My Wife Never Knew Who I Really Was

Celeste stared at Ethan's text and read it again and again, no fewer than ten times.

For a long time, she fell silent.

The cursor blinked in the message box.

She typed a few words, deleted them, typed again, then deleted them again.

After trying four or five times, she still could not send a complete reply.

As a graduate from a famous university, as a decisive executive who could kill cleanly in business negotiations, Celeste Shaw discovered for the first time that she did not know how to refute someone.

Because she could not refute him.

Once she calmed down, facts that had been covered by emotion began surfacing one by one.

She suddenly realized that she had become exactly the kind of person she disliked most.

What were those rich women like?

They spent money to buy the time and body of younger men. Once they were bored, they threw them aside and never cared how those men felt.

How was she any different from them?

No.

There was a difference.

Celeste gave a bitter smile.

She was worse.

At least those women bought their pretty boys luxury brands and sports cars. At least they allowed those men to follow them around with some dignity.

What about her?

When she and Ethan were together, what did he wear?

Shirts washed so many times they had faded pale. Sneakers with the patterns on the soles worn smooth. Not even one decent coat.

As for cars?

Other than washing her cars, Ethan had barely touched them. She had once said she did not like other people's scent inside her car, and she had never once thought to buy him a simple car of his own.

He walked or took taxis to buy groceries every day.

Only now did Celeste realize that she had been enjoying that man's care and effort as if it were natural, without ever truly treating him as her partner.

The more she thought about it, the more speechless she became.

She opened her mouth. Her fingers hovered over the screen for a long while before she finally typed three words.

I'm sorry.

But very quickly, Celeste deleted them.

Sorry?

"Why should I apologize to him? This was a business arrangement from the beginning. I paid him. He took care of me. Wasn't that what he was supposed to do?"

Celeste exited the message thread, tossed her phone aside, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes.

"Since we already said we were never meant to be in the same world..."

She murmured as if trying to convince herself. "Why should I care so much about him? It's already over."

Yes.

It was over.

She opened her eyes and stood.

Her gaze swept over the wall clock. The hands pointed to six-thirty.

There was an hour and a half before her dinner with Vivian.

Celeste walked into the walk-in closet and pushed open the enormous white cabinet doors.

Inside hung rows of clothes, neat and complete. Business suits, evening gowns, daily wear, and the battle armor she used for important occasions.

Tonight, she was meeting Vivian West's boyfriend.

As Vivian's best friend, Celeste believed she had every reason to inspect him carefully and see whether that man was actually worthy of being entrusted with Vivian's future.

Over the years, she had seen too many men pursue Vivian. Some wanted her money. Some wanted her face. Few had been sincere.

Thinking of that, Celeste began selecting her outfit seriously.

She could not embarrass her best friend at their first meeting.

In front of West Group's headquarters, the supercar stopped smoothly by the entrance.

Ethan sat in the driver's seat and casually blocked Celeste's new number as well.

After doing that, he tossed the phone back into the center console and looked toward the front doors.

Just then, Vivian walked out of the building.

She wore a beige trench coat over a fitted black business suit. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and her steps were light.

Several security guards at the entrance nodded to her. "President West."

Vivian nodded faintly in response, but her eyes had already locked onto the supercar parked by the road.

She walked straight over, opened the passenger door, and got in.

"Have you been waiting long?" Vivian asked while fastening her seat belt.

Ethan glanced at the time and smiled. "Five minutes. Not long."

He turned his head and asked directly, "Where to now? Straight to meet your best friend?"

Vivian checked the time on her phone and shook her head. "It's still early."

Then she explained her plan. "Let's go to the nearest mall first. I'll get you a proper outfit and buy Celeste a meeting gift while we're there."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with this?"

Vivian looked him over.

He was wearing casual clothes now. They were limited edition, and on him, they already looked good enough.

Still, Vivian shook her head. "It's the first time I'm bringing you to meet my closest friend. Of course you need to look a little more formal."

Her tone was serious, and her eyes carried obvious anticipation.

Whenever Vivian had something good, she always wanted to share it with Celeste. Now that she had a good man, that desire to show him off had only grown stronger.

"We'll choose a few sets and pick the best one."

Seeing that earnest little expression on Vivian's face, Ethan smiled. "Fine. I'll listen to you."

He adjusted the navigation, started the car, and stepped on the gas.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at Fulmont Mall.

It was one of Northbridge's newer high-end malls, combining luxury shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Many people came here to pass their free time.

The moment the supercar stopped at the entrance, it attracted attention. Someone recognized it as a one-of-one global limited model and exclaimed in shock while taking out a phone to record it.

When Ethan and Vivian stepped out and walked into the mall side by side, the surrounding gazes landed on them like spotlights.

Someone covered her mouth and whispered, "Oh my God. Are those two celebrities? He's so handsome, and she's so beautiful."

Another person looked around. "I don't see any cameras..."

"They're perfect together."

Whispers rose one after another.

Vivian had been beautiful since childhood. She was used to becoming the center of attention wherever she went, so her expression did not change.

But when she heard someone describe her and Ethan as a perfect couple, her heart still moved slightly.

Compared with her, Ethan, who considered himself a very ordinary man at heart, had an even better attitude. He did not mind at all. If anything, he enjoyed it.

After all, who did not want to look good enough to turn heads?

At least for Ethan, it was satisfying.

The elevator was crowded, so they took the escalator to the third-floor clothing area.

Vivian led Ethan into a boutique as naturally as if she were going home.

She often came here. The decoration was simple and elegant, and the clothes leaned toward clean, high-end designs.

"Welcome. How may I help you two today?" a saleswoman greeted them warmly.

Vivian lifted a hand. "We'll look around ourselves."

She had wanted to experience what it felt like to dress her own man.

"Of course. I'll be at the counter. If you need anything, just let me know."

The saleswoman understood immediately and stepped back, leaving Vivian and Ethan their space.

After that, Vivian began moving between the racks. Her fingers brushed across one item after another. Her expression was unusually serious. From time to time, she glanced back at Ethan, as if imagining how each outfit would look on him.

After more than ten minutes, Vivian finally chose a set she was fairly satisfied with and pushed it into Ethan's arms.

"Try this."

"As you command."

Ethan's eyes and tone were both indulgent as he turned and walked into the fitting room.

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Ethan stepped out.

He had changed into a dark gray casual suit with a simple white T-shirt underneath and matching trousers below.

The fitted cut emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He looked formal enough, yet still relaxed.

He returned to Vivian and casually struck a pose.

Then he winked at her. "Well? Not bad, right?"

Vivian stared at him for several seconds.

Then she did something Ethan did not expect.

Without saying a word, she took out her phone, aimed it at him, and snapped a picture.

Ethan came back to himself and joked, "Careful. I might sue you for violating my portrait rights."

Vivian lowered her head and admired the photo, clearly satisfied. She answered without even looking up. "Relax. I didn't get your whole face."

Her confidence was shameless and legally aware.

"Besides, I paid for the clothes. What's wrong with taking a picture?"

Ethan was amused by her unreasonable logic.

Without either of them noticing, the way they spoke and got along was becoming more and more like a real couple.

Vivian put away her phone, immediately picked up another outfit she had matched earlier, and handed it to him.

"Limited time. Try this one too."

Ethan looked at the clothes, then at Vivian, helpless. "Again? I think this set is already good."

Vivian rolled her eyes at him. "It's the first time I'm bringing my boyfriend to meet my best friend. Of course I have to take it seriously. Try a few more. We'll compare them and pick the best."

Since she had already said it like that, Ethan had no choice but to take the clothes and return to the fitting room.

Once the door closed, Vivian looked away and picked up her phone again.

She opened her gallery and found the picture she had just taken.

In the photo, Ethan stood under the lights. His figure was straight, and the outline of his side profile was sharp.

Although his full face was not shown, his presence alone was enough to make it hard to look away.

Vivian studied it for a few seconds, and the corners of her mouth rose before she realized it.

Then she opened her chat app and found Celeste's profile.

She selected the photo and sent it.

Trying outfits at the mall. We'll come see you in a bit. Help me judge properly~

At the Shaw villa, Celeste had just changed into an outfit in the walk-in closet and was about to look in the mirror.

Her phone vibrated on the vanity.

She walked over, picked it up, and saw that Vivian had sent her a message.

"A photo?"

She tapped it open.

In the photo, a man stood under the fitting room lights in a dark gray casual suit. He was tall, elegant, and carried himself well.

Because of the angle, his full face was not visible. Only the edge of his nose and mouth could be seen.

Celeste studied the photo.

An odd feeling rose in her heart.

That figure. That line of the jaw.

Why did he look a little familiar?

She shook her head and decided she was probably thinking too much.

She had never met Vivian's boyfriend before. How could he possibly look familiar?

It had to be because she had been too tired from work lately, plus all the annoying things happening around her.

Celeste stopped overthinking and replied to Vivian.

All right. I'll wait for you. See you tonight.

Author's Note:

This story will continue updating here.

If you want to read more, you can unlock it here:

/c/TYMercer

Thank you for reading.