Chapter 3

When Maica got home, she immediately confronted her friend and personal assistant, Julie. Before Julie could even sit down, Maica pulled her up and delivered a strong slap, shocking both Julie and Denver.

“Maica!” Denver stood up from his seat and quickly approached them. “What the hell did you do?” He turned to Julie and checked on her.

“Isn’t it obvious? You are both traitors. How could you do this to me? And you’re even proud of it? You flaunted your relationship to the whole world!” Maica was furious. She didn’t know what to feel after the revelation she had just learned. Her whole body trembled with a mix of anger and pain. Of all the people who could betray her, she never imagined that it would be Julie and Denver.

“Could you please calm down?” Denver pleaded.

“Calm down? How can I calm down?” Maica turned to Julie, and tears started streaming down her face. “I trusted you, Julie. I treated you like a sister, and yet you had the audacity to steal my husband? There are so many men in the world, but you chose Denver?”

“Maica, can you please calm down and let me explain first? You can’t just barge in and start slapping people.” Denver stood up and ran his hands over his face in frustration.

“Fine. Go ahead. Explain how and when you started making a fool out of me.” Maica’s tear-filled eyes burned with anger.

“Julie and I are not in a relationship, okay? Do you really think I would betray you? That we would betray you?” Denver couldn’t help but raise his voice in frustration.

“Oh really? Then what was that announcement in front of the reporters all about?” Maica snapped.

“I thought you were smart, Maica.” Denver took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew the situation would only get worse if he let his anger take over. “Look, listen.” He held her by the shoulders before continuing. “Yes, I told the reporters that I’m getting married to Julie so I could divert their attention away from me. That way, they wouldn’t suspect us, especially with our pictures together spreading all over social media. It was just for show. Julie and I talked about it, and she agreed because she trusted that you’d understand. But look at what you did.” He let out another deep sigh. “You act first before thinking. Do you really believe that if we were in a real relationship, we’d announce it to the world like that?”

It was only then that Maica realized her mistake. Shame washed over her as she processed what she had just done. She had messed up. How could she have doubted her own friend and husband? They had always been there for her through thick and thin, supporting her in all her decisions. And here she was, overreacting without even confirming the truth first.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Julie.” She buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed by guilt. She knew an apology wouldn’t be enough, but she didn’t expect Julie to be so understanding. Julie sat beside her and embraced her, and Maica had no choice but to hug her back, breaking into sobs. “I’m sorry, Julie. I acted recklessly. Did it hurt?”

Denver let out a dry chuckle at Maica’s question. “Why don’t you try getting slapped hard and see if it doesn’t hurt?”

Maica gently touched Julie’s cheek, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

“Apology accepted, Maica. But next time, don’t be so overdramatic, okay? And sorry as well, because Denver and I are also at fault. We should have told you about the plan before the press conference. You wouldn’t have been so shocked.”

“Thank you, Julie. But are you sure you’re okay with this setup? Won’t you feel awkward? Because of this, you and Denver will have to pretend to be in a relationship. You’ll have to act confidently as a couple,” she confirmed.

“I’m good at acting, Maica. Remember? You were the one who taught me how to act in front of your ex before.”

Maica suddenly recalled their mischievous scheme back then. Just so they could sneak out and watch a film shoot that her ex-boyfriend, Isaac, had strictly forbidden, they pretended that Julie had severe stomach pains and needed to be rushed to the hospital. But in reality, they just wanted to see their favorite actor on set.

“Yes, I remember.” But along with that memory came thoughts of Isaac. He had been a good boyfriend, but she never understood why he strongly opposed her love for film shoots and modeling. It had always been her dream, so when an opportunity came, she grabbed it without hesitation, quitting her job on the spot. That was when her relationship with Isaac started to fall apart. Eventually, they lost all communication. She had no idea where he was or what had happened to him. And though it might seem wrong to others, she secretly hoped that their paths would cross again, just so they could have proper closure. After all, he had disappeared without a word.

“Maica? Hello?” Julie waved a hand in front of her. “Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. I’m okay. I just remembered something.” Maica forced a smile before standing up. “I think I’ll be in charge of dinner tonight.”

She immediately noticed Denver’s change in demeanor. He didn’t say anything, but she could tell that he was upset over what had happened. Instead of forcing a conversation, she decided to prepare dinner first and talk to him later in their room.

After dinner, she excused herself, telling Julie that she was going to rest. Luckily, Julie volunteered to do the dishes, so Maica didn’t have to do anything else. She headed straight to their bedroom, where she found Denver changing into his sleepwear.

She approached him and hugged him from behind. “Are you mad at me?”

“Who wouldn’t be?” he responded without looking at her.

“I thought we were okay since you even laughed earlier.” She pouted and gently rubbed his chest.

Denver quickly removed her hands from around his waist and turned away. “I’m taking a shower.”

It was their first real disagreement. In almost two years of marriage, they had never had a fight or misunderstanding. She never thought that her overreaction would be the cause of their first one.

She came up with a plan to make it up to him—something he had been asking for a long time. And now, she was finally ready. She wouldn’t let this ruin their relationship.

With that thought, she swiftly removed her clothes and entered the bathroom, where Denver was already in the shower. Despite her nervousness, she reassured herself that there was nothing to be afraid of—they had been married for almost two years. Besides, they should have done this sooner, but she had always hesitated, afraid of the consequences it might bring to her body and career. However, she now knew that this was the right time—for the sake of strengthening their relationship.

She swallowed hard as she saw his bare back. Since he was turned away, he hadn’t noticed her entering. The sound of running water drowned out any noise she made. Slowly, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him from behind, making him jolt in surprise. He quickly turned to face her, confusion evident in his eyes.

“Maica, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Let’s shower together,” she replied briefly.

His gaze traveled over her from head to toe, making her blush.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s embarrassing,” she muttered.

He smirked. “Now you’re getting shy around me?”

In an instant, he pulled her closer by the waist and kissed her deeply. She felt like she was drowning in an ocean—his kiss was intense and hungry. She barely noticed when her back pressed against the cold wall as she let herself be consumed by his fiery lips. It was driving her insane, especially since she had never experienced anything like this before.

“I want you, Maica,” he whispered.

“Denver… be gentle with me.”

With those words, his kisses softened. She never imagined he could be so good at this. In just a second, he shifted from desperate and rough to sweet and gentle, as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. His lips trailed down her neck, making her grip his hair tightly.

“Make me yours tonight, Denver.”

“You’re already mine, Maica.”