Chapter 4: Stripped of Her Title

Inside the truck, only the two of us remained.

I kept my head down, unwilling to lose my composure in front of Marcus.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, my jaw clenched so tight it ached.

But suddenly, he reached out and gently patted my hand.

That gentle touch broke the dam, and my tears began to flow uncontrollably.

The tears came hot and fast, faster than I could wipe them away. I tried to turn my face to the window, to hide.

Marcus sighed and called to me softly:

“Natalie, you’ve managed the household perfectly these past two years. Even if there’s no glory, there’s hard work.”

His words sounded like a speech he’d practiced in his head, the kind people give at retirement parties—thankful, but distant.

“Rest assured, I won’t really cast you aside.”

“My love…”

I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face.

But he suddenly changed the subject:

“But I promised Aubrey that I’d make her my wife.”

“You saw her temperament just now. She’s not like other girls. If she’s unhappy, she’ll fly away like a bird.”

“If I don’t keep my word, who knows where she’ll run off to.”

Marcus’s tone was half helpless, half indulgent.

But my heart felt as if it had been thrown into a deep well, sinking lower and lower…

My nails dug crescent moons into my palms. I bit my lip, tasting blood, fighting the urge to scream.

“Stop crying, you look like a little kitten.”

Marcus gently wiped away my tears.

He tried to smile, as if that could make things easier, but it only made the ache worse.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about when to have an open talk with you these past few days.”

“Now that everything’s out in the open, I’ll tell you my thoughts.”

Marcus’s voice was gentle, but every word cut like a knife.

“When Aubrey moves in, you’ll give up the title of wife and become… well, more like a house manager.”

“But although you’ll be called a house manager, it’s just a change of title. In reality, you’ll still run the household.”

“Aubrey is young and playful, far less steady than you. Giving her the title of wife is just to make her happy.”

He sounded like he was proposing a business merger, not talking to the woman he’d shared a home with for two years.