I Stopped Fighting For My Husband and He Panicked Chapter 06

He somehow managed to restrain himself and jabbed a finger toward the door.

“Get out!”

“Gladly!”

I turned on my heel and left without a second thought.

No employee in their right mind enjoyed being summoned to the boss’s office, and I was no exception.

Back at my desk, I threw myself into work.

Helping someone else with their project and managing one of my own were two completely different beasts.

I worked around the clock for several days, staying at the office until well past midnight, until I finally finished the proposal.

I stretched my aching back, packed up my things, and prepared to head home.

Just then, Paige approached me with a mysterious smile and slipped a box into my hands.

I blinked in confusion and looked up at her.

“What’s this?”

“Your birthday present, obviously!” Paige tapped me lightly on the head. “Seriously, have you been so busy

that you forgot your own birthday?”

Of course I hadn’t forgotten.

My parents had always told me I was their most precious treasure, a gift from heaven. The day I was born

was the happiest day of their lives, and they’d made me promise never to forget it.

But I couldn’t celebrate with my coworkers. I was terrified someone might get the bright idea to come over to

my place for a visit.

The second they walked through the front door, they’d see the enormous wedding portrait of Tristan and me

hanging in our home. There’d be no explaining that away.

I quickly accepted Paige’s gift, genuinely touched.

“Thank you, Paige!”

She waved away my thanks, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“Save it. Now get out of here! Didn’t you tell me your husband specifically asked you to come home early

today?”

That morning, I’d made a point of telling Paige that my husband had been acting all clingy and practically

begging me to come home early.

I’d only said it to keep her and the others from finding an excuse to drag me out to dinner.

I felt terrible about lying to them, but I didn’t have much of a choice.

Standing there, an unexpected thought crossed my mind.

If only Tristan and I could get divorced.

Then I wouldn’t have to keep lying to my friends, and I could finally invite them over without worrying about

them discovering my secret marriage.

But after thinking it over, I remembered just how vindictive Tristan could be.

If I divorced him, there was no way I’d be able to keep my job.

With a heavy sigh, I called a rideshare and headed to Logan’s place.

I’d already told him that I needed to take some pictures for an Instagram birthday post. If we were going to keep pretending to be a couple, we might as well make the whole thing convincing.

On the way, I stopped by a bakery to pick up the cake I’d ordered in advance, then swung by a flower shop to

buy a bouquet to use as a prop.

But when I arrived at Logan’s place and knocked on the door, no one answered.

I texted him to ask where he was. He replied that he’d be home a little later and sent me the door code so I

could let myself in.

The moment I stepped inside and turned on the lights, a loud POP made me jump.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust before I could make out what was in front of me.

Logan stood there holding a party popper. A custom-made birthday cake sat on the table, and beside it was

a bouquet of my favorite lily of the valley.

He broke into a grin.

“Hap-py birth-day!”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. In the end, I forced myself to act nonchalant.

“We’re only pretending to date. You really didn’t have to do all this.”

“But it is your birthday!” Logan said earnestly. “On your birthday, everyone around you has exactly one job: to

make sure you’re happy!”

My eyes began to sting.

The truth was, I wasn’t nearly as indifferent about everything as I’d been pretending to be.

Ivy and I shared the same birthday, but Tristan had completely forgotten mine. He’d remembered hers and

hers alone.

And it had been that way ever since Ivy returned from overseas last year.

Back then, I’d been so furious that I’d smashed everything I could get my hands on. Then I’d glared at Tristan

and shouted, “Ivy Vance is a homewrecker! She’s seducing you and trying to destroy our marriage!”