My Husband Kept A Mistress As My Stand-In

The next morning, Maddie Mills woke to find Archer Williams moving around the kitchen, his broad shoulders tapering to a lean waist in a silhouette that still had the power to make her chest ache. It was a reminder, tender and painful, of how Archer had learned to cook just for her.

She remembered the hellish stretch when Williams Corporation had been under siege. His business rivals had come at him through her, bribing someone to poison her food. She'd slipped into a coma for three days and nights. When she finally woke, Archer was right there, eyes bloodshot, gripping her hand like it was the only thing keeping him upright. The formidable man had looked so broken then, holding her while tears streamed down his face.

After that day, Archer threw himself into cooking and took over every meal she ate. Within a month, the man who couldn't tell salt from sugar was cooking like a professional chef.

A phone rang, slicing through the memory. Maddie glanced over. Archer's phone. She didn't reach for it. Archer came out of the kitchen, apron still on, and picked it up. His tension was subtle, but she caught it. Maddie pretended not to notice and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she came back, breakfast was on the table and Archer was slipping into his suit jacket. He smiled that gentle smile. “Something urgent came up at the office. I can't stay for breakfast.”

Maddie's voice was cool. “Work is important.”

Archer was in enough of a rush that he missed the strange coldness in her voice as he hurried out the door. Maddie watched him go, face blank, then dumped every bite of breakfast in the trash.

She picked up her phone and dialed. “I've reconsidered your offer. I'm in.”

A burst of excitement came through the line, followed by a rush of eager words. “Maddie, why the sudden change of heart? You always said marriage was your priority.”

Something mocking flickered through Maddie's eyes. Marriage? Their marriage had been a sham from the start.

The call was with her former mentor from her time studying abroad. He'd recently reached out, asking her to join his new project team. She'd turned him down before because she was still thinking about Archer. Now, she regretted not seeing the farce of her marriage sooner.

After she hung up, Maddie checked her passport and booked the earliest available appointment to renew it. Expedited processing would still take time.

But before she left, there was one more thing she had to handle.

That evening, Maddie walked into a private auction at the Ritz-Carlton. She was there for one thing: a piece of her mother's belongings.

Her mother had died when Maddie was eight. Not long after, the family estate sold off her mother's heirlooms. Over the years, Maddie had slowly tracked down the lost items, though she'd only managed to recover a handful.

One of tonight's featured lots was a rare antique jade bracelet that had belonged to her mother. No matter the price, Maddie was getting it back.

She settled into her seat before the auction began. She was flipping through the catalog when she heard Archer's voice nearby.

“Didn't I already buy you a set of emerald jewelry? Still not satisfied?” His tone held that familiar tenderness—the one Maddie knew too well.

A playful voice answered. “Your taste is terrible! I want to pick out my own birthday present!”

Maddie stayed quiet, watching from a distance as Archer and the woman beside him, Bailee Wagner, crossed the room. Their eyes met. Archer's expression shifted instantly.

Almost reflexively, he pulled free of Bailee's hold and hurried over to Maddie. “Maddie,” he said urgently, reaching her side. “I called you, but you didn't answer. Were you trying to surprise me?”

He tried to hide it, but panic lingered in his eyes. Maddie played dumb, her voice indifferent. “My phone was on silent. I didn't hear it.”

Archer visibly relaxed. He took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his voice gentle with concern. “Your hands are freezing. Didn't I tell you it was getting cold today? You should've dressed warmer. If you get sick, it'll break my heart.” He signaled a server for a blanket and carefully draped it over her shoulders.

Maddie didn't react. Her gaze slid to Bailee, whose expression had gone dark. Bailee bit her lip and sulked into the seat beside Archer, resentment burning in her eyes.

Archer leaned in and lowered his voice. “Our company just landed a major project, and Bailee put in a lot of work. Her birthday's coming up, so I figured a gift was in order—sort of a bonus for her efforts.”

He looked at Maddie anxiously. “You're not upset, are you?”

Bailee chimed in, her voice delicate. “Ms. Mills, if my presence bothers you, I can leave. I don't want to interfere.”

Maddie smiled, a thin curve that didn't reach her eyes. “We're married now. Something this trivial doesn't bother me in the slightest.”

The auction began soon after. Archer barely spared Bailee a glance. His attention stayed on Maddie as he flipped through the catalog and bid on almost every item.

“Darling, this piece would look stunning on you,” he murmured, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Maddie's gaze flicked to the corner, where Bailee sat in silence, clutching the edge of Archer's jacket. Their eyes met in a covert exchange, thick with silent understanding.

Maddie hid her mocking smile. The whole thing was absurd. There sat Archer, blissfully indulging in his two loves, convinced he was being fair to both. One woman had the title, the other had the open affection—where was the injustice?

But Maddie had never wanted to balance those scales. Archer was just a minor mistake on her path—one she intended to correct.

“Next up, a rare antique jade bracelet, beautifully carved and exceptionally well preserved—starting bid, seventy-five thousand dollars, with a minimum increase of five thousand!”

The auctioneer's enthusiastic announcement named Maddie's target for the evening.

Numbers flashed on the screen as bids climbed fast. “Paddle seventeen, ninety thousand! Paddle nine, one hundred twelve thousand five hundred!”

“Any higher offers?”

As the first round wound down, Maddie raised her paddle. “Two hundred twenty-five thousand.”

The bid doubled in an instant. The bracelet was exquisite, but it wasn't the night's centerpiece. At Maddie's steep bid, the room went silent. No one else moved.

“Paddle eleven, two hundred twenty-five thousand!”

“Two hundred twenty-five thousand going once! Going twice!”

The auctioneer lifted his gavel. “If there are no further bids, I declare, two hundred twenty-five thousand—”

“Two hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred.”

A soft voice cut in. Bailee had nestled up beside Archer, timidly lifting her paddle. Her voice was small. “Do I put my bid in here?”