Page 33 of One Hellish Wedlock
“Really?” she scoffed lightly. “I assumed you were an only child. Where is she?”
“In California. With her husband.”
“Oh, California. I visited last year. Incredible pubs there,” she said flippantly.
Reyansh frowned, and the shift in his expression immediately sobered her up.
“Alright, so how’s your sister connected to this conversation?” she asked, straightening up.
He exhaled slowly before dropping the bomb.
“She wantsusto patch things up… give this marriage another chance.”
Aanya nearly choked on her drink. She coughed uncontrollably as he took the glass from her and set it aside. When she regained composure, she stared at him in disbelief.
“Are you serious? No. I mean, issheserious? This is insane.” Her voice rose with panic. “Wait. Don’t tell meyouwant the same thing? Is that why we’re here? You brought me here to… to convince me?”
He finally broke in. “Are you done jumping to conclusions? Can I speak now?”
She nodded stiffly.
“I don’t care what Di wants,” he said, leaning forward. “Normally, I’d shut this down without a second thought. But this time, I can’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because she’s pregnant.”
Aanya’s jaw dropped.
“So? She’s pregnant. Not me. Why does that meanwehave to fake a fairytale?”
“Because she’s sentimental, emotional, and irrationally hopeful. She believes I’ll be happy if I give our marriage a second chance. She couldn’t be more wrong.”
The last line stung. She swallowed the pain and masked it with a sharp smile.
“Couldn’t agree more. Neither of us would survive in the same house, let alone in a marriage. We’ve never tried, and we never will.”
“We will,” he corrected, throwing another verbal blow. “We’llpretendfor her sake.”
Aanya’s head spun.
“Pretend? Isn’t she living abroad?”
“She’s flying in ten days. She’ll be here for two months.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “So?”
“So I want you to stay with us during that time. We act like we’re working things out, trying hard, and making an effort.”
It felt like someone had sucker-punched her. She was still midair, waiting to crash.
“This is my condition for agreeing to the venture with your father,” he added calmly.
She stared at him in stunned silence. Was he actually serious? This entire plan was doomed. She stood abruptly, grabbed her purse, and headed for the exit.
“I… I can’t do this.”
Reyansh’s irritation flared as he followed her out. How dare she walk away mid-conversation?
