Chapter 3

Celine pov

“Pardon.”

“It was a slip of the tongue,” he replied almost immediately.

I inhaled deeply, staring at the dent on his car. “I’m sorry once again. It’s not a hit-and-run. I just… I have somewhere urgent to be.” My hands were shaking as I reached into my bag and pulled out a card.

“Here—my number. We can meet up and settle this properly. I’ll pay for everything, whatever you want.” I slipped a few bills into his hand—maybe a thousand bucks, maybe more.

“This should cover the damage for now.”

He didn’t take the money. He just stared at me. Then, instead of grabbing the cash, he dragged the card from my hand.

“I didn’t stop you for the money,” he said, a bit annoyed. “And yes… we will meet again.” He smirked.

“Fine,” I muttered, staring at my watch. I had thirty minutes left before Nathaniel’s lunch break would be over. “Maybe I can schedule a meeting tomorrow, if that’s okay with you. Anytime would be fine with me,” I said hurriedly, getting into my car without waiting for his response.

And I drove off.

It had been four days.

Four fucking days since the test results came out.

I was infertile. That single word shredded me. And Nathaniel? He hadn’t said a damn thing—not a word. He barely even looked at me anymore.

And I wasn’t stupid enough not to notice the changes in him. I noticed the lipstick stains on his shirts, the feminine perfume all over him, the used condoms in his pocket, and the late nights he never explained.

I just… didn’t have the strength to fight.

Today was our anniversary. All I wanted was to see him, even for a few minutes—to feel my husband's love.

That was why I was in such a hurry.

In less than ten minutes, I arrived at the office. I adjusted my skirt and held the gift I had bought as I took a deep breath and headed out.

I stepped into the elevator, watching the numbers climb and ignoring the stares of the workers, who were probably wondering why I hadn’t resumed work for some days.

When the doors slid open, I stepped out and walked down to his office.

I didn’t knock—I just pushed open Nathaniel’s office door.

And my world stopped at the sight before me.

He was fucking another woman—Cassia. Cassia, my colleague, my friend, the one who brought me coffee every morning and told me I was the best thing that ever happened to Nathaniel. Cassia, the one who had held my hand after the fertility test. She was lying on his desk with her ass up in the air. Her blouse was unbuttoned, her perky breasts being massaged by Nathaniel while his dick drilled into her vagina. Nathaniel’s hands were all over her, gripping her hips, his mouth smooching her neck.

They didn’t hear me come in. They didn’t stop.

“What the hell is this?” I shouted.

Nathaniel froze. Cassia’s eyes shot up.

But he didn’t move away. He didn’t say anything. He just looked at me with irritation, as if annoyed by the fact that I had interrupted them.

Then Cassia moved toward him and gave him a peck.

My knees went weak.

“Nathaniel!” I screamed. “Look at me!”

Nothing. He kissed her again—deeper this time like I wasn’t even there.

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at him, a thousand thoughts running through my mind.

“How could you?” I choked, letting the tears fall. “How could you do this to me? To us?”

Cassia slid off the desk, fixing her blouse with a smirk that made my blood boil. Then she turned to me.

“You should’ve knocked,” she said mockingly.

“You backstabbing bitch…”

“Don’t,” Nathaniel screamed. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Celine.”

I stumbled back and forced a laugh. “Embarrass myself? You’re screwing my friend in your office, and I’m the one embarrassing myself?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t even flinch.

The room felt hotter. I couldn’t breathe—breathing felt like suffocation. I struggled so hard to control the tears.

“And to think I called you my friend! You were my bridesmaid at my wedding, for crying out loud!”

Cassia didn’t even flinch. She took a step closer to me and leaned in.

“Oh, can you please stop the charade?” she scoffed.

“He was never yours to begin with. You stole him from me. I’m just taking back what’s mine.”

I stumbled back in shock, utterly too surprised to react. She brushed past me without even looking back.

“I’ll see you later, sweetheart,” she said to Nathaniel, blowing him a kiss before heading out.

I turned back to Nathaniel. He was buttoning his shirt, calm as ever, like I hadn’t just walked in on my worst nightmare.

“Why?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Why her? Why not anyone else?”

He glanced at me just once and shrugged. “As if you gave me any choice,” he scoffed, walking toward the window.

“Can you, for once, stop playing the pity card? Because you, of all people, know I am the victim. You should even be grateful that I never ended things with you after finding out you are infertile.”

The word infertile rang in my ears. I was less than a woman now, and that was how he saw me.

My legs gave out, partly because of the heels, and I fell to the floor, sobbing. I screamed in pain, hoping he would rush to me, hold me, and say this isn’t what it looks like. But he never did.

“Get up,” he said coldly. “You’re making a scene.”

I ignored him and continued.

He muttered something under his breath while reaching for his jacket.

“You can have the office to yourself.”

He moved past me, heading for the door.

But before he could open it… the door swung open.

Someone came in.

It was him.

The stranger—the one I had hit with my car an hour ago.

He stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, that same calm, unreadable look in his eyes as he stared at us.

Nathaniel frowned. “Who the hell are you?”

The man didn’t answer. He just took one slow step and stretched forth his hands toward me.