I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 3

Natalie’s calm voice echoed in the sterile-smelling hospital room.

On the other end of the line, Madelyn’s tone was ecstatic. “That’s fantastic! Billy Firth is one of the top auction houses in the world. You’re going to be a brilliant auctioneer. I was so afraid you’d miss this opportunity.”-

Her excitement quickly turned to curiosity. “But what about your husband? Does he agree? This isn’t just a long-distance relationship; you’ll be thousands of miles apart.”

And with her career based abroad, she would likely end up settling there permanently.

“He’s fine with it,” Natalie said, a humorless smile touching her lips. She didn’t elaborate. Madelyn knew she was married, but not to whom.

Assuming everything was settled, Madelyn teased, “Great! It’ll take about a month to get your visa sorted. I’ll let the company know you won’t be rushing. That gives you and your husband another month of newlywed bliss.”

After hanging up with Madelyn, Natalie called her best friend, Arianna Mitchell.

Half an hour later, Arianna burst into the hospital room like a whirlwind. First, she unleashed a torrent of curses on Alexander Ramirez, then she took Natalie’s hands, her eyes full of pain.

“I’ve already paid the hospital bill. Natalie, you should have called me sooner. Losing the baby… it must hurt so much.”

As she spoke, Arianna’s eyes welled up.

Natalie shook her head, a faint smile on her bloodless lips. “Arianna, I’m moving to London.”

Arianna froze. After Natalie explained Madelyn’s offer, she finally understood.

“Honey, leaving him is the best decision you could ever make. I support you completely. It’s just… you’ll be so far away. I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

“We can video chat every day, and you can visit me anytime. And I’ll come back home to see you whenever I have a vacation.”

Natalie tried to comfort her, though in truth, she would miss Arianna terribly, too, along with the city where she’d grown up.

A few days later, Natalie was discharged from the hospital. She took a taxi back to The Apex Residences.

“Hi, I’m calling to inquire about the visa application process…” Natalie said into her phone as she walked through the beautifully landscaped front yard of the villa.

After the agent on the line patiently answered her questions, she asked, “Is it possible to get a visa for the UK within a month?”

Just as her hand reached for the biometric lock on the front door, it was yanked open from the inside.

A tall figure stood before her.

It was Alexander Ramirez.

His captivating dark eyes, upon seeing her, held a flicker of barely perceptible relief, which quickly morphed into confusion.

“You’re going abroad?”

It was the middle of the day; Natalie hadn’t expected him to be home.

“I was just asking for a friend,” she replied coolly, putting her phone away after a long look at him.

From now on, her business was none of his.

That was the first time they had met, the first time she’d seen the man she was engaged to.

After that, Alexander was always there, treating her with meticulous care and doting on her every whim. When her family’s fortune crumbled and relatives deserted her, Alexander’s mother had wanted to call off the engagement. He was the one who refused.

He had said that if he couldn’t marry her, he would rather stay single for the rest of his life.

He was the one who had insisted on marrying her, who had loved and spoiled her, who had never said a harsh word to her, never even raised his voice.

So why, after only six months of marriage, did he become a completely different person?

Cold, heartless, and absent for nights on end.

He had withdrawn all his affection, all his tenderness, in an instant, without any warning.

Now, she finally had the answer.

But it didn’t matter anymore. In a month, she would be gone.

“Let go! You’re hurting me!” Natalie continued to struggle.

Alexander released her. A red mark was already forming on her arm.

“I won’t ask again,” he said, his face grim. “But this is the last time. If you disappear like that again, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do.”