Page 43 of Her Billion Dollar Groom

Even as I say the words, the bile rises in my throat. The truth is that we are using each other. The truth is that by sleeping together, we’ve gone and made things a billion times more complicated. It’s getting hard to understand where the lines are anymore.

“Well, your personal problems are your own, man,” he says, smiling thinly. “But me and the guys… well, we notice things, you know. And you haven’t hit any of your targets for this month.”

“Yes, I have! Haven’t I?”

Slowly, Chris shakes his head. “Dude, know I’m saying this as a friend. I needed to say something. I don’t know what you’ve been thinking, but you need to get your head back in the game. That’s all I’m saying. All this girl stuff, it has to stop. If you want to be the CEO of the most successful social media site in the world, you have to stop prioritizing her.”

“I don’t prioritize her,” I snap. “We live together. We’re married, but our relationship is totally separate from my work. You know I love Handshake more than anything. I can’t believe you think I’d do anything to sabotage us.”

“I’m not saying it’s on purpose, man,” says Chris, slowly rising to his feet. “I’m just saying, think about it, okay? Get your priorities straight. If she’s great for our business, then cool. But if she’s not, well…”

He leaves the end of that sentence dangling, but I know all too well that the words to finish it would be,Then you should toss her out and get your head back in the game.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” he says as he gets up.

“Yeah,” I say quietly, more to myself than anything else, my heart sinking as I slouch down into my ergonomic office chair.

Quickly I open up a spreadsheet and take a shaky breath when I see that he’s kind of right. I haven’t technically missed any of mytargets for this month, but I have barely scraped by with them. Last month was the same.

Chris is right. I can’t deny it.

It’s all because I’ve been spending more time with Eliza. A cold dread rushes over me. I don’t know how much Chris has been listening to rumors about our marriage. I don’t know if he thinks we’re more in love than we’re pretending.

The thing is, I barely know how I feel about Eliza at all anymore.

She’s been so completely clear that whatever this is, it’s not a real relationship. And like Chris says, she’s a pop star. Nothing lasts with pop stars, no matter how much fun we’re having now. Eventually, playtime is going to be over and I’m going to be on her chopping block.

And when she goes, she’s going to take Handshake with her. Not physically, not financially. But I think Chris knows as much as me that so much of our success has hinged on my relationship with her; that it’s her rabid followers who have helped us get this far. Without their insane support and blind following of whatever their idol says, we’re going to be in deep trouble.

Hands trembling, I press my palms to my face. What am I doing? Handshake is my life. It always has been. Nothing matters to me as much as making this work.

How could it when I’ve poured my life into my company?

How could anything else come close? How could I have taken my eye off the ball like this?

How could I let Eliza creep under my skin and bury herself there, when I knew from the start none of our relationship was ever fated to last?

She’s nothing I’ve ever wanted in a wife. I always imagined having a partner who would be loyal, consistent, and who would have my back whenever I needed it. And sure, she has my back right now.

But will she always?

What am I going to do on the day that Eliza Holt decides she’s bored with me?

CHAPTER 24

ELIZA

Jason thinks that he can escape me by going into the office. He thinks that maybe if he’s not at home, I’ll forget that he exists.

If he were to ask me about this, I would be delighted to announce that he’s wrong.

Fortunately, Oskar likes me, so he gives me a ride to Jason’s office. I make him stop along the way so I can go to the florist. I’m not a complete monster. If I’m going to interrupt Jason, I’m going to bring him something nice.

I stand there for a while contemplating what kind of flowers Jason might like. Roses seem too flamboyant, too romantic, but I wouldn’t want to get him something cheap and boring. In the end, I pick a beautiful bunch of amaryllis.

The red blooms smell wonderful. I breathe them in the whole time we drive.

“I don’t know how much he’s going to appreciate this, Miss,” says Oskar diplomatically.

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