Keep the Groom, I'm Out

On the day my CEO boyfriend, Benjamin West, and I go register our marriage, his manipulative female assistant, Chelsea Miller, suddenly hands over her own completed application to the clerk first.

Just like that, the marriage certificate that is supposed to belong to me and Benjamin becomes one hers and his instead.

Taken aback, I anxiously ask what is going on.

But Chelsea suddenly drops to her knees dramatically and cries in despair, "Giselle, this is all my fault! My child needs a local address to enroll in school. If it hadn't been for that, I would never have resorted to a fake marriage with Benjamin."

She even sobs inconsolably and threatens to smash her head against the wall so as to make it up to me with her death.

Benjamin is usually clear-headed and can easily distinguish right from wrong. But this time, not only does he not defend me, but he even slaps me in public!

He fumes, "Chelsea is a single mother. She's only doing this for her child. Do you really have to be so petty? It's just a marriage certificate. Once her child gets into school, I will divorce her. Can't we register our marriage a little later? Is it necessary to back her into a corner?"

"Hurry up and apologize to Chelsea. Then, give half of your salary to her as compensation. If you cooperate, I can lend you the marriage certificate for Chelsea and me so you can take some photos and show off in the family group chat. Otherwise, forget about marrying me."

I laugh humorlessly. "Then let's not register our marriage at all."

Not only do I no longer want the marriage certificate, but I also don't want him anymore.

At my words, my boyfriend, Benjamin West, froze for a moment, clearly not expecting his threat to fail this time. As if he had realized something, he let out a cold snort after a while.

"Giselle, this is just another one of your little games, isn't it? Playing hard to get? Why are you so petty?" he berated me.

"Chelsea's already struggling enough raising a child while trying to make it in a big city. What's wrong with me helping her out as her boss? We can register our marriage anytime.

"But if Chelsea registers too late, her child won't be able to enroll in kindergarten. If that ruins the kid's future, will you take responsibility for it?

"If you're this cold-hearted, how do you expect me to feel safe marrying you? Or making you the mother of my future children?"

Listening to his self-righteous speech, I rubbed my cheek, still numb and throbbing from the slap. Yet inside, I felt calmer than ever before.

Maybe it was because things like this had happened far too many times already that I had grown numb to it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Chelsea Miller, the assistant who had just claimed she would smash her head against the wall to apologize to me. I almost laughed.

She moved more slowly than a snail, and her forehead barely even tapped the wall. Forget knocking herself unconscious—she probably couldn't even crack jelly with that force.

The act was painfully fake, yet Benjamin believed every second of it.

This time, I didn't swallow my anger like I always had. Instead, I shot back coldly, "She stole my fiance, and I'm supposed to be not upset? Should I smile and thank her for it as well?"

Chelsea's eyes instantly reddened, and she made another show of throwing herself toward the wall. "Benny, this is all my fault. I'll just die to make up for everything!"

Benjamin quickly stopped her, his face full of concern. Then, he turned to me and snapped, "Are you done, Giselle? Apologize to Chelsea, then give her half your salary as compensation! You owe her that!"

He had always favored Chelsea. The slightest thing upset her, and he would force me to apologize and make amends to her.

Once, she filled out the wrong contract figures, causing the company to lose millions. Even then, he made me take the blame for her.

I used to love him, so I compromised time after time. Now, I didn't want to give in anymore.

"I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I apologize?" I argued. "If anything, she's the one who should be apologizing to me."

Benjamin's visage darkened. "Giselle, you—"

Before he could explode, I turned and walked away without looking back. By the time I stepped out of the city hall, the sky was already dark.

Watching the couples passing by on the streets, I felt a dull ache spread through my chest.