The Bribe He Made To My Fake Lover

I was caught in a tight embrace with my cousin, who looked like a total heartthrob in his new haircut, and my husbands colleague saw it. He didn't just see it; he secretly took a photo and texted it straight to my husband.

I knew absolutely none of this.

A few days later, my cousin messaged me.

Rory: Sis! Liam offered me a million dollars to leave you!

Rory: Should I take it or tell him to add a zero?

1

"Where are you going?"

Liam walked out of his study, impeccably dressed as always, just as I was slipping on my sneakers.

"None of your business, Mr. Stone."

My tone was deliberately clipped. Liam and I were in the middle of a cold war.

He just stood there, watching me head out the door without another word. See? The stubborn man had zero intention of ending this ridiculous standoff.

Before we were married, I was completely obsessed with Liams "aloof intellectual" vibethe kind of high-powered corporate lawyer who was always the calmest person in the room. It took me three months of practically haunting his law firm to get him to date me, and we were married a year later.

But over time, the flaw in the "aloof intellectual" model became obvious. Liam is a lawyer, and he maintains absolute, clinical composure at all timeseven when we're arguing.

The fight started late last night. I was padding barefoot into the pantry to grab a jumbo bowl of spicy Deep-Dish Pizza (with extra sausage and jalape?os, naturally), and I turned around to find Liam standing in the doorway of the master bedroom, holding my plush slippers.

"The floor is cold, put these on. Its too late for anything heavy or spicy. If youre truly hungry, I can warm up some milk."

Who can refuse a loaded deep-dish pizza at midnight?

I tried to charm my way out of it. "Babe, I just really have a craving for this one thing."

Liam was unmoved. He bent down to slip my slippers onto my feet while smoothly confiscating the pizza box from my hands. "No, Audrey. Youll be up all night with heartburn and indigestion."

"I don't mind staying up a little late! Please, just let me have this one small indulgence."

Im an artist, used to a more free-spirited life, and while I knew Liam meant well, that occasional indulgence was a genuine comfort.

"Absolutely not."

The perpetual refusal. My temper flared.

"Liam Stone!"

"Yes?"

"Im mad at you!"

"I hear that."

"Youre sleeping in the study tonight!"

"Fine. But the pizza is still off-limits."

""

This is how every fight with Liam went. He never yelled, never argued, but he was relentlessly insistent on his principles. Once I cooled down, I'd usually say a few sweet words, and he'd act like nothing happened, and we'd be fine. If I hadn't needed to leave today, we would have probably made up by lunch.

But I really had plans. Id promised my Uncle I would take my cousin for university orientation.

2

"Audrey! Over here!"

I barely recognized Rory when I picked him up.

The person standing in front of me had a sharp, short haircut, was dressed totally androgynously, and was nearly six feet tall. If the features hadn't looked vaguely familiar, I never would have believed this was my soft, bubbly little cousin.

"Its been so long, Sis!" Rory gave me a strong hug, and that familiar, easy warmth finally clicked.

"I havent seen you in three or four years! I barely recognized you. When did you get so tall?"

Rorys whole look had changed, and even his voice sounded deeper, more neutral.

He chuckled. "I started taking on commissioned artwork for graphic novels over the breaks to earn money, so I started dressing the part. Im already five-foot-ten, and these boots add another couple of inches."

"You into graphic novels? I can hook you up with some free art commissions, you know."

I shook my head. "That's not my thing, but Im glad you love it. Lets get you checked in."

"Perfect. And, Sis, can you help me find a place near campus? Its hard to do client work from the dorms on weekends. Don't worry, I cleared it with Dad, he already agreed."

"Deal. Once we're done with orientation, we'll go look at apartments."

The school paperwork was easy, but finding an apartment was a headache. We were still looking when the sun went down.

I took Rory out to eat. "Dont stress about the apartment. Ill take you out again tomorrow."

Rory agreed. "Sounds good. Its been ages, right? I was in boarding school for most of high school, and I even missed your wedding. I still haven't met Liam! Dad says hes gorgeous."

The thought of Liam's facethat chiseled, slightly severe lookmade me involuntarily smile. "He is handsome. Ill introduce you two soon."

Just as I was about to drop Rory back at his dorm, Liam called.

"Still busy? When are you coming home for dinner?"

Crap. I had forgotten to tell him I wouldnt be home for dinner.

"I already ate. You go ahead. I have a few things left to do, but Ill be back soon."

Liam was silent for a moment before he simply said, "Okay."

After helping Rory get his bed set up in his tiny dorm room, I left the university around nine oclock.

My phone showed two missed calls from Liam. I was about to call him back when a text from him popped up.

Liam: Be home.

Those two short words felt strangely aggressive. Ominous, even.

Im probably overthinking it.

Audrey: On my way.

3

It was ten oclock when I walked in the door. Liam was still up, sitting on the sofa reading a leather-bound book.

"Im home."

I gave him a quick greeting and headed straight for the bedroom to take off my makeup. I should know better than to wear a full face while doing manual laborbetween hunting for apartments and making a bed, my foundation was practically gone.

I felt completely drained, so after a shower, I went straight for my enormous bed.

Just as I was about to drift off, a soft knock came at the door.

"Am I still sleeping in the study tonight?"

My groggy brain took a moment to recall that we were technically still fighting. Honestly, I wasn't mad anymorejust a little prideful.

Forget it, Ill deal with it tomorrow.

"Sleep wherever you want."

I rolled over and pulled the duvet over my head.

Just as I was about to enter a deep state of unconsciousness, the master bedroom door opened and then quietly closed. Liam was going to shower.

If hes sleeping here, that means were good.

Relieved, I let myself fall into a profound sleep.

I wasnt asleep for long before I was awakened by a kiss.

Liams mouth tasted like the fresh scent of his body wash. I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair, finding it damp and slightly cool.

Why hadnt he blow-dried his hair?

Liam tried to deepen the intimacy, but a sudden flash of exhaustion made me stop him, pressing my hand against his chest.

"Im so tired. Not tonight. I have plans early tomorrow."

Liam had a very specific rhythm in bed, and I usually couldnt keep up. The next day, I'd feel completely wiped. I didnt want to meet my cousin looking like Id been "drained of life force."

Liam was usually very respectful on this front. As long as things hadn't fully started, he'd stop the moment I asked.

But tonight, he didn't respond. He didn't move.

It wasn't until I was just about to fall back asleep that he finally whispered, "Fine," and sat up, turning away from me.

That night, I slept soundly.

Beside me, Liam lay awake, staring at his phone screen, his eyes dark and indecipherable.

The photo on the screen showed me, Audrey Hale, locked in a familiar, intimate embrace with a short-haired young man.

It was the photo his colleague, Dean Miller, had sent him.

Dean Miller: Boss! Emergency! I just got back from my business trip, and I literally stepped out of the station to see your wife hugging some kid!

Dean Miller: [Image.jpg]

4

When I woke up the next morning, Liam was already fully dressed.

"You have work today?"

Liam nodded. "Deans back from his trip. I need to go into the firm and review his case files."

"Breakfast is on the counter. Ill try to be back before lunch."

I knew Dean Miller; he was Liam's colleague and specialized in, ironically, high-profile, messy divorce settlements.

I had planned to ask Liam to join me to meet Rory, but since he had real work, wed postpone.

"Dont worry about lunch. Im heading out too. Just focus on your work, don't worry about me."

I figured we wouldnt finish apartment hunting by noon, so there was no point in him rushing home to make me lunch. I thought I was being considerate.

Liams face darkened slightly.

"Audrey, is there... anything you want to tell me?"

Yes, there was. I needed to find a time for them to meet my cousin.

Liam was standing in the foyer in his perfectly tailored suit. A few beads of sweat were visible on his forehead, which was strange. He looked anxious.

"Yes, theres something, but its not urgent. You go deal with your work, and we can talk tonight."

Liam left. I ate breakfast and headed out.

Rory and I spent most of the day looking at places and finally found a good one-bedroom apartment. The building had decent security, the price was reasonable, and it was close to campus.

I called my Uncle to let him know Rory was settled.

My Uncle thanked me profusely. "Thank you, Audrey. Knowing Snow is in the same city as you, I feel completely at ease."

"Oh, one more thing, dear. Your older cousin is getting divorced. The woman already sent him a divorce protocol. Could you ask your lawyer husband to take a look and see if there are any issues?"

My older cousin had only been married a year. I was surprised they were already splitting up.

They were family, so helping was a no-brainer.

I took a quick look at the documents. The names of the parties were omitted, but it stated that the wife was willing to waive all claims to assets and accept a clean break because she was the one who was unfaithful.

I initially thought about sending it straight to Liam, but I remembered he'd mentioned Dean Miller was back. Liam mostly handled criminal cases; Dean was the divorce expert. It made more sense to ask Dean for help.

Audrey: Dean, can you do me a huge favor? Can you look over this divorce protocol from the husbands perspective and see if there are any red flags?

Dean replied almost instantly.

Dean Miller: Audrey, can I show this to the Boss?

Audrey: Why not? I was going to show it to him tonight anyway. He just prefers to read hard copies.

I was planning to print it out to give to Liam. After I sent that last message, Dean stopped replying. I assumed he was busy reviewing the protocol. I hummed a tune and drove home.

Meanwhile, in the law firm, Dean Miller respectfully placed his phone in front of Liam, barely daring to breathe.

As Liams face grew darker and darker, Dean nervously tried to lighten the mood. "Boss, at least shes being decent about it. Walking away with nothing is better than those cheaters who try to get half the mans assets, right?"

Liam handed the phone back to Dean, his voice returning to its usual, cool control. "If shes walking away with nothing, it only means I offer her nothing she truly wants."

5

Liam came home shortly after I did.

"Youre home so early! I have something I need to talk to you about. Wait, let me just grab"

I was about to retrieve the printed divorce protocol when Liam grabbed my hand.

"Audrey, lets go shopping."

"Huh?"

I was confused, but he was already pulling me toward the foyer to change shoes.

"I finally have a free afternoon. Come with me. We can talk about whatever you have later, okay?"

Normally, I was the one dragging Liam out to shop. This was the first time he had ever spontaneously invited me.

"Okay, fine. We can eat out tonight."

He said we were going shopping, but Liam just kept buying me things.

We started with clothes. I was having fun trying things on.

"This set looks good, but that one was pretty too, Liam."

Liam: "Buy both."

After clothes, he dragged me to a high-end watch boutique. I was trying on a timepiece half-heartedly.

"Its nice, sure, but I dont really wear watches."

I glanced at the price tagfive digits. I immediately tried to take it off, but Liam was already at the register.

"It looks great on you. Well take this one."

I couldnt even protest before his card was swiped.

The next stop was a jewelry store. Given the current price of gold, I was reluctant to even look.

Liam, however, was completely unruffled, calmly asking me to try on one bracelet and necklace after another. Then, as I watched in shock, he picked out two substantial pieces.

"These two. Wrap them up."

"Wait, Liam! We cant just buy these on a whim!" I tried to stop him.

Liam: "I can afford it. Charge it."

When we got married, Liam transferred a significant portion of his savings into a shared account. After that, we mostly kept our finances separate. He topped up the joint account regularly, but I had no idea how much he actually made. Clearly, it was a lot.

Liam finished the purchase and took my hand. "That car you drive is what you bought right out of college. Do you want to upgrade?"

I was completely dumbfounded. "Did you win the lottery?"

Liam smiled slightly. "I just closed a big case. Besides, this is simply the financial reality of a successful man. Choosing a partner isnt just about looks, Audrey. You have to consider the total portfolio."

6

If I was understanding him correctly, Liam was flexing his wealth on me.

Why? He had always been the low-key, understated type.

At my insistence, Liam postponed the plan to buy me a new car.

That evening, I was lying in bed scrolling through photos of college guys for inspiration. My studio partner wanted me to paint a portrait of a handsome young man with an energetic, fresh vibe, so I was desperately seeking inspiration.

When Liam came out of the bathroom after his shower, I couldn't help but share. "Babe, theres just a natural, vibrant energy that comes with being young, you know? Just looking at them makes me feel hopeful."

The words had barely left my mouth when Liam was on me, kissing me hard.

"Mmm wait I have to"

Liam didn't listen. His kiss was desperate, consuming.

Tonight, he was especially rough, and I couldn't get a coherent sentence out.

When it was over, I was on the verge of collapsing into sleep, but Liam was still nibbling my ear.

"Audrey," his voice was husky. "My age is not an issue."



I woke up the next morning sore and aching. Liam had already gone to work.

I dragged myself to my studio, but after working for a while, I still lacked inspiration. I decided I needed to go somewhere lively to clear my head. A place full of youthful energy. A theme park, maybe.

Liam: What are you doing?

I hadn't even left the house when he texted me.

Audrey: Nothing much. Thinking about going out.

Liam: Do you want me to join you?

Audrey: Aren't you busy? I can find someone else.

Rory was probably free.

Liam immediately replied:

Liam: I'm coming home now to pick you up.

On the way to the theme park, I made small talk with Liam. "I don't think we've been to a theme park since we started dating. You don't like this kind of place, do you? I always figured you preferred quiet bookstores and relaxed settings."

We stopped at a red light, and Liam turned to look at me.

"No, I don't dislike them. Ill go anywhere you want to go."

"Audrey, maybe I've been too rigid or controlling in the past. Ill change. Let's make this right, okay?"

Liam sounded so earnest and sincere. I was touched. If the seatbelt hadnt been restraining me, I would have leaped across the console to kiss him.

"Of course! Baby, I love you so much!"

A visible, genuine smile finally spread across Liam's face.

7

Liam went on every single high-octane ride with me, giving me a thrill I hadnt felt in years.

"Babe, that was amazing!"

Liam bought me a soft-serve cone. "You clearly love these kinds of outings. Was our life together before too boring for you?"

Liam lived a very disciplined life. Our dates were usually dinner, a movie, and maybe a quiet bookstore or boutique.

"Not at all. I was perfectly happy with the dates you liked, too."

"Then let's try more of the things you like going forward, okay?"

"Definitely!"

That ice cream was the sweetest thing Id ever tasted.

Liam was true to his word. Whenever he had a spare moment, he took me out: skiing, skydiving, bungee jumping. All the extreme sports Id only ever dreamed of trying.

Thanks to the abundance of new stimuli, my painting was progressing smoothly.

I was practically glued to Liam when I wasnt working. He even stopped caring when I ate the loaded deep-dish pizza at midnight. He would simply watch me eat, then drag me back to the bedroom for a "workout," claiming it was to work off the late-night indulgence.

After a few times, I stopped eating the pizza, too.

My life was so full and consuming that I hadn't been able to visit Rory in a long time. He'd reached out a few times, but I always had to cancel, and eventually, the messages stopped.

Unbeknownst to me, Liam and Dean Millers text thread was still active.

Dean Miller: Boss, I think the Marriage Rescue Plan is working. Audrey hasn't brought up the divorce protocol again.

Liam: Yes. Its been relatively smooth. That college kid has contacted her a few times, but she's turned him down.

Dean Miller: Oh, that reminds me! I saw that kid the other day. He was dressed to the nines, walking around the mall with another girl. Looks like he moved on.

Liam: Whatever. As long as he stops harassing Audrey.

Dean Miller: Boss, I really admire your attitude. Not getting angry about any of this shows incredible character.

Liam: Audrey is naive, easily influenced. It's those outside elements corrupting her judgment.

Dean Miller: ...You're the Boss. Whatever you say.

8

My life had been so perfect lately that I felt like I was forgetting something important.

It wasn't until my Uncle called me and gently brought up my cousin's divorce that I remembered: I had completely forgotten about the divorce protocol.

The file was in my handbag, which Id hung up near the foyer. Id told myself that if I saw it the next day, Id remember.

But where was the file?

Did it grow wings and fly away?

Whatever. Ill ask Liam about it later. First, let me check with Dean.

Audrey: Dean, any word on that divorce protocol I sent you? Have you found any issues?

Dean didn't reply immediately. I figured he must be in a meeting.

In reality, Dean sprinted straight into Liam's office the moment he got the message.

"Oh my God, Boss! What do we do? Audrey just asked me about the divorce protocol again! I thought you two had made up!"

Liam's eyebrow twitched. "Tell her you haven't finished reviewing it yet. Stall her. I'm going home now."

"Got it."

...

Dean Miller: Audrey, that divorce protocol is extremely complicated. I need a couple more days to look it over carefully. Don't worry, I'm on it.

Why? Dean was the best divorce lawyer in the city. Why did one simple protocol take half a month to review?

I replied "Okay," but I decided I should just ask Liam for help. My Uncle was waiting for an answer.

But where in the world was that file?

When Liam got home, I was squatting by the foyer closet, convinced the file had slipped behind a cabinet.

"Oh! You're home so early today?"

Liam was sweating, clearly having rushed home.

He didn't answer my question. "What are you looking for?"

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