it so often that Kathy had stopped wondering whether she truly meant it.

The wrought-iron gates rolled open as her car approached the Hayes estate. Security recognized her immediately.

Of course they did.

She'd spent nearly every weekend here for the last four years. She parked hastily before climbing out.

Every step toward the house felt heavier than the last. She didn't bother knocking.

She never had to. Then she noticed the front door wasn't completely shut.

Voices drifted into the quiet evening.

Margaret. And Lucian's aunt, Jennifer. They were talking. Kathy stopped.

For the briefest moment, she was hopeful.

Maybe Margaret already knew.

Maybe she'd explain.

Maybe—

"...she actually believed she was going to marry into this family," Margaret said.

Jennifer laughed. "So did I."

Margaret laughed softly too. "Oh, Jennifer..."

"I'm serious." Jennifer sounded almost amused. "I almost felt sorry for her."

Margaret clicked her tongue. "Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because pity makes people careless."

Kathy frowned. Her heartbeat quickened.

Jennifer sighed. "She really loved him."

Margaret smiled. "That's why she was useful."

Useful. The word struck Kathy like thunder.

Jennifer reached for her teacup. "I'll give her this. She was one of the best software engineers we could've hired."

A smile spread across her face. "And she worked for scraps."

Margaret chuckled. "Without Kathy, Hayes Technologies wouldn't be negotiating with investors today."

Kathy instinctively reached for the marble wall beside her. It was cold beneath her trembling fingers.

Inside, Margaret poured herself another cup of tea. "I almost admire her."

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "For being naïve?"

"For being loyal." Margaret smiled.

"Girls like Kathy are rare. They don't ask questions. They don't demand recognition.

They just work."

Jennifer laughed. "And fall in love."

Margaret nodded. "Exactly."

Kathy felt sick. This couldn't be real.

Jennifer leaned back comfortably.

"So when was Lucian planning to tell her?"

Margaret took an unhurried sip of tea. "After the investment closed."

Jennifer smiled knowingly. "So, after you no longer needed her."

Margaret didn't even hesitate. "Exactly."

"What if she refuses?"

Margaret looked genuinely confused. "Why would she?"

Jennifer smirked. "Some women don't enjoy being discarded."

Margaret scoffed. "Kathy isn't like other women. She's predictable. She forgives."

The certainty in Margaret's voice hurt more than the words themselves. Was that really how they saw her?

Jennifer tapped one manicured finger against her cup. "I still think Lucian should've been more careful."

Margaret waved the concern away."Yes, I agree, but we'll sort that out."

Jennifer looked at her over the rim of her cup. "You made him propose just to keep her close."

Margaret didn't deny it. "Of cou

rse."

She smiled. "Girlfriends leave when life becomes difficult, but a fiancée stays and builds."

Kathy's heart cracked. Slowly, she stepped backward. Carefully. And just like that,

four years became nothing.