I Married The Beast Commander, Not His Match Chapter 02

I Married The Beast Commander, Not His Match Chapter 02

Gideon pushed open the bedroom door, already changed into gray sweats.

The frost in his expression had softened, but only barely.

He saw me curled up on the bed and paused.

“You don’t have to stay holed up in here all day. Go out and get some air if you want.”

One last thing. I needed to know.

“Gideon, if it turned out I wasn’t your true mate, would you leave me?”

He frowned.

“Where is this coming from?”

Exactly what I expected.

I forced a thin smile.

“Nothing. Good night.”

I rolled over, gave him my back, and shut him out.

He stayed for a moment, then went to his study. Pack business, as usual. That was what mattered.

The job always came first. I never did.

The comments were still scrolling.

[Registry call countdown is ON. I can’t wait!]

[If I were her, I’d be living it up rn. She’s about to get dumped with nothing lmao, enjoy it while it lasts, girl.]

[Her good days are SO numbered. I’m just waiting for the bunny girl to show up already!]

I picked up my phone. Every last trace of longing was gone.

I tapped the search bar and typed.

[What assets are protected in a divorce?]

The next morning, I let myself sleep in for the first time.

Three years of marriage, and I’d never once skipped making his breakfast. Today, I didn’t even think about it.

Sunlight poured through the window. I checked my phone. It was already two in the afternoon.

Unread messages from Gideon. He almost never texted first.

Same old playbook. Throw cash at the problem and call it making up.

[Don’t worry about last night.]

[Buy yourself something nice.]

I glanced over. A black card sat on the nightstand.

I almost laughed.

If trying harder would never make him love me, why had I wasted three years pretending it could?

I took the black card and spent the entire day maxing it out.

Chanel bags, Cartier bracelets, Van Cleef necklaces. If I liked it, I bought it. No hesitation.

A man like Gideon wouldn’t blink at handbags and jewelry. He’d never fight me for them in the divorce settlement.

After shopping, I walked into a salon.

A stylist hurried over the second I sat down.

“Hey, gorgeous. What are we doing today?”

I ran my fingers through the long, straight black hair I’d kept for three years.

No more.

“Chop it all off. Shaggy layers. Ash brown.”

Three hours later, I looked at myself in the mirror.

Loose, tousled ash-brown curls framed my warm-toned skin like they’d always belonged there.

“Not gonna lie, this edgy look was made for you.”

I smiled.

“Maybe this was always me.”

I left the salon starving.

For three years, I’d eaten plain, tasteless food because that was what Gideon liked.

Today, I wanted barbecue. Cajun. Smothered in hot sauce. The kind that burned on the way down.

I found a place and was about to walk in when I saw them. Two people, right by the entrance.

Gideon and a woman.

She was tiny, swallowed by a white dress, the kind of girl who looked like she’d bruise if you breathed on her.

It was Chloe Benson.

Gideon’s adopted sister. Her father had died saving Gideon’s life, and the Sterlings had raised her as their own.

[AHHH, my OTP is together!! The bunny girl is finally here. I’m SCREAMING!]

[Wait, isn’t it her birthday today? The ML took her out to celebrate omg they’re SO cute!]

[The side chick better not crash their date and make a scene.]

So she was the true mate.

I turned to leave before they could notice me, but a sugary voice caught me from behind.

“Audrey? Oh my gosh, hi!”

I had no choice but to turn back and paste on a smile.

Chloe’s eyes went straight to the shopping bags in my hands.

“Wow, you’ve been busy! Did Gideon send you out to pick up my birthday gifts?”

Gideon stiffened, his jaw working but nothing coming out.

I smiled so hard my cheeks ached.

“Yeah. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just grabbed whatever caught my eye.”