From Abandoned Puppet to the Tycoon's Contract Wife

The bedroom was immaculate. The moonlight spilled across the floor, highlighting the slight wrinkles on the expensive duvet.

Gabrielle set her bag on the armchair. Johan must have come home to nap between meetings. She unzipped her tote and pulled out the black lace lingerie she had bought specifically for tonight.

She unbuttoned her stiff blazer and let it drop to the floor. She unhooked her bra and stepped out of her skirt. The cold air hit her skin, making her shiver. She pulled the delicate lace over her body.

She walked over to the full-length mirror. She reached up and pulled the pins from her tight bun. Her dark, wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders. She took off the heavy black glasses and set them on the dresser.

The woman in the mirror did not look like an assistant. She looked striking. Her cheekbones were sharp, her eyes wide and clear. This was the face she hid from the world because Johan hated when people looked at her instead of him.

The sound of a key turning in the front door echoed through the quiet apartment.

Gabrielle's heart hammered against her ribs. He was early.

She looked around the room in a panic. The walk-in closet was her only option. She grabbed her clothes and her bag, darted into the massive closet, and pulled the door shut. She left a tiny crack open so she could see.

Footsteps approached the bedroom. Heavy, familiar steps. And then, the sharp click of high heels.

"Johan, are you sure your agent is not coming over?" a woman asked.

The voice was high and breathy. Gabrielle recognized it instantly. It was Lacey Morrow, the new actress Johan was supposed to be mentoring.

Gabrielle's stomach dropped. A cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck.

"Relax," Johan said. His voice was thick with amusement. "I told her I had a late meeting with the director. She believes everything I say."

Lacey giggled. She walked into Gabrielle's line of sight. She wrapped her arms around Johan's neck.

Gabrielle clamped her hand over her own mouth. Her teeth bit into her palm. The black lace against her skin suddenly felt like sandpaper. Her lungs forgot how to pull in air.

Lacey stopped in front of the mirrored closet door. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, staring at her reflection.

"When are you going to dump her?" Lacey asked. "I hate sneaking around like this."

Johan grabbed Lacey by the waist and pulled her away from the mirror. He threw her onto the bed.

"What is the rush?" Johan asked. "She is still useful to me."

The sound of their lips meeting sent a wave of bile up Gabrielle's throat. Her knees shook so violently she had to lean against the wooden shelves to stay upright.

Her perfect world shattered into jagged pieces right in front of her eyes. Five years of devotion. Five years of hiding her own light so he could shine.

She reached into her bag with trembling fingers. She pulled out her phone. Her hands shook so badly she almost dropped it. She opened the voice memo app and pressed record.

She could not just run out crying. She was a top-tier agent. She needed leverage.

The noises from the bed grew louder. Every gasp and moan felt like a physical blow to Gabrielle's chest. She squeezed her eyes shut. Hot tears burned a path down her cheeks, ruining her carefully applied makeup.

She forced her eyes open. She made herself watch through the crack in the door. She needed to burn this image into her brain so she would never be stupid enough to forgive him.

Outside the closet, Lacey suddenly stopped moving. She pushed Johan's chest.

"Honey," Lacey said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I feel like someone is in here."