Chapter 5
“You’re proposing, and you want me to help your future wife?” Arlene’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Brendan, how are you any different from Wilma? Why are you so cruel to me?”
She wasn’t going to hold back anymore.
Brendan’s expression darkened as he looked at her. Still saying you’re not throwing a tantrum?”
Arlene struggled to breathe. What she wanted was something Brendan would never give her.
“Even if I don’t marry Paige, I’ll marry someone else eventually. But it will never, ever be
Brendan couldn’t have made himself clearer.
Arlene had no background and no social standing.
you. Understand?”
Brendan was someone who deeply valued pedigree and status. The fact that he had ever kept her around was already the most rebellious thing he’d ever
done.
But he would never give her a name. Never give her the title of wife.
Arlene let out a bitter laugh.“I.never expected you to marry me. I’ve always known where I stand. I knew this would end someday.”
“Arlene, you’re an adult. Be realistic. As long as you keep playing your part, when this is over, I won’t leave you with nothing. You can pick any house you want in Seattle. Cars, money, whatever you want.” Brendan stood and stepped closer. “Just be there early tomorrow.”
“I want to get married too, Brendan.” Arlene said it flatly, her voice hollow.
Brendan froze mid–step. He turned and looked at her.
I’m serious.” Arlene raised her head, tears spilling over despite her best efforts.
“Get some rest. I’ll take that as you just being dramatic.” Brendan’s voice was indulgent.“When you’re really ready to end this and get married, I’ll help find you a good guy. Someone from a decent but modest family at the company, with potential.”
He turned to leave, confident she had no better options.
He believed Arlene’s background meant she couldn’t possibly find a good man on her own.
In his mind, he’d already been more than generous with her.
He gave her everything, except marriage.
Arlene let out a strangled laugh and collapsed to the floor, completely drained.
Four years of sleeping with her, and when he was bored, he wanted to marry her off to some employee he could control. Even her future marriage, he wanted to have a say in.
Brendan really was cruel to her.
But it was fine. Tonight, she’d meet Albert. A man Brendan wouldn’t dare provoke. If she could marry Albert, it would all be over.
The next day, at Riverside Manors.
All the eight–figure homes in Seattle belonged to Riverside Realty. Brendan’s villa and Albert’s estate were both in the highest echelon.
Arlene had been to Brendan’s place before, many times when she was his intern, sent to pick him up. But every time, she felt out of place.
Maybe it was because she was an orphan. She had a deep, unshakable longing for a real home.
Brendan kept her in an apartment, sure. It was one of the best high–rises in the city. But it wasn’t a home.
It was a golden cage. A place to keep her caged and pretty.
His real home was here. And she’d never belong to it.
“Arlene, you’re here!” Paige greeted her warmly at the door.
She moved with the grace and ease of a true hostess. She belonged here.
Arlene had once imagined what it would be like. What if she could be the lady of this house, married to Brendan?
But the moment the thought crossed her mind, she felt ridiculous. She didn’t belong in a place like this.
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< Chapter 5
“Paige, this is for you.”
Arlene had brought a gift, a tin of cookies she had made herself.
She used to make them for the kids at the orphanage. They weren’t expensive, but they carried her heart.
Not that anything she gave would matter to someone like Paige.
Menu
Paige smiled and opened the tin, peeking inside. Then she turned to Brendan with a gentle smile. “Looks like you already have a box of these in your car, don’t you?”
Brendan’s brows twitched slightly. The room’s atmosphere dropped several degrees.
He must’ve thought she brought the cookies on purpose, as some kind of jab at Paige. He was angry.
But Arlene had no idea which car he’d even kept her cookies in.
“It’s just that Mr. Dudley often skipped breakfast when he was busy. I had extra cookies, so I left some in the office…” Arlene stumbled through her explanation, her fingers stiff with nerves.
Her depression still manifested physically. And it was getting worse.
Looks like Bren really likes Arlene’s cookies,” Paige said sweetly, turning to Brendan.“Liked them enough to bring some into the car.”
Sweet words. But laced with sharp edges.
Arlene stared at the floor, knowing that the more she explained, the more wrong it would sound. Brendan would just think she was trying to provoke
Paige.
“I don’t like them,” Brendan said coolly.“Probably tossed them in the trash and Pedro fished them out again and left them in the car.”
Pedro Irwin, his assistant and driver, made for a convenient scapegoat.
Arlene froze slightly. Trash. That was what her carefully–made, blister–inducing cookies were to him–trash.
Brendan wasn’t just insulting the cookies. He was insulting her.
Paige smiled as always and asked the housekeeper to bring Arlene some disposable slippers.“Don’t be nervous. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”
Everyone else had been given house slippers, the kind clearly bought ahead of time.
Only Arlene got disposables. A clear message that this invitation was one–time only.
Brendan had said Paige was sensitive because of her divorce. But he didn’t know Arlene was far more fragile.
She was an orphan. Reading people’s moods had been her survival skill for as long as she could remember.
Brendan clearly noticed the difference in slippers. But he said nothing. He let it happen.
He silently confirmed that Arlene would never be more than a guest in this house.
“Everyone, this is Bren’s assistant, Paige introduced cheerfully in the tea room.“A very pretty young woman.”
Arlene bowed politely with her head lowered. But when she looked up, it was like falling into an icy abyss.
There were six people seated in the tea room.
Three of them were her college classmates. The same ones who had ganged up to bully her.
Wilma Dudley, Darin Hilton, Sherrie Monroe…
Arlene stood frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably. She looked to Brendan in desperation.
Maybe Paige didn’t know what these women had done. But Brendan definitely did.
He knew it all and still made her come.
Was he trying to destroy her?
