After He Made Me Take The Blame, I Married My First Love

Chapter 3

I set my phone down, my expression calm, and continued organizing handover documents for the final project at my desk.

After work that evening, I returned as usual to the apartment I shared with Hunter.

This place used to be the home I'd fought tooth and nail to protect.

Hunter came home very late.

The door opened gently. He had his earphones in, a small, easy smile on his lips.

I didn't need to look to know he was on a voice call with Diana.

He listened patiently as Diana complained about the neighbors renovating next door, about how the noise was always so loud.

He said into the phone, "I have another apartment. You can move in there..." He spoke softly to the person on the other end of the line, his tone so gentle.

But when he looked up and saw me, the smile froze on his face.

He casually tossed his coat onto the sofa. He had that same arrogant, superior air, his tone like he was doing me a favor.

He said, "Calmed down? Come to your senses? What kind of wedding do you want? Let's find a good time to go over the details and nail them down early."

I started, "There's no need..."

Before I could finish, Hunter's phone screen lit up, a pop-up notification cutting me off. It was Diana. She had sent several artfully posed selfies with sad expressions, plus a voice message.

"I'm in a bad mood today. I keep feeling like everyone's talking about me behind my back. I feel a little hurt."

Hunter, who had been about to discuss the wedding with me, had his gaze instantly locked onto his phone. He completely forgot he was still talking to me. His fingers flew across the screen, his expression impossibly tender.

Hunter: Don't overthink. Who would dare talk about you?

Hunter: Tomorrow I'll take you to the newly opened club to relax. Don't worry about work. I'm here.

After sending the messages, he even stared at the screen and smiled softly. Only then did he remember I existed. All the tenderness on his face vanished in an instant, his expression changing in the blink of an eye.

He asked, "What did you just say? No need for what?"

I said, "Nothing. Is there anything else?"

A flicker of discomfort crossed Hunter's expression.

He said, "I was calming Diana down just now."

The awkwardness on his face quickly dissipated. He even offered me an explanation, his tone utterly unapologetic.

He continued, "That was a message from Diana. Because of that incident, there's been some negative talk around the office. She's got thin skin and gets stuck in her own head. I need to handle her with kid gloves, or the whole project's going to suffer."

I sat on the sofa, my fingers gripping the phone in my pocket. On the screen were my resignation approval from HR and the equity transfer agreement signed off by Legal. This had been in motion for a full week, yet the CEO himself had been completely clueless. Yes, his attention had never come cheap. Some was allotted to important projects; the rest was reserved for Diana. I listened quietly, then nodded.

I said, "I understand."

Hunter frowned, apparently unhappy that I wasn't throwing a fit. He looked at me, then let out a short, dismissive laugh.

He sighed softly, his tone carrying the weary patience of someone humoring a spoiled child. "Mia, you and she aren't the same. You've been with me seven years; you handle pressure way better than any rookie. She's young; she needs coddling. You're not a kid anymore. Don't lower yourself to bickering with her."

I forced a smile and said, "I'm not angry."

He looked me over and relaxed. "That's good."

That night, we didn't argue. Hunter cut the conversation short and retreated to his room to keep chatting with Diana. The next morning, when I got to the office, the verdict on taking the fall for Diana came down.