One Year,Then A Divorce

Chapter 5

Miles’s POV

I rake a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. This can’t be real. Daphne—she’s the girl Reynold has been talking about all this time? If I had met her earlier, if I had just seen her, maybe I wouldn’t be stuck in this mess.

A heavy silence fills the room, broken only by the sound of my own breathing. Then I feel Reynold’s presence beside me. He looks wrecked—his shoulders slumped, his hands clenched into trembling fists. His usually bright eyes are hollow, red-rimmed, unfocused.

“Reynold,” I call, my voice firm but gentle. He doesn’t respond. He just stares—at nothing, at everything, lost in a place I can’t reach.

“Reynold.” I try again, and this time, he blinks and turns to me. His eyes glisten with unshed tears.

“I messed up, man,” he croaks, his voice unsteady. “I didn’t mean to break up with her—I swear I didn’t. How could I? She’s—” His breath hitches, and he drags a shaky hand down his face. “She’s the only one I’ve ever loved.”

Pain laces every word, raw and unfiltered. I’ve known Reynold my whole life, but I’ve never seen him like this.

“She’s yours,” I say, gripping his shoulder. “You’ll get her back.”

He lets out a sharp, bitter laugh, shaking his head. “She doesn’t want me anymore, Miles.” His fingers tangle in his hair, pulling at the strands as if trying to ground himself. “She really doesn’t want to be with me.”

“She will come back to you. This marriage isn’t real, and it never will be,” I say with certainty, hoping it’ll be enough to anchor him.

Reynold’s gaze snaps to mine, something wild and desperate flickering in his eyes. “Promise me,” he breathes. “No matter what happens, you’ll bring her back to me.” His voice is low but urgent, trembling with something close to obsession. “Promise me you’ll divorce her. Promise me you won’t go back on your word.”

I hold his stare, letting my words carry the weight of my loyalty. “You have to trust me on this. She belongs with you. I won’t make the mistake of breaking this promise.” My voice is steady, unwavering. “You’re my best friend. I’d never stab you in the back.”

Relief washes over his face, and he pulls me into a tight hug. “Thank you, man. You have no idea what this means to me.” He pulls away slightly, a small, exhausted smile forming. “I’m glad it was you she married and not some stranger. At least this way, I still have a chance.”

I nod, but the weight of his words settles uncomfortably in my chest.

His expression shifts, curiosity flickering through the exhaustion. “But… Bianca. How did she agree to this? I know how much she loves you.”

I hesitate for a moment before answering. “It wasn’t easy for her,” I admit. “But in the end, she agreed. Grandfather’s health is getting worse.”

Reynold’s face falls slightly. “I should visit him,” he murmurs, his voice laced with guilt.

I don’t say anything. For now, this conversation has taken enough out of both of us.

“He’ll be thrilled to see you,” I say, offering a small smile.

Reynold barely nods before his phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and answers.

“Cancel everything. It’s not happening anymore,” he says, his voice flat, but the bitter smile on his lips betrays his pain. Without another word, he ends the call and shoves the phone back into his pocket.

“Who was that?” I ask, watching the way his jaw tightens.

“I had planned something for Daphne. A surprise,” he murmurs, his voice thick with regret. “But there’s no point anymore, so I told them to cancel it.” He exhales shakily, running a hand down his face. “I should go. She needs space, and I… I need to give her that.” His lips curl into a bittersweet smile. “Please take care of her.”

“I will,” I assure him with a nod.

Reynold studies me for a second, as if searching for something in my expression, then sighs. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back.” He forces a smile before turning away and heading for the door.

I watch him leave, his shoulders slumped, his steps slower than usual. The weight of everything is pressing down on him, and I can’t help but think—if he’s like this, then Bianca must be feeling worse.

Pulling out my phone, I dial her number, but it goes straight to voicemail. With a sigh, I record a message. “Bianca, call me when you get this.” Then I pocket my phone.

I should check on Daphne.

Climbing the stairs, I stop in front of her door and knock. Nothing.

“Daphne, it’s me,” I say, pressing my palm against the door. “Reynold just left.” I don’t even know why I said that, but maybe… maybe it’ll get her to open the door.

A few seconds pass. Then the doorknob turns, and she stands in front of me.

Her eyes are red, swollen—evidence of the storm she’s been battling alone. She looks exhausted, drained. But the moment her gaze meets mine, a coldness settles over her features, masking everything beneath.

“What do you want?” she asks, stepping aside to let me in. I walk past her, and she shuts the door behind me.

“I really want to go to bed,” she mutters, arms crossed. “So say whatever you need to say quickly.”

The sharpness in her tone doesn’t faze me. I expected it.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” I start, keeping my voice calm. “I didn’t know about you and Reynold. If I had, I neverwould’ve gone through with this. I know you probably see me as a bad person, but I’d never do this to you or to my best friend if I had known.” I pause, then add, “I had heard about you, but I never saw you.”

A bitter scoff leaves her lips. “Of course. He hid me away from the world because he was embarrassed of me.”

“No, you’re misunderstanding—”

“Miles, stop,” she interrupts, her voice firm. “You don’t have to defend him. It’s not your place. And it’s definitely not your place to try and fix things between us.” Her arms tighten around herself as she steps closer, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. “This is a fake marriage. A contract. That makes us business partners—nothing more. Not even friends.”

The words hit harder than I expect.

I don’t know why. But they do.

“Okay then, goodnight,” I say, turning to leave. I slam the door so hard that I’m sure the house shakes. If it didn’t have such a strong foundation, I swear it would’ve come crashing down.

Back in my room, I feel the anger bubbling up inside of me. Her words keep replaying in my mind, each one sharper than the last. I was wrong about her. She’s not as innocent or as easy to control as I thought, and that frustrates me more than I care to admit. But I need to calm down. She’s still my best friend’s girlfriend—and my wife, even if the marriage is fake. I won’t let her get to me.

I try Bianca’s number again, but it’s still unreachable. I throw my phone onto the bed and sigh. I need to cool off, so I head to the bathroom, letting the cold water wash over me. After a quick shower, I get ready for bed, but sleep doesn’t come. I pull out my phone again and watch old videos of Bianca and me, her laughter filling the quiet room. Eventually, exhaustion takes over, and I finally drift off.

The next morning, I get ready for work, but a thought hits me: Daphne can’t stay hidden forever. Eventually, she’ll have to be seen with me so people will believe this fake marriage.

I consider giving her a job in my company, but quickly dismiss the idea. That would only cause more problems. Still, it’s the only thing I can think of right now.

I walk to her room, knock once, and get no response. The anger inside me flares up again. I knock harder this time, but still, no answer. I decide to barge in, but when I open the door, she’s nowhere to be found.

“Daphne!” I call out, my voice tense, but there's no response.

A wave of panic hits me. What if she’s run away? My feet hurry to the stairs, and as I reach the bottom, I slow down. Relief washes over me when I see her standing there. Why was I worried? She wouldn’t dare leave—I’d sue her if she did. But then I notice something strange. She’s standing completely still, staring at something.

“Daphne!” I call again, louder this time. She turns toward me, her face blank. Then she steps aside, and I see who she’s been looking at.

Bianca.

“I’m back, baby!” Bianca says, her voice bright and full of excitement.

I freeze, unsure if I should be relieved or worried. What the hell is going on?