Chapter 4

“And you just happened to be alone with him when the fire started.” Alex’s voice was sharp as a blade. “How convenient indeed.”

Lisa’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. “You’re being completely unreasonable. Nothing happened between Ben and me. We were working on the merger with Harrison Industries. That’s all.”

“Fine. Let’s say I believe you.” Alex sat up slightly, wincing as pain shot through his leg. “Let’s say you were just working. Does that excuse everything else?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Did your business deal require you to let your husband wait for death in a burning building?” Alex’s voice rose, years of suppressed frustration finally breaking free. “Did it require you to redirect every medical professional away from me so your ‘business partner’ could get VIP treatment for a scratch? Did it require you to spend the entire night by his side while your husband—the man you married, the man who saved your life—lay unconscious and alone?”

Each word struck Lisa like a physical blow. Her mouth opened, then closed. For a moment, something flickered in her eyes—guilt, maybe, or uncertainty.

But then her expression hardened again, that familiar mask of cold indifference sliding back into place.

“You’re being petty,” she said finally, her voice sharp. “You can’t handle even the slightest inconvenience. I’m here now, aren’t I? What more do you want from me?”

Alex stared at her in disbelief. “What do I want? I want my wife to care whether I live or die! I want—”

Lisa’s phone rang, cutting him off. She pulled it from her purse and glanced at the screen. Her entire demeanor changed instantly—her face softened, her posture relaxed.

“Hello?” Her voice was gentle, warm. Nothing like the ice she’d been speaking to Alex with.

“Lisa? Where are you?” A man’s voice came through the speaker, loud enough for Alex to hear. “I woke up and you were gone. I’m… I’m scared. The room is so dark, and I keep thinking about the fire. I can’t sleep without you here.”

Alex watched his wife’s face transform. Her eyes filled with concern, her lips curved into a sympathetic frown.

“Oh, Ben, I’m so sorry,” she cooed, her voice dripping with tenderness. “I just had to take care of something quickly. I’ll be back in five minutes, I promise. Try to relax, okay? Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Please hurry. I need you.”

“I will, sweetheart. Just hold on.”

“Think about what I said, Alex. When you’re ready to apologize for this attitude, you can call me. Until then, I have responsibilities to attend to.”

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

Alex sat in the empty room, staring at the space where his wife had just been standing. The faint scent of her expensive perfume lingered in the air.

Apologize. She actually expected him to apologize.

He looked down at his bandaged leg, at the IV still pumping fluids into his arm, at the monitors tracking his heartbeat and oxygen levels. He’d nearly died saving her. He’d dragged himself through fire and smoke, carrying another person to safety, all while his own wife had abandoned him.

And she wanted an apology.

Alex closed his eyes, and for the first time since the fire, he let himself truly feel the full weight of his reality. His marriage wasn’t broken. It had never really existed in the first place.

He’d been in love with an illusion while Lisa had been… what? Using him? Tolerating him? He didn’t even know anymore.