Chapter Three

Sleep did not come. Flora lay awake in the guest bedroom, staring at the patterns the moonlight made on the ceiling. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Jayden and Melissa on her bed burned behind her eyelids. 

The night had grown old, and the mansion had fallen silent save for the tick of the grandfather clock in the hall. She picked up her cell phone on the bedside table, the screen displayed the time—3:17 AM. Sleep would not come, not with the image of Jayden and Melissa burned into her mind like a brand.

She hesitated a little before she dialed the only number she knew by heart. It rang three times before a groggy voice answered.

"Hello?" Sasha's voice was thick with sleep. “Flo… do you know what time it is?”

Just hearing her sister’s voice made a sob catch in Flora’s throat. “Sash,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I am sorry to wake you. I cannot… I just—”

There was a quick rustling on the other end as Sasha sat up in bed. "Flora? What is wrong? Are you crying?"

"No. Yes." Flora swallowed hard as fresh tears well in her eyes. "I caught Jayden with Melissa tonight. In our bed."

"What?" The sleep in Sasha's voice vanished, replaced by immediate concern. "What do you mean 'caught'?"

The tears spilled down Flora’s cheeks before she could hold them back. She wiped at them furiously, angry at herself for crying, angry at everything. "I mean I walked in on them. Together. On our matrimonial bed.” She paused and swallowed hard. 

“He… he brought her here. To his mother’s birthday party. He walked in with Melissa on his arm, in front of everyone.”

Sasha's intake of breath was audible even through the phone. "That son of a—" She cut herself off. "Are you alright? Where are you now?"

"In one of the guest rooms. I locked myself in." Flora's hand went to her throat, feeling the tightness there. “He brought her upstairs,” Flora continued, her voice gaining a hysterical edge. “To our room. I found them… I found them on our bed, Sash.”

"That is the height of disrespect, Flo!" Sasha’s voice exploded through the phone, no longer a whisper. “I swear I will come over there right now and rain fire and brimstone on the Kensingtons! I will scratch that witch’s eyes out! Who do they think they are?"

A small, broken laugh escaped Flora's lips. "You know exactly who they think they are."

"I am coming to get you. Right now." Rustling sounds came through the speaker, suggesting Sasha was already getting dressed.

"No, you cannot." Flora's voice dropped to a whisper. 

“Then leave, Flo! Just pack a bag and leave that house tonight. Come home. Mom and I are here.”

The fight drained out of Flora as quickly as it had come, replaced by a familiar despair. Her jaw clenched with helpless anger. “I cannot,” she whispered. “How can I? They pay for Mom’s medical bills. They pay for your college tuition. If I leave, what happens to you both? I cannot be that selfish.”

“It is not selfish to save yourself!” Sasha insisted. “We will figure it out. I will get another job. I will take out a loan. I will… I will hook up with Alexander Bennett if I have to, I hear he is richer than all the Kensingtons combined!”

The absurdity of the comment made a real laugh bubble up from Flora’s chest. For a moment, the crushing weight on her heart lifted, and she was just a girl talking to her sister. “Do not be ridiculous. Alexander Bennett? The Casanova billionaire? He is forty-six, Sash."

"So? He is hot for an old guy. And rich. Very, very rich." Sasha joined in the laughter, though there was an edge to it. "I am serious, Flo. You deserve better than this."

Their shared laughter faded slowly, leaving reality creeping in. 

"Promise me something," Sasha said, her voice suddenly serious. "Promise me you will stand up for yourself. Do not let them walk all over you."

Flora closed her eyes. "I promise."

"I love you, big sis."

"I love you too."

The call ended, and Flora placed her phone back on the nightstand. She stared at the ceiling again, feeling way better and grounded.  

Sleep eventually claimed her, but it was fitful and light. Morning came too soon and sunlight streamed through the curtains. Flora washed her face and decided to leave the room and face the Kensingtons for another day.

When she opened the guest room door, she expected the hallway to be empty. She did not expect to find Jayden standing there, leaning against the opposite wall as if he had been waiting. He wore a fresh suit, his dark hair perfectly styled. Flora hated how dashing he looked and how his presence affects her. His expression was not apologetic or sad. It was neutral and almost bored, as if nothing had happened the previous night.

He pushed himself off the wall as she opened the door. “Finally. I was wondering when you would come out of your hiding place.”

Flora stared at him, speechless. There was no remorse in his eyes, only the familiar Kensington arrogance.

“You are making a big deal out of it all, you know,” he said calmly. He walked past her into the guest room without waiting for an invitation. His expensive cologne filled the small space, a scent she used to love, but now it made her feel sick.

Flora followed him, her body tense and her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She closed the door behind her. “A big deal?” she repeated, her voice dangerously low. “You think bringing your ex-girlfriend to your mother’s party and kisšing her in our bed is not a big deal?”

Jayden waved a dismissive hand. "It was not what it looked like. Melissa and I are just friends. It was a mistake, a moment of weakness. It meant nothing.”

"Really? Because it looked like you were about to have sêx with your ex-girlfriend."

"Do not be crude, Flora." He straightened his tie, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. "Melissa and I were discussing business. Things got a bit... carried away. It will not happen again."

Flora's face reddened, her breath quickening. "That is your apology?"

He turned to her with a look of irritation. "What more do you want from me? You should be grateful, Flora. Happy, even."

"Grateful?"  

"Yes, grateful." His tone grew condescending. "You have the Kensington name without earning it. My mother throws these elaborate parties, and all you have to do is show up and look pretty. Most women would kill for your position."

Each word landed like a physical blow. Flora took a step back, her vision blurring with unshed tears. But beneath the hurt, something else was building—a hot, bright anger that had been smoldering for years.

"You married me to avoid a scandal," she said. "Not because you loved me." She has always known this, but she felt the need to voice it out.

Jayden scoffed. "Love has nothing to do with marriage in our circles. You knew what you were getting into."

"Did I? Did I really know I was signing up to be humiliated? To be treated like a servant by your mother and your family? To be cheated on in my own home?"

"You are being dramatic." He checked his watch. "I have a meeting in thirty minutes. We can discuss this later when you have calmed down."

Something inside Flora snapped. The anger she had been holding back for three years burst forth like a dam breaking.

"I want a divorce."

The words hung in the air between them. Jayden's eyes widened and his posture stiffened. For the first time that morning, he looked truly surprised.

Then he laughed. "A divorce? Do not be ridiculous."

"I am not being ridiculous. I am being serious." Flora's voice was steadier than she had expected. "I want a divorce."

Jayden's expression softened, but there was no warmth in it; only condescension. "You are hurt. I understand that. But you are not thinking clearly."

"I have never thought more clearly in my life."

He stepped closer, placing his hands on her shoulders. She resisted the urge to shrug them off.

"Listen to me, Flora. Melissa means nothing to me. You are my wife. By the time I get back, you will be fine. We will both forget this ever happened."

Flora looked into his eyes—the eyes she had once thought were the most beautiful she had ever seen—and saw nothing but arrogance and certainty.

"No, we will not," she said quietly.

Jayden sighed, patting her shoulder as if she were a child. "We will talk tonight. Get some rest. You look tired."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, with a confident and unhurried stride. He did not look back, secure in the belief that his words had settled the matter, that she would be waiting obediently when he returned.

Flora stood frozen in the doorway, watching him disappear down the hallway. He thought she was a child he could soothe with empty words. He thought she was a possession he could lock away until he needed her. He was wrong. Her expression, once filled with pain, hardened. This was not the end. This was the beginning.