Chapter 31
“I thought Dina was only joking, but it turns out it’s true,” Paul grunted, his voice laced with frustration. “Who is it then? Who’s the bastard p>
Rain didn’t bother to look at him as she replied, “I don’t think I owe you an explanation now that we’ve broken up.” She kept her eyes on the elevator, hoping the doors would open sooner.
“We can still be together, Rain, even if you’re married,” he shamelessly suggested. “It doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re still in a relationship p>
This time, Rain turned to him, her eyes showing a hard look on them. Shaking her head, she firmly stated, “I’m not like you, Paul. I won’t cheat on my husband. Please, don’t force me to resign from this company, because I will if you don’t stop bugging me p>
Paul’s face darkened as he stepped closer, his expression menacing. However, just before something could happen, the elevator doors slid open. Quickly, Rain stepped inside, joining the others already there.
To her dismay, however, Paul followed, his presence looming behind her as the doors closed.
A tense silence enveloped the air. It was almost suffocating, and Rain was practically relieved when the doors finally opened to her floor. Without a second thought, she quickly stepped out, eager to put some distance between herself and Paul.
As she walked to her office, she could feel the eyes of her co-workers on her, even as they greeted her with polite smiles. Megan, her ever-bubbly colleague, approached her with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Attorney Clayton!” her coworker greeted. “Are you ready for tonight p>
Rain almost stood there confused before her eyes widened in realization. Today was the anniversary of Smith Law Firm, and there was a cocktail party planned for all employees.
“Director Aileen said our department needs to have full attendance,” Megan reminded her.
Rain smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there p>
Lucia, another colleague, chimed in with a teasing grin. “Oh, are we going to meet your husband there, Attorney Clayton p>
Once again, Rain almost said no until she remembered that they were allowed to bring a companion with them. Turning to Lucia, she returned her smile and replied, “Unfortunately, my husband is on a trip, so he won’t be able to make it. I’ll be attending alone tonight.” She then added with a reassuring chuckle, “But don’t worry, Lucia, I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet him soon—if you’re that curious p>
Behind her, Megan followed her into her office, curiosity evident on her face. “Everyone’s so curious about your husband though. They keep wondering if he’s better than Director Paul,” the woman scoffed, her expression souring at the mention of Paul’s name. “How could he not be better when Paul’s a cheater p>
Rain chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Yes, my husband is way better in all aspects, Megan p>
Megan pouted as she placed a stack of case files on Rain’s desk. “These are the requests you asked for earlier. Also p>
Rain blinked. She could already sense what Megan was hinting at. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my marriage, Megan. Things are complicated, and it all happened so fast,” she explained.
Megan sighed, her curiosity still piqued. “I know it’s your private life and that I shouldn’t pry, but I can’t help being curious,” she lamented. “We’ve gotten close, you know? And I just want to make sure you’re doing well. I hope your husband’s treating you right p>
“Don’t worry, I’ll introduce him to you once we’ve figured things out,” Rain smiled, appreciating Megan’s concern.
“You make it sound like you’re still working on things, but you’re already married p>
Rain chuckled softly at the puzzled frown her friend was giving her. “That’s why I said it’s complicated right now, but I’m willing to work on it,” she reminded her. “After all, I’ve got a father-in-law rooting for me p>
Megan’s frown deepened as she tried to make sense of Rain’s cryptic comments. “Just explain it to me when you’re ready and feel like sharing,” she sighed with a supportive smile. “I still can’t quite wrap my head around what you’re saying, but knowing you, I’m sure you know what you’re doing p>
And with that, Megan left her alone to her work. With no one in sight, Rain grabbed her phone and quickly removed Alexander’s number from her blocklist. Fiddling with her screen for a bit, a playful smile crossed her lips as she edited his contact name to ’My Husband,’ and then updated Mr. Rock’s contact as ’Father-In-Law p>
Just as she was done, her phone rang immediately, the screen displaying “My Husband” as the caller ID. Rain’s heart skipped a beat. She hesitated, staring at the screen as she considered whether to answer.
“He’a calling me so early in the morning”,she murmured, her mind racing with possibilities.
With a frown, she contemplated her next move. “It’ll be easier to use him as a cover,” she muttered to herself. Alexander’s relentless curiosity was driving him to seek her out, especially after her stunt at the Gentleman’s Club. “I shouldn’t talk to him yet though. He can’t divorce me if I don’t sign the papers p>
Eventually, the ringing stopped, replaced by the familiar beep of a message notification. Biting her lower lip, Rain opened the message from Alexander.
Alexander: [ You… you’re doing this on purpose. I told you to meet me, but you didn’t. If that’s how you want to play it, I’ll go ahead and file for divorce. I’ll have my lawyer send the papers to your office. Sign and stamp on it p>
Rain gulped, her fingers quickly moving to type in a response.
Rain: [Something came up. Please give me a week, and I’ll explain everything to you. I can’t meet with your lawyer and sign the papers right now. Give me a week, and then let’s talk face to face p>
Rain hit send and stared at the screen, her heart pounding. A minute passed, and without a reply in sight, she set her phone aside and buried herself in work, trying to push the thoughts of Alexander to the back of her mind.
Meanwhile, Paul was also deep in thought inside his office, though his was far from innocent. He was busy coordinating a sinister plan for the firm’s anniversary party that evening. His expression was cold as he spoke commands into his mobile phone.
“Make sure everything is arranged without a flaw,” he instructed, his tone menacing before ending the call. It didn’t matter to him that Rain was married. He was determined to find out who her husband was and force him out of the picture.
“I can’t believe she made me wait for months only to let some nobody have her so easily!” Paul grumbled, his voice dripping with bitterness. Grinding his teeth, his face then twisted into a dark smile as he whispered to himself, “Tonight, Rain, you’ll be mine. And I’ll make sure you’re stuck with me forever, whether you like it or not p>