BE MY OBSESSION

CHAPTER 35

•SHELBY•

"Have you seen this?" Becky burst into my office, her voice full of excitement.

I sighed, trying to focus on my work, but her enthusiasm was hard to ignore.

"It's too early in the morning for this, Becs. Can't it wait?" I replied, slightly annoyed.

She chuckled mischievously and placed a magazine on top of the file I was working on.

"Trust me, you'll want to see this."

Reluctantly, I picked up the magazine to see what had caught her attention, and instantly, I regretted it.

The cover featured a clear shot of yesterday morning's incident: William and I standing side by side, holding hands, with Sidney facing away from the camera.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE?

The bold headline loomed at the top of the page, and I clenched the magazine tightly.

Becky sat down in front of me, concern evident on her face.

"Did you know he had an ex-fiancée?" she asked.

I handed the magazine back to her and leaned back in my seat.

"I only found out yesterday," I admitted. Becky's eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean this magazine is how you found out?"

I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"He introduced us to each other right after that photo was taken."

Becky couldn't believe it. "Wow, and all this time you've been living together, he never mentioned her at all?"

Again, I nodded, not adding anything further.

"The news is spreading like wildfire on social media again. Sidney shouldn't have shown up yesterday when the reporters were still lurking around. It brought her back into the picture, and now they're digging up their entire history together and exposing it everywhere."

I frowned, feeling puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"William publicly announced their engagement back then, and it was all over the news. People were genuinely happy for them. But then, two years later, they quietly separated. When the reporters caught wind of it and published the news, William sued every single company, making sure their breakup never made headlines again. They didn't want their personal reasons for separating to be made public, so everyone just assumed they broke up when they stopped attending events together and when Sidney stopped wearing the ring. So, it wasn't difficult for people to put two and two together," Becky explained.

It struck me as odd that they announced their engagement to the world but kept their breakup a secret.

"Did the magazine mention any reason for their breakup?" I asked, hopeful for some clarity. However, Becky shook her head.

"No, they didn't reveal anything about the reason. Just some basic information about how they got together and when they got engaged."

A tight knot formed in my throat as I looked at the magazine in her hand.

William hadn't said anything about Sidney yesterday, and it didn't seem like he had any plans to discuss their past. It left me feeling uncertain and uneasy.

"Tell me what it says about the picture on the front," I urged Becky. She hesitated but eventually complied.

"Um, it mentions that you two recently announced your engagement and how happy your relationship is."

I urged her to continue, even though she seemed reluctant.

"They're just making up stuff now, so I don't think you'll want to hear it," she warned.

I rolled my eyes. "Just read it."

She sighed dramatically and continued, "It says that in the last couple of days, William and Sidney have been spotted together at cafes and parks, and there are cozy pictures of them here too. The magazine speculates that there might be a possibility of them getting back together since some people have noticed a strain in your relationship lately. They are even suggesting the possibility of a breakup in your future."

I couldn't help but laugh sarcastically at the exaggeration and ridiculous ideas the reporters were concocting.

Grabbing the magazine back from Becky, I turned the page to find the cozy pictures she mentioned. One showed William and Sidney sitting together in a café, seemingly unaware that they were being photographed from afar.

Another captured them strolling through a park, walking so close that they appeared like a couple.

There was also a picture of William talking to Sidney while she sat in her car, both smiling.

And then, there was one where Sidney was touching William's hand as they stood with a group of people in the dark.

As I stared at each image, a tightness formed in my chest. The message seemed evident, and the reporters might not be entirely wrong.

William had insisted that nothing was going on between them, but these pictures told a different story.

Was he keeping something from me again? Were they rekindling their relationship behind my back?

The reporters' speculations began to fuel my anger, and suddenly, I had enough. I wasn't willing to wait any longer for this fake engagement to run its course. Consequences be damned; I couldn't bear the uncertainty any longer.

Decision made, I knew what I had to do. Today, I would put an end to this charade.