Chapter 15
420words
After that Rolls-Royce revelation, I blocked him on every platform and demanded my key back.
I wanted to change the locks but couldn't swing the cost.
It wasn't so much a cold war as me giving him the complete silent treatment.
Meanwhile, he cycled through burner phones, bombarding me with messages.
And I diligently blocked every single one.
Until one day—
"Honey, please stop blocking me."
"I was wrong."
I was trudging home from work when I spotted an enormous banner suspended in the air.
And there, standing beneath it like some romantic comedy cliché, was James Carter!
I wanted to crawl into a hole and die from embarrassment.
I pretended not to notice and tried to make myself invisible.
Attempting to slink past unnoticed.
But James had the eyes of a hawk and spotted me immediately.
He stepped directly into my path, looking devastating in a custom suit.
Now that his secret was out, he'd stopped pretending to be average.
He practically radiated wealth from every pore.
But weirdly, I didn't hate him for it.
That didn't mean I'd forgiven his lies, though.
Then he dropped to one knee and pulled out a velvet box from his jacket.
Inside sat a diamond that could probably be seen from space.
I heard the synchronized gasps of every woman within eyeshot.
Like a well-rehearsed choir.
"Sophie, will you marry me?"
I stared at him, keeping my hands firmly at my sides.
"I can be extremely patient and wait for your yes."
"If not today, then tomorrow. Or next week. But eventually, you will be my wife."
...
I was stunned by this new arrogant side of him.
"Says who? You're not the last man on Earth!"
I shot back.
"Besides me, who else would you marry, hmm?"
His tone was light but carried an unmistakable edge.
"Honey, I've been standing here all day. Haven't eaten a thing. I'm about to pass out."
As he spoke, he swayed dramatically to one side.
I instinctively lunged forward to catch him.
I half-carried him inside and threw together the saddest bowl of instant noodles.
Feeling guilty, I added a fried egg on top.
As I watched the egg sizzle, I cursed my own weakness.
James materialized behind me, arms snaking around my waist, chin nestling on my shoulder.
"Honey, Sophie, I've missed you so much."
His lips found my neck, trailing kisses along my skin.
And what happened next had absolutely nothing to do with instant noodles or eggs.
