4
Liam parked the car. Entering the house, I found Chloe in pajamas, sprawled on the sofa with a bowl of snacks, watching TV. “I thought you went to the party,” I said pointedly.
Chloe smirked, feigning bashfulness.“Oh, Serenity, I forgot to mention, I had a fight with my boyfriend, so I went to the party to make him jealous.”
She dramatically lowered her neckline, revealing a constellation of kisses. “He got incredibly jealous and… well, let’s just say we got passionate in the car. Three times!”
My nails dug into my palms. I took a deep breath.“When did you even get a boyfriend? I never knew.”
Chloe shrugged, nonchalant. “Three months ago.”
The timing hit me like a blow. Three months ago–when she moved in. Coincidence? Hardly. It was all too clear now: she’d been with Liam from the very beginning.
My breath hitched. Before I could speak, strong arms encircled
Liam entered. his voice
I
was
practically
my shoulders.
soothing.“Serenity, you’re exhausted. I’ll run you a bath. Get some rest, okay?”
shoved into the
bathroom.
Reaching for
clean
clothes,
I realized
I’d forgotten
them.
Opening the door, a searing image seared itself into my brain.
Liam was roughly pulling Chloe’s pajamas down, pinning her to the sofa. His hands were around her waist, his kisses trailing from her collarbone downward. Chloe was arching, moaning.
“Liam…lighter! Serenity’s in the shower! Didn’t we finish… in the car?”
His grip tightened, her moans turning into whimpers.
“Shut up!” he growled.“And don’t you dare see another man!”
Chloe smirked, catching my eye.
“Fine, I won’t. I’m all yours.” She purred, “Mr. Jealous!”
I couldn’t bear it anymore. I grabbed my clothes and slammed the bathroom door shut.
Submerged in the water, the scene replayed in mind.
my
Seven years ago, on our honeymoon, I’d glanced at a man with amazing abs on the beach. Liam had stormed off, confining me to our suite for seven days. Seven days of relentless passion that left us both exhausted.
Afterwards, he’d held me,
his eyes
red–rimmed.“Serenity, I want everything they have, don’t look at anyone else, don’t leave me
I’d promised never to look at another man again.
And now, he was doing the same thing with Chloe.
Emerging from the bath, only Liam remained. On the table sat
a bowl of fruit and a steaming mug of ginger tea.
He offered it to me.“Your period is due soon. I made some ginger tea to ease the cramps.”
The gesture felt hollow. His performance was flawless. One minute, he’s with Chloe; the next, he’s the devoted husband.
The
question
gnawed
at
me,
keeping me
awake.
Just as
I
was
drifting
off, Liam cried out.
“Serenity!”
He woke
up,
frantically
searching.
Finding me,
he
close. “Serenity, me pulled
don’t leave!”
I stiffened.“What’s wrong?”
He looked terrified.“I had a nightmare. You were leaving me.
Thank God it was just a dream. You’re here.”
I wanted to tell him I wouldn’t be here for much longer.
Perhaps because of the dream, Liam insisted on taking me to work. I refused, but his pleas were relentless. I finally gave in.
In his office, his desk was covered with photos of himself. He hugged me from behind, nuzzling my neck.“So many women try to hit on me. These photos seem to help. Don’t worry, honey, your husband is very faithful.”
I said nothing. His assistant knocked, announcing a meeting.
Liam reluctantly let me go and told me to wander around.
I wandered the floors. Around noon, my phone rang. It was Immigration.
“Mrs. Sterling, we need you to sign a document in person.”
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Before I could answer, I heard a familiar voice.
“What immigration?!”
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