Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 1

I was really doing this.

I paced back and forth in the anteroom of Rosemont Hotel's ballroom, one of the most luxurious places in the city, trying to convince myself this was a good idea. Hiring a gigolo to pretend to be my fiancé? God forgive me, but I had no choice.

My ex-fiancé was about to get married. And not to just anyone… He was marrying my ex–best friend. Yeah, I got double-betrayed in some "buy one, get one free" package deal I didn't even know I'd signed up for. If there were a loyalty program for idiots, I'd already have enough points to cash in for a slap in the face and a one-way ticket straight to rock bottom.

Ignore the wedding? That was what I wanted. But Elise made a point of calling me personally! Clearly she wanted to laugh at me, to humiliate me. But I couldn't let her win. So I said I'd go. What was worse was I had said I'd go with my insanely hot, super-rich fiancé.

"Rich?" She laughed, like she didn't believe me.

"Heir to one of the biggest companies in the country," I lied.

"I can't wait to meet him."

By the next day, the news had already spread. Not even twenty-four hours had passed since the invitation arrived, and somehow all our mutual friends already knew I was going. And worse: that I'd be bringing my millionaire fiancé.

Now, on top of being forced to show up, they were expecting a show. If there had been any chance of backing out before, there wasn't anymore. I had to go. But if I was going, I couldn't show up alone, humiliated, and defeated. I had to pretend to be someone I wasn't.

Pretending was practically my second job when it came to my ex. I'd been doing it for years. Pretending not to notice when he came home with another woman's perfume clinging to his clothes. Pretending not to catch the lame excuses, the glances between him and Elise when they thought I wasn't looking.

I could still remember the dress I was wearing, the muffled sound of rain outside, the heavy silence in Elise's apartment when I showed up without warning. My heart was already pounding when I pushed open the half-closed door and saw them.

The man who was supposed to be the love of my life, lying on the couch between my best friend's legs.

"Alex?"

They both froze. He just sighed and let out a nasal laugh, without a shred of remorse. "Zoey… This wasn't going to last anyway."

My chest tightened. "What…?"

"Zoey, honestly… you've always been so boring," Elise said.

My head snapped toward her.

She gave me a smug little smile, twirling her hair with disdain. "You've always tried so hard to be perfect. The perfect girlfriend, the perfect friend, the reliable one. But let's face it. You were never anything special."

The blow landed squarely, straight to my soul. My best friend. My fiancé. Both laughing in my face.

"No one's ever going to choose someone like you, Zoey," Elise pressed on, merciless. "You're only good for playing a supporting role in other people's lives."

That was the moment I knew. I had never been the woman Alex wanted. And maybe I'd never be the woman anyone wanted.

So, if I couldn't win at life, at least I would win at appearances.

My phone buzzed, and I quickly grabbed it to read the message. [I'm running late, but I'm on my way.]

I rolled my eyes. For what I had paid, he really shouldn't be making rookie mistakes like this.

"Zoey? Aren't you coming in?"

Amanda, one of my ex–college friends, scanned me from head to toe, like she was expecting my fiancé to magically appear out of thin air any second. "My fiancé's on his way. I'll see you inside."

Crap, where was he?

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