Falling For My Husband Again

When I opened my eyes, I was holding a checkbook.

I looked up at the girl standing across from methe quintessential innocent victim type, eyes brimming with tears and righteous indignation.

Please, Mrs. Sterling! Just let us be together! I love Chase with all my heart!

It hit me like a physical blow. I had transmigrated. I was trapped in one of those classic, trashy billionaire soap operas, and I had landed right in the shoes of the "Evil Mother-in-Law."

According to the script, this was the part where I was supposed to sneer and toss a million dollars at her, telling her to stay away from my son. But a sudden, frantic thought stopped me: Wait, do I even have that kind of money?

I hesitated, my pen hovering over the paper. I scribbled a number and slid the check across the polished marble table.

"Um... is five thousand dollars enough?"

1.

"Mrs. Sterling! I will never leave Chase! Our love isn't for sale!"

Mayathat was her namestared at me with unwavering resolve.

"Mom! Maya and I are a package deal! You cant put a price tag on what we have!"

A handsome, sharp-jawed man stepped into view, shielding the girl behind him like a human fortress. This, I presumed, was my CEO son, Chase.

Suddenly, a cascade of glowing textlike a live-stream chatscrolled across my vision.

[The classic 'break-up-the-happy-couple' trope. You love to see it.]

[Im trash for this drama. Feed me more.]

[Come on, Evelyn! Slap her with the five million! Do it!]

Five million? That sounded like a lot. Did my bank account actually have that many zeros? Better to play it safe while I figured out my net worth. I had to maintain the villain persona, but I was on a budget.

"Im not budging," I said, trying to sound cold. "Ill give you... twenty thousand. Final offer."

Chase looked at me, his jaw dropping. "Mom? Is your only son really worth that little to you?"

[LMAO! Twenty thousand?!]

[Chases face is priceless. Hes offended by the low-ball offer!]

[Is this a parody? Since when is the evil matriarch this stingy?]

A heavy silence filled the room. I cleared my throat, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.

"Fine. Whatever. You want to be together? Fine. But you wont get my blessing that easily. Im going to put you to the test!"

"Ill do it!" Maya stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "Whatever it takes to prove my love, Ill do it!"

[Here we go. The 'test'which is really just an excuse for a massive public humiliation.]

[Poor Maya. Shes going to suffer so much for him, and he wont even know the half of it.]

[The wicked mother-in-law is burning every bridge she has. Just wait until Chase disowns you, Evelyn. Then youll be sorry!]

Disown me? No, thank you. I hadn't even had a chance to enjoy the mansion yet.

I shifted my focus and pointed my fingernot at her, but at Chase.

"Im not testing her. Im testing you."

Chase blinked, confused. "Me?"

"Question one: Whats the first thing you do when you get your paycheck?"

"Um... deposit it into our joint account?" Chase answered tentatively.

"Whos the first to apologize after an argument?"

"Me! Always me!"

"And who handles the chores when the housekeeper is off?"

"I do! Ill do all of it!"

I took a slow, satisfied sip of my Earl Grey. "Excellent. You passed. You have my blessing."

"Wait, really? Oh, Maya! We did it!" Chase pulled her into a crushing hug.

Maya looked stunned, her head spinning. "I... I feel like I didn't actually do anything..."

[??? Thats it?]

[Did the villain just glitch?]

[She skipped the entire second act! Wheres the suffering?!]

Why bother with suffering? Life is short, and Im rich. Lets just be a happy family and move on to the brunch portion of the day.

"Just don't go breaking each other's hearts," I started to say, but I was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Whos that? My DoorDash?"

I walked to the foyer and pulled open the heavy oak door. A man stood there, draped in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, radiating power and a faint scent of sandalwood.

"And you are...?" I asked.

The mans brow furrowed into a deep V. "Your husband."

2.

The man didn't wait for an invitation. He brushed past me and stepped into the foyer with the air of someone who owned the atoms in the room.

[Enter the Patriarch. The real final boss.]

[Hes definitely going to shut this down. Poor Maya, she survived the mom only to hit a brick wall with the dad.]

So, this was Dominic Sterling. The father. In the original story, the parents were a classic "marriage of convenience"zero love, a son born purely for the sake of the dynasty, and a husband who was always "on business." Id almost forgotten he existed.

"Ive only been away for eleven months, Evelyn," he said, his voice like velvet over gravel. "Have you really forgotten what I look like?"

"Of course not!" I let out a nervous, high-pitched laugh. "You just... changed your suit. I barely recognized you in that color."

[Rule number one: If you don't know the answer, don't keep talking. Youre making it worse.]

[Lol, they are such strangers.]

[Eleven months on a business trip? Someone call HR. Oh wait, he is HR.]

"Father, youre back," Chase said, appearing from the kitchen, oddly enough, holding a bowl of soup.

Dominics eyes traveled from Chases pink floral apron to the girl standing awkwardly by the sofa. "Why are you dressed like a domestic worker? And who is this?"

"This is Chases girlfriend, Maya," I said cheerfully, stepping in. "Youre just in time. We were about to have dinner."

"From which family?" Dominic asked, his tone icy.

"Im not... from a 'family,' sir," Maya whispered, her knuckles white. "Im just... me."

"Evelyn," Dominic turned to me, his gaze stern. "This is your sons choice? Since when do you allow 'ordinary' into this house?"

"Oh, stop being such a buzzkill, Dom," I said, waving him off. "Theyre in love. Its sweet. Maya, honey, come try this soup. Chase actually made it himself!"

I completely ignored the radiating heat of Dominics disapproval.

[Dominic: 'Hello? Is anyone listening to me?']

[Evelyn: 'Interrupting your monologue to talk about soup.']

[Im uncomfortably attracted to the dads confused silence.]

"It looks and smells great! Lets eat!" I chirped.

I ushered the kids to the table. Dominic stood frozen for a moment, then, with a resigned sigh, followed us and sat at the head of the table.

I caught myself stealing glances at him. I thought the 'CEO Dad' trope usually involved a beer belly and a receding hairline, I thought. This guy is actually... a total smokeshow.

Ive got a billionaire husband whos never home, a handsome son, and a bank account that refills itself. This transmigration thing might actually be a win.

"Why are you staring at me, Evelyn?" Dominic asked, pausing with his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"I was just thinking youre very handsome," I blurted out.

[BAM! Just like that?]

[I thought they hated each other? What is this energy?]

My brain caught up with my mouth a second too late. Dominic started coughing violently, nearly choking on his soup.

"Are you okay?" I jumped up and reached over to pat his back, but he recoiled as if Id tried to brand him.

His neck was a deep, embarrassed red. It took him a long moment to find his voice. "I... Im full. I have work to attend to."

He practically bolted up the stairs.

[Is he... blushing? Is the cold CEO actually a shy boy?]

[Okay, Im shipping the parents. I don't care about the leads anymore.]

[Everyone gets a romantic subplot. Even the 'villain.']

I stood there, my hand still hanging in mid-air, blinking at the empty chair.

"Wow, Mom," Chase said, looking impressed. "You and Dad seem... really close lately."

"Its a grown-up thing, Chase. You wouldn't understand."

Did I break him? Should I go check on him?

[Hes not shy, hes probably just furious.]

[Taking notes on 'How to make your rival flee the room in ten seconds or less.']

I finished my dinner in a daze.

3.

Whatever, I thought, stepping out of the shower. It's not like he can actually fire me from being his wife.

Then I saw him.

Dominic was lying on the bed, propped up against the headboard with a tablet in his hand. I clutched my towel tighter, my heart doing a frantic tap-dance.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"Were married, Evelyn," he said, flicking his eyes toward me before quickly looking back at the screen. "Where else would I be?"

"Right. Of course."

I climbed into bed, keeping as much distance as possible. The air was thick enough to carve with a knife.

[Look at those abs peeking through the robe. Thats not an accident.]

[Dominic Sterling still has it.]

[Things are getting spicy.]

I couldn't help it. My eyes drifted. The black silk of his robe didn't leave much to the imagination. The original book didn't detail their marriage much, only that they loathed each other. Evelyn thought he was a bore; he thought she was a shallow, irresponsible socialite.

In the original timeline, Evelyn eventually cheats on him and leaks corporate secrets, leading to a brutal divorce and her dying penniless on the street.

I shuddered. Not on my watch. I needed to stay on his good side.

"How much longer are you going to stare at me?" Dominic asked, his voice strained.

"Oh! Sorry. My bad." I looked away, staring intensely at the floral wallpaper.

"We need to talk about Chases little 'girlfriend,'" he said, setting the tablet aside.

"They love each other, Dom. Let them be."

"You can play your games with the household staff, but this is the family legacy," he said firmly. "Tomorrow, Im arranging a dinner with the Harrington heiress for him."

I sat bolt upright. "You cant do that! You cant just go around breaking people's hearts because of some business merger! Chase won't be happy with someone he doesn't love."

Dominic went quiet. He just stared at me, his expression unreadable.

[Ouch. Right in the trauma.]

[Shes basically describing their own marriage.]

[Countdown to her getting kicked out...]

Crap. I didn't mean to make it personal.

"I didn't mean... us," I stammered, waving my hands. "I just want him to have what we... don't. I mean, I want him to be happy! Youre great, really. Youre handsome, youre smart, youve got great... chest muscles..."

Before I could finish the sentence, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down toward him.

[Keep talking, Evelyn. Your dignity is leaving the building.]

[Why is the middle-aged romance more interesting than the main couple?]

[Can I see the rest of this for free?]

My heart was thudding against my ribs like a trapped bird. His face was inches from mine.

"Wait!" I squeezed my eyes shut, turning my head away.

He froze. The heat of his breath lingered on my skin for a second before he pulled away entirely. His face was darker than before.

"If you don't mean those things, Evelyn, don't say them. Its exhausting."

He stood up, tightening the belt of his robe. "Ill sleep in the guest room tonight."

I touched my burning cheek, watching the door click shut behind him.

4.

The next morning, my phone shrieked on the nightstand.

"Hey, beautiful... Why haven't you called me lately?"

A wave of literal nausea rolled over me. I remembered nowthe original Evelyn had a boy toy on the side. A guy named Casper.

"I'll be there soon. Same place?" I hung up immediately.

If Dominic found out about this, I wouldn't just be sleeping in separate roomsId be living under a bridge.

[Is the villain finally getting caught?]

[Why did she hang up? Shes panicking.]

[Of course she has a side-piece. The 'Hot Dad' was too good to be true.]

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I hurried downstairs, thinking Dominic had forgotten his briefcase.

"Did you forget your"

I stopped. Standing there was a man who looked like a literal peacock. Loud prints, too much cologne, and a smirk that made me want to reach for a can of Mace.

"You hung up on me, babe," Casper said, sliding through the door before I could block him. "Are you mad at me? Have I been neglecting you?"

"Something like that," I said, trying to keep a neutral face.

[I thought shed changed! Shes still the same!]

[Trading a billionaire for a budget model? Evelyn, honey, no.]

[Dominic is going to walk in and its game over.]

"Babe," Casper said, reaching for my waist. "You said you were going to leave him. When is the divorce happening?"

I ducked his touch. "Did I? I must have been drunk."

"And what about the files? The ones from his safe?" He lowered his voice, looking around. "Ive been waiting a long time for those. You give me those, and we can run away together. Youll never have to deal with his coldness again."

He lunged for a hug. I leaped behind the sofa.

"No!" I shouted. "Absolutely not."

I smoothed my hair, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. "Listen. Im done. I have a husband, I have a son, and Im actually quite fond of my life. Heres a check for twenty thousand dollars. Consider us even. Don't call me again."

Casper didn't take the check. His face twisted. "Twenty thousand? You think you can buy me off? Youre clearly just playing hard to get. Ill give you some time to cool off, and then Ill be back."

He smirked and strolled out the door.

"That... could have gone better," I whispered.

[What is she up to?]

[Shes probably just bored of him and looking for a new one.]

I looked at the hateful comments scrolling past and sighed. I just want to be a rich, retired lady. Why is that so hard?

5.

Casper hadn't even made it to the end of the driveway before two large men in suits stepped out from between the hedges and hauled him into a black SUV.