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✨ Chapter 4: The Girlfriend
The sun filtered through pale curtains, brushing soft light across Florida's face.
She blinked slowly, unsure of where she was at first.
Then she remembered.
The contract.
The house.
The man who never looked back.
She sat up, fixed the sheets, and opened her small suitcase. Only two dresses. She chose the simpler one—beige, plain, safe.
A knock.
A maid entered and spoke without meeting her eyes.
"You're to come down for breakfast."
Florida followed in silence. Her footsteps echoed too loudly in the grand hallway.
The dining room stretched long and cold, gold-trimmed, with tall windows that caught the morning light.
Bryant sat at the head of the table, eyes on his phone, sipping black coffee.
He didn't look up.
A seat had been set—far down, near the end.
She sat. Quiet. Unseen.
The food was perfect. Untouched. She picked up her fork, her movements slow.
Then—
Heels.
Sharp clicks across marble.
Liza entered like the house belonged to her.
She wore a white silk blouse and a tight black skirt. Her lipstick was blood-red. Her smile even redder.
She didn't look at Florida. Just walked straight to Bryant and leaned down to kiss his cheek.
"Morning, babe."
He looked up. "You're early."
"I missed you," Liza replied sweetly, sliding into the chair beside him—his side of the table.
Then her eyes drifted to Florida.
"Oh," she said lightly. "I didn't know the Kings were hiring new help."
Florida kept her gaze on her plate.
No one corrected her.
Liza smiled wider.
"My mistake," she added, laughing softly. "You just… blend right in."
Bryant didn't flinch. Didn't speak.
Liza plucked a grape from her plate and fed it to him, brushing her fingers across his lips.
Florida swallowed hard and continued eating.
Her hands trembled. But her face stayed calm.
She stood before finishing, nodded slightly, and left.
Quiet. Unnoticed.
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Her room felt colder than before.
Florida sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her bare feet.
She didn't cry.
She didn't move.
But her chest ached.
> "They don't see me."
"Not as a wife. Not as a person."
"Why am I even here?"
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End of Chapter 4
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