The End of a Fake Marriage

The kitten touched Renee’s neck with his front paws as if he was thinking about what she was thinking in front of him.

“Ouch—.”

With a small stinging pain, the red jeweled collar slipped out.

Josie, who had been gently rubbing Rain’s belly, smirked.

“You’re wearing it well. So, have you made a wish on the necklace, Renee?”

“Oh, um, well… I’m still thinking about it.”

Embarrassed, Renee stumbled through a small lie.

The necklace was something he had found last night while cleaning up the inside of the study, and he said it was a necklace passed down to the women of wrestler, Josie’s family.

As Josie stroked the necklace, he shared an interesting story about it.

“This is actually a special item. It grants its owner one wish, just once in a lifetime. My grandmother, my mother, and even I— we all made a wish on this jewel, and it came true.”

As Renee’s eyes sparkled at the fairy-tale-like story, Josie handed it to her.

Although she was surprised and tried to decline, Josie insisted that she wanted her to have it, and refused to have it back.

Renee couldn’t take something so precious lightly. Besides, she would be leaving this place soon.

With no other choice, Renee carefully confessed that perhaps, in the near future, she and Josh could become strangers.

“Divorce…… Well then, that makes me have more reason I want you to have this necklace.”

However, the old woman, who seemed surprised for a moment, soon smiled and hung the necklace directly around Renee’s neck.

“The world is not easy, so wouldn’t it be a little more reassuring if you had something like this?”

Her wrinkled, dry hand gently touched Renee’s frozen cheek.

“I’m truly curious to know what wish you’ll make on this necklace.”

It was a hand with a warmth that was softer and warmer than any other velvet.

***

After having a late lunch with Josie and taking a walk together, Renee returned home drenched in sweat.

She had spent time playing with the cats, enthusiastically waving around a feather toy, which left her dress covered in cat fur.

Renee hurriedly took off her clothes and went into the bathroom. She had originally planned to go to the office this afternoon but had changed the schedule just in case.

‘I’m truly curious to know what wish you’ll make on this necklace.’

Standing under the warm stream, Renee suddenly remembered Josie’s words. along with her earlier response, which she had awkwardly covered with a small lie.

The reason was so absurd that she couldn’t help but sigh.

“…Was I out of my mind for a moment?”

“Why on earth did you make that wish?”

Though she had said she was still thinking about it, in reality, Renee had already wished for something the night before. It had been an impulsive act.

‘Alexander Chambler.’

The financial backbone of Leverd, a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, a royalty born from capitalism.

‘He was someone who lacked for nothing. No, rather, he had so much that it was overwhelming to wish for something on behalf of that man.’

“What was I even thinking back then?”

It was ridiculous to think about it again. I may have a few nightmares now and then, and I may have a terrible insomnia that requires pills and alcohol, but I’m certainly not worthy of anyone’s pity.

It was likely because the smooth face in the wedding photo suddenly felt like an empty mask.

The man’s smiling face seemed more hollow than my own, which was almost expressionless.

“……I will surely be happy, and I hope you will be too.”

Renee suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. How ridiculous it was to feel pity for the king of the Chambler kingdom, said to possess the world, when she herself had nothing.

Shaking off her head in a hurry, she whispered, holding the necklace around her neck.

“Necklace, my wish last night is canceled. It was nothing, okay? My real wish is to become rich. If possible, as rich as Alexander Chambler. Okay?”

Having made this somewhat extravagant wish, came out after a long bath. A warm and soft scent could be felt from the large bathrobe that had been dried in the sunlight. She felt much better, wrapped a towel around her wet hair, patted it, and came out.

“Meow—”

The mother cat Rain hovered between Renee’s feet and grabbed her step. The cat’s unique fluttering gesture swirled tickly between her feet.

“What’s wrong? Are you hungry? Wait a minute. I’ll change and give you a snack.”

Rain purred and melted under Renee’s gentle strokes; her eyes closed in bliss.

Rene smiled briefly at the cute sight and went around the living room, holding onto the flowing towel, and went into the bedroom.

However, Rene stopped in his tracks before taking even two steps.

There, between the light pouring through the linen curtains and the diagonal shadows, stood Alexander Chambler.

A lie.

He stood there with one hand tucked into the pocket of his well-fitted navy-striped suit pants, staring at the very wedding photo that had led her to make that ridiculous wish the night before.

Her heart dropped like she’d seen a ghost.

‘……Why?’

Renee couldn’t understand it, ‘he couldn’t be here, why?’

But that back view, with his shirt, pulled tight by his overly broad back and his muscular back muscles… There was no doubt—it was Alexander.

As if he had sensed her presence belatedly, his angular, large body slowly turned around.

Like the sunset settling over the blue sea, their blue and orange eyes locked for a moment, suspended in the air.

…Clink.

The sound of ice clinking against the whiskey glass in Alexander’s hand broke the silence.

“Hello, Madam.” He greeted her lightly, raising his whiskey glass.

He took a sip of the drink as if he was licking his lips, then slowly looked down at Rene, who was frozen like a stone, and said with his characteristically scoundrelly smile, “Is that outfit supposed to turn me on?”

Embarrassed, Renee frowned and tugged at the collar of her gown, which she had kept closed.

At her wariness, Alexander’s mouth quirked up at the corners.

He was the same as ever—his elegantly beautiful face contrasted oddly with his somewhat rough-and-tumble manner of speaking.

Renee shot him a suspicious glance and asked. “Why are you here?”

I was so stunned that for a moment I thought I was hallucinating, but to my surprise, it was real.

“I came to my own house, so what’s the issue?” He shrugged nonchalantly, but this was, in fact, an unprecedented situation.

Renee sharpened her guard against her husband. Her husband had returned.

That meant it was once again time to brace herself; the moment she couldn’t afford to relax had arrived.

There was no intention in that man’s wonderful smile.

The corners of his mouth were always tilted up. His thoroughly learned manners and his easy kindness to everyone seemed affectionate at first glance.

That was exactly what made it dangerous.

When Renee and Alexander’s marriage became official and their wedding articles poured out of daily newspapers and newspapers, Renee was beaten with water, pepper, tomatoes, and even rotten eggs by women she had never seen before.

Of course, those who had done such things to her didn’t come away unscathed.

The Chambler firm’s legal team had dragged them before the law to ensure they received strict punishment on her behalf.

What was then surprising was that the people who attacked her were actually people who had nothing to do with Alexander.

They had simply fallen in love with a fleeting encounter of Alexander, captivated by his image in magazines and his appearance in a fancy car and his numerous attendants.

Renee, who knew the truth about Alexander, had no choice but to be very careful not to fall for those meaningless smiles and words.

One mistake was enough.

There were only two months left. She just had to hold on until then.

After all, to Alexander, Renee was nothing more or less than a childhood friend who was easy to use and throw away when situation got difficult.

“That’s not how it used to be. Weren’t you supposed to head straight to the office after returning from your business trip?”

“I’m the representative, so I can do as I please. But…”

His eyes, which had been speaking indifferently, suddenly narrowed. He was standing somewhere between shadow and sunlight, and he walked toward her.

“Here.”

He then reached out and lightly tapped her collarbone, asking, “What’s going on here?”