The Meme King Stole My HeartChapter 1
A viral TikTok trend popped into my head as Matthew James merged onto the highway.
I turned to him, keeping my tone light. "You're driving me home—won't your wife get mad?"
I expected a chuckle. Maybe a roll of his eyes.
Instead, his knuckles went white on the steering wheel. The brakes screamed. The car lurched to a stop on the shoulder, throwing me forward against my seatbelt.
The temperature in the cabin plummeted.
"You already know?" His voice was ice.
The playful smile died on my face. I stared at him, blood draining from my cheeks.
Matthew clicked his tongue. His gaze cut through me like a blade. "You are not to tell her. And you are certainly not allowed to make a scene in front of her."
He didn't say the name.
He didn't need to.
*Julia Fox.* His childhood sweetheart.
They had grown up together—two families perfectly matched in wealth and status. Long before I ever met Matthew, their engagement had been carved in stone. The only reason it was ever called off was because Julia went abroad five years ago to chase her dreams.
That broken engagement was the only reason I ever had a chance.
I fell for Matthew the moment I stepped onto campus freshman year. Love at first sight. He always wore that indifferent expression, as if nothing in the world could touch him. I used to think he was just naturally cold.
Only later did I learn his smiles were reserved exclusively for her.
I chased him for two years. I poured my heart out, enduring his cold shoulders until I had nothing left to give.
Finally, one night when he was dead drunk, he looked at me with desperate eyes. "Audrey," he'd pleaded, his voice raw. "Let's be together."
I drove him home that night, my heart soaring. I thought I had finally melted the ice.
But the next morning, the walls slammed back up. He treated me like a stranger—until I showed him the video of his drunken confession.
He sighed, looking utterly defeated. "Fine. Let's try."
Despite his cold nature, Matthew treated me well enough. He surprised me with gifts. Expensive clothes. Designer bags. He kissed me with a hunger that felt almost like love.