His Secret Wife Was My Best Friend Chapter 20

His Secret Wife Was My Best Friend Chapter 20 The Unlocked Door

The weekend was the best part of the week.

After the concert and several excellent restaurants Benedict had introduced her to, Cecily was in a good mood. She felt perfectly entitled to sleep in.

A string of notifications finally roused her.

She checked her phone and found several messages from a friend back home.

“Cecily, have you seen the news? Apparently, Gareth used company money to buy Daphne a car and a home. The other shareholders exposed him.”

She followed the link and stared in shock.

There was much more. He’d created a position for Daphne and paid her every month without requiring her to work. The Keenes had also turned on him, demanding an enormous payout over what had happened to their daughter. It sounded less like compensation for a breakup than a demand for hush money.

The comments were in uproar.

[Wasn’t he supposed to marry Cecily Sutton, the Sutton Jewelers heiress? Where did this Daphne come from? Was he cheating?]

[Seriously? He always acted like he was above all that. So much for that image.]

[Gareth and Cecily are old news. A rich friend of mine says they broke up ages ago. The wedding never happened. Apparently, Daphne was Cecily’s best friend and tried to use the pregnancy to take her place.]

[She went after her best friend’s fiancé? What a piece of work.]

While the forum erupted, Gareth paced his hotel room, overwhelmed.

On the phone, his father was shouting at full volume.

“Look what you’ve done. You had Cecily, and you had to get involved with Daphne.

Now look at the mess you’ve left behind.

“Get home. Apologize to whoever needs an apology and deal with the press.”

Gareth gritted his teeth, his nails gouging his palms.

“I can’t come back yet, Dad. I’ve found Cecily. I want to make things right and bring her home with me.”

His father exploded. “The Suttons have cut us off, and you’re still thinking about her?

“They didn’t start these leaks, but I found out they’ve been helping them spread. They want revenge for the wedding. When are you going to wake up? And if you love Cecily so much, why did you get involved with Daphne in the first place?”

His father was nearly beside himself with anger.

Gareth knew he should go home and stabilize his career. He simply couldn’t accept giving Cecily up or watching another man openly claim the place beside her that he still considered his.

“Give me a little more time,” he said, staking everything on it. “I’ll sort this out and come back.”

Ignoring his father’s furious protests, he ended the call.

After that, he returned to watching Cecily from morning until night.

But Benedict kept her so well protected that Gareth couldn’t find an opening.

Then one evening, Benedict brought her home after she’d worked late. Before Cecily could lock the door behind her, Gareth slipped inside, clamped a hand over her mouth, and pinned her to the wall.

She hadn’t seen his face. Terrified, she struggled and bit his hand.

He hissed at the pain but didn’t loosen his grip.

“Don’t scream, Cecily. I just want to talk.”

Her heart pounded. The man in front of her seemed both unfamiliar and dangerous.

“Promise you won’t scream, and I’ll let go.”

She blinked, then finally nodded.

Gareth cautiously released her. When she kept quiet, he gave a satisfied smile.

“You’re always sweetest when you listen.”