Chosen Love, Shattered Vows

My father once told me that Lauren wanted to marry me so that he would invest in her family’s company, Blair Dynamics Corporation, but at the time, I refused to believe it.

Now I was forced to accept the truth. It was precisely because Blair Dynamics Corporation's finances couldn’t keep afloat that she ended up forcing herself into a marriage with a man she didn’t even love.

If that was the case, then I might as well fulfill their secret office romance.

At the dining table, I opened each of the takeout containers Lauren had brought home. One glance was enough for me to recognize them instantly as Ian’s favorite Chinese takeout.

Leftovers. All of them spicy.

She remembered what Ian liked to eat, but she didn’t remember that I couldn’t handle spicy food, and she used whatever was left over to brush me off.

After a full day at the hospital, I was exhausted. I didn’t complain. I forced down a few bites and went to bed early.

In the middle of the night, I woke up doubled over with stomach pain, curling into myself under the blanket.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and called Lauren, wanting her to come home and take me to the hospital, but no matter how many times I dialed, the call wouldn’t go through.

Enduring the pain, I got up and spent nearly ten minutes just to make it to the living room for a glass of warm water. I leaned weakly against the sofa, trying to ease the ache.

Suddenly, my phone chimed, breaking the silence of the night.

It was a friend request from Lydia Sheridan, the eldest daughter of the Sheridans.

The Sheridans and the Sawyers had been close for generations. When we were kids, Lydia used to trail after me, calling me "bro". After that, she went abroad for school. By now, it had been nearly twenty years since we last saw each other.

I hesitated, then accepted the request.

The moment I did, a message came through.

"Why are you still awake so late?"

I answered honestly. "Stomach pain."

"Come outside. I’ll take you to the hospital!"

My heart jolted. My eyes flicked toward the door.

Did that mean… she was right outside my apartment?

Before I could make sense of it, Dad called. "Sam, I heard from Lydia that your stomach hurts?" His voice was full of worry.

"Yeah. A bit. It’s better now."

Dad was overseas at the moment, in a time zone opposite ours, so his call didn’t surprise me.

"I got your message last night agreeing to the marriage alliance and immediately told the Sheridans. I didn’t expect Lydia to fly back without saying a word, go straight to your building, and wait downstairs for so long.

"Then she called me the moment she heard you were in pain. She was afraid you’d try to tough it out and refuse to go to the hospital, so she told me to convince you."

Hearing that, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t moved. However, that was all I felt—just moved.

At the hospital, Lydia stayed with me while I got examined, then took care of all the payments. By the time she finally returned to my bedside, her face was clearly exhausted.

I felt embarrassed. "Thank you. You’ve been running around all night. You should go home and rest. I can handle sitting here alone for the IV drip."

The light in Lydia’s eyes dimmed for a second, but she still followed my lead.

"Alright. Rest first. After your IV bag finishes, I’ll come back and take you home."

I nodded. After she left the room, I pulled the blanket up and closed my eyes, drifting to sleep.

At dawn, I was jolted awake by my phone ringing. It was Lauren.

"Sam, even if you’re acting out, there’s a limit. Where did you run off to? Why wasn’t I able to find you at home this morning?"