The State-Assigned Husband Chapter 03

The State-Assigned Husband Chapter 03

“That can’t be,” he said quickly, his voice rising. “They must have made a mistake. The system’s glitching—”

He rounded the table, knelt beside me, and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, tight and urgent.

“Mia, look at us. Six years. That’s real. I hand over my paycheck every month. You know how I feel about you. How can you doubt everything we have because of one lousy text message?”

I looked into his eyes.

They held panic, hurt, devotion—every emotion so convincing I almost believed him.

“Maybe the registry really messed up,” he murmured, softening. “Don’t overthink it, okay?”

I stayed quiet for a long time.

“Maybe,” I said.

He let out a breath I hadn’t realized he was holding and drew me closer against him.

I rested against his chest. His heart was racing.

After dinner, he watched a show with me, then took a call. He said the project was urgent and he had to work all night.

He slipped on his shoes in a hurry and kissed my forehead. “Get some sleep. Don’t wait up.”

The door closed.

I sat on the sofa. The TV droned on in front of me, the plot unfolding, but not a single word of dialogue registered.

Fifteen minutes passed, enough to know he wasn’t coming back. I stood, walked to the trash can, and pulled out the business card.

I dialed the number.

It rang twice before he picked up.

“Hello, Ethan Carter speaking.”

His voice was steady, just like him.

“Hi, this is Mia Moore.”

“You checked with the registry?” he asked.

“I did.”

A beat of silence. “So. He’s been lying to you for six years.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you confront him?”

“I did. He won’t admit it.”

My knuckles whitened around the phone.

“Mr. Carter, I need a favor.”

“Name it.”

“Your card says you’re Vice President of Carter Group. If you really have that kind of pull, I need you to look into two things for me.”

“What?”

“First, find out if Liam is actually married.”

I paused.

“Second, check his job. I think… it’s all fake too.”

The third thought I didn’t say out loud:

I suspected I’d never been his wife at all.

I’d just been someone he kept on the side.

And those monthly deposits… were they an allowance? Hush money for playing the part of the dutiful, oblivious wife?