Chapter 2

Julian was quiet for a second.

“Has Molly gone mad? She shouldn’t joke about her grandmother’s life like that. Tell her to stop her mind games, and I’ll be back once I’m done here.”

He ended the call before Evie could say anything else.

Evie handed my phone back to me. I checked Sunny’s new social media post.

In the picture, Sunny was holding her dog, smiling happily at the camera. The caption was, “Dodo almost went missing, but her daddy found her in time. You’re the best, Daddy!”

I tugged at the corner of my lips, tears flowing from my eyes.

How absurd. He would rather go on a trip with his long-lost love and her dog than save my grandmother’s life.

Our marriage was an accident from the very start.

Julian was my grandmother’s doctor. At the time, Grandma’s medical fees were too much for me to bear, and I was at my wits’ end. Just then, Julian showed up and said he would pay the fees for me as long as I became his girlfriend.

His parents had been bugging him to find someone, so he wanted me to play along.

I agreed, and as the days passed, I gradually began to fall for him.

Evie had married his younger brother, Caleb Long, so I thought it would be nice if we could become in-laws. I made the first move, and soon Julian and I officially got together.

Now, Evie hugged me as I cried.

“Cheer up, Molly. That jerk isn’t worth your tears.”

The thought of losing Grandma forever broke my heart. I sobbed, “Evie, Grandma’s gone. I’m alone now.”

Evie patted my back, consoling me. “You still have me, don’t you? I’ll always be with you.”

I nodded.

Evie and I were childhood friends, besties for life, and closer than sisters.

Suddenly, her phone rang. It was her husband.

Evie had married Caleb as part of a deal between their families. There were all sorts of scandals surrounding Caleb since they got married. Before, Evie never believed that he would betray her, not until she saw the headlines last night about his overseas trip with a famous actress. The pictures were undeniable.

As soon as Evie picked up, we heard Caleb’s voice speaking crossly across the phone. “Evie Rimm, I just landed. Are you picking a fight already?

“I just happened to bump into that actress at the restaurant. It’s not like the paparazzi said. Are you really going to threaten a divorce over something so trivial?”

Evie scoffed. “You just happened to have dinner together, then you just happened to go shopping together, and you just happened to live in the same hotel room? Don’t take me for a fool, Caleb!”

Caleb did not sound guilty in the slightest. “It’s all the paparazzi’s ploy to make headlines. I never did anything to betray you, so it’s up to you whether you believe me or not. If you want a divorce, I’m down anytime.”

Evie wanted to curse him. “Caleb Long, you…” Doot doot!

He hung up on her.

She wiped away her tears. “They really are brothers, each scummier than the last. We have to get rid of them, right now!”

I knew that Evie was heartbroken. Theirs may have been a marriage of convenience, but Evie truly loved Caleb, enough to learn how to cook for him despite her cushy upbringing.

When Caleb went outstation during his birthday, Evie took a ten-hour flight just to celebrate with him. She even stayed up all night with him when he had to work overtime.

In his eyes, however, she was just a jobless housewife clinging onto him all the time. He never had any patience for her.

Evie and I held each other, crying soundlessly.

After we handled Grandma’s burial, I texted Julian, asking him when he would be free to settle the divorce.

Julian took forever to reply. “How long are you going to play at this, Molly? Are you still upset I left the wedding early? We’re officially married, so what does a mere ceremony matter?

“If you keep threatening divorce, I might just say yes. Then you’ll really regret it.”