Chapter 2 A Long-Awaited Reunion

"I'm dead serious." I sat upright, meeting those oppressive eyes with bravery. "It's been five years. You're not going to fall in love with me anyway. Honestly, it's better if both just move on."

In just a month's time, Oldston would play host to a massive business gathering, where Mathias was slated to encounter Olivia. She would be on guest-welcoming duty part-time. The moment he laid eyes on her, he would be smitten, ready to do whatever it took to make her his own.

In this gripping narrative, I refused to play second fiddle to their epic romance again.

All the efforts I could've and should've made, I had already made in my past life, to no avail, and I had accepted the ending. This time around, I wouldn't subject myself to ridicule or steer the Fletcher family into ruin.

I had made up my mind to step aside before Mathias crossed paths with Olivia, clearing the path for their tumultuous love affair.

Perhaps my eyes had conveyed too much seriousness; Mathias's expression had abruptly darkened. He had always had a fiery temper, showing no mercy to those who provoked him.

"Heh, had I now become someone's plaything?" He was chuckling and yet his gaze remained icy. "Five years ago, you were adamant about marrying me. And now you wanted a divorce, Rylie? Were you toying with me?"

Five years back, the relationship between the Murray and Fletcher families had been amicable, so they had decided to pair us up.

Given Mathias' temperament, it hadn't been smooth sailing, but circumstances had shifted when his grandfather had taken a turn for the worse, compelling him into a marriage with me.

It had been a rather embarrassing situation for Mathias, but thankfully, he hadn't harbored deep affections for anyone else. With his responsibilities in the family business, he had needed a competent partner, and thus, he had settled on me for five years.

I put on a sad, wry smile. "Are we continuing this marriage in name only?"

"In name only, huh?" Mathias appeared to mull over those words, then asked with sarcasm, "Are you feeling lonely and empty now?"

"No, it's just that I..." I carefully selected my words.

However, Mathias rose and came over to my side. Leaning in, his arms on either side of the couch, encircling me, he said in a somewhat enticing voice, "If you desired me that much, why didn't you tell me? Must you resort to bringing up divorce?"

Mathias enjoyed smoking; the scent of tobacco was always faintly mixed with another fragrance on him.

He never hugged me, of course, but I had secretly smelled his jacket once.

Now, that intricate yet enchanting scent engulfed me. I should feel elated and blush under normal circumstances. However, at the moment, I only felt as if the air was being squeezed out of me.

I had already made up my mind to leave. Anything that made me hesitate felt ominous.

"I'm not doing this for that reason," I tried to clarify. Through these never-ending days and nights, loneliness had become my constant companion.

"Is that so?" Mathias rose to his full height. He had never shown interest in me. His prior vague teasing was simply a tactic to unsettle me, ensuring he maintained his own poise.

Being a 27-year-old married woman who had never consummated the relationship, I gave off a sense of resentment rather than allure.

"Rylie, today may be our fifth anniversary, but I have no interest in celebrating it. If you think this is an opportunity to goad me into making it with you by bringing up divorce, I suggest you cease making an issue of it," Mathias responded as he stood before me, staring into my eyes with a cold intensity.

"As for an anniversary that's never been celebrated, there's no point in making a big deal about it now," I said, standing up to look at him. "Think it over, Mathias. I'm almost at the end of my usefulness in this relationship. You'd benefit from freedom more than from being with me, wouldn't you?"

After speaking, I turned and headed up to the bedroom, not pausing to look back. There were no more words I wanted to say.

The sharp sound of a door slamming shut reached me from downstairs, quickly followed by the rumble of a car engine starting up. I knew Mathias was the one leaving, but my heart remained steady this time.

Just then, my phone buzzed to life. The caller was my close friend, Sonia Campbell.

"Rylie, how about we go let loose at Euphoria Club?" Sonia's vibrant voice broke through my gloom. She was about my age but had chosen the single life.

Since tying the knot, I'd become a homebody. Sonia would extend ten invites, and I'd turn down nine. She, however, never gave up on me.

"Absolutely!" I accepted without hesitation, resulting in a long pause on the other end.

"It's your anniversary with Mathias today, are you certain you want to go out?" Sonia finally asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

For five years, my anniversary had served as my go-to excuse for declining her invites.

"It's an anniversary, not a funeral. I'll see you soon," I assured her, and ended the call.

I opened my wardrobe to find a sea of black, white, and gray; a touch of blue was a rare find. Although luxury brands offered a myriad of striking designs, I had sadly invested in the most unremarkable styles.

I finally selected a less nondescript black halter dress after about ten minutes. The dress, with its silky fabric and plunging V-neck, cinched at my narrow waist and left my arms and much of my back exposed.

I recalled purchasing this dress in an attempt to attract Mathias's attention, but he hadn't come home that entire month.

The only thing that made me self-conscious now was my lack of curves, which seemed somewhat at odds with the dress' sultriness.

I donned the dress with some reluctance, comforting myself with the thought that I'd simply eat more to fill it out in the future.

After getting dressed and applying my makeup, I steered my red Porsche directly to Euphoria Club.

The club boasted a name as spirited and artistic as its atmosphere.

Once I had parked, I entered the club and located Sonia and the others at the bar we had agreed to meet at.

Back in college, Sonia Campbell, Tricia Jenkins, Valerie Ford and I were dubbed the four prodigies of the music department. Everyone had high expectations for our futures. Sonia ended up a queen of the nightlife, Tricia climbed the ladder in her family's enterprise, and Valerie remained devoted to her music, entering competitions and aspiring to stardom. I, on the other hand, married young.

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise!" Sonia exclaimed, hopping down from her elevated seat to enthusiastically clasp my hands.

The other two were also elated. I had virtually become a phantom in our social group since my marriage.

I had traded my social life for a life with Mathias.

After we'd had a couple of drinks, Sonia leaned in and lamented, "Rylie, had you not shown up tonight, I'd have begun to question whether I'd attended your wedding or your memorial five years ago."

It was true that I had completely disappeared.

"Isn't it odd? Weren't you supposed to be having a romantic dinner at home?" she probed, attempting to get a closer look at my face. "Tell me, did that rascal Mathias neglect you again? Have you been crying?"

"Would you mind not messing with my false lashes?" I gently pushed Sonia's hand aside.