CHAPTER TWO

NADINE

My hands shook terribly as I stared down at Ares’s phone. Deep inside my head, a tiny voice was screaming at me to drop it, to walk away, to continue living in ignorant bliss. But I couldn't.

I couldn't do it, not after the message I had just seen. Not checking would haunt me for a while… and my finger began to scroll through the chat thread. Every single thing was there—shared messages,  videos and suggestive photos, confirming his ongoing affair with Susan.

Sexual innuendoes, nude pictures, the messages flirty and teasing—the sexting was so detailed and highly descriptive that it made my stomach turn. In the thread were chats about me. Not only did he let Susan insult and mock me, most times he even led the conversation as well.

They called me names: Fat Hippo, Barren Whale, Polar Bear, Big Seal etc. The tears which I had been holding back left my eyes and began to roll down my face.

Susan was his secretary! How could he do this to me, and with her too?

A video popped up and curiosity got the better of me. I lowered the volume and clicked play to see a sex tape—the angle getting their side profiles and every single thing his dick was doing to her.

The obscene sounds he made and her own breathless moans filled the air. as I exited the video. My lungs clamped, and suddenly breathing became a chore, the tears doubling as if it would somehow ease the pain tearing me apart.

When the bathroom door opened, Ares walked out, dripping wet, his blue towel hanging low at his waist.

The sight of him disgusted me.

“What are you doing with my phone?” He growled, staring at his phone in my hand. His tone made my heart skip, and definitely not in a good way.

But I didn't back down, even as he stormed over to me. I stood, my teary gaze pinned on him, practically shoving the chats in his face.

"You've been fucking your secretary? For how long?" I asked, my breath ragged, my lower lip quivering. His eyes darkened with anger as he snatched the phone.

"How dare you snoop through my phone?" He snapped back. "Who the hell do you think you are—"

"I am your wife!" I yelled, my body trembling. "Now tell me, how long have you been cheating, Ares?!"

He grabbed my jaw, his fingers digging into my skin. "You have no right to question me." He sneered. "Forget being my wife, you are nothing but an empty barren woman, who does nothing but eat all of my money.”

He shoved me away and I staggered backwards, hands reaching out to dig into the bed as I steadied myself.

"Despite how much I've been pumping my seeds into you, you still haven't had a single miscarriage." I flinched at his words. I'd heard those words in the years we've been married. He never failed to remind me of how useless I was, especially in child-bearing.

"Seeing as you've failed woefully at this one thing, I'm trying my luck elsewhere.”

“With your fucking secretary?"

“Not your business,” he hissed.

My heart constricted in pain.

"None of that is my fault, Ares. I promise, I've tried. I've taken meds, gone for therapy, gone for treatment, I've done everything I can—"

"Well, you didn't do enough." He cut in coldly. "And I'm tired of waiting, especially when there's someone else ready to give me what I want."

I rushed to him, grabbing his arm, "Why are you doing this to me, Ares? You know how much I love you and yet, don't you see how much you're hurting me?"

A condescending look crossed his face and my heart broke even more. I opened my mouth to speak, but he shrugged me off, pushing me aside with a hiss.

"Your love means absolutely nothing to me. I never asked for it!"

I stood crying, as he dressed. When he was done, he glanced at me.

"Don't wait up for me, I'll be with Susan, sticking my dick in her to see if my cum can make babies with a fertile woman."

He walked out, leaving me all alone.

Gripping the bedsheet tight, I slowly crouched down, hand gripping my chest tight. The pain, the humiliation I suffered with him—it all made my heart squeeze so tight I could barely breathe.

After everything, this was how he chose to treat me? Memories of what I gave up just to be with him hit the back of my head, images of time and effort wasted so he would look at me like a human being haunted me, and the deep seething pain morphed into a raw, unbridled rage.

My hand brushed away my tears, and I picked myself up, put on my sexiest, most scandalous outfit, did my make-up, made my hair, and left the house.

When I walked into a high-end bar half an hour later, I moved straight to the counter and plopped myself onto one of the stools, signaling for the bartender.

"Hello Gorgeous, what can I get for you tonight?"

"Give me your strongest drink. Anything to get the edge off." I answered, and he dipped his chin at me.

"Coming right up."

When the drink came, it was a dark brown liquid. One sip and my nose scrunched in slight distaste.

"You asked for the strong stuff." The bartender joked. "Want me to get you something lighter?"

I shook my head, "No, thank you. I'll have this instead."

He nodded and moved away.

Halfway through my fourth glass, my vision dulled, the edges blurry even as my tensed body loosened up.

The hair on my skin rose to attention as I felt a hot gaze on me. When I looked in the direction, I caught the piercing grey eyes of a man standing off at the corner.

Something about his intense lust filled gaze made my insides hot. And then he moved away from the wall, his stride so akin to that of a predator stalking a prey as he approached me.

“That cleavage is to die for,” he said, eyes on my chest when he stood inches away from me. I reached for his tie and rubbed the pad of my thumb over the fabric, biting the corner of my lip.

“Hey Handsome.” Cringe, and I was sure my words were slurred, but Mr. Stranger here kept looking at me like he'd never seen a woman before, so that meant I was doing something right… right?

“What's a hot lady like you doing here?” His voice dropped low when he leaned in and whispered, “Alone?”