My Sister’s Ex Is My Secret Husband Chapter 2

I picked up a few groceries at the corner market, walking slowly toward my childhood home.

As I tapped on the door, I heard a light, melodic voice from inside.

“Rhys, you made it!”

Tori’s radiant smile vanished the moment she saw me.

My parents peeked out from the kitchen.

“We called Rhys,” my mother, Anne, said, a note of disappointment sharp in her voice. “Why are you here?”

I placed the bag of groceries on the floor, vaguely replying, “I just came home to check in.”

I was still their daughter. No one could legally tell me I wasn’t allowed inside.

My mother sighed, taking the bag from me.

“All this time, and you bring these?”

The hallway wall was stacked with gifts, clearly from Europe, that Tori had brought back. My humble store-bought fruit was instantly pathetic.

I ignored her look of disdain. “Rhys said you weren’t feeling well, but he’s swamped, so he asked me to come instead.”

My mother didn’t pause to wonder why Rhys would contact me at all. She simply turned and called out to my father, Robert.

“Call Rhys again, honey.”

“Tori is finally home. He simply has to see her.”

That’s when I noticed the table. It was laden with all of Rhys’s favorite dishes.

This wasn't an ailing parent's request; it was an ambush. A carefully orchestrated family meeting to reunite Rhys and Tori.

My mother pulled me aside, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

“Eliza, when Rhys gets here, you need to behave. Don’t you dare mess this up for your sister, or I swear I’ll skin you alive.”

I couldn’t help the bitter laugh. “What if Rhys isn’t single anymore?”

My mother glared at me. “Don’t you speak such nonsense.”

“Your sister has carried a torch for him all these years. Her returning now is her attempt to get him back.”

A heavy feeling settled in my chest.

Before I could speak, my father had already placed the call.

Rhys’s polite refusal was audible. But then Tori snatched the phone.

“It’s me. I’m back.”

“Rhys, I need to see you.”

Her voice was soft, yet the slight tremor in her tail end held a dramatic vulnerability that was impossible to ignore.

The line was silent for a moment. Then Rhys’s simple reply:

“I’m stuck at the office. I’ll be there in an hour.”

Tori hung up. She ran a practiced hand through her long hair and smiled at my mother.

“See? I knew he wanted to see me, too. He’s just too proud to admit it.”

“We were young and stubborn back then. We let small things tear us apart.” Her eyes were bright with absolute certainty. “But I’ve learned to compromise.”

Tori had always been the famously spoiled princess. But Rhys was equally sharp-edged and self-possessed. Their combined intensity had led to inevitable friction.

I sat on the sofa, quietly eating a handful of strawberries, trying to disappear.

The doorbell rang again. Everyone rushed to greet him.

Over their heads, my eyes met Rhys’s.