**CHLOE**“No, not that; I was just making sure,” he responded with a sly smile.“Making sure of what?” I asked curiously. He sounded like he'd heard something contrary.He didn't reply, and a smug look stretched across his face. Tcheew… I was starting to get pissed.I pushed out of my chair and stood up. “It seems like agreeing to have lunch with you was a bad idea.”I turned to leave, and then he stood up and walked over to me. “I'm sorry,” he apologized, placing his hands on my shoulders. “I wanted to make sure you're fine. I was just concerned about you, that's all.”I scoffed and moved back to put some distance between us. “I just heard some things about him in the media; that's why I was worried,” he explained.“Things like?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.“Nothing specific; I'm sure they're all rumors. Please just take your seat back. I'm sorry, I was totally out of line.”He sure was.I sighed and then settled back into my chair.“What will you have?” He asked, passi
**JEFFREY**I took a deep breath, loosening my grip on his collar and then taking a step backwards. I smiled. It seems this was exactly what he wanted.He looked surprised by my reaction. I turned and headed towards the exit. I stepped out, and I almost bumped into Chloe. “You took so long there; I thought you'd been kidnapped,” she teased, smiling. I forced a smile. “I had a runny stomach.”“How do you feel now?” She asked, concerned.“I'm fine now. Let's go,” I said, and then we headed to the car.**CHLOE**It was another weekend. Audrey had been feeling a bit down since Mark's episode. I spent most of my time with her when Jeffrey wasn't around. Most times, we lay in bed in her room, watching a movie, or just taking strolls in the park. I had just showered and was heading to her room now. Jeffrey had traveled for a business trip and was coming back today.I knocked on her door briefly and then entered before she even responded.“Hey,” I said, shutting her door. “We should go d
**CHLOE**“What's the problem?” I asked, trying to study his face. Eric shifted nervously. “This is a bit embarrassing. Where do I start from?”“Just say it,” I encouraged.He took a deep breath. “So my niece came over for the weekend, and I decided to bring her to the park to relax a bit...”“Okay…? So what's the problem?”“She just had her first period, and I'm clueless on what to do,” he blurted out.I tried to stifle a laugh, but I couldn’t quite manage it. “So is that why you look like this?”Eric let out a frustrated sigh. “Please stop laughing; it's not funny. I'm worried about her.” “It's okay,” I reassured him. “Where's your niece now?” I asked, and he pointed to a young girl sitting down on a bench, her hands clutched tightly to the hem of her dress. She looked so scared and uncomfortable.Poor thing, she reminded me of my young self.When I had mine, Dad had been so clueless too. Luckily, it happened in school, and my class teacher helped me out.“There's a minimart just o
**JEFFREY**I'd just arrived tired, and I headed to my room immediately. I've missed my wife. “That's probably because we used to be very close back then... Going to classes together, doing assignments together, and even staying up all night to study together with lots of coffee,” I heard Chloe say.She was definitely talking about Eric. I opened the door, and then I heard her sister say,“Yeah, that's really close. That explains why you noticed his wet dream in class.”Huh? Wet dream? I clenched my fists… They were that close?And then she laughed. “No, that's not the case, Lily.”I scoffed internally and shut the door quietly. And then I knocked. She walked over to hug me, and then we kissed, her lovely smell and soft body making me feel a bit calmer. I exchanged swift pleasantries with Lily before Lily turned to her sister and said, “I'll talk to you later.”I clenched my jaw… They'll keep talking about Eric later?That's probably not it; don't overthink. “How was your trip?”
**CHLOE**“Still, we should just get up and leave,” I insisted.“Wow, who do we have here?” The lady asked as soon as she got to our table.“We don't want any trouble; we're already leaving,” I interjected. “You don't want trouble? But this whore slept with my husband last night, and she even had the guts to follow us here today.” The lady screamed. People in the restaurant were beginning to look in our direction, their faces filled with disgust.“We didn't follow you here,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “We came here to have lunch.”Audrey must be wishing the ground would open up and swallow her. She kept her eyes glued to the table.“We came here to have lunch,” the lady mimicked mockingly, and some people around laughed.“Let's leave now,” I said, standing up, and then I pulled Audrey up. We tried to walk away, but the woman blocked our path and growled, “Do you think she can just leave?” “Don't allow that whore to leave; teach her a lesson or else she'll keep sleeping
**CHLOE**“Yayyyyy!” Audrey squealed, hugging me, and then Eric turned the car around. Phew... I hope I don't regret this. We got to Eric's apartment. A well-furnished duplex, just about a ten-minute drive from where we were. Stepping inside, we were welcomed by a spacious living room. Painted in a crisp white, the living room felt luxurious and airy. A sleek mini bar stood tucked away in one corner, hinting at Eric's love for entertaining.“You've got a really nice apartment,” Audrey commented as soon as we walked in.“Thank you,” he replied with a smile, and then he glanced at me.“Nice place,” I muttered, settling into the plush cushion.He beamed. “Thanks, Chloe.” And then he walked to the minibar, filled with drinks of all sorts. Opening the shelf, he turned to ask Audrey, “Belvedere, Chopin, or Ketel One?”“Ouuuuuu…. I like that. You've got options,” Audrey said with a grin.He let out a proud smirk. "So, which would it be?”“Let's start with Chopin,” she chuckled, looking a
**CHLOE**My eyes dragged open, revealing a blurry living room, and I squeezed my eyes shut again.Rubbing my heavy eyes with the back of my palm, I squinted and spotted Eric lying down casually on the cushion opposite, his fingers moving across his phone screen. “What time is it?” I croaked, my voice thick with sleep.My eyes were still very heavy.Eric glanced at me, surprised. “Oh, you're awake. It's 9 p.m.,” he replied. A wave of dizziness washed over me. Jeez… I'd slept that long? Was I really that tired?“Why didn't you wake me up?” I asked, a hint of accusation in my tone.“You looked really tired,” he responded softly.I sucked my teeth. “Did you forget that I have a husband who'll be worried sick about me?”He was silent. I knew I'd regret coming here. Jeffrey must be worried about me. I picked up my phone and saw a string of missed calls from him between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. No more calls after then.That was weird.My eyes landed on Audrey, who was still fast asleep on t
**CHLOE**“Yeah,” she confirmed. “But not permanently, though. Here's my home, of course, so I'll always come back. I just think I need a break from all these, you know,” she explained. “Probably a few months of vacation in another country, or I could just go for my masters degree.”I was trying to process what she'd just said.She just woke up this morning and decided to leave?I was too stunned to speak.“Is it because of Mark?” I finally managed to ask.“Not entirely him; I figured I needed some alone time and a fresh environment to feel better.”Tears welled up in my eyes. “I understand. It seems your mind’s already made up?” She nodded slowly. “We'll still be in touch, surely.”“Then I wish you all the best,” I murmured, pulling her into a tight hug, and tears rolled down my cheeks. She was sobbing too. “I'll miss you too,” she choked out.We remained in each other's arms for a while before I asked, “When are you leaving?”She was silent, and so I disengaged from her arms to st