Sophia barely slept that night. Ethan's words echoed in her head—I don't want to keep pretending.
She understood his frustration. Hiding their marriage had been necessary to protect their careers, but it was starting to feel like a burden. Still, revealing the truth wasn't as simple as Ethan made it sound.
By morning, she had made up her mind.
When she arrived at the office, she was determined to stick to their plan—keep things professional, avoid any unnecessary attention. But the moment she walked in, she could feel the energy in the air. People were whispering, glancing at her with curious eyes.
Something was wrong.
Lisa appeared at her office door, practically vibrating with excitement. "Sophia. You're not going to believe this."
Sophia forced a calm expression. "What is it now?"
Lisa pulled out her phone, waving it in front of her. "Someone snapped a picture of Mr. Caldwell at dinner last night with that mystery woman—and guess what? The woman looks a lot like you."
Sophia's stomach dropped.
She snatched the phone from Lisa's hand, scanning the screen. It was a grainy photo, taken from a distance, but there was no mistaking it—she and Ethan were sitting together at their favorite restaurant. Her face was turned slightly away, but it was still recognizable.
"How did this get out?" Sophia asked, keeping her voice even.
Lisa shrugged. "Some employee must've seen him and taken the picture. It's all over the office group chat."
Sophia placed the phone down carefully. "Lisa, do you really think I'd be dating the CEO?"
Lisa hesitated, then gave her a playful nudge. "I mean… I did say he had a crush on you."
Sophia forced a laugh. "You're reaching. We were discussing work."
Lisa narrowed her eyes. "At a candlelit restaurant?"
Sophia exhaled. "Ethan—I mean, Mr. Caldwell—doesn't have a social life. Maybe he just needed a dinner companion."
Lisa smirked. "If you say so."
As soon as Lisa left, Sophia locked her office door and called Ethan. He answered on the first ring.
"You saw the picture?" she asked.
"Of course," he muttered. "I knew this would happen eventually."
Sophia rubbed her temples. "People are starting to connect the dots, Ethan. What do we do?"
There was silence on the other end before Ethan finally spoke.
"We stop hiding, Sophia. We tell them the truth."
Her breath caught.
This was it. The moment they had been avoiding.
And there was no turning back now.
—
To be continued…