Chapter 1 The Beginning Of The End

Soft moans escaped Brylee Pearson's lips as she lay on the bed in the dimly lit room.

Chinks of moonlight peeped through the curtains and fell on her hair. Two intertwined shadows danced on the wall.

Davies Harrison suddenly shook and let out a loud groan. He reached out to lift Brylee's jaw. Then he leaned in to kiss her.

His hot breath sprayed on her face. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. With a frown, she turned her head away and pushed his hand.

"That's enough. I'm already tired."

Before Davies could say anything, Brylee pushed him off, wrapped her naked body in a blanket, and walked into the bathroom in a hurry.

After the door was shut with a bang, Davies ran his fingers through his hair. His desire faded away. A serious expression appeared on his face.

He leaned on the headboard and continued to stare at the bathroom door. There was something different about his wife.

In the bathroom, the shower glass was murky due to the steam.

Brylee stood under the shower and repeatedly scrubbed her skin hard as if she had just fallen into a pit of mud.

Her marriage to Davies was a secret contractual one. They were together for benefits. In the past year, Brylee enjoyed sex because she loved him.

Things were different now. She felt nothing but disgust after he touched her.

Her mind kept going back to what she had seen in the afternoon. Fury swept through her. She placed her hands on the wall as her body shook uncontrollably.

Brylee returned from a work trip earlier in the day. The second she got off the plane, a call came through from the editor-in-chief of the news agency she worked for.

He gave her an earful for exposing the scandalous story about one of the news agency's advertisers. To punish her, he transferred her from the social news department to the entertainment one, and her first assignment was to investigate the suspected romance between Davies and Nicole Riley.

Brylee dragged her luggage out of the airport, only to receive a great shocker. She froze on the spot.

Davies' car was parked by the road with the backseat door open.

A young woman squealed and got into the car. She jumped into Davies' embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It was the first time Brylee saw that woman. However, she didn't need to be told who she was.

She was none other than Nicole, the woman Brylee's boss just spoke about.

Nicole was the adopted daughter of Davies' uncle. They grew up together and were as thick as thieves.

The Harrison family had long looked forward to seeing them married.

However, Nicole chose to leave the country a year ago.

One thing led to another and Davies ended up marrying Brylee instead. It had been a year but the Harrison family still didn't like her.

They looked down on her. In their opinion, she was just a rustic hick who didn't deserve to be a part of the family.

A journalist like her was the least qualified to be Davies' wife in their books. They hated her guts.

The Harrisons saw her as a pain in the ass. They treated her with indifference and disdain.

A sharp pain pulled Brylee back to reality. She shut off the shower before the hot water could peel her skin.

When she stepped out of the bathroom in her bathrobe, the damp and warm haze of moisture followed her into the bedroom.

In the room, Davies was sitting up on the bed, bare-chested. His chiseled and muscular upper body was in view. The light from his phone screen reflected on his handsome face.

"Davies," Brylee called out in a hoarse voice.

He looked up with his eyebrows furrowed. His cold expression made him look more attractive. "You have been acting strange since you got back. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Let's get a divorce," Brylee looked at Davies and said firmly.

She had been in love with Davies long before they got married. Although she knew he didn't feel the same way, she thought that would change after they got married.

She put in her all to make him fall for her, but all her efforts came to naught. She got a reality check earlier today. This was a real marriage to her. However, it appeared Davies saw it as just what it was—a collaboration.

The pain in her heart was unbearable. Her love for him started fading away recently.

The scene of him intimately hugging Nicole today was the last straw.

"Why?"

Davies frowned and looked into her misty eyes. The moment of passion they just shared was still fresh, but tension filled the room now.

"Nicole is back." Brylee clenched her fists and replied, "It's time for me to leave. You were supposed to marry Nicole, so I'll leave you to do that."

"Is this the reason?" Davies asked, putting his phone down. His voice still sounded calm. However, Brylee sensed that he was upset.

She walked toward him slowly. Just then, something pulled her back. The waistband of her bathrobe had gotten hooked on the wheelchair close by.

"That's enough grounds for divorce, isn't it?"

Brylee stopped beside him. She stared at his calves underneath the quilt and smiled bitterly before saying, "It was stupid of me to have forgotten that you had someone else in your heart. She's even the reason why you are in this state."

Davies frowned and tapped his fingers on his phone screen.

He was silent, but his fiery eyes spoke more than enough.

Brylee thought he was only keeping silent because words failed him. A lump went up her throat. She said as calmly as she could, "You should be happy that I'm asking for a divorce."

"Oh, stop being a drama queen." Davies sighed deeply. He then said, "Have you forgotten why you married me in the first place? You can't divorce me, Brylee. I'll pretend that this conversation never happened."

Brylee clenched her fists even more. She said loudly, "I haven't forgotten that. You can't force me to stay married to you. I'll get my lawyer to draw up the divorce papers and send them to you. Let's get this over and done with!"

Shocked, Davies looked up at her.

Brylee had already turned around. She stormed out before he could find the right words to say.