Chapter 1 My Husband Humiliated Me for His Mistress
Nina Grant pushed open the door to the presidential suite on the hotel's top floor with practiced ease.
Julian Carter lounged on the sofa opposite the entrance, his clothes in disarray and his shirt hanging open to reveal a sculpted chest slick with sweat beneath the lights. At the sight of her, he smirked and pulled Lana Hayes, a woman with vivid purple hair and a lip piercing, tighter into his arms in blatant provocation.
"What took you so long? Did you bring them?"
"I did. Mint-flavored. Miss Hayes's favorite."
Ignoring the rainwater dripping from her clothes, Nina set down her umbrella. On her way out, she bent to gather the clothes strewn across the floor into her arms.
"They're dirty," she said quietly. "I'll take them home and wash them."
The moment the door shut behind her, Lana's laughter rang out from inside.
"Your wife must be insane. She actually ran through the rain to deliver condoms? What is she, some kind of saint? Or is she faking it? If she ever found out I'm pregnant, she'd probably cry herself to death."
Julian's reply came in a lazy drawl edged with mockery. "Relax. If she knew you were carrying my child, she'd probably treat you like royalty."
"Hmph. As if I care. But seriously, wasn't Nina basically legendary back in Northhaven three years ago? She climbed Everest, touched polar bears, and even won the national racing championship?"
Lana's words made Nina freeze.
Snow-capped peaks, brilliant auroras, and roaring crowds flashed through her mind. The cheers that had once belonged to her thundered across her memory.
Before she married Julian, she had been free and fearless.
Only then did she realize that three whole years had passed.
Lana kept talking, her voice quickly turning mocking and contemptuous.
"I thought your wife was supposed to be some untouchable badass. Turns out she's just a pathetic, lovesick housewife. Disgusting. She probably spends all day thinking about your dick."
The room went quiet for a second before Julian laughed.
"What, jealous? What can I say? She's obsessed with me. If I told her to go sell herself on the street right now, she'd do it without a second thought."
Their laughter grew increasingly vile.
Nina listened in silence, her expression unreadable. She took the dirty clothes home and put them in the wash.
"Nina."
Victor Carter walked over and immediately recognized the dress hanging on the rack as Lana's. Anger and guilt darkened his face at once.
"You've suffered enough," he said. "I'm calling that bastard right now."
The call connected almost immediately, and the sound of running water came through the speaker, punctuated now and then by a woman's breathy moans. Julian's lazy voice followed.
"Grandpa, whatever it is can wait until tomorrow. I'm busy. Did Nina ask you to call? Then tell her the brand she bought today was pretty good. Hardly felt like I was wearing one. Have her bring the same kind next time. And Lana's underwear is silk, so tell her to be careful when she hand-washes it. Anything else? No? Then I'm hanging up."
The line went dead. Victor's chest heaved with rage as he flung the phone aside. "That ungrateful brat gets worse by the day!"
But when he turned to Nina, his voice softened with guilt. "Julian lost his parents young, and I spoiled him rotten. Don't worry, Nina. I'll drag him back myself and beat some sense into him."
Nina stopped him and shook her head. "Grandpa, there's no need. The three years are up. It's time for me to leave."
Victor froze mid-step, his whole body going rigid.
Looking at his aged face, Nina spoke slowly. "Three years ago, my boyfriend, Lucas was diagnosed with a rare disease. He needed a specialty drug to stay alive, and the Carter Group was the only one with access to it. So when you asked me to marry Julian and become a proper Mrs. Carter, I agreed. The agreement was for three years, and during that time, I changed everything about myself. I cut off all contact with Lucas and devoted myself entirely to taking care of Julian, all to repay your kindness. Now the three years are over, and it's time for me to return to the man I love."
Victor's fingers trembled, his face full of reluctance.
"Nina... you're a good girl. I've always treated you like my own granddaughter. Even if you never loved Julian, can you really bear to leave ..."
She cut him off.
"Grandpa, you know me. Once I make up my mind, no one can change it."
Victor looked at her for a long moment before sighing. After a heavy silence, he finally nodded.
"So be it. Julian simply wasn't worthy of you. As agreed, I'll find a way to make him sign the divorce papers. There's a mandatory one-month waiting period, and after that you'll be free to do whatever you want."
Weariness lined his face as he paused, then added quietly, "Don't tell Julian about the divorce yet. That boy's possessive. I'm afraid he'll do something reckless."
As Nina stepped outside, the cool night wind brushed across her face, sweeping away the gloom that had shadowed her heart for years.
She closed her eyes briefly, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled.
For three years, she had buried every sharp edge of herself, every love and every hatred, and played the obedient, gentle Mrs. Carter. Her debt to the Carter family had finally been repaid.
At last, she could go see Lucas Bennett again, the man she had not seen in three long years.
