Chapter 1

Today makes it three years since I got married to Deckard Newton, and I have only one goal in mind.

Seduce him till he can't resist me.

You see, in our years of marriage, Deckard and I have never been intimate. It’s not like he doesn’t want me. I mean, I’ve caught him jerking off to my pictures once before...he doesn’t know that.

He always says that he doesn’t want to hurt me, but if only he knew how much I want him to do exactly just that, if it counts as “hurting.”

"Ma'am, why won't you let me do it?" Victoria, the house keeper, asks for the second time, as I hover around the kitchen with the pan in my hand.

"Because, my dear Tori," I beam, "I want everything to be done specially by me."

She makes a face but smiles either way, stepping out of my way but not leaving me entirely alone in the kitchen just in case I would need her for anything.

He would be home any minute now, and I need this night to be special as far as the word goes. I'm even wearing a light material dress that hangs on my body at the right angles.

Am I desperate? Yes.

Is it pathetic? A little bit.

Do I care? No... definitely not.

"Lock the doors," I instruct Victoria as I hustle my way out of the kitchen to the dining area to light the last of the rose scented candles. Then, I follow the trail of rose petals up to his room, to make sure the path is perfect.

I glance at the set of black lace lingerie on the bed and smile to myself. He definitely wouldn't be able to resist all of this and if he does?

Well...then I'll just keep trying until he doesn't.

My phone vibrates against the glass vanity, startling me out of my thoughts. The caller ID is Deckard and my heart flies, expecting him to be downstairs and calling for me to get the doors open.

"My love?" I say into the speaker.

"God, Syd. Thank God you picked up–"

His voice is cut off by the background noise of wherever he is, and my heart sinks knowing he's far from downstairs.

"Deckard?" I call again, trying to catch his voice.

"Come to the hospital right now," his voice is hardened. "My father just died a few hours ago, and everyone is here already."

Wait...what??!

Of all days to die, my Father-in-law chose today?! Now isn't that a bit too dramatic way to ruin all my plans?

"What? Oh my God, I–"

"Just get here," he snaps, and the line goes dead.

Okay, that was harsh. But then his dad just died, so I'm probably being too sensitive.

I stand frozen in the middle of the room, suddenly feeling foolish in my romantic get up. Well, that's...not how I imagined the night to play out at all.

Completely deflated, I blow out the candles and throw on a coat as I begin heading out of the house.

"Something came up?" Victoria asks when I climb down the stairs.

"My father in-law just died," I tell her and her eyes instantly fill with pity. I don't wait her to say anything else, because I just might cry in disappointment after putting a lot of effort into tonight.

As I pull out of the driveway, my phone rings again, but this time, it’s Deckard’s grandmother.

"Sydney? Are you there?"

"I’m on my way, Grandma. I just heard, and I’m so sorry."

"It was her, Sydney! That girl killed my son!" she wails in hurt and anger. "She forced him to go on that mountain hike even though she knew his asthma had gotten worse! This is why I told my son not to marry someone half his age, because I knew she'd wind up killing him for his properties. I knew it!"

"Grandma, please, take a breath," I sigh, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. "We don't know that. Georgia wouldn't—"

"Georgia would do anything for a payout! She’s a parasite! And now my son is dead because she wanted a little weekend trip."

She sobs, and I hear Deckard's voice trying to soothe her, but everything goes to shit soon after. I cut off the call, trying to focus square on the road and hoping to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

She's right about Georgia, Deckard's young stepmother. She's always been...a lot. Petite, blonde and surface level. There's something odd about her, something I can't pinpoint, but I don't find it hard to believe that she might have deliberately led Mr. Newton to his early death.

She didn't strike to me as the kind of woman to stay married to a much older man for long anyway.

When I burst into the hospital waiting room, the first thing that greets me is Deckard immediately jumping in front of a hysterical Georgia to take a slap from his Grandmother meant for her.

"You murderer!" she screams.

Deckard's face doesn't even flinch, and his hand doesn't release Georgia's as his eyes stay fixed on his grandmother

"That's enough, Grandma," he says. "You know you're just jumping into conclusions because you're upset."

"Conclusions?! She killed my son. Your father! And yet, here you are falling for her fake cries just like you father would have."

I move toward them, my hands instantly reaching out for Deckard to discreetly pull him away from Georgia.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry about your father, I—"

He jerks away from me, pulling Georgia with him, leaving me embarrassed. Georgia on the other hand is teary eyes and red faced, and her six year old son, Riley, glares at me.

"Oh good, you're here." Deckard nods at me. "Take my grandmother outside and calm her down. She's making a scene."

I blink, stunned. What an odd way to receive your wife, isn't it?

"But... my love, I just got here. I wanted to see if you were alright. Your father—"

"I'm fine," he interrupts, his hand resting protectively on Georgia’s shoulder. "Georgia is the one who’s falling apart and she needs space. Just take Grandma, okay?"

Georgia looks up at me, and then back down to the ground. "He said he was fine, I swear, I didn't force him to come with me. And then he just... he just collapsed. It was horrible."

"You lying piece of–"

"It's alright," I rush to Deckard's grandmother, pulling her into a hug before she can complete her sentence. Deckard nods in approval, rubbing Georgia's back.

My blood burns with anger as Georgia leans into his touch. But then her husband just died and I think I'm being too insensitive. She's his step mom, so he has to comfort her, right?

"Oh, Sydney dear, thank God you're here. Thank God–" grandmother breaks into a heartbreaking sob.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I whisper into her ear as I lead her out of the waiting room.

My mind however, isn't calm. Why was Deckard so quick to defend Georgia? Why didn't he want me to comfort him? What was he doing with Georgia today of all days? It's a little too convenient that he happened to be available when his father died, isn't it?

It was almost as if he didn't want me to touch him in Georgia's presence, which is weird.

And the fact that she just... leaned into him. It felt so natural for her.

Later, when everything has been taken care of in the hospital, Deckard comes to meet us outside.

His grandmother doesn't even look at him or Georgia. She kisses my cheek and walks off to her car, giving her driver the go ahead to leave.

"She's very upset," I say to no one in particular and Deckard nods, then his eyes turn very hard.

"Georgia and Riley would be staying with us for the time being," he tells me, suddenly.

"Why?" I wonder out loud. "They have a home. Why can't they just go back there?"

Pardon me for being a little irritated, but tonight of all nights?? All I wanted was a little privacy for both of us, but now, it doesn't even feel like I have a say in this.

"It’s too many memories for her right now, Sydney," he snaps. "Do you really want to force a grieving widow and a child to stay in a house where the death is still fresh? Have some heart."

"It's not about heart, you know that. It's our anniversary and I already had plans."

He glances at me, those grey eyes cold looking irritated. "My father died today, Syd. Do you really think I care about a stupid dinner or whatever 'surprise' you have waiting?"

Oh... right.

I feel like I've been slapped, harder than Grandmother slapped him. "I...I'm sorry."

He doesn't acknowledge me further and goes over to lead Georgia to the car. He gives her my seat at the front and motions quietly for me to sit at the back with her son.

"I hope you don't mind," Georgia says to me. "I don't want to intrude."

"No, it's fine," I smile, even though I'm slowly dying on the inside.

When we get back to our house, Deckard leads Georgia into the guest room, murmuring soft words to ease her tears. He turns to me when I barely make it into the house.

"Watch Riley."

He turns away, not even giving me the time to protest as he and Georgia disappear into the guest room.

I look at the boy in question, who completely hates me. He looks up at me, his grey eyes much like his father and Deckard, filled with boredom.

Great. Just the perfect way to spend my anniversary evening.

"You want a juice box?"

He stares at me for a few seconds and then ignores me completely. But still, I move to the kitchen and grab a box of apple juice. When I hand it over to him, he snatches it rudely and goes to turn on the TV.

My mind is still turning Deckard's attitude over. If he doesn't care about the plans I made, I might as well just take everything down.

I make my way to the kitchen, grab the cold steaks and toss them in the trash, remembering just how much thought I put into making them and hearing Deckard call my efforts stupid.

Then I run upstairs, scattering the path of rose petals as I do, and shove the lingerie into the back of my closet.

Coming back down, I start tidying the magazines on the coffee table. Riley is mesmerized by the screen, ignoring me completely. As I straighten the stack of magazines, I notice something thick and leather-bound peeking out from the bottom.

It looks out of place among the sleek magazines. Curious, I pull it out from the stack and my breath hitches when I recognize the book.

It's the photo album Deckard keeps in his private study. I blush, remembering the one time I caught him jerking off to the pictures in the book.

I had backed away then, feeling a strange mix of shame and excitement. I'd always assumed it was a collection of photos of us back when we were dating. I thought his jerking off to my pictures was his way of connecting with me when he couldn't bring himself to be physical.

I should hide this, I think, my cheeks warming. If Georgia or Riley see what my husband uses for 'inspiration,' I’ll die of embarrassment.

But as I hold it, a dark, seductive curiosity takes hold of me. He’s been so cold and distant recently. Maybe if I see what he likes, what version of me he desires, I can finally figure out how to be that woman for him.

I lean against the wall, glancing toward the hallway where Deckard is still comforting Georgia. The door is closed.

I suck in my lower lip, my heart drumming behind my ribs. Just a peek. Just a teeny tiny peek...

I flip open the first page.

It’s a photo of me from our engagement party. I’m laughing, a glass of champagne in my hand, my brown hair windblown. I look so happy.

A blush creeps up my neck. I knew it. He does love me, in his own repressed way.

Eagerly, I flip to the second page, but what I find shatters me.

It’s Georgia. She’s sitting on a lounge chair by a pool, her bikini top untied, her back to the camera, but she’s looking over her shoulder with a smirk that is anything but "innocent."

What the fuck?

My fingers tremble as I flip again.

Georgia in a wet white oversized dress shirt, transparent and sticking to her skin, her nipples very well visible.

Georgia sleeping, her lips parted.

Georgia in a bathtub, bubbles barely covering her naked skin, laughing at the lens.

There are dozens of them and not one more of me than the first picture. As I go deeper into the album, the photos become more "compromising."

Georgia in a lace lingerie. Georgia in positions that suggest she knew exactly who was taking the photo—and why.

The dates on the back of the prints go back years, suggesting that this was going on even before Deckard and I got married.

I feel so heartbroken, I might just throw up. It never occurred to me that Deckard would be sexually obsessed with his step mom. But thinking about his behavior today, then it makes sense.

I have been excusing their abnormal relationship for years, believing that Deckard loved me just because he showed enough care to fool me.

He never touched me not because he was afraid to hurt me like he had said, but because he's not sexually attracted to me.

He's sexually attracted to Georgia.