Hidden Marriage: He Begs for a Second Chance

"Suite 8A, Lumeris Lounge. Bring a condom.

"Eric said you've been calling every day begging to see me. This is your only shot.

"And make sure to grab the biggest size."

Elsie Clarke had just stepped into her apartment from the shoot, keys still in hand, when her phone buzzed. She was holding a potted plant, couldn't free her hands in time, so she answered on speaker without checking who it was.

The moment William Harding's voice came through, she froze. Her face went pale, and for a while she couldn't get a word out.

They had been in a secret marriage for three years, and separated for all of them.

She'd spent the last couple weeks trying every possible way to reach him. Never expected this would be how he'd finally respond.

She didn't say anything.

From the other side of the line came the noise of people talking, laughing.

"Seriously, William, you think Elsie's gonna be cheap enough to actually bring you a condom?"

"Of course she is! Elsie's, like, the ultimate simp for William. Everyone in Capemont knows it. That viral shot of a woman chasing William's car in tears? That was her. Not to mention the 'accidentally drugged him and climbed in bed' thing."

"As long as he's here, she wouldn't just bring one-she'd probably offer to be it."

William eventually ended the call, but those last mocking echoes still lingered in Elsie's ear like a slap.

She'd heard things like this plenty over the last three years. Thought she'd grown numb.

But her hands were sweaty, fingers clenched so tight her phone dug deep into her palm.

She knew William had always kept himself clean for Grace Howard. Aside from that one time with her, he hadn't touched any other woman. This call-was just to humiliate her.

Still, to see him, she had no choice. If swallowing her pride was the only way, she would.

Suite 8A, Lumeris Lounge.

One of the girls leaned closer to Lucas Shaw while they were playing cards. "So she really drugged him? That intense? Why's Mr. Harding not into her then? Did his wife look too plain or something?"

Lucas cocked a brow, tipping his chin. "Not sure if the boss likes her or not-"

"But ugly? Nah. If Elsie's not pretty, then Capemont's got zero beauties left. Think about it. If she looked busted, he would've had her deported the next day, not married her."

The girl followed his gaze to the man sitting off in the shadows, smoking like he was above it all. Her eyes glittered.

Lucas's words went unchallenged-everyone knew they were true.

Elsie's face? Even in an industry full of gorgeous women, she was seriously next level.

The girl laughed like he was joking. "Come on, no way she's better looking than me, right?"

Lucas gave a faint smile but said nothing.

When she started shifting her chair slightly toward the shadowy corner, Lucas casually yanked her back. "He's only got eyes for Grace. You might as well pour that wine for me."

She blinked, a little let down. "Grace? He's got a thing for someone else then."

Ethan Howard couldn't help blurting out when he heard his sister's name, "Seriously, I can't figure out what kind of magic Elsie used on old Mr. Harding. She's just some orphan adopted out of nowhere, and yet he left his entire estate to her. Left William no choice but to marry her."

"If it weren't for her, William would be my brother-in-law by now. He and Grace were this close to getting engaged."

The more he talked, the more annoyed he seemed.

"Gotta say, that was kind of satisfying. Remember when Elsie tracked William down through Jack Lyons? She totally fell for the whole 'he's off living like a regular guy at a construction site' bit and actually went looking for him. Jack couldn't help messing with her for William, so he locked her up overnight on an abandoned site. She got so freaked out she ended up in the hospital."

"But hey, just one more month and William will be totally done with her. Grace has been waiting for this day forever."

Before the words even fully landed, there was a loud bang-the coffee table got kicked and scraped loudly across the floor.

The room instantly went dead silent. All eyes turned toward the source of the outburst.

William was lounging lazily on the booth seat, lifting a hand to take a drag from his cigarette.

The flame briefly lit up his sharp jawline and those cold, dark eyes of his like deep water.

He leaned in just slightly, snuffed the cigarette out in a half-empty glass, then let out a light laugh. "What, that's it? Don't stop on my account."

Two full seconds of awkward silence followed. Everyone looked around, trying to figure out who'd speak next.

Guess Elsie really was a landmine-just hearing her name was enough to set William off.

Someone quickly tried to smooth things over. "C'mon guys, no point bringing up Elsie and ruining the vibe. It's not every day Mr. Harding joins us. I just texted Grace-she'll be here any minute."

Just as he finished speaking, William uncrossed his legs and looked ready to leave.

Lucas was caught off guard. "Grace's coming. You're not staying?"

Right at that moment, the door swung open.

William glanced over. Once he saw who it was, he relaxed a bit and sat back down.

Dressed like a real-life princess in a pink dress, Grace ran over to William and clung to his arm sweetly. "William!"

Ethan laughed, half-jokingly, "Grace, I'm still here, you know. Guess your brother doesn't matter anymore."

Someone joked along, "She's outgrown the nest!"

"I heard Grace is planning to debut after finishing her training abroad. Perfect timing. William's company, Central Entertainment, is top-tier. Since he basically adores you, let him launch your career."

Ethan added proudly, "She signed yesterday. Just stepped off the plane and made it official."

Everyone got even more hyped at that.

Grace batted her eyes at William, looking all shy and pretty. but his gaze was still fixed on the entrance.

Others turned to look that way too.

Lucas noticed who'd just walked in and blinked. "Els-uh, hey. Mrs. Harding."

Grace chimed in, "She was getting stopped by security when I came in. Poor thing looked so pitiful, I figured I'd bring her in. Hope it's not a problem?"

With Grace there, no one dared bring up the ridiculous drinking game they'd just played-like sending Elsie over to deliver condoms.

Lucas forced a laugh and tried to deflect. "It was just a joke. You didn't really have to come."

Elsie didn't acknowledge him, just calmly moved her eyes away from where Grace clung to William's arm.

She walked over, placed the box of Durex on the table, and said, "I brought what you asked for. Can we talk now?"

Her face stayed as calm and unreadable as always.Only she knew how tight her throat felt-she had to swallow hard just to keep her voice from shaking.

William lazily lifted his eyes to glance at the blue box on the table, letting out a light chuckle.

But when his gaze landed on Elsie's tense face, it turned cold like ice. The corner of his lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"Too small," he said casually, like tossing out a useless comment. "Come back when you get the size right."

"William," Grace called out with a playful tone, gently tapping his arm like she was the hostess here.

"Why pick on Elsie like that?"

"Don't take it to heart, Elsie," she added sweetly. "William's just like that. Why don't you stay and hang out with us?"

As she spoke, she reached out to grab Elsie's wrist, but Elsie sidestepped her hand.

Elsie didn't respond to Grace. She just stared at William. Seeing that he said nothing, she forced herself to swallow her pride. "I'll go buy the right one."

At the convenience store.

The overhead light shined on her reddened eyes.

Her fingers slid across the row of condoms before she clenched her jaw and grabbed the largest size.

When she got back to the private room, the loud voices hit her like a wave.

"Grace, you lost. So what's it gonna be-kiss a guy or chug all that booze?"

Cheeks flushed, Grace's eyes flicked toward William, clinging to him like she couldn't look away.

Elsie stopped at the doorway, her feet freezing in place, automatically following Grace's line of sight.

William sat just outside the reach of the overhead light. She couldn't make out his expression clearly, but the instant their eyes met, those pupils were icy and hollow.

Her heart seized up, like someone had slammed a fist around it. She forgot how to breathe for a second.

She was about to say something when William suddenly stood up.

For a moment, their eyes locked in silence. Then, without a word, he turned to Grace, cupped her chin, and leaned down to kiss her-

Thud.

The condom box slipped from Elsie's hand and hit the floor with a dull but sharp sound, slicing right through the kiss like a knife.

Just like that, every head in the room turned toward her.

All eyes were now on her-mocking, curious, just waiting to see her fall apart.

William slowly let go of Grace, his fingers trailing lazily along her waist.

That small, almost tender gesture stabbed right into Elsie's eyes like a blade.

"Damn, William's got guts. Making out with Grace right in front of Elsie? They're still not divorced, aren't they?"

"Technically, yeah. But let's be honest-she just latched on to the Harding family 'cause of the old man. William's never even acknowledged her. Everyone knows she's just Mrs. Harding on paper."

"Three years of chasing him and he's still ice cold? If it were me, I'd have packed my bags long ago. But she's still clinging to this joke of a marriage."

"There's still a month left on that three-year deal, right? You think William's gonna let her leave now? Please, just wait-once that month's up, she'll get kicked out of the Harding house for sure."

With William's kiss as proof, all the sneers thrown at Elsie were completely unfiltered-cutting right through her chest like shards of glass.

She turned toward William, face pale, but he didn't even glance her way. He was gently fixing Grace's disheveled hair, the tenderness in his eyes something Elsie had never seen-not even in dreams.

A chill suddenly crept down her spine.

"William, I deserve an explanation."

Her voice trembled, but she clenched her fists hard, still trying to keep her last shred of dignity. She probably had already become the biggest joke in Capemont, but even so, she hoped William would at least say something to ease the embarrassment. Even a lie would've been better than this dead silence.

At least it would've made it a little easier to breathe through all the ridicule.

But William only glanced at her, his eyes as cold as if she were a stranger who meant nothing to him.

"What you just saw is my answer."

Elsie's lips parted slightly, but her throat felt completely blocked. Even breathing started to hurt-a sharp, tiny pain with every inhale.

"Come on, don't take it so seriously," Lucas suddenly chimed in, voice far too casual. "Grace can't handle alcohol. William kissing her? That's just an alternative method of helping her out with drinks."

"It was just a game. If you're upset about that, aren't you being a bit too sensitive?"

As he spoke, Lucas moved to stand between them like some invisible wall, effortlessly cutting Elsie off from William's world.

Her smile barely held together-it looked more like she was about to cry.

She'd been here before.

Last time, they told her William had invited her to a pool party. She showed up in a swimsuit, only to realize it was a formal event. That picture of her became meme material for half a year.

Another time, Jack Lyons said William was waiting for her at an abandoned building. She got locked in a room, soaked in cold water all night. It was late autumn-she was burning with fever by the time she was rushed to the hospital. The doctor said if she'd arrived even just a little later, they wouldn't have been able to save her.

Every time she got upset, they said she "couldn't take a joke". Every time she got hurt, it was because she was "too dramatic."

No one ever asked how she felt. No one remembered that William used to lose his mind over her getting even slightly upset.

Now?

He was the one making a public show out of humiliating her.

And maybe that's fair. After all, if it hadn't been for the way she "got in the way" three years ago, it would've been Grace standing beside him today. Of course they would kiss in front of everyone-who was she to say anything?

She tried convincing herself it was fine, but the pain-like getting sliced over and over with a dull knife-was so overwhelming, she could hardly stay on her feet.

"Alright then. I won't bother you anymore."

She forced back the tears that were threatening to fall and turned away. But she could still feel those burning stares stabbing at her back like fire.

William caught the faint sheen of tears in her eyes just as she turned. Something in his chest jolted out of nowhere.

Expression darkening, he shot Lucas a look before striding off after her.

Lucas blinked, confused. "What? What did I say wrong?"

Outside the lounge.

Elsie hadn't even walked that far when headlights lit up behind her.

Before she could react, a hand grabbed her wrist roughly, and the next second, she was shoved into the passenger seat.

"You-what are you doing-"

"Weren't you the one who wanted to talk?"William cut her off, his tone unreadable. In the dim lighting, the sharp lines of his profile looked distant and harsh.

Elsie froze.

She'd come to him hoping for one last shot at salvaging their relationship.

But that kiss in the private room had shut her up completely.

The car fell into a dead silence, only the low hum of the engine filling the space.

It wasn't until they passed an intersection that Elsie finally spoke, her voice hoarse, "I just wanted to say, there's only one month left. No matter how much you love Grace, don't make it so obvious in public... If our parents find out, I."

"You rushed to see me just to get the divorce done faster?"

William glanced at her, his face immediately sinking, each word like ice, "Even if you're in a hurry, you'll wait. Three years means three years. Not a day earlier."

He paused, then gave a cold laugh. "As for our parents? They're way happier seeing Grace than seeing you."

Elsie's face turned a pale mix of green and white.

She turned to look out the window, suddenly drained of the will to fight.

His love had never been something she could earn, no matter how hard she tried.

He'd always wanted Grace-it never changed. And he'd never once opened up to her.

Thank God she didn't say everything. Saved herself the extra humiliation.

"Don't worry," she said, staring into the pitch-black night outside. She forced down the lump in her throat. "Once the date hits, I'll sign the papers. I'm not clinging to the spot of being Mrs. Harding."

"You sure?"

In the car window's reflection, Elsie saw William looking over at her. His eyes were dark and cold, enough to send chills down her spine.

She really thought that being self-aware would earn her a bit of kindness-but clearly, it didn't matter what she did. He just straight-up hated her.

Elsie turned her head, about to say she was sure, and that post-divorce, she'd never bother him again.

Suddenly, a truck sped toward them, headlights blinding.

"Screech-!"

The tires shrieked against the asphalt. Elsie instinctively shut her eyes.

But the crash she braced for didn't come. Instead, her forehead landed against something warm and firm.

She opened her eyes in shock-right in front of her was William's arm, stretched out to shield her.

And for a split second, she was thrown back ten years, to the boy who brought her home from the orphanage.

Back then, too, he had shielded her during a sharp stop like this, saying, "Don't be scared. I've got you."

In that moment, the floodgates broke.

Elsie clung to his wrist, her hands trembling, voice shaking uncontrollably. "William, we weren't always like this. How did we even end up here like this."

William stared into her tear-filled eyes. Something flickered in his gaze-something Elsie couldn't read, like it was about to surface.

But in the end, he yanked his hand away hard, voice colder than steel. "From the moment you climbed into the wrong bed, you should've known-I'm not that William anymore."

Elsie froze, the color draining from her face in an instant.

Three years ago, she went all in for love-drugged William and ended up in his bed.

But even through the haze of alcohol that night, she remembered it clearly. His breath was hot against her ear, his voice low and tipsy as he called her by her nickname, "Ellie."

That whisper had fooled her. Made her think she'd won a gamble.

Then came the wedding night-him nowhere in sight. Then the cold shoulder, the way he shut her out completely afterward.

Only then did she realize-whatever warmth she thought she felt that night, it was probably just drunken fantasy.

She couldn't have been more wrong. He never loved her. Heck, she probably wasn't even a blip on his radar.

Her throat tightened painfully. She barely managed a whisper: "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" William let out a sudden mocking laugh that cut through the silence. "You've got the wrong person."

He leaned in closer, eyes flashing with something harsher than sarcasm-something unreadable. "Shouldn't that apology go to Liam? After all, he was about to marry you. Until he walked in and saw his fiancée naked in his big brother's bed."

Elsie went stiff all over.

The name "Liam" was like a brand pressed into her heart.

Shame. Guilt. All of it came crashing over her. She clenched her fingers around her sleeve, knuckles white. Head bowed low, she could only murmur again, "I'm sorry."

William stared hard at her, his voice sharp and biting, like winter wind. "Get out."

She blinked.

"I'll have the driver come pick you up," he said coldly, already unlocking the car. The door swung open, and an icy gust twisted in, flakes of snow glinting under the car light.

Was he just. done with her?

She lowered her head, gripping her hands tight, silent.

Seeing she wasn't moving, his tone turned impatient. "Don't make me say it twice."

Biting her lip, Elsie quietly undid the seatbelt and stepped out.

The cold slapped her awake a little. She turned to look back inside the car, gathering up her courage. "Actually, that night three years ago, I."

But before she could finish, the door slammed shut.

And just like that, the warmth was gone. So was the only connection between them.

The car roared off into the night without hesitation.

Left standing alone on the side of an empty road, she waited. For what felt like forever. But the promised driver never showed.

Brushing the snow off her shoulders, she tightened her coat, muttering, "Winter's brutal, huh?"

She rubbed her hands together, breathing warm air onto her palms.

The steam vanished in a blink-just like her love. Gone before it ever settled.

Maybe it was the cold. Maybe it was something else.

Either way, she gave up waiting. Reached into her pocket, trying to call a ride-only to realize her phone was still in the car.

Of course. Because why wouldn't it be? Way to go, Elsie.

The street was eerily quiet. Just the echo of her footsteps on the pavement.

Every now and then, the sound of her stomping to keep warm joined in-as if her dying marriage were knocking from the grave.

She walked through the falling snow for two whole hours. It was around midnight when she finally made it home.

Her body and mind were both wiped out, so she didn't even bother with a shower-she just collapsed onto the bed and knocked out.

The next morning, she thought William had pulled his usual disappearing act.

But no, there he was, sitting at the dining table, calmly sipping soup like he had all the time in the world. Whether he got back last night or just showed up, she had no clue.

Elsie froze at the top of the stairs, fingers nervously picking at the railing. She stood there for a moment, unsure how to start.

"What are you standing there for?" William glanced up but didn't really look at her. "Come eat. We've got to head to the old house early."

".Okay." Her throat felt scratchy, and she had to cough twice before she made her way down, quietly pulling out a chair and sitting.

"Caught a cold?"

His tone was flat, unreadable.

Elsie didn't want to make it a thing. She shook her head at the man responsible, her voice low. "Nope."

Like hell she didn't.

She'd walked two hours in snow and wind just to get home, nearly froze, but of course she wouldn't say that. It's not like he'd care, and bringing it up would only make her look pathetic.

William gave her a quick once-over, but didn't say anything else.

After breakfast, Elsie went upstairs to grab her bag.

When she came back down, he was already in the car, but now there was a cup of cold medicine left on the table.

She assumed Lisa Smith, the housekeeper, had made it. The sudden warmth in her chest caught her off guard.

Guess Lisa wasn't as indifferent as she looked.

Standing near the kitchen, she called out, "Thanks, Lisa!"

Then she quickly chugged the medicine and rushed to put on her shoes.

William was super impatient-she didn't dare keep him waiting.

In the kitchen, Lisa looked confused.

She turned her head, puzzled by the thank you, and watched as Elsie headed out the door with quick strides, still not understanding where the gratitude had come from.

The ride to the old house was quiet. Not a word between them.

Elsie just stared out the window, distracted by the passing scenery.

Their house was in the city, while the old place was out in the suburbs. Every fifteenth, they had to go back. She dreaded these visits.

Because every time, it was like getting dragged into a humiliation Olympics.

Eric Harper, William's assistant, parked the car smoothly. "Mr. Harding, Mrs. Harding, we're here."

William didn't respond.

Elsie smiled politely at Eric as she got out.

Then, putting on her best face, she reached out and linked arms with William as they walked up to the door.

But he shrugged her off immediately.

Startled, she looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Elsie, you really don't drop character, do you?"

His voice was laced with sarcasm. He flung her hand away and walked ahead, leaving nothing behind but a cold back and a mockery of a smile.

Whatever warmth was left on her face disappeared. The smile faded, leaving only stiffness behind.

She took a deep breath and pretended nothing happened, following him in as if all were normal.

"Thomas. Margaret."

Thomas Harding glanced over from his financial newspaper. "You're back," he said flatly.

Margaret Hall didn't even lift her eyes from where she sat on the couch. It was like Elsie didn't exist at all.

The awkward silence made Elsie feel like shrinking. She stood there, not knowing where to place her hands.

Even before she married into the Hardings, she'd always felt out of place here. Marrying William only made things worse.

"Mom," William said suddenly, giving his mother a glance. "Elsie said hello to you."

Margaret finally let out a reluctant "Hmm."

The moment Elsie sat down on the sofa, William and his father headed upstairs to the study, leaving her alone with Margaret again-a situation she could never relax in.

Sure enough, as soon as the Harding men left, Margaret slammed her teacup hard onto the coffee table. The sound echoed, sharp and jarring.

Her eyes were laced with venom as she threw a glare at Elsie. "You still have the nerve to come back? It's the fifteenth-families gather today, and look at this mess! If you hadn't pulled that disgusting trick and drugged William that night, Liam wouldn't have taken off abroad for three whole years!"

"He hasn't even called once during all that time. Wonder why? Because of some shameless witch like you who broke his heart!"

Color drained from Elsie's face, little by little.

Those words-she'd been hearing them for three years straight. They clung to her like some cursed loop, each repetition cutting into her like razors.

Margaret leaned in closer, anger practically seething out of her. "And William-he and Grace were perfect for each other! You just had to barge in and wreck it all!"

"The old man gave you three years. Time's almost up. Soon you'll finally be out of this house. I can't wait to see how you're planning to cling on then."

Her voice grew louder, her eyes narrowed with clear disgust. "Don't even think about pulling another stunt to stay by William's side. Even if you got pregnant on purpose, you'd still get kicked out of the Harding family."

If looks could kill, Margaret's would've left Elsie in pieces.

Elsie took a shaky breath, trying hard to swallow the bitterness in her chest. Her voice came out low, heavy with pain. "I won't."

She'd seen the facts clearly over these years-William's heart was ice-cold. No matter what she did, she could never warm it.

He never loved her. Not once.

So why keep lying to herself?

Margaret, seeing her subdued like this, finally looked a bit satisfied. "Well, at least you know your place now."

She eased her tone just slightly, though her words still held that superior, dismissive edge. "I watched you grow up. And these years, I won't lie, you've done your part. Once you and William get that divorce signed, it's over. I'll give you some money. More than enough for you to live a comfortable life."

"After that, we're done. No debts left between us."

No debts left.

Elsie's eyes were eerily calm, like still water with no ripple. "I don't want the money."

Margaret blinked, clearly caught off guard. She gave Elsie a long look. "No money? Then what are you after?"

Something else flashed through her eyes-suspicion mixed with mockery. "Don't tell me you still think William will fall for you? Or maybe you're hoping Liam will come back and pull some miracle reunion with you?"

The words stung. Elsie opened her mouth to fire back-

Only to be cut off by a cold, scornful voice from the stairs.

"Don't even dream about it."

She looked up and saw William standing there, no telling how long he'd been listening.

His eyes locked onto her, emotionless. Like he was watching a fool putting on a pathetic show.