Contractual Hubby Wants Me Back

The sight of her class pupils banging on lockers and making a racket was no surprise to Benita Tan. She wasn’t the least bit bothered. Arms crossed, she leaned against the desk, watching them with a faint smile as they indulged in their noisy antics. At this age, words were barely coherent, and yet they managed to crawl around, cry as if the world was ending, and plead to her assistant for their meals. Benita Tan was 24 years old and loved her job as a kindergarten teacher. Though the pay wasn’t great, she didn’t mind. Her love for children knew no bounds, and being around them brought her a kind of joy that no amount of money could buy. “Why don’t you take a break? I’ll take over here,” her assistant, Suzy, said, approaching with a lunch box in hand. Benita glanced at her watch and nodded, a smile playing on her lips. “Of course! It’s 11:30. I’ll just take 10 minutes,” she promised. “Ten minutes,” Suzy repeated with a knowing smile as she watched Benita leave. The school wasn’t a big one, and everyone knew it. It felt more like a tight-knit community where teachers played the roles of both educators and parental figures to the children—and sometimes even to each other. On her way to the cafeteria, Benita passed a small commotion: one teacher scolding another for leaving her baby unattended outside the office. A group of other teachers hovered nearby, more interested in gossiping about the incident than resolving it. “Room for one more?” A deep voice interrupted Benita’s thoughts, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned her head to find none other than Jace Klein. Her cheeks flushed instantly. Jace, a man of few words but remarkable intellect, had a way of capturing her attention effortlessly. “No coffee today, Jace,” she teased, walking with him toward the cafeteria. “That’s fine,” he replied, his voice calm and measured. “You don’t need to drink coffee with me every time.” At the cafeteria, Benita ordered omelets and pancakes while Jace went with his usual coffee and toast. They took a seat at one of the teacher’s benches, and as they began eating, Jace Klein wouldn’t stop staring at her. This caused her no surprise since she’d expected it anyway. He was her freaking husband, and he slid a wedding ring into her finger for a reason. Of course she had the right to be admired…even at a cafeteria. “You still look as beautiful as the day we met,” Jace said suddenly, setting down his toast to take her hand in his. “You spoil me too much,” she replied, her laughter soft and warm. “You’re my gorgeous princess. Of course, I’ll spoil you,” he said, his words smooth and sincere. And she believed him—Jace’s love filled the emptiness in her heart, a void left by someone she wished she could stop thinking about. The thought of him crept back into her mind like a shadow she couldn’t escape. She cursed herself silently, gripping Jace’s hand a little tighter. It had been two years. Two years, and yet she still couldn’t completely forget. “Jace, I love you so much,” she said, her voice tinged with desperation as she fought to steady her racing thoughts. “You know that, right?” “Of course I do,” he reassured her, tapping her hand with a gentle smile. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I know how much we mean to each other.” That night, their lovemaking was passionate, and Benita felt herself falling deeper into his embrace. His hands on her skin, his whispered words—it all felt perfect. He was perfect for her. So why, she wondered bitterly, was her heart still pulling her toward the past? Later, after Jace had fallen asleep, she stood at the sink, rinsing her face. The fragrance of the soap in her hands stirred memories she’d buried long ago. It was the same soap he had used back then. The same scent. Wrapping a towel around herself, she stepped out of the bathroom and opened her drawer. She pulled out an old journal and flipped to a familiar page. “Dear Diary, Mum and Dad think marriage is a good idea, and I couldn’t agree more. This guy is hot. His muscles, his brows—he’s impeccable. If he asked me to marry him a thousand times, I’d say yes. His grandfather came to visit today—Edward, I think his name was—and he’s so sure I’m the perfect match for his grandson. But the grandson… he doesn’t seem happy about it. He barely looked at me when we met. He just stared at his phone the entire time, ignoring me completely. Mum says he’s just being a spoiled brat, but I don’t know. He seemed… distant. His family has agreed to the marriage. My family has agreed. So why does it feel like he hasn’t?” Benita smiled faintly at her younger self’s naivety and flipped to the next page. “Dear Diary, I went to his mansion today. It’s insane how much wealth his family has. When I saw him, my heart raced. But he didn’t say a word. He just stared at me, and I couldn’t tell if he was happy or angry. Before I could figure it out, he grabbed my arm and pinned me to the wall. I was terrified. No man had ever been this close to me before. No man had ever looked at me like that. And then…” “Still reading that journal?” Jace’s voice broke through her thoughts, startling her. She snapped the journal shut and shoved it back into the drawer, her heart pounding. Jace hated the journal. He despised how it tethered her to the memories of her previous marriage, memories she couldn’t seem to let go of. “Come to bed,” he said, his tone softer now. She turned off the side lamp and slipped into bed, wrapping her arms around him. He held her close, and though she felt safe in his embrace, her thoughts were elsewhere. Jace might have stopped her from reading tonight, but tomorrow, she will continue. She needed to know what had happened that day. She needed to remember what he had done to make her so obsessed with him, even now.