Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
“Mutually beneficial,” I murmur, wrapping this insane, spontaneous idea around my head. “There’d have to be a prenup in place, of course.”
“And, separate bedrooms,” she adds. “I’m not having sex with you.”
“But, you’d have to keep your stuff in my room,” I counter. “For optics.”
“The ex-wife going to be lurking around?” Her brows pinch together when I nod. “Okay, weird, but agreed. And PDA for show.”
This has to be the most reckless thing I’ve ever considered, but it could certainly buy me some time.
“You parent your children and I’ll parent mine,” Jin states, eyes narrowing. “That’s a non-negotiable for me.”
She has kids too. This is getting complicated and fast.
But, it would also solve some immediate problems for the both of us.
“We’d have to look like the perfect family,” I tell Jin with a frown. “Leah is ruthless and will do whatever’s in her power to make you look bad. It’s what she’s been doing to me since the divorce.”
Jin smirks at me. “I can handle Leah.”
“So, uh, how long will this charade go on for?”
“I imagine the bank will still drag its feet, despite securing the loan on our end. At best a couple of months. At worst, more.”
That’ll bring Addison that much closer to being eighteen. Maybe, seeing me married and in a solid relationship with someone who can defend me, Leah will give up her attempts to take my kids and house from me. Who the hell knows, it could give Leah enough time to move on to some other unsuspecting chump. Honestly, it’s unhealthy as fuck for her to obsess over us like this. I’d be happy if my children’s’ mother started dating or remarried.
“I think we have a few more details to work out,” I say, nodding at Jin, “but, this could totally work.”
“It absolutely will.”
“When do we get married?”
Jin checks her Apple Watch and then lifts an eyebrow. “How does now work for you?”
I gape at her. “You’re serious? But what about the details?”
“Call your attorney. I’ll call mine.” She rolls away from me and stands. “We can meet at that diner near the courthouse, finalize the logistics, and then make it legal.”
I rise to my feet, my much larger frame towering over the petite woman. “I guess we’re doing this.”
“Do we have a deal?” She offers me her hand once more, this time with the power of a binding, life-changing agreement behind it.
In my desperation to escape my ex-wife’s torment, I shake Jin’s hand. “Deal.”
Holy shit.
I’m getting married.
Again.
I hope to hell I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life.
Chapter 2
Mei
Why is Mom acting so strange? I mean, she’s always been difficult to read, but something’s going on. I’ve never seen her anxious like this before. As we drive from the airport back to our apartment, she drums the steering wheel with her thumbs in rapid staccato.
I peek over my shoulder to blow kisses at my baby sister in her car seat. Penny is almost two and what I missed most while visiting Dad over the winter break. She shrieks happily and chants, “Maymaymaymay.”
My name is phonetically pronounced like the month, May, but there’s something ridiculously cute and twangy about how Penny says it. When our mother says my name, it’s clipped, as if even my name is too long for her to waste her time on.
Suppressing a sigh, I swivel around in my seat and stare out the windshield. College starts up again soon, and it’ll be back to our regular routine. Penny will go to her sitter during the day while I’m in school and I’ll be her stand-in parent at night.
Resentment burns hot in my gut. Both my parents are this way. They’ve chosen their careers over love or their children. No wonder they couldn’t stay married. Dad’s not even dating anyone back in St. Louis, because he’s forever on call at the hospital. The entire two weeks I was with him, we had dinner together twice. I spent the rest of my time alone, interacting with his neighbors more than him.
Mom is no different.
In a way, she’s worse. She leaves me to babysit at night, always claiming she’s running errands or visiting a friend. I’m not stupid. I know she’s seeing someone. Since she keeps it a big secret from me and won’t bring him around, I imagine there’s a reason for it, though I can’t imagine what it could be.
When we pass our gated luxury apartment complex, I frown and shoot Mom a questioning look.
“Where are we going?” I ask, stiffening in my seat.
Normally, I wouldn’t worry, but it’s how she’s acting. Something’s not right.
Mom sighs heavily as if cluing her daughter in on her life is exhausting and a total waste of time. I grit my teeth, wanting to bite out something mean, but hold my tongue. I’m eighteen now. She could kick me out on my ass. I wouldn’t put it past her.