The Other Mrs. Hayes

On my second day after transferring to City Hall, I took over one of my coworker's cases. A young woman had come in for a certified copy of her marriage certificate. My coworker chuckled. "This is her ninety-ninth time requesting it. We already have all her paperwork on file, so it'll only take a minute." I blinked. "Ninety-nine times?" She laughed. "Yep. She married a wealthy older man, and every time they get into a fight, they tear up their marriage certificate. That's how they vent. "Only an older husband would tolerate that kind of childish behavior. I heard her husband is from the Hayes family, the wealthiest family in Havenbrook." I frowned at once. "Anyone from the Hayes family should know better than to behave like that. Are you sure her husband isn't an impostor?" My coworker immediately clapped a hand over my mouth, looking horrified. "For heaven's sake, keep your voice down. He's the real deal. Hunter Hayes, the head of the Hayes family." I froze. My phone slipped from my hand and landed on the desk. The screen lit up with a photo of me leaning against Hunter. The young woman in front of me suddenly went pale. She snatched my phone off the desk. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Why do you have a picture with my husband?" Chapter 1 The House I Thought Was Ours I parted my lips, but no words came out. It felt as if something had lodged itself in my throat. She had said Hunter was her husband, but the man in that photo was my husband of five years. The Hayes family was one of the most powerful families in Havenbrook, with influence reaching into every corner of the city. That was why we had kept our marriage a secret. Hunter had told me it was to protect me. He said he was too busy with work, and once the media found out, they would never leave me alone. I believed him. I believed him for five whole years. I never imagined that, in the end, I would turn out to be the biggest fool of all. The young woman's face flushed with anger. "I've seen women like you before. The moment you spot a rich man, you throw yourselves at him without a shred of shame, trying to ruin someone else's marriage. And you work at City Hall? I'm filing a complaint. I'll make sure you lose your job." My coworker hurried to smooth things over. "Ms. Summers, please calm down. I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding." "A misunderstanding? The photo speaks for itself." I took a slow breath, retrieved my phone, and was surprised by how steady my voice sounded. "It is a misunderstanding. I used to work in the neighboring city as a reporter. I interviewed Mr. Hayes once, and we took a photo together. That's all." Chloe studied me, still suspicious. "You interviewed him?" "Yes. It was for work." She watched me for a few more seconds before finally relaxing. "Oh… I'm sorry. I misunderstood." She smiled awkwardly. "It's just that my husband is too outstanding. Women are always trying to get close to him, so I've gotten a little paranoid." I smiled back. "It's okay. So… about the copy of marriage certificate… You're still missing your IDs," I said. "You'll have to go home and get them." Chloe frowned. "I don't live far. I'll just run home and grab them." "I'll go with you." I stood up. "I can take photos of them and bring them back, so you won't have to make another trip." She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. Let's go." I followed her out of City Hall. She drove a brand-new white Porsche, and the entire interior was decorated in pink. … Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a neighborhood that looked painfully familiar. When I followed her upstairs and stopped outside the apartment, my heart skipped a beat. I knew this place far too well. Five years ago, when Hunter and I got married, I had used every dollar I had saved before the wedding as the down payment on this apartment. I knew the Hayes family was unimaginably wealthy and would never care about a place like this. I only wanted to prove that I had not married him for his money. Back then, Hunter had told me the company was strapped for cash. He wanted to keep our marriage private for the time being, and once business picked up, we would have a real wedding. I understood. I supported him. Later, when the company was thriving again, he never mentioned the wedding or the apartment. I asked him about it a few times. He told me he had rented it out. The rent showed up in my account every month without fail, so I never had any reason to come see it myself. Standing in the entryway, I saw an enormous wedding portrait hanging in the center of the living room. Hunter was dressed in a white suit. The woman beside him wore a sweeping white gown, smiling as sweetly as if she had won the entire world. "Come on in. Have a seat," Chloe called. I stepped inside, feeling unsteady on my feet. In five years of marriage, Hunter had never given me a wedding. We did not even have a wedding portrait. The only photo we had together was one I had begged him to take during a vacation. Even then, he had stood beside me looking more like a stranger than my husband. Yet here, hanging on the wall, was a wedding portrait of him and another woman. Nearly seven feet by seven feet, framed in gold, placed directly across from the sofa. "Your home feels really cozy," I said, forcing a smile. She laughed. "I actually think the portrait's way too big. It's kind of tacky. But my husband insisted on hanging it. He said he wanted everyone who walked in to know I was his wife." "He… treats you well." "I guess." She tried to sound modest, but the pride in her eyes gave her away. "Have a seat. I'll go find the IDs." I sat down on the couch, unable to look away from the portrait. Hunter's smile was warm and tender. It was a smile I had never once seen directed at me. So it was not that he disliked taking photos. He just disliked taking photos with me. Chapter 2 The Name He Chose Chloe searched for a while, then came back empty-handed. "That's weird. The IDs aren't here." She picked up her phone. "I'll ask my husband." The call connected, and she put it on speaker. "Honey, where did you put our IDs? I'm trying to get a copy of our marriage certificate, and I can't find them." Hunter's voice came through the phone, warm with affection. "You tore it up again? Honestly, you're a mother now, and you're still such a child." She pouted playfully. "Then, where did you put them?" "I have them. I took them with me because I was out looking at houses for you today. I'll bring them home when I get back." "Then, hurry. I'll be waiting." "I will. Did you buy the baby's formula?" "I did. The brand you recommended." "Good girl. I'll see you soon." The call ended, and Chloe smiled so brightly it almost hurt to look at. "My husband's on his way home now. Sorry to keep you waiting. Oh, let me show you my son." She took my hand and led me toward the bedroom. "He's six months old. He's the cutest thing." I followed her numbly until we reached the nursery. Only then did I fully register where I was. A fair, chubby baby was sleeping peacefully in the crib. Chloe leaned over the railing, her face glowing with a mother's tenderness. "Isn't he adorable? My husband says he looks just like me." I stood beside her, feeling the cold spread through my body. They even had a child together. Hunter and I had been married for five years. I had gotten pregnant once, six months ago. At seven months, I went into premature labor, and we lost the baby. Afterward, Hunter said we should focus on his career and wait before trying again. I thought he was worried I was still grieving. I never questioned it. Now I knew the truth. It was not that he did not want another child. He simply did not want one with me. "What's his name?" I asked. Chloe's smile grew even sweeter. "Ross Hayes. My husband picked it. He said it meant something special to him." The world seemed to explode around me. Ross. That was the name Hunter and I had chosen together. When I first found out I was pregnant, he said we should pick a beautiful name for our baby. I suggested several before we finally settled on Ross. Because my name was Rose, he had told me Ross would always remind him of me. "Why was it so special?" I asked before I could stop myself. Chloe let out a quiet sigh. "My husband's first wife was named Rose. She died in childbirth, and the baby didn't survive either. He chose this name to remember her." I looked at her, bitterness filling my mouth until I could not speak. Her expression dimmed. "You probably think I'm childish for tearing up our marriage certificate every time we fight, but the truth is… I've never really felt secure. He loved his late wife that much. Who's to say one day he won't…" She trailed off. I stood beside the crib, staring at the sleeping baby. My chest ached. If the child I had lost at seven months had survived, my baby would have been about this age now. "So, he told you his first wife died in childbirth?" Chloe nodded with a faint smile. "Yeah. It devastated him. He didn't get over it for years. Then he met me, and little by little, he started to move on. Sometimes I think it was fate. I look a little like her." I studied her face. She looked nothing like me. But if we had one thing in common, it was that we were both fools. "Does he treat you well?" I asked. Her eyes lit up. "He does. He's wonderful. He's just busy all the time. But he promised that after a few more years, he'll hand the company over to someone else and take me traveling around the world." I nodded. He had made that same promise to me. Five years ago. Chapter 3 The Home He Gave Her I stood in the nursery for a while, and little by little, my mind cleared. "I didn't see any photos of his late wife." Chloe gave a faint smile. "I asked him about that once. He said when someone's gone, they're gone. As long as they live in your heart, that's enough. He didn't see the point of keeping up appearances." I lowered my eyes. 'As long as they live in your heart.' What a beautiful thing to say. But my baby, the child I lost at seven months, where did that child live now? I slowly unclenched my fist. Deep crescent marks covered my palm. "There's something else I wanted to ask." "Hmm?" "Your family's so wealthy. Why do you live in such an ordinary apartment?" Chloe smiled. "Because I wanted to. My husband's so rich that his life barely felt real anymore. I asked him to buy a place in a regular neighborhood because I wanted to live like an ordinary person." She pointed at the decorations on the walls. "See? I decorated everything myself. He wasn't used to it at first, but eventually he grew to love it too. He said this was what a real home felt like." "So, your husband bought this place for you?" "Yeah. He bought it as a gift." She lowered her voice. "I'll tell you a secret. I had my own selfish reason too. If he ever decided he didn't want me anymore, at least I wouldn't have nowhere to go. He promised me this apartment would always be mine." As I listened, an icy chill spread through my chest. No wonder Hunter had asked me for the deed two years ago. Back then, he told me he wanted to rent the apartment out for me. He said the rent would give me my own income, so I could be an independent woman instead of always asking him for money. And the apartment he had supposedly rented out had become the home of his other wife. "You're so lucky," I said, my voice trembling. Chloe smiled and went back to playing with the baby. I stood beside her, quietly watching her profile. She couldn't have been more than twenty-two or twenty-three. She knew nothing. But even if she did, what difference would it make? Chapter 4 Face to Face Lost in thought, I was startled when the baby in the crib suddenly began to cry. Chloe hurried over, scooped him up, and gently patted his back as she soothed him. I stepped closer for a look. The moment I saw him, a chill shot through my body. Behind his right ear was a tiny skin tag. My eyes widened in disbelief. Six months ago, when I was seven months pregnant, the ultrasound had shown that my baby had the same tiny skin tag behind his right ear. The doctor had told me it was a harmless congenital defect that could be removed with a simple procedure after birth. How could this be possible? "How old is he?" I asked, unable to stop myself. "Six months. He just turned six months old." Still rocking the baby, Chloe sighed. "He's just so frail. He's always getting sick. The doctor said it's because he was born premature." My hands began to shake. "Premature?" "Yeah. I was terrified of giving birth, so I told my husband I didn't want to go through it myself. He couldn't bear to see me suffer, so he arranged for IVF and hired another woman to carry the baby for us." She let out another sigh. "Turns out the surrogate wasn't very healthy. She went into labor at seven months. The baby spent two months in the NICU after he was born. We almost lost him." "What happened to the surrogate?" Chloe shrugged, unconcerned. "She took the money and left. My husband said people like that couldn't stay around. He was afraid she'd come back asking for more money someday, so he paid her off and sent her away." I stared at the baby in her arms, tears welling in my eyes. A terrifying thought slowly took shape in my mind. Could this be the baby I had supposedly lost at seven months? If it was true, Hunter deserved to be torn apart piece by piece. I forced myself to steady my trembling voice. "You never met the surrogate?" Chloe frowned as she thought about it. "I don't know. I never saw her. My husband handled everything." She studied my face, concern creeping into her expression. "Are you okay? You look so pale." I shook my head. "I'm fine. I skipped breakfast, and my blood sugar's a little low." She looked at me suspiciously, as if she wanted to say something, but held back. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Hunter. "I'm working late tonight. I won't be home. Get some sleep." I stared at the message before slowly lowering my phone. … At that moment, someone knocked on the front door. "That has to be my husband!" Beaming, Chloe carried the baby out of the nursery. A few seconds later, the door opened. Then I heard a familiar voice. "Babe, did you miss me?" "I did! Oh, by the way, the City Hall representative came by today to verify some information. She's still here." Footsteps headed toward the nursery. I stood in the doorway and watched the familiar man walk in. He wore a charcoal-gray suit, with a briefcase hanging from one hand. The instant Hunter saw me, he froze. The color drained from his face as if he had seen a ghost. In that moment, every emotion inside me disappeared. I looked at him coldly, smiled, and took one step forward. "What is it? Surprised to see your dead wife standing right in front of you?"