Abandoned for a Fake Love

The evening before Hayes Corporation's IPO, I was arranging files in our bedroom when Mateo's voice called me from his home office. Something in his tone made me pause—there was an unusual seriousness that immediately put me on edge.

"Evie, can you come here for a minute?"

I found him standing by the window, his silhouette sharp against the city lights. Seven years together, and I still loved how he looked when he was thinking deeply about something important.

"What is it?" I asked, setting down the folder I'd been carrying.

He turned toward me, his expression unreadable. "I need to talk to you about something important."

My stomach tightened as he gestured for me to sit. Mateo never sat down for casual conversations.

"I've invited someone to stay with us," he said, his voice taking on that business-like tone I'd grown accustomed to during board meetings. "Her name is Leilany Pierce."

"Who is she?" I asked, though something in me already knew this wasn't going to be good news.

"She's what I call a 'lucky charm woman,'" Mateo explained, straightening his tie—a nervous habit I'd noticed whenever he was about to deliver bad news. "My business advisors and even a feng shui master I consulted agree that her presence will ensure our IPO's success."

I stared at him, searching his face for any sign he might be joking. "You want another woman to live with us? Before our wedding?"

"This is purely business, Evie," he said dismissively, waving his hand as if my concerns were trivial. "The IPO is everything we've worked for. Don't you understand what this means for our future?"

---

The next morning, the doorbell rang at precisely nine o'clock. I opened it to find a stunning woman with honey-blonde hair and eyes that assessed me instantly—and found me lacking.

"You must be Evie," she said, extending a manicured hand. "I'm Leilany Pierce."

Before I could respond, Mateo appeared behind me, his face lighting up in a way it hadn't for me in months. "Leilany! Right on time."

She stepped past me with three designer suitcases, her perfume lingering in her wake. Mateo took her bags without hesitation.

"I'll show you to your room," he said, leading her down the hallway.

I followed, watching as he pushed open the door to our master bedroom—the room where we'd shared countless nights, dreams, and whispered promises.

"This is perfect," Leilany said, spinning around the room that had been mine and Mateo's sanctuary.

"Evie will be moving to the guest room down the hall," Mateo announced casually.

"Wait—what?" My voice cracked. "This is our bedroom."

"It's just temporary," Mateo assured me, though his eyes never quite met mine. "Leilany needs the space with the best energy flow. The feng shui master was very specific about this."

As I packed my belongings that afternoon, I felt Leilany's eyes on me from the doorway. She leaned against the frame with casual elegance, watching me fold my clothes with deliberate slowness.

"This