Trapped by My Ex's Love Curse

A Rumor

Shienna finally made it out of the crowd and arrived back at the penthouse. She was now holed up in her room, not opening the door—no matter who knocked from outside.

She had no idea who to trust. Bryan didn't say anything when they got married, not even when she and he talked about the contract, the terms of which she forgot to double-check. However, their marriage was not based on love, so was it right for her to ask for clarity from her husband on this matter?

Knock, knock, knock!

"Shie, it's me. Elea said you've been reluctant to leave the room since earlier. What happened?" asked a voice that Shienna knew very well must be Bryan. However, she was reluctant to meet anyone for now. She was depressed. As long as she was a public figure, she had never once dealt with romance. Let alone being a suspect in the destruction of someone's relationship.

She had always been betrayed and cheated on, and now she was making a man cheat on his fiancee. Could it be true what the woman at the café said?

"Shie... at least open the door. Let's talk about this."

"We don't need to talk, Bray. You've seen the news today. I'm sure it's spread all over the world. Have you forgotten who the woman you married is?"

Bryan didn't answer. The sound of his footsteps drifting away was followed by the sound of the television from the living room. And sure enough, the news that Shienna had snatched the fiancé of a model and movie star filled the headlines of gossip shows on all television channels.

Shienna sighed. She was depressed not because of the news but because of what was happening in her marriage.

She and Bryan had only gotten married to take responsibility for her pregnancy. However, when Selena said a sentence, the metabolism in Shienna's body automatically stopped working.

"If you're the one who's pregnant and then holds Bryan responsible, what about me? I'm also carrying Bryan's child."

And the woman's words, strangely enough, were not aired throughout the news.

"Is it because of this news?" Bryan asked from outside the room. Shienna still didn't respond to her husband's question. "What else did Selena tell you?"

"Never mind, Bray. I'm not in the mood to discuss this. Draw your conclusions from the news. Go on."

Shienna could hear the heavy sigh of the man still standing behind the door, but she was reluctant to get up, let alone open the door and let him in. Let it be for today that she did not deal with anyone other than him.

Cling!

Shienna looked down at her cell phone that she had placed on the nightstand. All day, it had been under constant attack from notifications—whether it was on social media or even her number. Initially reluctant to respond, she finally opened her phone when she saw her husband's name on it.

The Bastard

[Tomorrow night at L'Restaurante at seven. I've arranged a reservation, be ready before six. I don't tolerate lateness, even if it's for makeup!]

Not long after, Bryan's footsteps could be heard moving away from her room. Shienna guessed that he must have returned to his penthouse and immersed himself in work or the women who would gladly serve him.

That was just a guess. However, it was part of what one of the women she'd met at the cafe this afternoon had said, that Bryan is a Cassanova who always spends all night with women.

Shienna didn't want to check for herself because she didn't care how many women Bryan slept with and who they were. All that mattered was that he still took responsibility for her pregnancy.

Shienna sighed heavily. "That bastard, what else is he up to? Why would he invite me to dinner like this? Is he trying to make me fall in love and then break my heart like he did with Selena? Or like I did."

She sighed again, trying to close her eyes because she felt tired. As her consciousness began to fade, she imagined something much more beautiful than what she was facing now, especially for tomorrow's dinner. She didn't know what the media would make of her time with Bryan after today's bad news.

***

Bryan and Shienna sat across from each other in a luxurious restaurant that Bryan and the conglomerate have long patronized. Not only that, even celebrities are often seen enjoying dinner there.

Therefore, Bryan was sure that the media would sniff out their presence in this place after the news about Shienna as Selena's fiancé's snatcher. Then, other news spread that Shienna and Bryan's marriage was only a form of responsibility for her pregnancy and would end when the baby was born.

Bryan arranged their dinner not only to show the world that their marriage was a reality but also to lure news hounds into covering them, openly or secretly.

"What's the wind in your sails that you asked me to dinner here?" asked Shienna as they waited for their food to arrive. "You're not planning anything bad, are you?"

"Not at all. I want to save us—our good name."

"Oh, I thought a Bryan Sanders never cared about any news about him. 'Just keep quiet, and the news will evaporate on its own'." Shienna mimicked Bryan's style of speaking when she said her last words.

"I haven't forgotten who I married. If your good name is ruined, so will mine. And my business will be on the line. I don't want that to happen because of this shit."

Shienna clapped her hands lightly at Bryan's reply. "Very diplomatic, Mr. Sanders. Why didn't I marry you a long time ago? So that I wouldn't have to be rumored to have snatched someone's fiancé. I'm not some pathetic slut who has to snatch another woman's property."

Bryan snorted. Shienna's nagging was slowly becoming a familiar thing after several years of not seeing each other. From then until now, she was still the same: naggy, spoiled, arrogant, and self-centered.

"Even almost all men want me," Shienna added, sipping her wine, and then her face turned sad. Bryan realized this and began to fix both eyes on the woman before him.

"Why did your face change like that? Is there something else you haven't finished saying? Oh, let me add. 'All men even want me, if only for sex.' Is that what you have in your heart?"

Shienna didn't say anything to refute Bryan's words because that was the truth.

They just enjoyed their meal in silence while Bryan seemed to be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the reporters who didn't seem to be directly covering them.

However, when they left the restaurant, several news hunters approached them. Shienna and Bryan's bodyguards rushed over and protected them.

"Mr. Sanders, is it true that the recent reports that you married Shienna as a form of responsibility? Is it true that you unilaterally broke up with Selena, and she's now pregnant?"

Bryan was frozen in place when he heard the question posed by a reporter. For a moment, he seemed not to listen to another word because his mind was traveling to when he and Selena were still together.

No one ever knew the truth about his and the model's love story. Similarly, Shienna is now wondering the same thing when she sees Bryan's reaction as if his soul is not in his body.

"Mr. Sanders. Please clarify. We want to know if the reports are true that Shienna has taken you. Did she purposefully do this to make you responsible because you are her ex-boyfriend?"

Bryan snapped out of his reverie after a while and ignored the reporters' questions. He quickly put his arm around Shienna and led his wife into the car with a bodyguard escorting them in a different vehicle.

Even when they arrived home, Bryan didn't offer any explanation, which made Shienna feel uneasy.

She couldn't keep her eyes closed and tossed her body to the right and left. She then lay on her back and looked up at the ceiling, which was decorated with elegant carvings.

"Is it true that Selena is now carrying Bryan's baby?" she murmured.

Shienna could no longer contain her curiosity. She quickly got up and headed for the elevator, descending to the floor below to meet Bryan.

Unfortunately, when she arrived, she was met with an unpleasant sight. Bryan was enjoying a lovely evening with a woman in the dim light of the living room, kissing lustfully, and both of them turned their heads at the same time when they heard the clink of the elevator followed by Shienna's footsteps.

All three were stunned. Shienna looked at Bryan, then the woman he was making out with, in turn. She realized she had chosen the wrong time. Shienna turned around, got back into the elevator, and tried hard to forget what she had just seen. Although she realized it wasn't easy. But she HAD to because this marriage was just for the sake of an interest. Nothing more.