Not Yours to Control

On our wedding day, my boyfriend, Hayden Grant, had me thrown out of the chapel. Instead, he walked down the aisle hand-in-hand with his childhood sweetheart.

I went back in and collapsed at the side of the aisle. The bouquet slipped from my hands, and scattered petals fell everywhere. However, his eyes did not linger on me for even half a second.

"Selena's child needs a dad. Once that's taken care of, I'll marry you."

Everyone thought I, the lovesick fool, would willingly wait another month.

After all, I had already waited for him for seven years.

However, that night, I did something no one expected.

I agreed to my parents' arranged marriage and left the country.

Three years later, I returned home to visit my parents.

My husband, William Fields, was the CEO of a multinational corporation. When an unexpected, important meeting came up, he asked me to head to the company's branch back home ahead of him, where his subordinates would take care of me.

To my surprise, one of those subordinates turned out to be Hayden, the man I had not seen in three years.

His eyes went straight to the sparkling diamond on my ring finger.

"Is this a knockoff of that pink diamond Mr. Fields bought for his wife that's worth five million dollars? I didn't expect you to become so vain after all these years.

"You've stirred up enough drama. Come home. Selena's kid is in school now, so it's the perfect chance for you to take care of his lunches."

I did not say a word and just traced the ring with my fingertips.

He had no idea that this was the cheapest of all the gems William had ever given me.

The moment I stepped into the company's reception area, I saw a sign in the most prominent spot in the room that read: [A Warm Welcome to Mrs. Fields!]

Standing right behind that sign was someone I had not seen in three years—my ex-boyfriend, Hayden Grant.

Three years had passed, yet he still had not offered an explanation, let alone an apology.

There he was, standing tall and smug in the middle of the crowd. Selena Reed was clinging to his arm, and there was a cluster of fawning subordinates at his back.

One of them spotted me right away and let out a sly little laugh. "Wait, Hayden, isn't that the little fangirl who used to trail after you back in the day? What was her name again? Vivi or something? How did she even get into the company?"

Hayden was stunned for a moment. However, he quickly put on an air of indifference as though everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.

"She must've used my name to get in. I told you, she can't stay away from me. Sooner or later, she was bound to come back."

The group burst out laughing.

"Back then, when Vivian disappeared without a word, I thought she had grown a backbone. Turns out she just couldn't resist once she heard you'd become an executive at a top firm!"

"But seriously, Vivian, if you're going to pretend this is some casual run-in, at least dress the part. What on earth are you wearing? Is that your grandma's bedsheet?"

"Did leaving Hayden leave you so broke that you can't even afford a decent outfit? That's just pathetic."

They thought I was the same girl from years ago—the one who wore heavy makeup, dressed provocatively, and always tried desperately to please Hayden.

They did not know that I quit that ridiculous act three years ago.

I had married a man who cherished me and did not treat me like a plaything—William Fields, the CEO of a top multinational corporation.

The thick, loose shawl I was wearing had been specially made by William to keep me warm during my pregnancy.

I had also grown used to going barefaced since carrying our child.

I was the Mrs. Fields they were waiting for, but they had not realized it yet.

Noticing my silence, one of the colleagues who used to know me rushed to lighten the mood for me. "Vivian, it's good to have you back. Hayden has been looking everywhere for you and asks about you all the time."

Hayden's smile stiffened.

Trying to preserve his dignity, he gave a dismissive shrug and said, "Selena's kid is about to start school, so we need someone to be in charge of his lunch. Stop making things difficult and just come back to cook for him."

Hayden had not changed. He was still as arrogant and self-assured as ever.

Nevertheless, I was no longer the lovestruck girl who once looked at him like he had hung the moon and the stars in the sky. Now, all I felt was disgust.

Tired of their nonsense, I was about to tell them the truth about who I was when Selena cut in with a saccharine voice.

"Vivian, don't blame Hayden. He's only thinking about what's best for you. You've been gone for three years. Who knows what kind of lowly jobs you've been working?

"Look at yourself now, penniless and pathetic. He just wants to give you an opportunity at stability. Of course, being his secretary would only embarrass him.

"Don't worry. If you help me take care of the child, no one will look down on you."

I arched my brow. My hands instinctively brushed against my belly, but I did not answer.

I wondered how far their arrogance could possibly go.

Hayden mistook my silence for jealousy. He put on a mocking smile. "Enough. You couldn't make it out there and came crawling back. You should be grateful I'm even offering you a job.

"Take care of the child. Stop causing trouble, and learn your place.

"I know you can't live without me. Well, there's a break room reserved for the cleaning staff. You can stay there."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the people around us burst into mocking laughter.

"See, Vivian? Hayden's being so kind. He's worried you've suffered, so he's giving you food and shelter."

"He's only asking you to bring meals for Selena's kid. Isn't that already a huge step up from the shabby life you used to have? Aren't you going to thank him?"

"Do you think she can even handle it? I hope she doesn't end up giving the kid food poisoning."

Selena deliberately played with the diamond earrings on her ears. She put on a fake sweet voice to add, "Don't worry, Vivian. My son isn't picky. He'll eat whatever you make, but he does eat a lot. You'll have to start cooking a few hours before every meal. Does that feel a bit too much to ask of you?"

Hayden let out a derisive laugh and shot a glance at me. "Too much? She vanished over nothing back then, and now she wants back in. It's only fair that she eats some humble pie."

My brows furrowed when I heard that.

Even now, he actually believed that throwing me out on our wedding day and replacing his bride was no big deal?

I finally understood that the boy who once stayed by my hospital bed all night after my accident, spent his last ten dollars to buy me a cake, and swore before his parents' graves that he would love me forever, was long gone.

All that remained was this arrogant, pathetic shell.

It was what it was.

All of that was in the past and no longer worth mentioning.

After all, I was about to give birth to my second child.