1

My stomach churned with disgust as the sounds I’d heard coming from the other end of the door echoed in my ears like they’d been connected to a loud speaker. I couldn’t believe it, that asshole had the audacity to cheat on me after everything I’d given up on him, and worst of all, he brought his mistress into our house, my house, where I slept.

It’d been hours since I returned to the house, I was supposed to be attending an important meeting for our foundation, but I forgot a document and rushed back to retrieve it only to be met with a trail of clothes littering the floor, I followed them and ended up at the door of Lucas’ study where I heard the most disheartening things.

“Do you really believe I can ever like someone like that.” He granted as a woman moaned.

He was having sex in our house.

“I just need her to have a baby, you know that baby, I’ve said it multiple times.” He said again voice sounding heavy with lust. “Her only purpose in my life is breeding, once that’s done, she’ll be out of our lives forever.”

The words replayed getting louder and louder each time.

The door to the bedroom opened and in walked a disheveled Lucas Xavier. When he noticed me sitting at the edge of what once was our sacred space, he didn’t even seem surprised or guilty, and that made a mix of anger and sadness course through my veins—How could he have no remorse for what he had done, he broke the vows he made to me before God and man, and he didn’t seem to care one bit.

“How long?” I found myself asking.

“Hmm?” He hummed as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“How long have you been cheating on me?” I clarified despite knowing that he was playing dumb. I wanted answers and he was going to give them to me.

He didn’t respond, he just continued what he was doing like I’d said nothing.

“Answer me Lucas.” I snapped.

“You missed the foundation meeting.” He said instead of answering. “You know how important that meeting was to us.”

“Us,” I scoffed fingers digging into the sheets. “Us, you and me or you, me and your bloody mistress?”

“Don’t use that title on her, its demeaning.” He warned.

“But you don’t mind demeaning your wife for her.” I retorted anger now overpowering the sadness.

“Stop it Eva, you’ve always known about Heidi, don’t play emotional now.” He scoffed sounding bored by the conversation.

“Luca-”

“The foundation meeting, you need to speak to the investors and find a way to make it up to them, we can’t lose that deal,” He interrupted his voice commanding. “Fix it before tomorrow.”

“I won’t.” I responded now standing up so that he could see that I was serious.

“Excuse me?” He said without turning back.

“You heard me.” I said firmly, he did get to sleep around while I acted like the model wife. “Ask your mistress to do it, after all she is the one you like.”

“I told you not to call her that.” He hissed.

“I don’t care.” I spat. “I won’t stand here and take your disrespect to me.”

“So what are you going to do?” He taunted.

I paused for a long minute, what was I going to do to show him that I wasn’t one of those weak women men took advantage of. I thought hard before settling on the only way out especially if I wanted to protect myself from the media and the horrible stories they’d write about me when word got out that my darling husband was cheating on me, that’s what they always did, attack the woman for a man sticking his dick in any hole.

“I’m going to divorce you.” I answered confidently.

He didn’t love me and I wasn’t willing to fight for this, I wasn’t going to end up like my father or sister, in a loveless marriage because they loved people that didn’t love them back.

“What did you just say?” He paused and looked at me for the first.

Great, I finally got his attention.

“I’m leaving you,” I stated. “That way you and your whore can fuck as much as you want.”

“You wouldn’t do that.” He shook his head chuckling finding amusement in my words.

“I would, and you know it.” I retorted.

“Eva,” He growled a hint of anger and irritation in his tone as he moved forward till he was standing inches from me. “you won’t do that, not if you want to keep your father’s estate and business running.”

“I-”

“They won’t survive without my company’s investment, so imagine this, you divorce me, I pull out, and you remain with nothing, no one would want to do business with you, the only reason they even entertain you is because you carry my name, you’re nothing without me Evangeline.” He taunted.

“I don’t need you.” I hissed.

“You do,” He smirked his warm breath fanning my face as he stared deep into my eyes. “Your entire existence depends on me, so be a good little wife by fixing your mess and let’s get back to making an heir before I get angry.”

“You can’t do anything.” I retorted tears stinging the back of my eyelids but I refused to let them fall.

“Not to you, but to your family, and you know what will happen after that, they’ll blame you.” He taunted. “You’re already in bad books for not having a baby.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“Husband.” He corrected with a wink.

Clenching my teeth and fists, I didn’t respond to him, instead I stormed out of the room, grabbed my car keys and drove off, where I was going I had no idea, but all I wanted was to get away from that man because if I wasn’t careful, I was going to plunge one of my sharp knives and stab him till he was unrecognizable.

My hands clenched against the wheel as I drove fast against the road. I could barely see where I was going because my vision was blurred by anger, so much so that I nearly hit into another car, but luckily the driver swerved and it was only then I parked.

I sat behind the wheel unsure of what to do, was I supposed to cry or scream?

Lucas was right, I did have a feeling that he’d been cheating on me, but he’d hid it well from me and everyone, especially his grandparents. He cared about his reputation and that was my consolation because I always thought he’d never dare cheat, but now, he brought her to our house—he didn’t care.

A tear rolled down my cheek at the thought of everything we shared not being real, all the caresses and happiness were fake, all he wanted from me was an heir.

I sat for hours thinking about what I was going to do till my head hurt, so to drown my sadness and misfortune, I made one of the dumbest choices, I decided to go to the club and that was the beginning of my downfall.

I couldn’t go in the knee length dress I was wearing, so I made a stop at the mall and bought a dress. It was crimson, short and silk, the exact type of dress Lucas hated and had banned me from wearing, and to go with it I got a pair of knee length boots. In one of the bathrooms, I changed and touched up my makeup to match my look, and just like that, I was out the door and in the busiest and most popular night club in New York.

“Something strong.” I told the bartender as I slid my ass onto the cool leather of the barstool.

He smirked and winked at me before giving me my drink. I downed the shot in one goal and my throat burned, this was the first time I was drinking in 4 years, I’d quit because it was not ‘wife like’ to drink and back then it seemed like a small price to pay for a beautiful marriage with the man of my dreams.

I was so naïve and stupid, how could I believe all his fake acts—I was too smart. My heart at the thought of how I’d been played, I let him use me all in the name of love only to get cheated on.

“Keep them coming.” I told the bartender and he nodded not asking any questions.

As the night progressed, one drink became two, and by my seventh I lost count, my head was light and my sadness had softened under the heat of the alcohol, I just swayed laughing at nothing, feeling free and unbothered by the world.

I span the barstool around to refresh my eyes and look at something other than the sex bartender, a couple gyrating on themselves would do, but instead I found the opposite,

A man seated in the VIP section, tall and impossibly composed, his dark hair perfectly in place, broad shoulders filling the chair with ease. And his eyes…the sexiest pair of grey orbs I’d ever seen were already locked on me.

My pulse spiked and a thrill of fear and curiosity coursed through me at the way he drunk me in. Heart stuttering, I quickly turned away pretending to sip my drink, but even though I wasn’t looking at him anymore, I could still feel him there, watching me intently.

He was burning holes through me and before I could think, I downed the rest of my drink and stood up.

“Excuse me-”He said surprise flickering across his face when I sauntered to the VIP section and sat on his lap.

“Don’t just stare from afar,” I purred as I leaned close, letting my lips brush his ear, “ask me to dance.”

“You-”He stiffened, one hand instinctively going to my waist to keep me in place.

“Fine, dance with me,” I interrupted eyes locked on his.

Before he could protest, I was on my feet offering my hand out to him, he stared at it for a long minute unmoving. Normally this is the point where I come to my senses and I immediately scurry off, but today wasn’t a normal day and I wasn’t either, I was on a mission to forget all my troubles and I was going to do it today, one way or another.

“It’s very ungentlemanly to refuse a lady you know.” I stated and that made him chuckle.

“Is that so?” He asked a heavy British accent rolling off his tongue as he tilted his head to the side eyes filled with amusement.

“Yeah.” I slurred.

“We don’t want that then, now do we?” He smirked shifting in his seat.

“No, sir.” I shook my head.

Chuckling, he took my hand and let me lead him to the dance floor filled with sweaty bodies.

“Is this something you do all the time?” He asked his hot breath fanning against the nape of my neck and god did I like it.

“No,” I shook my head, the confidence and alcohol slowly washing away, and I tried to put some distance between us but the most unexpected thing happened,

He spun me around till my back was against his hard chest and my ass was against his front.

Fuck it was getting hotter.

“Hmm,” He murmured against my skin and boy did the mix of the vibration against my skin, my heart skipped a beat and my thighs clenched as my pussy pulsed.

I was supposed to feel ashamed for being in such a position as a married woman, but I wasn’t, and worst of all I didn’t care if anyone saw, all I wanted was to forget everything, Lucas included.