Dear Sweetheart — Free Preview

Rayna Garland had never imagined that her husband would cheat on her on their very first wedding anniversary.

No. Perhaps he had been cheating all this while, but she hadn't found out until now.

Based on her original plan, she should have been on a flight to Marsingfill.

However, after much deliberation, she decided to cancel her business trip. Instead, she—in order to give her husband a surprise—ordered some flowers, cake, and red wine.

And yet, she ended up receiving an even larger surprise.

Rayna heard the female voice again. “Julian, I'm divorced, so when are you going to do the same? You shouldn't delay it anymore. It's better to just get it over with, rather than prolong the agony.”

“There's no need to rush. The divorce is just a matter of time,” Julian Faymon replied.

He, too, had once thought that love was enough to maintain the marriage. However, other than hugging, he and Rayna had made no progress whatsoever.

As time went by, he began to feel frustrated.

Nevertheless, the idea of divorce was still too abrupt for him. He had yet to figure out how to tell Rayna and get her to leave without taking any assets.

Rayna gripped her phone and suppressed the churning in her stomach.

No wonder Julian has been coming home less frequently. It turns out that he has been having an affair! Also, I remember that woman. She's Julian's superior at work. In fact, Julian even mentioned that he has to ingratiate himself with her in order to get promoted. Is this his way of gaining her favor?

Rayna gritted her teeth in anger and resisted the urge to barge through the door.

Her rationality kept her from throwing away the cake and flowers in her hands. Instead, she whipped out her phone and took a picture of the scene in the bedroom.

After walking out of the main entrance of the condominium, Rayna disposed of the items she was holding in the bin. As she raised her hand to hail a cab, the phone in her pocket rang.

Instead of picking up, she bent down, entered the cab, and settled herself in the backseat. Her phone screen continued blinking, an indication of the caller's persistence.

Feeling annoyed, she finally answered the call from Julian's mother—Rolanda Macpherson.

“Rayna, what's the meaning of this? I've made you an appointment with the city's top fertility specialist. It's one thing for you to stand him up, but how dare you not pick up my call? If you don't want to bear any children for the Faymon family, you should make your intentions known earlier and divorce Julian. There are plenty of women who are willing to take your place,” Rolanda ranted.

The mere mention of the Faymon family caused Rayna to clench her fists.

Ever since she married into the Faymon family, her parents-in-law had never treated her as a family member.

From their perspective, she—having come from a poor background—should feel grateful to have the honor of bearing a child for the Faymon family.

Hmph, why was I taken in by Julian's false promises back then? He vowed to care for me for the rest of our lives and to convince his parents to accept me. In fact, he didn't mind not sharing a bed because of my past emotional trauma and was willing to work toward reopening my heart. And now, I'm ready to do so, but what about him?

With Rolanda's curses echoing in the background, Rayna was so outraged that her fingers turned pale when she recalled the scene at the condominium.

She tightened her grip on her phone and enunciated, “You can rest assured that I will divorce Julian. There's no need for you to keep pestering me. Also, since you want grandchildren so much, I'll bear them for you.”

However, they will not be from Julian's seed.

Since he had already cheated on her, she didn't mind returning the favor before their divorce.

“You despicable woman! What nonsense are you talking about?” Rolanda continued to chide Rayna over the phone.

Rayna ended the call abruptly and said to the driver, “Take me to Heavenly Palace, please.”

Heavenly Palace was famous in the city as a sleazy bar, where all kinds of physical pleasures could be satisfied.

Sitting at the bar, Rayna downed a few shots of whiskey as an insidious thought snowballed in her mind.

It doesn't matter who the father of the children is. In fact, the children will be even more beautiful if I find myself a handsome man.

Suddenly, her gaze—which was scanning the dancefloor—fell upon a towering silhouette.

Even though she couldn't see his face clearly, his build clearly stood out from the crowd, and the fact that he was surrounded by a group of sharply dressed men and women added to his allure.

He will do!

After making her decision, Rayna took a deep breath before tossing her hair to the side and swaggering toward him in her heels.

“I'm so dizzy...”

When passing by, Rayna pretended to stumble by accident and fell right into Curtis Faymon's arms.

The next moment, a pair of big strong hands threaded around her waist and caught her steadily.

Lying in an unfamiliar embrace, Rayna began to feel dry in her throat as Curtis' masculine pheromones overwhelmed her senses. In fact, she could feel her rationality gradually drifting away.

“You smell amazing...”

Curtis furrowed his brows while his assistant and bodyguards all gaped in shock.

What an audacious woman to do something like that in broad daylight!

“Miss, please mind yourself,” Curtis said icily.

Recognizing the familiar voice, the stunned Rayna raised her head.

When she looked at the man's cold eyes, her heart skipped a beat.

She widened her eyes in shock, and after a long pause, she murmured in disbelief, “U-Uncle Curtis?”

Oh my God! What's going on? How did I end up running into Julian's uncle?

It was public knowledge that Curtis was Alfred Faymon's adopted son, for the latter didn't have any of his own. Early on, he had sent Curtis overseas to study management, and on Alfred's sixtieth birthday, he had named Curtis as the heir to Faymon Group.

As a result, Curtis had become the most eligible and admirable bachelor in the city.

In fact, Rolanda had more than once thought of getting into Curtis' good books, saying that Julian's career depended on him. Unfortunately, Curtis never had the time to even entertain her.

Therefore, their family, including Rayna, seldom had the opportunity to meet Curtis in person.

This was the first time Rayna had come within close proximity of him.

He had the chiseled features of a male model, and his thin frame exuded an air of aloofness. Given the cold look in his eyes, she felt as if he could easily read her mind.

“Uncle Curtis... I-I'm sorry.”

It wasn't until he heard the way she addressed him that Curtis finally realized what was going on.

He knitted his brows and quickly released Rayna, preparing to leave with an indifferent look in his eyes.

He had never shown any interest in women who threw themselves at him.

“Uncle Curtis, wait!”

Gritting her teeth, Rayna decided to go all out to fulfill her goal. It wouldn't be so bad if I could hitch myself onto a gold mine, would it?

“I... I'm feeling depressed today and had too much to drink. Aren't you worried about leaving me alone in this bar? It's not safe for me here.” Rayna, biting her lower lip, put on an innocent expression. When she snuck a glance at Curtis and caught the emotionless look on his face, she pretended to grimace in pain. Then, she rubbed her ankle. “Besides, I sprained my ankle... and it really hurts.”

Curtis curled his lips into a smirk, his eyes glistening.

Her acting is so terrible that I can easily see through her. But, anyway, this is interesting.

“U-Uncle Curtis...” Faced with Curtis' sharp gaze that seemed to have pierced through her lies, Rayna began to grow nervous.

However, the very next second, her eyes widened when she felt herself being swept off her feet. Curtis had abruptly carried her in his arms.

Flustered, Rayna wrapped her arms around Curtis' neck. Feeling the warmth from his chest and being covered by his breath, Rayna blushed and felt her heart pounding.

What's with the sudden brazenness? Didn't he pretend to be a gentleman just now?

“Does it still hurt?” Curtis' voice—one that was devoid of warmth—rang out above her head.

“Um...” Rayna gulped. “No... It doesn't hurt anymore.”

She couldn't peel her eyes away from Curtis' handsome face.

“Ha...” With a twitch of his lips, Curtis, surrounded by his subordinates, strode toward the car that was parked at the bar entrance.

What is he planning to do?

Rayna was stunned.

It wasn't until he carried her into the car that she regained her senses. Just when she was about to say something, Curtis ordered the driver, “To the Intercontinental.”

Rayna was speechless.

I-Intercontinental? That's a five-star hotel!

Upon arriving at the luxury suite on the top floor of the hotel, Curtis threw Rayna onto the bed before going into the bathroom. Only after a minute had passed that Rayna gradually realized the gravity of the situation.

I-I seduced Curtis, and now we're in a hotel? This is way too easy. Is this a trap?

Regardless, Rayna could not care less.

Just thinking about how she had walked into Julian cheating on her was enough to steel her resolve. Drawing courage from the alcohol she had consumed, she had no fear of what was going to happen. In fact, she was even looking forward to it.

He's attractive. Sleeping with him is well worth it. Moreover, he's Julian's uncle, which makes revenge against that jerk all the sweeter.

She grabbed her bag and began rummaging through it, hoping to take the pill before Curtis came back out.

During her university days, her boyfriend, who turned out to be a monster, had attempted to force himself on her.

Fortunately, she had managed to fight him off with all her might. However, the trauma from the incident had resulted in her phobia of close contact with the opposite sex.

After marrying Julian, she tried to accept his advances. However, her stomach would churn at the crucial moment every time. Not only did Julian have to comfort her, but she also ended up fleeing to the next room to sleep.

Consequently, the better Julian treated her, the guiltier she felt. Hence, upon learning that there was a drug overseas that could treat her condition, she got her friend to buy a box for her and planned to use it on their first wedding anniversary.

Yet, Julian ended up giving her a huge surprise.

After failing to find the drug in her bag, Rayna recalled that she had switched bags before she left home.

Right then, the bathroom door was pulled open, and Curtis emerged from within.

Rayna stared at him intently and gulped.

Uncle Curtis is a fine specimen indeed!

Having seen plenty of women like her, Curtis put on a frosty expression.

He dried his hair with a towel, then looked down at Rayna and leaned closer to her burning cheeks. “Are you satisfied?”

“I-I am...” Intoxicated by his masculinity, the giddy Rayna began struggling to hold herself together. “Uh... I'm going out to get something.”

She wanted to avoid puking all over Curtis in the event her stomach churned.

“There's no need to trouble yourself. It's on the table.”

Assuming that she was looking for contraceptives, Curtis lifted his chin at the bedside table, where a basket filled with them could be seen.

Rayna was surprised.

Since when have hotels become so attentive?

“O-Okay. I'll go take a shower, then.” Rayna pushed Curtis aside, her heart pounding furiously.

She could sense what Curtis' intention was.

D*mn it. I was clearly the one leading him on. So how did I end up becoming some sort of sacrificial lamb? Has he been playing dumb all this while just so he could take advantage of me?

Her eyes were tinged with anxiety when she snuck a suspicious glance at him.

Curtis took in Rayna's every expression and had clearly seen through her thoughts. Plenty of women are interested in taking her place, and she's probably the first one who seems intent on fleeing. This is interesting...

The night quickly went by, and dawn approached just as swiftly.

When Rayna awoke and turned around, she saw Curtis sleeping by her side. Despite the coldness of his features, she found him to be less fearsome in his sleep.

Just like a lion in slumber, he was bereft of his intimidating aura.

Leaning over, she carefully observed him.

Her gaze gradually shifted from his exquisite features and fair skin to the stubble on his chin and long eyelashes.

She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I can't believe how attractive he is.

As if because of the candidness of the look she was giving him, Curtis' brows furrowed slightly, causing her to quickly lie back down.

Fortunately, there was no further movement from him.

She discreetly moved his hand away from her waist. To prevent him from noticing, she even held her breath.

Not wanting to face the awkward moment when Curtis woke up, Rayna used the opportunity to get dressed and slip away.

Just before she did, she took out all the cash from her bag and left them on the table.

Ten minutes after her departure, Curtis finally awoke.

Expecting not to see her by then, he calmly got out of bed and put on his clothes. No sooner did he do so than he noticed something on the table and walked over to check.

On it was a note and a pile of cash.

It wrote: Uncle Curtis, I enjoyed myself last night. I left you some money, and I wish you good luck. See you never!

“See you never?” Curtis snorted as he skimmed the message.

Then he threw the note away and kept the cash.

At that moment, Gabriel Tylinski, his personal assistant, called to inform him that the flight tickets had been reserved. Subsequently, he added unnecessarily, “Mr. Faymon, if you're busy today, I can reschedule the flight for tomorrow.”

“It's fine. I'm heading over right now.”

After a brief hesitation, Curtis instructed Gabriel, “By the way, come to the hotel and investigate the woman from last night.”

“Yes, Mr. Faymon.”

Rayna's heart continued thumping even after she exited the hotel.

It wasn't until the cold breeze struck her cheeks that she finally got a grip on herself.

I actually slept with Curtis Faymon! I'm not dreaming. This is real! He's actually Curtis Faymon! Do I have a death wish?

Rayna swatted her own head, then pulled out a hundred from her pocket and hailed a taxi.

Forget it. I'll head home first and figure this out later.

Right before she entered her house, Rayna made sure that there were no marks on her that would give her away.

The moment she stepped in, she saw Rolanda having breakfast at the dining table.

“Mom,” she greeted in a gentle tone.

“The nerve of you to come back here!” Recalling how Rayna had talked back to her on the phone the day before, Rolanda was furious to see her. “Get a divorce! Divorce my son at once!”

Faced with Rolanda's resentment and desire for her to leave the Faymon family, Rayna gradually clenched her fists, her face dark.

She was well aware of her humble family background and the fact that she had married up. Nonetheless, she had been working hard in life and was now a senior interpreter in the translation department of Faymon Group. She had a decent career and was capable of taking care of herself.

Yet, Rolanda simply looked down on her. Ever since Rayna married into the Faymon family, she had been nagging her incessantly. When she saw that Rayna still wasn't pregnant after a year, her animosity intensified to the extent that she accused Rayna of being barren in front of their relatives.

She would often introduce her friends' daughters to Julian in front of Rayna as well.

For the sake of their family and her love for Julian, Rayna had been enduring it all and did not hold a grudge against Rolanda. In fact, she would give the money she earned to the family. Unfortunately, Julian had now cheated on her.

After reminding herself to bear with it, Rayna took a deep breath and answered, “Mom, I didn't miss the doctor's appointment on purpose. I was just too caught up with work. As for what I said to you yesterday, it was just my frustration at work talking.”

However, the unconvinced Rolanda insisted on the divorce, saying, “Don't call me Mom. You're no daughter-in-law of mine. If you can't bear any children, you should just divorce my son!”

“Mom, I feel bad too for not getting pregnant after a year,” Rayna said apologetically, holding Rolanda's arm. “Don't worry. If I still can't get pregnant this time, I... I'll divorce Julian and not hold him back.”

The scowl on Rolanda's face disappeared when she heard that.

Then she glanced at Rayna's stomach. “Rayna, if I don't see any progress soon, I will not tolerate your presence any longer. When the time comes, you'll have to divorce Julian!”

Rayna forced a smile, but deep down, she was crushed.

Julian did not care about her, while Rolanda simply treated her as a tool to produce grandchildren for her.

Rayna didn't argue with Rolanda any further. After going upstairs to get changed, she drove straight to the office.

She and Julian worked at Faymon Group, but in different departments. He worked in the planning department, whereas she worked in the translation department.

Faymon Group Tower was huge, and both of them were separated by thirty floors.

When she first arrived at Faymon Group, Julian had told her that office relationships weren't allowed and that they were to keep the fact that they were married a secret.

As a result, no one in the office knew that they were husband and wife.

Now that Rayna thought about it, she realized how foolish she was.

As one of the top conglomerates in the country, Faymon Group was packed with talented and pretty ladies. Naturally, Julian was worried that his marriage would get in the way of him hitting on them. That was the reason why he didn't wear his wedding ring at work.

After putting her car key into her bag, she picked up a square cufflink from inside. At the sight of the brand, she instantly recognized it and knew that a single cufflink cost north of two hundred thousand.

She held it up to take a closer look and knew that Julian could never afford a crystal cufflink like that. It was then a handsome face emerged in her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat.