Married To My Ex-Husband’s Rival

Chapter Seventeen

Amber’s POV.

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After what felt like forever, I finally listed the rules that I had in mind, adding a few others

along the way.

“Now that we’ve gotten my rules out of the way, what are your rules?” I asked, wanting to hear what

he had to say so we could wrap this up and I could go back home and get some rest.

“Well, you’ve pretty much said everything that there is to say, so I don’t exactly have anything else

to say. Actually, I do have something to say, but I wouldn’t call it a rule. It’s more like a

reminder,” he replied.

“I’m listening.” I urged.

“Just keep in mind that you’re not allowed to tell anyone about our agreement. I don’t care if the

person has been your friend forever or whatnot; just don’t mention to them that you and I are in a

fake marriage,” he instructed.

I scoffed. “Why would you think I would ever tell anybody about this? Besides, I have no one to tell.

I don’t have any friends,” I retorted.

“Also, if that is all you have to say, that means that our rule–making segment is settled, and all

that is left to do is sign the contract that seals our agreement,” I pointed out, and he nodded in

agreement.

“I’ll have my secretary email the official contract to you, along with a prenuptial agreement. Once you get both, sign them and send them back. Also, I’d like you to think about what you’d like to do

when we get married. I have a few subsidiary companies that I want you to look into and decide for yourself which one you’d like to join,” he casually said, taking me by surprise.

“You’re going to give me a job?” I asked, unable to mask my confusion.

“Yes, but only if you’re intérested, Amber. It’s definitely not mandatory that you work at all. I just didn’t want to assume that you weren’t interested in working, so just in case you are, feel free to look at any of the companies and decide which one piques your interest,” he replied.

The idea of going back to work after two whole years of being a housewife excited me a lot more than I expected it to. After I married Kayden, I had to put my life on a complete pause because Kayden didn

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Chapter Seventeen

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t like the idea of his wife working, and it was even worse that I was an employee at his company before we got married.

He made me quit my job and put me on a monthly allowance that equated to the amount I was gettin paid before I quit.

“Do you not like the idea?” he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“No, no, no, of course not! I love the idea so much that I can’t believe it. I mean, it’s been at while since I had a job, and I’m just a little worried that I might not be fit to join any of your companies. What if I mess up and everyone associates my failure with you?” I wondered out loud, unable to stop myself from thinking the worst.

“Okay, remember when I said I didn’t have a rule? I believe I have one now, Amber. Rule number 15, dor

t ever look down on yourself while you’re married to me,” Richard hissed, his tone a lot more serious

than I expected.

“I would never consciously marry a woman that doesn’t meet up to a certain standard, and even if you do have a few loose screws, no offense; I’ve done my research and I know your worth as a person.

You’re not some idiot who fails, Amber. So keep that attitude of lacking confidence outside the door, because once you marry me, you’re not allowed to think you can’t do anything. The world is yours when you’re mine, Amber. Put that in mind,” he stated clearly, and for the third time in less than an

hour, my heart skipped a beat.

“I shouldn’t be marrying a man like you,” I whispered, not conscious of the words that came out of my

mouth until I said them out loud.

“What?” he asked, obviously confused and disappointed. “You changed your mind?”

“Again, not what I meant, Richard,” I quickly clarified.

“Then why shouldn’t you be marrying me?”

a

“Because you have your way with words, Richard. And to me, there’s nothing more dangerous than a mar like you who speaks so smoothly, I responded, making sure my response was a little vague since I didn’t want to give away the fact that I meant that he could become a temptation.

For some reason, his face seemed to harden at my response, and his next words caught me off guard completely.

“No matter how good I am with words, just don’t fall in love with me, Amber. Feel free to consider it

Chapter Seventeen

another one of the rules,” he said.

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“You’re unbelievable!” I scoffed, slightly irritated by his confident tone but doing a good job of masking my irritation.

“So, back to what’s important. Choose a company of your choice, and keep in mind that once you make a choice, I’ll be handing it over to you. What this means is that you’ll become an executive at

whatever company you choose to work for. So take your time and choose wisely,” he said, smoothly changing the subject.

My head was still stuck on him telling me not to fall in love with him like he was confident that I would, and it didn’t dawn on me until a few seconds later that he just mentioned that he would give me any company of my choice.

“Hold on a second, Richard. Did you just say you’re making me an executive?” I asked again to confirm and ensure I wasn’t hearing things.

“That is exactly right,” he responded, and I gasped.

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, struggling to believe it.

The fact that I was not only going to be his wife, but he was also going to help me get a rise in my career, almost brought tears to my eyes.

“But why, though? Why would you go so far to help me? I mean, I get you want to use me, but let’s be honest here, Richard; you don’t really need me. So why are you doing this?” I questioned.

“Precisely because I need you, Amber. If I didn’t need you, I would not be investing so much effort into making sure you get your life back together. You’re just as important as I am in this agreement, so don’t think for once that I’m giving more, because I’m not,” he clarified, and I sighed.

“That’s good enough for me, then. I’ll think about everything when I get back home and get back to you once the contract is signed. Now, do I have to go home myself, or will someone on your end be taking me home?” I asked when I realized that it was already getting late into the night.

“What do you mean, go home? You’re spending the night here. I’ll have someone prepare the guest room for you, and if you need a change of clothes, I’ll have them sent to you as well,” he answered.

I scowled. “What do you mean I’ll stay here? We never had such an agreement,” I pointed out, confuse as to why I couldn’t just go back home.

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“Well, for starters, what kind of fiancee leaves her man’s house so late at night? If we’re going to fake it, let’s learn to do it right, Amber. Also, I don’t want the reporters outside to follow you home. Once they find out where you live, they’ll automatically find out who you are, and that shouldn’t happen yet, don’t you agree?” he responded in a way that left me no other choice.

“You should have mentioned this much sooner, don’t you think?” I hissed through gritted teeth, hating that he somehow always ends up making me feel like an idiot.

With a sly smirk, he responded. “You should have asked questions, my dear!”