Pretended to Need Quiet, Loved Another’s Chaos Chapter 04

Pretended to Need Quiet, Loved Another’s Chaos Chapter 04

My head buzzed.

Liam was someone my parents had set me up with after Adrian and I broke up. To appease both families, we dated for a month before realizing it wasn’t going to work.

Soon after Liam and I ended things, Adrian came back into my life. He pursued me all over again and proposed, refusing to let either family stand in our way.

I’d told him about Liam because I never wanted there to be any misunderstanding between us.

“Adrian, you said it didn’t bother you. Besides, Liam and I never even…”

“Any man would care.”

His voice was ice-cold.

“You want the truth? Every time I picture you sleeping with another man, I feel so sick I can’t sleep.”

Before I could finish, he cut me off.

“It’s no different from you taking sleeping pills every night because you can’t stand lying beside a man you don’t love.”

He pointed toward the drawer where I kept my sleeping pills.

I’d thought he didn’t know about it. I always took the pills as quietly as possible, terrified that even the smallest sound might wake him.

Now I knew the real reason he couldn’t sleep beside me.

I disgusted him.

I’d fought my family for him, given up half my inheritance, and built a company without their support. Now every sacrifice I’d made felt like a joke.

Neither of us spoke for a long time. Then Adrian’s phone rang.

The moment he answered, his voice softened.

“You’re still awake? Stop crying. I’ll be there soon.”

“Yeah, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

After he hung up, his expression turned cold again.

“If you want the campaign to move forward, clear this up tomorrow. Tell everyone we only have a professional relationship.”

His jaw tightened.

“Faye’s young, and she’s sensitive about things like this. I don’t want her getting upset.”

I pulled the divorce agreement from the drawer and held it out to him.

He didn’t even look at it. When I held it out, he instinctively recoiled.

He found me so repulsive that he couldn’t even bear the thought of our fingers touching.

“Once things settle down, we’ll move somewhere with better soundproofing and install thick carpet throughout the house.”

He was already walking toward the door.

“I don’t want to keep arguing about the past, Ivy. Our families have finally accepted the marriage, more or less. We can keep things the way they are and stay married.”

I didn’t answer. I only watched him leave.

Over the past few days, I’d watched him walk out that door more times than I could count.

When we were dating, he could never bring himself to hang up first. After every date, he insisted on waiting until I was safely inside my dorm before he left.

Now, to protect Faye, he wanted the world to believe that he and I were nothing more than business partners.

I stood alone in the living room for a long time.

Eventually, my assistant called to ask about the Pierce Cosmetics campaign.

“Ms. Dawson, we’ve been working on this for six months. Are you sure you want to terminate the contract?”

“Yes. Start the termination process.”

I left the divorce papers on the table and went to the bedroom for the suitcase I’d already packed.

“But you believed in this brand from the beginning. You told me Mr. Pierce started developing it when the two of you were still dating.”

My assistant, the only employee who knew Adrian and I were married, let out a regretful sigh.

I rolled my suitcase toward the door, its wheels and my footsteps echoing across the bare floor.

After six years of marriage, I could finally walk through my own home without trying to disappear.

“Back then, he named the brand IVY.”

My assistant sucked in a breath.

The beauty line we were currently promoting was called FAYELLE.

I ended the call and stepped into the elevator without looking back.

You won’t have to be disgusted by me anymore, Adrian. I’ll never keep you awake again.

Sleep well.