First Love or Husband? I Choose Neither Chapter 01

First Love or Husband? I Choose Neither Chapter 01

Two years into a scorched-earth divorce with Adrian Mercer, I ran into my first love, Declan Frost, at our high school reunion.

A lot of people at the dinner brought up how perfect we had once looked together, sighing over how something that seemed so right had still fallen apart.

Outside the restroom, Declan stopped me.

“Still embroiled in that lawsuit?” he asked, then looked at me with that same calm, unreadable expression I remembered so well.

“Mind if your ex-boyfriend becomes your lawyer?”

I smiled, and I didn’t say no.

Later, Declan fought like hell and won the divorce for me. I walked away with half of Adrian’s assets.

But on the day the papers were supposed to be signed, I heard a conversation through the door before I went in.

Adrian’s voice came first, sharp with mockery.

“Stealing key evidence while acting as opposing counsel, hiding assets, pulling strings behind the scenes… impressive work, counselor.”

Then he laughed, low and mean.

“If Celeste found out you were on our side all along, and that the so-called fifty percent she got was crumbs compared to what was really there, do you think she’d lose her mind?”

***

Declan’s tone went icy, dropping into that dangerous register that usually signaled the end of a negotiation.

“Adrian, I’m not on your side.”

He lowered his voice even more, but every word still cut clean through the door.

“I did all of this for Sienna’s happiness. If you ever hurt her, I’ll make you pay for it a hundred times over.”

My fingers tightened around the doorknob until my knuckles turned white. A cold nausea roiled in my gut.

The Sienna they were talking about was Sienna Frost.

Adrian’s executive assistant.

The woman he’d been keeping on the side.

I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in.

Both men turned toward me at the same time. Neither of them looked even slightly rattled.

“Celeste, sit here,” Declan said first, gesturing to the seat beside him.

Their conversation still rang in my ears. I tightened my grip on my purse strap and walked over anyway.

Declan pulled out a pocket square and gently dabbed the rainwater from my clothes. “I should’ve picked you up,” he said, his tone soft, almost apologetic, as he reached to pull out my chair.

“My car broke down on the way. It’s pouring outside. You didn’t get too soaked, did you?”

I shook my head.

He kept talking as he settled my chair for me, attentive as ever.

That was how he had always been with me through all four years of college, taking care of every little thing before I even had to ask.

And in the six months since we’d reconnected and he’d taken over my case, he’d somehow become even more considerate.

Our friends loved to tease him for it.

“Declan, keep this up and you’re gonna spoil her.”

“This has to be real love. The divorce isn’t even final yet and he’s already playing the devoted partner.”

Some of them laughed at him too, called him a rebound guy, said he was pathetic for crawling back after everything that had happened between us.

They dug up all the old drama from when we broke up, joked that he was the kind of idiot who forgot pain the second the wound closed.

Declan acted like he heard none of it.

He would cover my ears and say, “I already lost you once. I’m not going to let myself lose you again.”

I had thought he still loved me. I had thought he wanted a second chance.

Now I knew better.

All that tenderness in front of me had never been real.

It was a trap built just for me, lined with sweetness so convincing I had walked right into it of my own volition.

I looked at the chair he’d pulled out, set my purse on it instead, and moved a little closer to him.

“Get the paperwork organized first,” I said. “Let me see it.”

Declan nodded and opened the file. He marked the important sections one by one, leaning in as he explained them to me, carrying that clean, cool scent that used to feel so familiar.

I tilted my head and listened carefully, even offering a faint smile, leaning close to murmur a few quiet words in his ear.

Across from us, Adrian lounged back in his chair, one arm draped lazily over it.

His heavy-lidded eyes narrowed, something probing and unreadable flickering inside them.

“Well,” he said at last, his tone light but edged, “Our esteemed Counselor really goes above and beyond for his clients.”

He let the words hang for a beat before adding, “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were sleeping with my soon-to-be-ex.”

The two remarks landed out of nowhere, casual on the surface and ugly underneath.