Chapter One:
(Ava's POV )
I bit back a scream as one of my hands flew to cover my open mouth, while the other clutched the phone tightly."This has to be a dream! This can't be true!" I muttered under my breath.
My heart pounded against my chest as my eyes remained glued to the picture boldly displayed on my phone screen.
It was a nude video of my fiancé, Gregory, in bed with two women. He was drilling into one of them while the other fondled herself.
All of them were stark naked, and they seemed too engrossed in their activities to notice the camera behind them.
A thought struck me. Maybe they knew. Maybe they knew they were being recorded.
I whipped my head to the side, struggling to stop myself from throwing up. I edged backward and slumped onto the couch behind me. I was just about to leave the house to pick Gregory up from the airport. He was returning from a two-week work trip, and today was supposed to be special—it was our four-year anniversary.My eyes filled with tears as I let the phone slip from my shaky hands and fall to the floor.
How was I supposed to drag myself to the airport to pick up a cheating partner?
It felt worse knowing I had watched that video so many times that it now vividly replayed itself in my head.
My mouth turned dry. Wrapping my arms around my small frame, I sobbed.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I glanced at the screen. The caller ID read, "My Love."
That was how Greg’s number was saved on my phone. I knew why he was calling—his flight must have landed, and he was now searching for me at the airport.
"Fuck you, Gregory!" I cursed aloud, breaking the silence in the room. I picked up my phone, turned it off, and stormed into the bathroom.
One thing I knew about Gregory was that he would never admit to being wrong unless there was undeniable evidence against him. In the last four years of dating this man, I had never suspected he would go as far as kissing another woman. And now, there he was in a video, having a threesome.
I bent over the bathroom sink, nausea rising. I let the contents of my stomach out into the sink.
Feeling dizzy, I washed my face and dragged myself back to the living room to wait for him.
I knew he would book a ride home once he got tired of waiting at the airport. He had called several more times, but I ignored him.
Half an hour later, the front door opened, and I sprang to my feet as Gregory walked in.
"Sweetheart!" he exclaimed, closing the door behind him. He dropped his suitcase on the floor. There was a wide grin on his face, and his eyes shone with excitement as he looked at me.
"Welcome home, Gregory," I said coldly.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Gregory? It’s been a long time since you called me that. Are you okay, Sweetie?"
I folded my arms across my chest and stared at him in silence. My heart raced, but I held back from yelling.
He took a few steps toward me, then stopped. "I called multiple times when my flight landed. You weren’t there to pick me up, Sweetie."
"What do you do for work?" I asked.
He frowned. "I thought you knew. I’m a personal assistant to—"
"Oh, spare me that bullshit!" I shot back. "Tell me why you travel so often to places I know nothing about."
He stepped back, eyeing me as though trying to piece everything together.
"Did someone tell you something? Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked calmly.
I pulled out my phone, swiped through until I reached the video, and held it up in his face, fuming.
"Yes, we need to talk about this, you lying bastard!" I said, raising my voice slightly.
His eyes fell on the screen, and within seconds, his expression shifted. It went from surprise to shock, and then to anger. His brows knitted together.
"Honey, can we not do this right now? There's nothing to talk about." He muttered, turning to pick up his briefcase by the door.
"Gregory!" I yelled. "You cheated on me, and this is the reaction I get?"
"I did that for you!" he growled, pointing at my phone. "That video you saw is completely true, and I did that for you!"
His words hit me with a shock. I could barely believe what he had just said.
How could he say that he had sex with another women because of me? Different questions swirled around my mind and my breath hitched.
"Gregory" I said, my voice breaking as tears welled in my eyes, "Tell me you're joking. Please, tell me that this isn't true."
He rolled his eyes, wagging a finger in my face, "You started this mess, so let me complete it for you."
"Gregory, you slept with other women and you aren't even guilty about it?"
"You asked what I do for work, huh? I’m a fúcking pornstar." He sneered. Then, he paused for a moment before he continued talking, "Yes, I sleep with other women and get paid for it. How else do you think I’ve been able to maintain our expensive lifestyle?"
Gregory? A pórnstar?
His words came at me like a brick, and I staggered backward as my mind reeled. He closed the distance between us and stood right in front of me. I looked up into his ocean-blue eyes—the same eyes that made me fall in love with him.
"Ava, now that you’ve found out what I’ve been trying to hide, I have a surprise for you," he said.
Tears streamed down my face. "You cheated on me," I mumbled.
"Yeah. I’ve been doing this for months, and you don’t have to forgive me."
I blinked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"I’m breaking up with you, Ava. I’m ending this shitty relationship today."
"What? Are you serious, Gregory?"
"Yes. The only reason I get excited to travel for work is because I get to have good sex, which I barely get from you. Ava, you’re so boring in bed, and I’m tired of putting up with it."
"You proposed to me last month," I gasped, pinching my arm to wake myself from this nightmare.
He let out a mirthless laugh. "Oh, Ava. Why are you so daft? Did you really think I’d marry you?"
"You proposed!"
"I did it because you practically forced me! With your endless nagging about how your sister is married, I just got a ring to shut you up!"
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yeah, that’s it," he said, his deep voice echoing as he walked away. When he reached the staircase, he turned to face me.
"I’m going upstairs to shower and change. By the time I’m done, if you or any of your things are still here, you’ll regret it."
Something snapped in my brain. "You’re worse than the devil!" I yelled. "You have the guts to break up with me on our anniversary?"
"Anniversary?" He chuckled. "Just get the hell out of my life. Don’t make me force you."
With that, he went upstairs. I collapsed to the floor, holding my head in my hands as I broke down in tears.
Chapter 2: (Ava's POV)Last night, I packed my bags and left Gregory's apartment. With no place to stay, I had to spend the night at a local hotel. The following morning, I cleared my account and booked a flight back to Florida to meet my elder sister, Adrianna. She was the only living family I had, and at this moment, I needed her the most. After bawling my eyes out over the only man I had ever loved with every fiber of my being, I knew I had no choice but to put as much distance between us as possible. I felt empty. So empty as I stared out of the airplane window. My flight was expected to land in less than twenty minutes, and I was nervous. The last time I saw my sister was three years ago, and we hadn’t made any effort to see each other since. Guilt choked me, making it hard to breathe. I felt ashamed. For three years, I had chosen Gregory over my sister, prioritizing him and our relationship above everything else. My phone screen lit up with a text message. It was from
CHAPTER 3: (Ava's POV)7 a.m.It had been barely 24 hours since the conversation I’d had with Damon on our way from the airport, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about him.Shit.Why was I even thinking about him? Sure, I couldn’t deny how strikingly attractive he was, but I knew he was completely off-limits.I blinked, trying to piece together how the previous day had ended. When I arrived at the apartment Damon shared with Adrianna, she wasn’t home yet. Damon had led me to a large, spacious room at the far end of a hallway.“This room is yours for as long as you want to stay with us. I can’t wait to explore with you,” he’d said with a wink before leaving.That was the last I’d seen of him. I’d locked myself in the room, taken a hot shower, and collapsed onto the bed.Still, I hadn’t been able to sleep. Instead, I lay there, replaying Damon’s words in the car over and over.I pushed myself up from the bed and wandered over to the window. My stomach rumbled as I let out a yawn. I was hun
CHAPTER 4: I NEED YOU.AVA’S POVIt had been days—maybe weeks—since that moment in the living room with Damon. Since the kiss. Since my mind had been flooded with confusing thoughts. What the hell was wrong with me? I had to tell Adriana, I reasoned. I just had to tell her what her husband had been up to behind her back. Before I could change my mind, I went upstairs and walked quietly down the hallway, making my way to Adrianna's room.The door to her room was slightly ajar, and as I stood at the threshold, I hesitated. Should I knock? Go in? My hand hovered near the doorknob, but I didn’t move.Then, I heard it. Adrianna was speaking in a low, soft voice. It was obvious she was on a call. I was about to turn around when I caught her words."Do you remember what you did to me the last time? You were so rough. I loved it." She said. I stiffened, pressing my ear closer to the door, unsure of what I had just heard. There was a softness to her tone, something I hadn’t expected. “Yeah, I
CHAPTER 5: [AVA’S POV]I stared at him in complete disbelief as my body went stiff with shock, as his words sank in. Damon had to be out of his damn mind to say such a thing to me!Mess around? Did he really just say that?The air in the room felt suddenly suffocating. My skin prickled, my stomach twisting into tight knots. I had expected Damon to say something heavy when he started speaking, but not this. Not something so... disgusting.I forced out a laugh, "You’re joking."Damon exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck like this was just some difficult conversation—not the outrageous proposal it was. "I need you, Ava. Just for a few months. No strings, no pressure. You’d be doing me a favor.""A favor?" My laugh was bitter. "You want me to sleep with you while you're married to my sister? You think I would do that?""I’m serious," he said, his voice low. "It's not even much of a big deal, Ava."My nails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists. "You want me," I repeated my words slowl
(Ava’s POV)A buzzing sound pulled me out of my sleep. Eyes still closed, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. With a small yawn, I slowly opened my eyes.Adrianna.It was only a few minutes past five. Why was she calling? Had something happened? Did she know I overheard her conversation before she left?My heart pounded as I pressed the phone to my ear."Hello?""Ava! Don’t tell me you’re still in bed," she said, her voice bright with excitement. "I’m so happy for you! You finally got called for an interview. I really hope things go well. You have all my support!"Relief washed over me. She wasn’t calling about the phone conversation. But wait—how did she know about the interview? I never told her... did I?"How did you know?" My voice came out weak, laced with confusion."Have you forgotten? You texted me last night," she said."Oh… right. Sorry about that," I chuckled awkwardly.How could I forget? I really needed to pull myself together."I’ll ask Damon to drive you there s
(Ava’s POV)My phone kept buzzing, and my hands trembled along with it. That bastard wouldn’t stop calling. I stared at the screen, resisting the urge to scream and slam the phone against the dashboard.Gregory had the audacity to call me after everything he had done? He had the nerve to dial my number with those sinful, cheating hands? He definitely needed to have his crazy head checked at a psychiatrist hospital, because this was a sure sign of mental illness. My heart pounded against my chest as I tightened my grip on my phone. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Gregory didn’t deserve my tears.I was sure Damon had noticed the repeated calls, but he remained silent. A part of me wanted to explain why I hadn’t changed the contact name from “My Love”—just so he wouldn’t misunderstand and assume I still had feelings for Gregory.But then... I braced myself. Damon was nothing to me. He was just my sister’s husband. I didn’t owe him an explanation.Gregory didn’
(Damon's POV)I drove out of the parking lot with only one thought consuming me—Ava.How the hell did I end up like this? Completely drawn to the one woman I should never want? No matter how much I tried to fight it, the pull was relentless. Even when I told myself to stay away, the way her eyes held me captive kept dragging me back in.Maybe she felt it too. Maybe she didn’t.My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I replayed our argument, the way she’d glared at me with fire in her eyes as if she wanted to tear me apart. My chest clenched at the memory, but instead of anger, all I felt was hunger.I should be mad. Shouldn’t I? But I wasn’t.Ava had done something to me. That fire in her eyes only made me crave her more. It made me want to touch her, to feel her, to pull her into my arms and claim her. I had seen her angry, and now my body wouldn't stop imagining what she’d look like if I made her fall apart beneath me in pleasure.I exhaled sharply, shaking my head as I pulled int
(Ava's POV) I walked out of the interview room with my hands shaking.I had managed to wear a smile and act composed throughout, but my heart kept pounding in my chest; that feeling you get when you're not sure what's going to happen next. Remembering what had happened before I went in, I felt like vanishing again. It seemed like they were all staring at me, whispering about how I had fallen and how I hid my tampon like it was a hard drug. How I packed my stuff and left without uttering a word.Ugh... I should have just said sorry to the innocent man. I knew it was all just in my head, so I tried to shake off the feeling. The truth was, no one really cared. No one cared about me. Not even the man I had dated for four years. A self-mocking smile escaped my lips as I walked out of the building. I was seriously hoping that things would turn out the way I wanted. I couldn't wait to move out of Adrianna's house. Maybe that way, I would be able to shake off the weird feeling that
Chapter 40: A pang of jealousy (Damon’s POV)“So, you’ve been sleeping with him?” I asked again, my voice low but thick with barely restrained anger. The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but I had to hear them from her lips. “Tell me, Ava… you’ve been sleeping with Walter, haven’t you?” I pressed, each word cutting deeper, laced with suspicion I could no longer hide.I didn’t want to believe it. God knows I didn’t. But the thought had taken root in my mind, growing, twisting, poisoning everything I felt. I needed her to deny it, to tell me I was wrong. That I was paranoid. That my jealousy had made me delusional. But instead, she stood there, silent, staring at me as if I’d just spoken a foreign language.Her silence was deafening. It wasn’t just silence—it was confirmation, at least in my mind. She didn’t need to say a word. I saw it in her eyes. She had slept with him. And now, standing there, she was too ashamed to admit it… or maybe she wasn’t ashamed at all. Maybe she just didn’
Chapter 39: You don't own me!!~Ava’s POVDamon picked up his mug of coffee and flung it at the wall. The sharp sound of glass shattering against the floor made me jump, as my eyes widened in shock. I froze, staring at the jagged pieces scattered at my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't understand why Damon was suddenly being so violent. I looked at the shattered pieces of glass on the ground, and I felt fear creeping beneath my skin.I took another look at Damon, and I found it so hard to understand what he had become. He was so desperate to have me, and I knew it, but never did I expect that he would throw a tantrum and act this way.“Damon….” I mouthed."You're pushing me, Ava!" Damon sneered.He walked towards me and closed the distance between us. My body was pressed against the table, and he looked directly into my eyes.My heart raced… I didn't know what Damon was up to or why he acted like that.I thought he didn't want to talk. I thought he wanted to keep treating
Chapter 38: The line we shouldn't crossAva PovWalter drove me to work this morning, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think his life depended on it. The way his hands gripped the steering wheel, how he slowed at every bump in the road, even the way he stole glances at me from time to time—it was like he was guarding something precious. Or someone.And the worst part? I couldn’t stop smiling.It was embarrassing, honestly. I’d spent most of last night acting like I didn’t care, keeping him at arm’s length with that cold, distant attitude I’d gotten so good at. But now… now I was sitting beside him like some schoolgirl with a crush, smiling at him like he’d hung the stars just for me.I didn’t recognize myself.And I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.By the time we pulled up in front of the office building, my cheeks already hurt from smiling too much. Walter shifted the car into park but didn’t move to open his door. Instead, he leaned back in his seat like he wasn’t ready
Chapter 37: Wrapped in his armsAva’s POVThe feeling of Walter's lips on mine was tender. Gentle. His hands cupped my face so carefully, it almost made me want to cry. There was no rush. No hunger. Just… warmth. Pure affection. I hadn’t felt that in so long, it almost scared me.For the first time in forever, kissing a man didn't make me feel like I was drowning. There wasn’t that desperate need to fill an empty space, or the reckless pull toward something I knew I’d regret. No guilt clawed at my chest. There was no bitter taste of wrongness on my tongue.It wasn’t a kiss that would lead to another mistake. It wasn’t something I’d hate myself for tomorrow.It was just a kiss. Simple. Honest.And God, it felt good.Our lips moved slowly, and when his fingers brushed my cheek, I sighed into his mouth. The world around us seemed to fade out, like a movie with the volume turned low. Nothing existed at that moment but him. His warmth. His scent. The faint taste of mint on his lips.I didn
Chapter 36: Lost and found. (Ava’s POV)I sat there, staring at nothing, my mind drowning in memories I didn’t want to relive. I thought about everything—how much I had loved Gregory, how deeply he had broken me, and how I had stupidly believed we were meant to get married. I had actually pictured us growing old together, waiting for the day he’d walk me down the aisle with tears in his eyes. But what did I get instead? Betrayal. Humiliation. Heartbreak. Gregory had shattered me, not just by revealing he was a porn star, but by telling me he never really wanted to propose in the first place. That he had only done it because I was "pressuring him." I still remembered the way he said it—flat, emotionless like it was just another casual confession. No regret. No shame. Just the truth, dropped in front of me like a pile of garbage. At that moment, it was like my entire world collapsed. My love for him disappeared in an instant, and maybe, just maybe, I lost a little bit of myse
Chapter 35 - In the arms of another(Ava's POV)Walter drove us through the quiet streets, his hand loose on the wheel, humming under his breath. Meanwhile, I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my head turned completely away from him, resting against the cool glass of the window.The silence between us wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better than the alternative-me glaring at him for bringing me out tonight, when I didn't even want to be here in the first place.I wasn't angry with him, not really. He hadn't done anything wrong. He was sweet, considerate even, and that was the problem. I wasn't sure if I could handle sweet. Not after Damon. Not with Damon still carved into every broken piece of me.The weight of Damon's cold gaze earlier today still burned like a bruise on my skin. And now here I was, pretending to be okay on a date with someone else. It all felt wrong.But Walter, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode with happiness. His face glowed like a man
Chapter 34: (Damon's POV)I was driving through the empty streets with nothing on my mind but Ava. Her face was all I could see. Her laugh echoed in my ears, sweet and soft—meant for him. Every muscle in my body was tense, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were bone-white.I hated it.God, I hated everything about this.I hated the way he touched her.The way he looked at her—like she was the only thing that mattered.The way he smiled at her, with that smug confidence he wore like a second skin.The way he spoke to her, like he’d known her forever.And the way she smiled back at him, like he deserved it.I hated how fond he was getting of her.But what made me sick was how she was letting him.I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth as the memory of Walter kissing the back of Ava’s hand played on repeat in my mind like a bad film I couldn’t stop watching. I had warned him. I’d made it perfectly clear Ava was off-limits, but that bastard didn’t care. He ac
Chapter 33: Why did I care?(Ava’s POV)I stepped into my room and locked the door behind me, exhaling sharply as I leaned against it. My mind was a mess, thoughts tangled in knots I couldn’t seem to undo. I needed to clear my head, but before I could even try, my phone rang.For a second, I considered ignoring it, but when I saw it was a group video call from Susan and Bianca, I figured it was exactly what I needed—a distraction. Maybe talking to them would help me shove all this nonsense into the back of my mind.I flopped onto my bed, right next to the unopened box, and answered the call. But before I said anything, I caught sight of my reflection on the screen. Ugh. I took a few extra seconds to adjust my hair and make sure I didn’t look like I’d just been through an existential crisis.Finally, I spoke. “Hey.”“Sup, girl!” Bianca’s voice came through, full of energy.“How’s it going?” Susan chimed in.“We should be asking you that!” Bianca grinned. “You’re the one who got a new j
Chapter 32: Trapped Between LiesAva's POV I sincerely wasn’t ready to talk about how my first day at work went.What was there to say? That I had almost slept with Walter the night before and spent the entire day drowning in embarrassment? Or that Damon was suddenly acting so cold, like I was nothing to him? Or that I had to face Walter at the end of the day, only for the idiot to act like there was something between us? Or—worse—that Damon had actually called Walter my fuck buddy?None of those things were worth sharing, and I would rather die than tell my sister about that kind of shit. So... I decided to shift the conversation in another direction.“Adrianna, I heard you wanted to go on vacation with Damon. What are your plans? Are you going anytime soon?” I asked, forcing a warm smile.Adrianna sighed heavily. The smile on her face faltered almost instantly. She set the knife she was holding down for a brief moment, then picked it back up, as if she needed a second to gather her