Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You-Chapter 38: I am Staying

Present time...

Sarah

"You know I can’t just forget about everything, right?"

I give Rebecca a blank stare. "What?" I ask.

Josh had pushed Rebecca and me out to the terrace so we could talk alone and ’work things out.’ It was the only part of the house that was empty.

"I said, you know I can’t just forget about everything you did and pretend to be friends again," Rebecca says sharply.

I sigh. "Yes, I know."

Rebecca crosses her arms, her expression hard. "Then why are you here?"

I meet her gaze, my stomach twisting. "Josh invited me. I didn’t know you were going to be here too."

Rebecca scoffs, shaking her head. "Of course, he did."

I shift uncomfortably, gripping the strap of my purse. "Look, I’m not here to start anything. I didn’t come to ruin your night or make things awkward."

"Too late for that," she mutters, her eyes flashing with resentment.

I exhale slowly, trying to keep my voice steady. "I get it, okay? You don’t want me here. But I didn’t plan this. I just wanted to hang out and see some old friends. That’s all."

Rebecca studies me for a moment, then folds her arms tighter. "I can’t believe you went through with the wedding. Matthew doesn’t deserve this."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I know that."

"Do you?" Her voice is sharp, cutting through the noise of the party. "Because from where I’m standing, it sure doesn’t seem like it. Do you think you won?"

I clench my jaw, resisting the urge to snap back. Fighting won’t fix anything. "I can’t change the past, Rebecca. And no, I don’t think I won. Matthew hates me. He made it clear right from the start."

Rebecca shakes her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Then why marry him, Sarah? Why force yourself into something that’s built on nothing but lies and resentment?"

"Because I love him," I say quietly.

Rebecca’s expression freezes. Then she laughs without a trace of humor in it. "Sarah, you trapped him. That’s not love. That’s manipulation."

I flinch but hold my ground. "I was an idiot. But it’s too late now. We are married already. All I can do now is try to fix things."

"Do you even hear yourself? How do you plan on doing that? You said yourself Matthew still hates you. Do you really think he will forgive you?" Rebecca asks.

I swallow hard. "I didn’t want it to be like this," I admit. "I didn’t want to hurt anyone. But it happened. And I can’t undo it, and I wish you didn’t hate me like Matthew does."

Rebecca exhales sharply. "I don’t hate you, Sarah," she says, shaking her head. "I just don’t even know who you are anymore."

Her words sting more than I expected.

I bite my lip, gripping my purse tighter. "I’m still me," I say. "And I really miss you, Rebecca. Please...can we start over?" I plead.

Rebecca looks at me, her expression torn between anger and something like regret. For a long moment, she says nothing, just studying me as if searching for the girl she once called a friend.

Then she sighs. "I don’t know, Sarah," she admits. "I don’t know if we can start over. You didn’t just manipulate Matthew. You manipulated me too. You lied to me."

My heart sinks. "But I—"

"You made choices, Sarah. Choices that hurt people. You can’t just ask for a clean slate like none of it happened."

"I’m not asking you to forget," I say quickly. "I just... I don’t want to lose you completely."

Rebecca looks away, crossing her arms. "I need time," she says finally. "I can’t just pretend everything’s okay. Not yet."

It’s not what I want to hear, but it’s not a no.

I nod slowly. "I understand."

She hesitates for a moment, then exhales, her posture relaxing just slightly. "If you really want to fix things, start with Matthew," she says. "And don’t do it because you want him to love you. Do it because he deserves better than what you did to him."

Her words cut deep, but I know she’s right.

Rebecca turns around and walks away, leaving me alone on the terrace.

Doesn’t she understand that I am willing to do whatever it takes to make things right? That’s why I’ve been tolerating everything Matthew has put me through since we got married.

I walk back to the party in a daze. Coming here was a mistake.

"Sarah! There you are," Josh says as he walks toward me. "Did you work things out with Becca?"

I force myself to smile. "I don’t know, Josh. I think we are just too different now."

Josh laughs. "What the hell are you talking about? It hasn’t been that long since you two talked, has it?"

"You wouldn’t know that, Josh. You have been living your best life in Paris," I say, making my voice light despite the storm raging inside me. I can’t let him see I am upset. What was the point of involving him?

Josh raises an eyebrow at me, clearly not buying my attempt at nonchalance. "Come on, Sarah. You and Becca were inseparable. I find it hard to believe—."

"Please, Josh. Just drop it, okay? Where is Matthew?" I ask.

Josh sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, fine. I will spare you the lecture for now. Matthew is at the pool."

"You have a pool?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Yup, it’s on the roof." Josh grins. "Come on, follow me."

I follow Josh up a winding staircase, the sound of laughter and splashing water growing louder with each step.

I scan the crowd and my gaze lands on Matthew.

He’s sitting at the edge of the pool, his feet dangling in the water. And he’s not alone. A stunning brunette in a barely-there bikini is in front of him. They are both laughing at something.

Matthew leans in close, whispering something in her ear that makes her giggle and playfully slap his chest.

The air rushes out of my lungs, and I’m green with jealousy. "Who is that Matthew talking to?" I ask Josh.

Josh follows my gaze and shrugs. "A friend of a friend, I think."

I stride toward them without saying another word.

"Matthew," I say, my voice coming out hoarse.

The woman beside him glances at me, raising an eyebrow but not saying anything.

"Sarah," Matthew responds, his tone flat. "What’s up?"

"I think we should go home now," I say.

"Go home? I am just now starting to have fun," Matthew says. He picks up a lock of the woman’s hair and twists it on his fingers before letting it go. "This is Ellie. Ellie, meet Sarah."

"Hi," I manage, my voice tight.

I feel Josh’s solid presence behind me and turn to look at him. Josh is staring at Matthew too, his eyes narrowed.

Ellie smiles at me. "Nice to meet you, Sarah," she says, her voice like honey.

Matthew grins, his attention fully on Ellie now. "Ellie was just telling me about her trip to Bali last summer. The beaches sound incredible."

"Oh, they were divine," Ellie purrs, leaning in closer to Matthew. "White sand, crystal clear turquoise waters. And the sunsets! Like something out of a dream." She traces a fingertip along Matthew’s forearm. "You would love it there."

Matthew’s eyes follow the path of her finger, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "Is that so? Well, maybe you’ll have to take me some time and show me around."

I feel like I might be sick, watching my husband so blatantly flirt with this woman right in front of me. But I force myself to stay composed, unwilling to give either of them the satisfaction of seeing how much it bothers me.

"We were just at Aruba. Did you tell her that, Matthew?" I say and smile sweetly at Ellie. "For our honeymoon."

Ellie’s eyes widen slightly in surprise as she looks at Matthew. "Honeymoon? I didn’t realize you were married."

Matthew clears his throat. "It’s a recent development," he says evenly.

I hold his stare, refusing to back down. "Very recent. In fact, we just got back a few days ago."

Ellie looks uncomfortable now, edging slightly away from Matthew. "Oh. Well, congratulations," she says, her tone awkward.

"Thank you," I reply, keeping my voice light despite the tension crackling between us. "It was a beautiful wedding. Wasn’t it, honey?" I place deliberate emphasis on the endearment.

Matthew’s eyes flash with something dark and angry, but he maintains his composure. "It was memorable, that’s for sure," he says tightly.

Josh clears his throat, clearly sensing the rising hostility. "Hey, why don’t we all grab a drink? I think the bartender is mixing up some killer cocktails."

Ellie seizes the opportunity to extricate herself. "That sounds great," she says quickly, standing up. "I could use a refill. Matthew, Sarah, it was nice meeting you both." She walks away quickly, not even waiting for a response.

Matthew stands too, his movements sharp and agitated. He turns to face me fully, his expression stormy. "That wasn’t very nice, Sarah. Ellie and I had a connection," he says mockingly.

I lift my chin defiantly. "The connection wasn’t deep enough because she left super fast as soon as she knew you were married."

Matthew grabs my arm so hard that it makes me flinch. "Let’s go home then since you already ruined the fun for me."

I yank my arm out of Matthew’s grasp, glaring at him. "No," I say firmly. "I’m not going anywhere."

Matthew’s eyes narrow. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," I reply, standing my ground. "I’m staying right here. You’re not the only one who gets to have fun tonight."

Josh, sensing the rising tension, steps in. "Hey, come on, you two. What is going on?"

I ignore him and keep my eyes locked on Matthew. "If you want to leave, Matthew. Leave."

Matthew’s eyes flash with a dangerous glint as he steps closer to me, his tall frame looming over mine. In one swift motion, he grabs my waist and pulls me against him, our bodies pressed together.

I gasp, startled by the sudden contact, my hands instinctively coming up to rest against his firm chest. I can feel the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt, the hard planes of muscle tensing under my touch.

"You want to play games, Sarah?" he asks, his voice a low, menacing growl that sends shivers down my spine. "Fine. Let’s play."

I stare up at him defiantly, refusing to back down even as my heart races wildly in my chest.

He brings one hand up to cup my jaw, his thumb brushing along the sensitive skin of my lower lip. I shiver at the contact, my breath hitching in my throat.

"If you stay here a minute longer, don’t bother coming home tonight," he says softly, his words a dark promise. "Because if you do, I will make sure you pay the price for it."

My heart pounds in my chest, but I refuse to show weakness. "You don’t scare me, Matthew," I say, my voice low but steady, fighting back the knot of fear tightening in my stomach.

For a moment, he doesn’t say anything. Then his lips twist into a small smile. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you," he mutters before turning on his heel and stalking off.

I watch him leave, my body still tense from the encounter.

Josh’s voice pulls me back to reality. "What was that all about, Sarah? Did he just threaten you?"

I look at him and smile. "I could use a drink."