The Unwelcome Guests

CASSIA

The expensive boutique shopping bags slipped from my fingers, hitting the imported marble floor of the foyer with a heavy, echoing thud. My designer heels clicked sharply against the polished hardwood as I marched straight into our expansive living room, my blood boiling with sudden, uncontainable rage. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, glaring at the impossible scene unfolding in my own home. My husband sat on our custom Italian leather sofa. Right beside him sat his first love.

"What is she doing here? I want her out of my house immediately." I let the anger bleed into every single syllable, refusing to mask my disgust.

"Cassia, lower your voice. You do not need to shout. We can hear you perfectly fine." My husband, Garrett, leaned forward. His posture remained rigid, his tone laced with ice. "I asked them to stay here."

"Them?" My gaze darted downward, finally registering the small toddler clinging to Kendra's faded skirt. The kid looked to be about two years old, staring up at me with wide, fearful eyes.

"Kendra and her child need a safe place to stay for the time being," Garrett stated, his jaw set in a stubborn line.

"And how exactly does that become my problem?" I shot back.

"They are going to live here under this roof. I expect you to be considerate, Cassia. I will not tolerate your usual bratty attitude. Am I understood?" His voice carried a heavy, undeniable authority.

I stared at the man I had called my husband for three long years. Three years of twisting myself into knots, trying to be the compassionate, attentive wife he supposedly wanted. I met Garrett first, long before his current fame and massive fortune. But he had not chosen me back then. He had fallen deep in love with my best friend, Kendra. I was born into immense wealth, accustomed to snapping my fingers and getting whatever I desired. So, when he picked her over me, I refused to accept defeat. I trapped him.

I used my family's massive influence to corner him into marrying me. Our parents were business partners, and Garrett was just stepping up to take the reins of his family's struggling company. I convinced my parents to offer his family a massive, life-changing business venture—with one non-negotiable condition. He had to sign a marriage certificate with me. Garrett was ambitious. He wanted to make a name for himself, and he knew he could not let a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. His parents accepted the offer, and the deal was struck. Kendra disappeared. I won.

At the time, the manipulation did not bother me. I was beautiful, rich, and confident. I figured my love would be enough for the both of us. Since then, Garrett had grown into one of the most successful, ruthless businessmen in the country. I spent the past few years convinced I could earn his true affection, but looking at Kendra sitting on my couch, my failure stared me right in the face.

I let out a harsh, bitter scoff. "You cannot be serious. Tell me this is a twisted joke."

"I do not fool around when it comes to this. I am dead serious, and I expect your cooperation." He issued the command without blinking.

"That is never going to happen," I sneered.

"This is not up for discussion. I am not asking for your permission. I am merely informing you of my decision." He stood up, dismissing me as if I were nothing more than a nuisance. He reached down to grab Kendra's worn duffel bags. "Let's go, Kendra. Let's get you settled upstairs."

I watched in stunned silence as my husband escorted his ex-girlfriend up our grand staircase. She held the baby against her hip, keeping her head bowed in a pathetic display of fake innocence. I had poured my heart and soul into making this marriage work. I was not about to let Kendra waltz back in and snatch away the life I had built.

I stormed up the stairs right on their heels. Garrett guided her toward the guest suite, the one directly adjacent to our master bedroom. He caught sight of me marching down the hallway toward them. He rolled his eyes, letting out a loud, exasperated breath.

"Get inside and get some rest. I will handle this." He shoved Kendra gently into the room and pulled the heavy oak door shut right in my face before I could even open my mouth.

"You cannot let them stay in this house," I insisted, planting my feet outside the closed door.

"That is not your decision to make, Cassia." He turned his back on me and walked briskly toward our master bedroom.

I trailed right behind him, pushing our bedroom door open just as he threw his suit jacket onto the mattress. "If you refuse to respect me as your wife, then at least respect me as a woman. How could you possibly think it is acceptable to move your ex-girlfriend into our marital home?"

"How many times do I have to explain this to you? They need my help. She is alone with a young child to care for. She cannot survive out there on her own. She is my friend. She used to be your best friend, too."

"Ex-best friend," I spat the correction out like poison.

"If you are worried that she holds a grudge against you for what you pulled in the past, you can drop the act. She has already forgiven you," he said, loosening his silk tie.

That was the furthest thing from my mind. I cared nothing for Kendra's forgiveness regarding my past theft of her boyfriend. The agonizing truth was that I had zero security in my relationship. Garrett was legally bound to me, but I knew I did not own his heart. I was terrified he was going to steal her away from me, exacting a cruel revenge for what I did to her three years ago.

I dragged a hand through my hair, letting out a long, ragged sigh. It was painfully obvious he was determined to bring Kendra back into our daily lives.

"Fine. If you want to play the hero and save her from the streets, go right ahead. I will not stop you from funding her life. But we own dozens of properties. Give her one of the vacant condos downtown. Give her the townhouse. She does not need to sleep in the room next to ours."

"She needs more than just a roof over her head, Cassia. She needs a support system."

I crossed the room, my heart hammering furiously against my ribs. "Why do you insist she stays right here? Are you still in love with her?"

The words rushed out of my mouth before I could stop them. Panic seized my throat the second they hung in the air. I desperately wanted to suck them back in. We had played the roles of husband and wife for three years, sharing a home, a bed, a life. Yet, I could always feel a cold phantom standing right between our bodies.

I held my breath, waiting for his answer. The silence in the master bedroom stretched out, thick and suffocating. The antique clock on the mantel ticked loudly. One second. Two seconds. Three. He just stood there, staring down at the carpet. He could have denied it instantly. He could have looked me in the eye and said no. Instead, he took his time, chewing on the question as if weighing the consequences of his honesty. The heavy, oppressive silence shattered my heart into a million irreparable pieces. I did not need to hear a verbal confirmation. His hesitation was the loudest answer I had ever received.

"She is staying. I expect you to behave yourself." He grabbed his car keys from the nightstand, turned on his heel, and strode out of the bedroom, leaving me alone in the suffocating quiet.

I refused to back down. We were legally married, and I had every right to dictate who slept in my house. I gathered my fractured pride and marched back out into the hallway.

"Garrett, we are not done talking about this!" I called out, chasing after him.

But as I stepped out of the room, I saw his broad back already disappearing down the staircase, heading for the front door. He ignored me.

"You still cannot take no for an answer, can you? You really haven't changed a bit, Cassia."

The sickeningly sweet, mocking voice came from behind me. I froze, closing my eyes for a brief second to gather my composure. I let out a harsh breath, squared my shoulders, and turned around. Kendra leaned casually against the doorframe of the guest room. She had her arms crossed over her chest, a smug, triumphant smile plastered across her face. The helpless victim act she had put on for Garrett had vanished without a trace.

"What exactly do you want, Kendra?" I kept my voice icy and level, refusing to show weakness.

"Three years." She let out a soft, venomous laugh. "You had a massive three-year head start. Yet, I still managed to steal him right back away from you the very second I returned."

"Steal? You haven't stolen anything. I am still his wife, just in case you failed to notice the ring on his finger and the house you are currently squatting in." I dug my fingernails into my palms, praying she could not see the massive insecurities eating away at my insides.

"Not for long. If I were you, I would scrape together whatever tiny shred of dignity you have left and walk out the front door. It would be much less humiliating than waiting around for Garrett to throw you out like garbage." She pushed herself off the doorframe, taking a step closer.

I closed the distance between us, taking slow, deliberate steps until we were mere inches apart. I looked down at her, channeling every ounce of my wealthy upbringing to project pure intimidation. I needed her to know I was ready for a war. "That is never going to happen."

"Why? Because you honestly believe Garrett loves you?"

I stood stunned. The words logged in my throat, choking me. I desperately wanted to scream yes. I wanted to laugh in her face and tell her she was crazy. But we both knew it would be a pathetic lie. In over a thousand days of marriage, Garrett had never once uttered those three words to me. It was always me bending over backward, pouring my heart out, praying that my devotion would eventually wear him down.

"I thought so." Her smirk deepened into something cruel and predatory. "I gave you three solid years with him. Now, I am taking him back. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water. A cold shiver raced down my spine. My chest ached with a profound, suffocating grief, but I forced my chin higher. I refused to let this woman see me bleed. I refused to let her see my terror. Even if Garrett did not love me yet, he belonged to me. He was my husband.

"Do not get too cocky, Kendra. You have been gone a long time. During those three years, I have carved out a permanent place in his heart." I kept my voice dangerously steady, masking the tremor in my hands.

"Want to make a bet on that?" Her eyes gleamed with malicious amusement. "Do you honestly believe he will choose you over me when push comes to shove? You failed to make him love you. Your time is up. It is my turn now."

I clenched my fists tightly at my sides, letting the fiery anger burn away the lingering heartbreak. "He might not shower me with romantic declarations, but we have built a life together. There is a bond between us now. You cannot just erase my existence."

She let out a cold, sharp bark of laughter. "You are so incredibly naive. Garrett belonged to me long before you bought him. Deep down in that cold heart of yours, you know he never stopped loving me."

Every single syllable she spoke acted like a jagged dagger plunging directly into my chest, twisting and tearing at my raw nerves. I fought back the stinging tears threatening to spill over my eyelashes. I would die before I let her see me cry.

"Then let him decide." I narrowed my eyes, issuing a direct challenge. "Let us see who he truly wants to spend the rest of his life with."

"Oh, I intend to." She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "But do not come crying to me when he chooses the woman he actually wants."

She turned her back on me and walked into the guest room, shutting the door firmly behind her. I stood alone in the quiet hallway, staring at the wood grain. A fierce, defensive resolve settled over me, hardening the soft, broken pieces of my heart. I was not going to give up on my marriage. I refused to surrender without a massive fight. I would remind Garrett of everything we had built. I would make him see that I was a wife worth loving.