Chapter 2

Sure enough, it took less than half an hour before Zachary, who claimed he had an urgent meeting, rushed home.

Ruby dashed down the stairs to greet him the moment she heard him, her voice sweet and eager. "Zach, you're back?"

Completely ignoring the displeasure on my face, Zachary smiled indulgently at her. "Ruby, go pick any room you like to settle in. If you need anything, just let me know."

His expression shifted when he looked at me sitting on the sofa, unmoved. His face darkened, and he strode over immediately.

Ruby, still glued to his side, pouted dramatically. "Zach, your maid doesn't seem to know how to do her job. Shouldn't she be helping when the master of the house comes home?"

Zachary grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me up. "Allison Gray! What the hell did you do?!"

I crossed my arms and smirked at him. "What did I do? I just made sure everyone knows about your new girlfriend. Wouldn't want people coming over and not knowing what to call her."

I glanced at the family group chat on my phone, seeing over 99 unread messages. The chaos I'd caused had stirred up quite a lively discussion. It had been a while since the group was this active.

Zachary snatched my phone from my hand. "Hurry up and explain to everyone. Tell them it's just a misunderstanding."

I let out a laugh. "Explain what? She said it herself. She said she wants to sleep with you."

Ruby, who had finally realized what was happening, stared at me in shock. Her face turned a sickly white, then red with embarrassment, her voice trembling as she stammered, "Zach... No, Allison... I'm really sorry, I didn't know you were..."

She sniffled and whimpered. "Allison, I was just joking! You wouldn't take it seriously, would you?"

I slowly sat back down, crossing my legs with deliberate nonchalance. "Don't act like you wouldn't have barged in here even if you knew I was Zach's fiancée.

"And one more thing—let me give you some advice: drop the act."

Seeing her tears start to fall, Zachary quickly pulled her into his arms and glared at me. "Al, can you not be so petty?! My mentor just passed away. His dying wish was for me to take care of Ruby!

"The house has always been quiet anyway. What's wrong with having one more person around to keep you company?"

His brows furrowed deeply, as if I were a stubborn child throwing a tantrum over nothing.

His self-righteous tone made me laugh out loud. "Quiet? There's Maria, Yolanda, George—Our servants are always here! Or are you blind?"

Ruby continued sobbing, her face a picture of delicate fragility. "If Allison doesn't want me here, I'll leave. I don't want to cause trouble..."

I immediately stood up, opened the front door, and gestured outward. "Then leave. And don't let me catch you going back on your word."

Her face went pale again, but this time, she didn't dare move a muscle.

Seeing this, Zachary sighed and stepped outside to grab her suitcase, dragging it back in. "Al, you have to understand... My mentor was really good to me. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even graduated from university. Ruby's just a lonely girl with no one to rely on. How can I turn my back on her?"

I crossed my arms and watched him with an amused expression. "What are you implying? Your mentor was good to you, so you should be the one to repay him. Why drag me into it?"

Zachary opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Oh, did your mentor forget to teach you to respect your wife? Just how to take care of your mistress?"

"Allison!" Zachary slammed his hand down on the table, furious. "Don't go too far! If you can't accept this, then move out!"

I frowned, my expression darker than the wrinkled bedspread Ruby had just been lounging on.

Fine.

I don't need the bed. I don't need the fiancé, either.

Nodding to myself, I glanced at my watch. "It's only a little past three. If you start now, you can probably be moved out by nine."

I pulled out my phone and called a moving company. Then, I turned to Zachary with a smile. "I've already booked a moving service for you. What are you standing there for? Start packing!"