Chapter 2

When Joseph finally woke from his drunken stupor, he found himself in a luxurious king-sized bed in a hotel room. He was completely naked under the covers, and from the mess all around, he'd definitely gotten down and dirty.

His head buzzed as he tried to piece together last night's events. After finding out about Cora's betrayal, he'd chosen to drink himself senseless at a bar because he hadn't wanted to go home and face her. Everything after that was a blank.

He'd totally blacked out.

Had he actually slept with some woman from the bar? Then he'd cheated, too. How was he any different from Cora?

No, it wasn't the same. He was already planning to divorce her, so there was nothing between them anymore. From now on, how he lived was his own business!

Joseph grasped at that flimsy justification and tried to sit up. However, a sharp stab of pain hit his skull so hard he couldn't hold back a groan.

A moment later, he heard the sound of running water in the bathroom. He turned his head just in time to see Cora walk out.

Had he gotten caught in the act? Cora had lied to him for so long, and he'd never once suspected she would cheat on him. He hadn't seen a single sign of her and her lover. And the one time he himself had gotten drunk and messed up, she'd caught him red-handed. This was such bullshit.

Joseph stared blankly at Cora as he thought all that, still trying to figure out what to say to her.

But she spoke first. "You're finally awake. You drank so much last night, yet you kept going until almost dawn. You must be exhausted and feeling miserable right now. You're not a young man anymore, so you can't keep overdoing it like that. No more next time, alright? I got you something for your hangover, so get up and take it."

There was no anger in her voice at all. Instead, she gently helped him sit up and fussed over him. It left him completely thrown.

"How did I end up here? And how did you get here?" he asked.

Through the haze, he remembered that he'd gone to Cora's new place last night. He shouldn't have ended up in a hotel room.

"You texted me last night and told me to come keep you company. I didn't expect you to drink that much or get that crazy after. You were kind of scary and did things you wouldn't have normally done. I couldn't keep up with you at all.

"Next time, if you wanna have fun like that again, you'd better warn me ahead of time so I can get ready. Otherwise, you'll end up hurting me," Cora said.

She smiled at him, her eyes filling with sweetness as they crinkled. A faint flush colored her cheeks, giving her mature, seductive features an even more irresistible charm. Last night, Joseph had been wild in bed and had completely conquered her all over again.

Joseph forced himself fully awake and grabbed his phone. Sure enough, he found the message he'd supposedly sent her last night.

He was stunned. He had absolutely no memory of what had happened. He'd been that drunk and somehow still managed to text her and have sex with her?

Whatever. Last night would be the last time they ever slept together as a married couple.

Joseph accepted that, cleaned himself up, and checked out of the room. The reservation had been made with his name and ID, and he'd apparently paid ten thousand dollars in cash for the room and deposit.

When he asked to see last night's surveillance footage, the hotel refused, citing guest privacy. The only thing they told him was that a woman with short red hair had brought him in.

He couldn't make sense of it. With Cora urging him along, he left the hotel with her to get something to eat. They went to The Flavor Club, one of the top high-end restaurants in Jenton, owned by the Lowell family.

Cora had the staff get them a quiet private room. Besides a table full of exquisite dishes, she also ordered a special nutritious soup for him, to "replenish his strength". After all, the passion he'd given her the night before had left her completely satisfied and utterly blissful.

Joseph didn't have much of an appetite, though. He picked at a few bites and set his cutlery down, staring at the message he'd supposedly sent again.

"I've been drinking. I don't wanna go home. It's been a long time since we did it in a hotel. I want to relive that, so come quickly."

No way would he have sent something like that, especially not after learning she'd cheated on him.

Cora noticed his distraction and chuckled. "Hurry up and drink the soup. You blew my mind last night as you always did, but you're 40 now. You need to pace yourself in that department. Think long-term."

Nothing about this situation felt remotely amusing or lighthearted to Joseph at the moment. He felt only a growing bitterness as he stared at Cora, who was stunningly beautiful. Even after over a decade of looking at her, he'd never grown tired of her face. If he hadn't found out about her affair, he could've spent the rest of his life utterly devoted to her.

He said, "Cora, you're gorgeous. Do you get hit on a lot?"

"Of course." She spoke while eating, chewing slowly and elegantly. Her every movement was refined.

His chest tightened. "Then have you ever slept with any of these men?"