The Wife He Never Meant to Love – Two years. It had been two years since Lila Evereth signed the marriage contract that bound her to Damon Blackthorne. Two years since she had agreed to be his “dutiful wife,” attending galas, social events, dinners, and playing the perfect role in his life without asking for anything in return. At first, the contract had felt suffocating—every clause carefully designed to keep her at arm’s length from Damon’s world, especially from his heart. She had never expected to fall in love with him. She couldn’t. It wasn’t allowed, not according to the terms they both had agreed to. But as the months passed, she had grown accustomed to the rhythm of their marriage. Damon was always distant, consumed by his empire, and when he did acknowledge her presence, it was cold, almost clinical. He didn’t look at her with the intensity she had feared—at least, not in a way that would challenge the boundaries of their agreement.
He had his women. She knew this. He never hid it, never pretended. The messages had started after the first few months, and now, two years into the marriage, they had become a constant. The provocative selfies. The suggestive texts. They came from every woman he slept with—each one pushing their limits, testing boundaries, all of them aware of Lila’s role as his wife. But Lila? She didn’t react. She had learned not to. Her phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen, already knowing the name without even looking—Ava. “Damon’s just as good as you said he was. Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Lila’s lips barely twitched as she read the message. She had learned long ago that showing any sign of jealousy or distress would be a waste of her breath. This was her life now, her reality. Damon needed these outlets, and Lila had accepted that. It was part of their arrangement. She flicked her thumb across the screen, typing her usual response. “thumbs up emoji” It was always the same. A simple thumbs-up. Acknowledging the message, but offering no emotion, no response that could stir any more than necessary. There were nights when it felt like a game.
The phone buzzing with another message, another woman vying for Damon’s attention. Lila had grown so used to it that it barely fazed her anymore. Then there was a message from Caitlyn. Another one of Damon’s many flings. “I hope you’re okay with this, but Damon just told me he wants me to go on a trip with him next week. I’ll make sure to send you a souvenir :)” “thumbs up emoji” But there was always that sense—deep down—that this wasn’t normal. This wasn’t real. Her life wasn’t supposed to be this constant, quiet suffering. She had agreed to it, of course. The contract had been her choice. But a small part of her had always wondered if she would ever be more than a placeholder in Damon’s life. One evening, while she was sipping coffee alone in their penthouse apartment, she received an unexpected text. This one, however, wasn’t from one of Damon’s lovers. It was from her best friend, Ina. “Lila… I just heard something you need to know. Damon spent the entire week with Maddy.” The name hit Lila like a cold shock. Maddy. Damon’s ex-fiancée. The woman he had been completely consumed by, the one he had loved with all his heart. The one who had run away two years ago, unwilling to marry him because she wasn’t ready. Lila had always known—Maddy was the only woman Damon had ever truly loved. For months, Lila had told herself she could handle it. She had even told herself that she didn’t mind.
After all, her heart was never supposed to be part of the deal. But hearing Maddy’s name again—after all this time—awakened something inside her. Something bitter and sharp that she couldn’t ignore. Maddy’s return meant that Lila’s place in Damon’s life, as cold and distant as it had been, was no longer necessary. Damon had someone to return to. The woman he had never stopped loving. The woman who had disappeared and now came back with a claim on his heart. Lila’s chest tightened. She stared at Ina’s message for a long time, the weight of the truth sinking in. For the first time in two years, Lila didn’t feel numb. She felt something else. It was painful. It was a sense of finality. She knew what she had to do. Later that evening, after hours of contemplation, Lila reached out to Damon’s lawyer, Simon. He was the one who had handled all the legal matters surrounding their marriage, and it was him she trusted to help her make the difficult decision. She took a deep breath before typing her message. “Simon, I need to discuss the possibility of filing for a divorce. Damon’s ex-fiancée, Maddy, is back, and I believe my presence here is no longer necessary. Please let me know when we can talk.” Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment longer, and then she hit send. It was done.
Lila knew exactly what this would mean. Divorce was an admission of failure. It would be the end of the marriage that had been built on a contract, on cold logic, and on a silent understanding that neither party would ever get too close. But now, with Maddy’s return, the distance was too much to bear. For two years, Lila had been everything Damon needed—everything he wanted from her. But now, she had to step aside. She had always known that Damon’s heart had never truly belonged to her, and with Maddy back in the picture, it was time for her to leave. She didn’t belong here anymore. The phone buzzed again. A message from Damon’s assistant, confirming his schedule for the next week. Lila read the text, feeling the tightness in her chest again. She sighed. It was time to let go. Chapter 2 Lila’s heart pounded as Damon stepped further into the penthouse, his gaze shifting from her to the carefully arranged space around them. He was dressed in his usual immaculate suit, exuding that calm, impenetrable aura that made him so infuriatingly attractive—and so distant. She had never been one to show her emotions openly, but the weight of the last few days was too much to carry any longer.
She had spent the entire morning lost in thought, battling with the rational part of herself—the part that knew this marriage was nothing more than an agreement—and the part that had quietly grown attached to the man she could never have. Damon Blackthorne. “Good morning,” he said casually, his voice devoid of any real warmth. He moved toward the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water. Lila had expected this, the aloofness, the indifference. Damon never did anything that would make him vulnerable, never allowed anyone to see too much of him. But today was different. Today, she would make sure he saw it. She would say the words that had been twisting inside her for so long. “Damon,” she started, her voice steady despite the anxiety coiling in her stomach. He didn’t respond right away, but she could feel his presence shifting in the air, as if he knew this moment was significant. “I’ve been thinking,” she continued, slowly turning to face him. He was still leaning against the kitchen counter, fiddling with the bottle cap, not meeting her eyes. His gaze flicked to her, an eyebrow arched in that typical way he always had, as if he were awaiting her to continue.