Chapter 3

ESSENCE

Once again, I ended up in the arms of the stranger.

He caught me before my face hit the ground, flipping my body effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, my back was resting against his other arm, like he’d done this a thousand times before.

Our eyes met. Again. And there went my heart, racing like it was training for a marathon. I didn’t even realize I was biting my lower lip until it was too late.

'You are truly disgusting, Essence.' I chided myself silently, forcing my teeth away from my lip. At thirty, I was too old to be getting infatuated with a hot stranger who would never think of me that way.

Worse, I was a married woman. With a son. And yet, here I was acting like a schoolgirl who’d never seen a man before.

I pulled myself away from him quickly and tried to put a good two feet of distance between us.

“You need to be more careful,” he said.

Then his gaze sharpened. “Why are your cheeks turning red? Are you having indigestion?”

“It’s my natural skin tone,” I lied flatly. It was either that or admit that my hormones were staging a coup.

He didn’t push it. Instead, he gave me a look that made my stomach twist again, then said, “You know, I’ve been working out basically my whole life, and I’m very good at it. Why don’t I show you some simple exercises to work your glutes? It’ll help with your stamina, balance your steps, and keep you from tripping all the time.”

I wanted to refuse. Honestly, I did.

But my head was nodding like I was under some kind of spell.

He smiled, just for a second, and that’s when it hit me.

I knew him. I’d seen that face before… but where?

“Come on,” he said, gesturing forward.

Like an obedient puppet, I followed as he led me to a clear spot in the gym. He moved behind me, his hands guiding my waist gently.

“Start with slow squats,” he instructed. “I’m right here. I won’t let you fall.”

As he spoke, his breath fanned the back of my neck.

Goosebumps bloomed across my skin like someone had switched on an air conditioner in January.

There was no way I was developing stamina or balance with his voice in my ear.

Not when my knees were this weak and my brain was this scrambled.

“I… I need to go,” I blurted.

His hands stilled on my waist.

“I have to make breakfast for my husband and son.”

I grabbed my bag and practically sprinted for the door before he could say another word.

Five minutes later, I was behind the wheel of my car, my hands shaking and my heart still racing.

“Damn you, Alex!” I shouted, smacking the steering wheel hard enough to make my palm sting. “If you hadn’t refused to touch me for almost three years, I wouldn’t be this turned on by a hot stranger!”

By the time I got home, I had calmed a little.

Driving through the gates, I spotted Alex’s car pulling out.

And there she was.

Remi Vanguard in the passenger seat, chatting away like she owned the world. Asher sat in the back, smiling.

My family.

My husband.

My son.

Pretending I didn’t exist.

I honked, sharp and loud.

Alex didn’t even blink.

He just sped away, leaving me behind in a cloud of dust.

I parked in silence, trying to hold it together.

Inside, the dining table was still covered in plates from breakfast. They’d eaten and left the mess for me to clean up.

I wanted to scream. Instead, I rolled up my sleeves and washed the plates. Then I spent the next few hours cleaning the entire house like it was my job. Well.... it was.

And all the while, I kept hearing his voice in my head.

'You are beautiful, Essence.'

The words rang clear, like he’d just whispered them in my ear.

I caught myself smiling and just like that, my mood shifted. It was stupid. I knew that. But it felt… good.

Better than I’d felt in a long time.

After finishing the cleaning and sorting through Alex and Asher’s laundry, I took a hot shower, ate a small breakfast, and finally threw myself onto my bed.

I spent the rest of the day alone in that house.

No surprise there. I only heard their voices when the sky turned dark. Laughter. Asher’s, mostly.

Alex had been treating him like an adult ever since his final exams for the term ended four days ago. Dragging him everywhere. I needed to talk to Alex about that, about a lot of things.

I left my room, made dinner, and served it when they both came to the dining table. I tried to talk to them.

Tried to joke. Tried to… anything. But they ignored me completely. Asher didn’t even glance my way.

“Am I not talking to you, Asher?” I asked, my voice cracking. But he kept eating like I wasn’t there.

Alex slammed his hand on the table hard enough to make the plates jump. “Can you let us eat in peace? What’s with all the noise?”

He stood abruptly and Asher followed. Neither of them finished their food.

I sat there, staring at their plates, my chest hollow.

I cleaned up again and went back to my room.

Four hours later, sleep still wouldn’t come. No matter how I tried, all I kept hearing was that stranger’s voice.

'You’re beautiful. You’re sexy.'

I wasn’t sure when it happened but suddenly, I was turned on. Really turned on.

I climbed out of bed, brushed my teeth again, took another shower, and sprayed myself with the perfume Alex used to love. Then I pulled out the black nightie he always said drove him crazy.

It still fit.

Barely.

I stood in front of the mirror and tried to believe what I was saying.

“You can do this, Essence,” I whispered. “You are beautiful. Curvy. Sexy.”

With a deep breath, I opened my door and walked down the hall toward the guest room Alex had moved into more than two years ago. He claimed I snored too loudly for him to sleep. Said I sounded like a pig.

His excuses had started small. Too tired. Too stressed.

Then he finally admitted the truth: I disgusted him.

But tonight, I didn’t care about his excuses. I was horny and I was his wife. We’d said for better or worse, not until Remi showed up.

I stood outside his door and was about to knock when I heard moaning.

Sexual.

Rhythmic.

My heart dropped. There were only three of us in the house. For a moment, I thought maybe he was watching p**n, until I noticed the door wasn’t even locked. I pushed it open slowly.

And I froze.

Alex was on top of another woman.

Their bodies moved together in a sick, perfect rhythm. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Until the woman turned her head to the side and looked straight at me.

Remi Vanguard.

She smiled at me as my husband fucked her.

I gripped the edge of the door, my knuckles white, my nails biting into the wood.

Tears blurred my vision, hot and heavy, sliding down my cheeks.

But I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t look away.

And neither did she.