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GEN’S POV

“Your card was declined, ma’am,” my assistant said over the phone. My brows twisted as I stepped on the brakes.

“What do you mean declined? I hadn’t used it all day.” My mind immediately shifted to Dom. Maybe he’d used my card and didn’t tell me. A small smile formed on my face. It was our anniversary after all—he’d probably spent the money on my gift.

“What should I do, ma’am?” she asked, cutting through my thoughts.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it later,” I said, grabbing my purse and pulling the key out of the ignition. “Make sure to finish up quickly and get some rest, okay?”

“Of course.”

She ended the call, and I shoved my phone into my purse, my lips tilting into a grin.

I’d met Dom five years ago at a tech convention. My company was meant to display our latest inventions that day, but my car had broken down on the way. He saw me struggling and helped me. From then on, we kept in close touch. Soon we were dating, and not long after, we were married.

It had been three years already, yet the memory still made my heart race.

Shoving my excitement down, I walked to the gates and pressed the doorbell. Once. Twice. Four times—before a guard finally walked out, a frown etched into his face. He didn’t seem familiar. Had Dom changed the guards or something?

“Good evening, ma’am,” he greeted, leaning against the slightly open gates. “Our boss isn’t expecting any guests.”

Guests?

I owned this place.

“Um, I own this place, and your ‘boss’ is my husband. Now, would you please excuse me?”

I tried to move past him, but he blocked me, shoving me back. I staggered, my heel bending as its interior scraped painfully against my skin.

Air slid out of my nostrils as I tried to numb the anger. “What the fuck are you doing?” I yelled, even though I didn’t want to.

“I’m sure you heard me the first time, ma’am.”

The last word dragged out like a threat, earning a shiver down my spine. “My boss doesn’t want any guests. He’s busy and doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“How do I make you understand that I am his wife? I am the one who fucking owns this place!” I took another breath. “Forget it. Just get out of my way before I do something reckless.”

“Ma’am—”

I didn’t wait for him to finish. I walked back to my car and turned it on. The engine purred beneath my feet as my grip tightened around the steering wheel. I waited a few seconds—giving him a chance to make the right decision and open the fucking gates—but he didn’t budge.

My lips tilted as I pressed my foot down on the pedal, driving straight toward him. His calm expression slipped, fear taking its place as he ran inside and pulled the gate open.

Coward.

As soon as I parked, I climbed out of the car. He met my gaze, shock and horror written all over his face, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

Anger fueled my veins, but I didn’t show it. My husband was inside. He was probably waiting for me, and I wasn’t going to let this idiot ruin it.

I flipped my hair out of my face and walked into the house.

My gaze immediately caught on pieces of clothing scattered across the floor. My cheeks burned.

Was this what he’d been planning?

The image of Dominique’s chiseled physique flashed through my mind, and unconsciously, I clenched my thighs, heat building from the friction.

My heart raced in anticipation as my grip tightened around the banister while I ran toward our bedroom.

The door was half open—and that alone sent a thousand thoughts spiraling through my mind. I flung my purse aside, silently slipping off my heels as I crept closer.

“Yes, baby,” Dom moaned.

The sound settled in my chest, making my heart flutter—until it died the moment I heard her.

“Don’t… don’t stop, Dom. Please…”

I would’ve recognized that voice anywhere.

My hands trembled. The door felt cold beneath my palm as I pushed it open. The image of Dominique naked as he slammed into my step sister burned crystal in my memory.

My lips parted, my throat painfully dry, I tried to speak but nothing came through, my palm slowly dropped from the handle.

Tiana’s gaze met mine, a grin climbed up her face as she dramatically increased the sounds of her moans, her fingers pressed against Dom's back.

“ Dominique!!!” Finally, my mouth worked, my heart thrummed in my chest as I begged God that this was all a dream, that I was still inside my car, fast asleep but I wasn't…this was real, painfully real.

He pulled away from her, his manhood slick with her juices. At first his eyes flashed with something; regret? Pain? I couldn't tell but immediately, something else took its place, something much darker and colder. “ Oh, it's you,” he said in this rather unimpressed tone.

It's me?

I'm just me now?

What happened to Love? Honey? It was all gone just like that.

“ What's all this?” My voice was low, the back of my eyes burned with tears but I didn't let them fall, not here, not in front of her.

Tiana bunched the bed sheets around her chest, her eyes glimmering, the sight from earlier playing in my mind, each time clearer than the last.

“ Fucking answer me Dom!”

“ What does it look like?” He shrugged, his voice hardening. “ What are you doing here anyways? I thought I told that guard that I didn't want any disturbance?”

“ What the fuck is this, Dom? Answer me!” I snapped, ignoring his question and he walked to the mattress, his hand brushing against her cheek as he tilted her head towards him, capturing her lips in a kiss, I closed my eyes, the sight affecting me more than it should've.

A second later, I opened my eyes, he'd already pulled away, disgust submerged itself in my stomach. “ Three years Dom,” My voice trembled. “ Three fucking years, I gave my all to you, I worked, I served,I did everything all to make you happy and this is how you repay me? This is how you—”

“ Stop being a pathetic little brat,” Tania snarled.

“ Do not speak when I'm speaking to my husband!” I clapped back, silencing her, I turned to him, taking slow steps to close the distance between us. “ This is how you decide to end it all?... How could you?”

“ How could I not?”

“ You loved me! You told me so many times that you—”

“ I never loved you,” He said quickly as though he wasn't tearing my heart to shreds with each word. “ I only used you to get what I wanted,”

“ What we wanted…” Tania added, standing beside him. His grip curled around her waist possessively. “ And now we have it, you're of no use anymore.”

“ That's a fucking lie! Stop lying to me!”

Tania shrugged, taking some steps towards me. “ Believe what you wish,” her lips curled up further. “ But I'll make this very clear, you have nothing now…absolutely nothing.”

“ W-What do you mean?”

She stepped back, circling around me as she crossed her arms. “ Father's will stated that after three years of marriage, all his property would be transferred to your husband and— correct me if I'm wrong—today is your third wedding anniversary, isn't it dear sister?”

My blood ran cold as I gripped the door knob for strength. My legs were failing. “ I-I don't understand…”

She rolled her eyes, tapping my chest after each word, the force making me stagger back. “ You. Have. Nothing.”