Love was Never in the Contract

Chapter 8: The Other Woman

Back in our suite, Caleb in one bed and me in the other, I stare at the ceiling, listening to the sound of his even breathing.

"June? Thank you. For today. For all of it."

I swallow against the tightness in my throat. "You're welcome."

"Goodnight, wife."

"Goodnight, husband."

I turn on my side, facing away from him, and wonder how many nights like this stretch ahead—close enough to hear each other breathe, yet separated.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

****

We left early the next morning and the drive back from Napa felt longer than it should have. Why? Because Caleb's phone had been buzzing nonstop since last night.

After the seventh call in an hour, Caleb shot me an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry about this."

"It's fine," I said, offering a smile that felt brittle around the edges. "I'd probably be upset too if I saw my boyfriend plastered all over social media with another woman. Go ahead and answer it."

Uncertainty flickered all across his face. "You sure about this?"

"Absolutely. I'll just... give you some privacy." I pulled my earbuds from my purse and slipped them in, leaning my head against the window and closing my eyes. The perfect picture of someone lost in music and half-asleep.

But I didn't play anything.

"Tess, please," Caleb's voice carried to my ears despite his attempt to keep it low. "You should expect this. You knew it was part of the arrangement."

A pause as she spoke. I kept my breathing even, my eyes closed.

"The photos aren't real. You know that. What was I supposed to do? Victor arranged the whole thing. If I'd refused, he would've suspect something is off and probably pull the deal."

Another pause, longer this time.

"Baby, please. I am doing this for us." The tender desperation in that word “baby” made something in my chest crack. "No one's buying it anyway. Look at the comments. Half of them think we are not even a match."

My throat burned and I fight to keep my cheeks from burning as well out of embarrassment. I remembered those comments all too well.

"It's just until I get back on the circuit. You and I both know what's real. You are." He sighed. "I miss you too. So much. Once your father's campaign settles down..."

I pressed my fingers into my thigh hard enough to leave marks, concentrating on that pain instead of the hot blazing one blooming in my chest.

"I love you more than you think," he whispered, and I wished I had actually turned on music after all.

When I felt the car slow down, I made a show of "waking up," stretching and removing my earbuds as we pulled into the parking garage beneath my building. Caleb looked drained, his knuckles white around his phone.

"Everything okay?" I asked, as if I hadn't heard every word.

"Yeah," he said, not meeting my eyes.

The elevator ride to my apartment was silent as well. I focused on the changing floor numbers, wondering how long I could maintain this before something in me shattered. We'd been married—on paper—for barely a week, and already I was fighting the same schoolgirl hurt I'd felt before.

Inside the apartment, I headed straight for my bedroom. "I should unpack."

"June," Caleb called after me. "About Tessa calling..."

"You don’t have to explain anything." I kept walking, my voice surprisingly steady. "She's your girlfriend. I get the whole thing."

I closed my bedroom door before he could respond, leaned against it, and exhaled slowly. I needed a moment. Just one moment where I wasn't performing—as a lawyer, as a fake wife, as a woman pretending not to care.

I unpacked, hanging each item back to its place. When everything was in its place, I poured myself two fingers of bourbon neat and took a long sip, welcoming the burn.

A knock came at my door. "June?"

I took another sip before answering. "Come in."

Caleb stood in the doorway, looking uncertain in a way I wasn't used to seeing. His usual confidence seemed diminished. "Tessa wants to talk to you."

The bourbon almost came back up. "Excuse me?"

He held out his phone. "She says it's important."

"And you said...?"

"I said I'd ask you," he replied. "You can say no if you don’t want to."

I could say no. I should say no. Instead, I set down my glass and held out my hand. "Put her on speaker."

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." My lawyer instincts kicked in—never show weakness to the opposition. "I'd love to chat with her."

He put the phone on speaker and set it on my dresser. "June's here, Tess."

"June! Hi!" Her voice was melodic, warm, and artificially bright. "I've been dying to actually talk to you."

"Hello, Tessa." I sat on the edge of my bed, ankles crossed, trying to keep the picture of composure. "This is... unexpected."

"I know, right? Super weird. But I just had to reach out personally to thank you for everything you're doing."

Her accent was polished East Coast elite—the kind cultivated in finishing schools and Ivy League institutions. I could picture her perfectly: impeccably dressed, effortlessly gorgeous, born to privilege.

"No need to thank me," I replied evenly. "I was just happy to help an old friend."

"Still," she continued, "I know it must be strange, playing wife to someone else's boyfriend." She laughed lightly, the sound was grating on my soul. "But you're really helping us get our life back, and I can't tell you what that means. This is a huge favor you are doing us and we will forever be in your debt."

The emphasis on "us" and "our" was subtle but unmistakable. She is marking her territory.

"I'm just doing my job," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "Helping a client rebuild his reputation."

"Oh, you're so professional! Caleb said you were smart." The compliment somehow felt like a slight. "Daddy's political advisors are being absolutely paranoid right now with the campaign, but once that dies down, everything can go back to normal. For all of us."

I glanced at Caleb, who was staring intently at the floor.

"I'm sure that will be a relief," I said.

"Totally. Oh! I'll be back in San Francisco soon enough for the benefit at the Legion of Honor. Daddy's keynote speaker." The casual drop of "Daddy" confirmed everything I'd assumed about her. "We should absolutely meet properly. Get coffee or drinks or something! I feel like we could be friends, you know? Under different circumstances."

"That would be... interesting," I managed.

"Perfect! I'll have my assistant coordinate with you." She paused. "And June? Thank you again. I know Caleb can be a handful, but he's worth it. I would know—I've put up with him for five years."

Five years of history I could never compete with, even if this were real.

"I'll let you two get back to... whatever. Ciao, darlings!"

The call ended. Caleb reached for his phone, his movements careful, like someone approaching a wounded animal.

"I didn't know she was going to call," he said quietly.

"It's fine." I forced a smile. "She seems... exactly as I pictured her."

"June—"

"I think I need some time to myself." I stood, gesturing vaguely towards the door. "Long weekend, you know?"

He hesitated before nodding. "Of course."

Once he was gone, I locked the door and headed straight to my bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror—the woman who'd agreed to marry a man who loved someone else. What kind of masochism was this?