Chapter 1

Annette's POV

"Oh yeah! Right there, baby!" I moaned as Nathan's thrusts deepened.

He held on to my waist as he slammed into me. My eyes rolled back into my head as a wave of pleasure washed over my body. I screamed, gripping the sheets as we came together.

I panted as Nathan got off the bed and made his way to the bathroom.

"That was great." I sang happily as I rolled over on the bed.

"Do you want me to join you?" I asked but received no response, and in a moment I heard the shower turn on.

A frown graced my features as I sat up on the bed. This wasn't the first time this happened, nor was it the third, fourth, or even fifth. This started happening very often to me. We would have sex, and then Nathan would not speak to me after like he normally would. It bothered me deeply. Was there something wrong with our relationship? When did it get this bad?

I stared at the curtains and thought to myself.

"Marriage is a blessing, and love is a luxury." Those were the words of my late mother, and of course, I would always roll my eyes at her words. You see, she never believed in marriage or love, for that matter. She's been married five times, and there comes a time when you just seem to give up.

But not me.

I married my high school sweetheart, Nathan Taylor. We went to college together; he studied law, and I studied medicine. A year ago, I quit my job at the hospital and followed something I was more passionate about: interior design.

Nathan was the perfect guy; he was charming. Every couple has fights, but Nathan was someone who would apologize first and try to make things okay between us.

That was up until a few weeks ago. He became absorbed in his work, and he rarely ever spent time at home. I usually saw him early in the morning or late at night. At first, I brushed it off, thinking that he was just busy, but lately I started to think otherwise. He became somewhat cold and distant. I couldn't process what was happening, but I was determined to find out what was happening between us.

~

The sun's rays practically burst through my window as I groaned in bed. Does morning have to come so quickly? Looking at my alarm clock, it was a little over 9. I hauled myself out of bed and prepared myself for the day. After showering and getting dressed, I decided to have breakfast downtown.

I quickly sent Nathan a text before I left the house. Today I was feeling down.

I arrived at the diner and ordered a cup of coffee and an omelet. While I was waiting on my order, I checked my phone and saw that Nathan hadn't replied yet.

That bugged me a lot, and I knew that sooner or later I would have to confront him about everything.

A few minutes later, the waitress came with my food.

"Here's your order." The waitress said this as she smiled.

"Oh, thank you."

I was forced to eat breakfast; it was as if I had lost my appetite. Everything was not okay, and I'm tired of pretending it is. There was something wrong with Nathan, and I am going to find out.

After eating breakfast, I decided to do some grocery shopping and prepare Nathan's favorite dish before I confronted him tonight.

While shopping through the aisles, my phone rang, and I immediately rummaged through my purse. I hoped that it was Nathan. Upon checking, I saw that it was Paige.

"Hey, P," I answered as I put a carton of milk in the trolley.

"Hi, Annie, what's up?" She asked.

"I'm just doing some grocery shopping. What about you?"

"Dropping Michael's bag for him at school. That little guy does this a lot." She groaned.

Michael is Paige's son. He's 4 years old, stays with Paige on weekdays, and visits his father on the weekend. Paige and her ex-husband, Greg, divorced two years ago. They fought all the time and decided it wasn't working. Last year, she met Tony, and they have been going strong ever since.

"Gosh, he always does that." I chuckled as I grabbed a bottle of water and placed it in the trolley.

"Yeah. I hope you haven't forgotten that we're supposed to meet for lunch today." She said and I didn't reply.

"You forgot, didn't you?" She chuckled, and I groaned.

"Yes, I did."

"Oh man, Tiffany is going to hear about this!" She said.

"I promise I will be there though."

"As if you had a choice. I'll see you later. Bye!"

"Bye."

After shopping, I went back home and unpacked. Then I went to my room and got dressed to meet my friends.

I have known Paige and Tiffany since I studied medicine in college. We became best friends, and we have been ever since. Tiffany is engaged and getting married in a month.

I left for the restaurant where we were supposed to meet and saw Paige sitting at the table.

She waved over to me, her blonde hair bouncing as she had an excited look in her eyes.

Walking over to the table, I leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"So lovely to see you." She smiled, and I nodded. At that moment, Tiffany walked in; her dark brown hair was damp, and she wore a short blue and white striped dress.

"Hey girls!" She cheered as she hugged us both.

"I already ordered for us," Paige said as we sat down.

"So, how are things with you and Tony?" Tiffany asked, and Paige blushed.

"Oh, we're fine. I think he might propose soon." She gushed.

"Aw, I'm so happy for you." Tiffany smiled.

"And I'm so happy about your wedding that's coming up soon," Paige said excitedly.

They were gushing over weddings and proposals, but I found my mind wandering back to Nathan.

I knew something was wrong. I couldn't shake the feeling. I wanted us to be okay.

"Earth to Annette," Tiffany called, and I looked over at her.

"Oh, sorry." I apologized.

"You seem distracted. I was asking how things were going with Nathan. You guys are always happy."

"We're fine. We always are."I smiled.

"What about, you know?" She trailed off a bit. It was a touchy topic, and I hated addressing it.

"It will be alright."

"Don't worry, things will work out for you. We're here for you. Don't forget that." They grinned, and I smiled.

"I never could."

~

After spending a marvelous evening with my friends, I returned home at four to prepare dinner for Nathan and me.

Pulling into the driveway, I spotted a pale blue Nissan Versa sedan parked outside.

That's odd. I guess Nathan's home early and has company. I got out of the car and went inside the house.

"Nathan?" I called as I walked further inside, but he didn't reply.

Walking into the living room. I found Nathan and a woman sitting on opposite sides of the sofa.

She looked quite young, probably in her early twenties. The dark roots of her hair perfectly transitioned into a blonde tone that fell to her back. Her large blue eyes stared at Nathan as he said something to her. Clad in a burgundy skater dress and black heels, she looked very pretty. The more I looked at her, the worse I felt.

But it wasn't, particularly her, that made me feel sick. It was the way Nathan looked at her.

Then he laughed. Nathan Taylor fucking laughed, his head thrown back and clutching his stomach.

It might not have been a big deal, but it was to me, especially since he didn't laughed like that with me in months.