Chapter 3

Conor, when I finally confronted him, barely blinked. He looked at me, then at the divorce papers I' d placed on his desk, as if they were a curious, albeit inconvenient, new species of bug. He simply pushed them back towards me. He couldn' t fathom it. My departure was unimaginable to him.

He was so deeply entrenched in the delusion that I loved him unconditionally, that my unwavering devotion was a permanent fixture in his life. He remembered every time I' d defended him against his grandfather' s criticisms, every late night I' d waited up for him, every small sacrifice I' d made to fit into his rigid world. He mistook my desperate desire for acceptance as profound love. He saw my silence now, my stillness, as a temporary tantrum.

"Jacey, don't be ridiculous," he said, his voice flat, devoid of any genuine emotion. He glanced at his watch. "I'm late for a meeting. We can discuss this... later." He stood, dismissing me and the papers with the same casual indifference he would a forgotten appointment. "Just sign those papers for the charity event, please. My assistant will be here shortly to collect them."

He hadn't even looked at the contents of the document. He truly believed I was incapable of serious intent, that my anger was merely a passing storm. He had no idea what was coming.

I didn't argue. I didn't beg. I just turned and walked out of his office. The cold certainty that had settled in my heart was now a steely resolve.

I immediately called my lawyer. Then, I called my parents. They were shocked, of course, but after hearing the abbreviated version of events, they surprisingly expressed more relief than disappointment. My mother, pragmatic as ever, simply said, "Jacey, darling, as long as you're happy, that's what matters. We'll handle the social fallout."

Later that evening, the Hudson mansion was a battlefield. Grandfather Elsworth, a man whose presence alone could wither lesser mortals, had summoned Hillery. The air crackled with his barely contained fury. I stood in the doorway of the drawing room, a silent observer, watching the drama unfold.

"You will marry the man I chose for you, Hillery," Elsworth boomed, his voice echoing through the opulent room. "Enough of this nonsense. Your reputation is already in tatters."

Hillery, surprisingly defiant, crossed her arms. "I will not! I won't be paraded around like some prize mare, Grandfather. I choose my own path."

Elsworth's face turned a dangerous shade of crimson. "You choose your own path? You choose scandal and disgrace! You choose to embarrass this family!" He raised his hand, and I braced myself, but he merely slapped her across the cheek, a sharp, stinging sound that cut through the silence.

Hillery gasped, her hand flying to her face, her eyes wide with shock and hurt. "You hit me!"

"And I'll do it again if you don't comply!" Elsworth roared.

Conor, who had been standing rigidly by the fireplace, suddenly moved. He stepped between Hillery and his grandfather, his body a shield. "Grandfather, stop! You will not lay a hand on her!" His voice was low, but laced with a dangerous intensity.

"Conor!" Hillery cried, her voice trembling, and she clung to his arm, burying her face against his shoulder. "He hates me! He's always hated me!"

Conor held her tight, his gaze fixed on his grandfather, pure defiance in his eyes. "You will not hurt her, Grandfather. Not ever again."

Elsworth glared at Conor, then at Hillery, who was now weeping softly into Conor's suit jacket. "This is precisely why I sent her away! This unnatural devotion! This... obsession!" He gestured wildly between them. "Do you think I don't see it, Conor? The way you lose all reason when she's near?"

Conor flinched, a subtle tightening of his jaw. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if battling an internal war.

Then, Elsworth turned his furious gaze towards me, where I stood, a silent spectator. "And you, Conor! You pretend to be a dutiful husband, yet you let this... this woman, tear our family apart! Your marriage to Jacey is a sham! A joke!"

Suddenly, Conor' s eyes snapped open. His gaze locked onto mine, sharp and calculating. My breath caught. He saw me. And in his eyes, I saw not confusion, but a sudden, dawning suspicion.

He released Hillery, who looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, confused. He walked towards me, his steps measured, deliberate. My heart hammered against my ribs. What was he doing?

He reached me, his hand reaching out, not to hurt, but to pull me close, possessively. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my body flush against his. His lips brushed my ear, a whisper that was chillingly cold. "Play along, Jacey. Or you'll regret it."

My mind reeled. The casual cruelty of it, the blatant manipulation. He was using me, again, as a prop, to salvage his image, to deflect his grandfather's accusations.

He turned to Elsworth, his arm still tight around me, his voice calm, resolute. "My marriage is not a sham, Grandfather. Jacey is my wife. My choice." He pressed a possessive kiss to my temple, a public display of affection designed solely for Elsworth' s benefit. It felt cold and calculated, yet the physical contact sent a strange jolt through me.

I stood stiffly in his embrace, utterly bewildered. Was this... remorse? A sudden flicker of real affection? My heart, despite everything, gave a tiny, foolish flutter. Could he truly be fighting for me? For us?

Then he spoke, his voice carrying just enough for Hillery and Elsworth to hear, but his eyes never leaving mine, a silent warning in their depths. "Jillery is happy. She has accepted my proposal for a quiet, private life. No more grand events for her. My wife chooses peace." The words were a thinly veiled message to Hillery, a promise of a future together, away from the prying eyes of the family, a life I was merely facilitating.

The bitter irony of it all. He was using me to promise Hillery a future, a future that involved him, but without the public scrutiny. He was using my presence, our 'marriage', to make that possible. He was so masterful, so subtle, in his deception. And I, once again, was the unwitting accomplice.

He tightened his grip on me, his mouth now near my ear. "One word, Jacey, and I'll make sure you regret it." It was a warning, a demand for my silence.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. But the rage was cold, not hot. It solidified into a quiet resolve. I hated him. I hated him for his manipulation, for his betrayal, for making me a pawn in his twisted game. And I hated myself even more for the fleeting moment of hope I had entertained. He wanted my silence? Fine. He would get it. But it wouldn't be the silence of acceptance. It would be the silence of a woman who was done.

I simply pulled away from his embrace, my eyes as cold as his. He looked surprised, but I didn't care. I wouldn't be his prop, not anymore. Not even for a moment. I left the room, the hushed whispers of Elsworth and Hillery fading behind me.