Behind the glamorous facade of a billionaire marriage, a toxic game of cat and mouse is unfolding. Maya Perkins thought she had it all - a jaw-droppingly handsome husband, Larry Jonathan, a life of luxury, and a love that would last forever. But when Larry's obsession with Brandy Owens, the seductive widow of his late friend (and campus sweetheart!), threatens to destroy everything, Maya is forced to make the one phone call she swore she'd never make. Lies, deceit, and betrayal collide in a shocking tale of love, lust, and the true cost of perfection. Will Maya survive the wreckage of her marriage, or will she become the latest casualty of a love that's gone lethally wrong?
View MoreChapter One: Fractured Promises
Maya's POV
I rested my chin on my hand, staring out the window as the tree-lined avenue blurred by. The scent of freshly cut grass wafted through the air, but I couldn't appreciate its sweetness. Not when my mind was preoccupied with the elephant in the room.
"Alright, cheer up. Do you really have to get so worked up over her?" My husband, Larry, spoke in a calm voice, breaking the prolonged silence.
I turned my head to look at him, my gaze steady. "You promised me it would just be the two of us." The words came out laced with a mix of disappointment and accusation. "This wasn't part of the plan."
Larry averted his gaze, looking out the window. "I was just giving her a ride. We know her situation. Ever since her husband passed away, she's been miserable."
My eyes narrowed. You sure know her situation inside out, considering how much attention you've been giving her. But I swallowed the words, knowing they would make me seem jealous. Instead, I kept calm and said, "I'm not targeting her. After all, you're the one who made promises to me, not her. Don't forget what's important here."
I hinted at something more serious, but Larry didn't respond. "Larry, I'm talking to you." I said, swallowing hard. "And I know you can hear me."
"Why do you always do this?" Larry asked, his tone tinged with frustration.
"Do what?" I snapped at him.
"Act paranoid," he responded calmly.
I felt a surge of anger, but I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I already explained to you."
"And I also need you to listen to me." Larry said. "You keep talking, but you never listen."
The tension between us was palpable, like a living, breathing entity. It was suffocating me.
Just then, the car door opened, and a delicate hand rested on the frame. Brandy smiled as she stood by the car, breaking the tension with a cheerful, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Can we get going now?"
God damnit! She smelled heavenly, like a field of roses on a warm summer day.
She slid into the backseat effortlessly, as if completely unaware of the tension in the air. The car started again, and I sighed inwardly, hoping to rest for the remainder of the drive.
But the car wasn't silent for long. Brandy's voice filled the space, and I felt suffocated by the conversation.
"Sigh, life has been so hard lately. The house feels so empty. I've been all alone, and there's no one to talk to. I'm so grateful to you both, especially you, Larry. If it weren't for you, I don't know how I would've coped."
Larry kept his eyes on the road, his tone gentle and calm. "We're friends."
Brandy's voice wavered, and tears started to fall. "Everyone else turned their backs on me after my husband passed, but you've stayed. I know you're his true friend. If only he were still here…"
My eyes rolled involuntarily. This was getting ridiculous.
"Hey," Larry said softly. "It's okay, don't cry okay?" He continued. "I'm sorry about Darey, I know it's still fresh and nobody ever heals from this pain but I promise to try my best to be there for you."
Brandy nodded, wiping a tear off her cheek. "Thank you." She muttered softly.
"Everybody needs somebody." Larry said again. "And I'll be that somebody if you need one."
How convenient! I nearly scoffed but I held myself.
A while later, we reached Brandy's destination, a small alley. Brandy unbuckled her seatbelt and got out, then turned back to Larry with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
"I need to pick up some things. Can you come with me? It'll only take a few minutes."
I interjected coldly, "I thought we were just giving you a ride."
Brandy sounded aggrieved, "These things are important… they were his belongings. I can't carry them alone."
Larry turned to me, "Wait in the car. I'll be quick."
"But..." I couldn't finish the sentence before Larry cut me off.
"I said I'll be quick." He firmly then turned to leave with Brandy.
That "quick" ended up being an hour, and I was on the verge of falling asleep, irritation creeping in. Just then, my phone lit up. It was a call from Larry.
His tone was more of a statement than a request: "There's been a slight delay. Brandy ran into some old classmates. They want to have dinner together. We'll stay here tonight and leave for the camping trip tomorrow."
My frown deepened, my tone laced with resistance. "Old classmates? Hers or yours? We were supposed to go camping, just the two of us. How many times are you going to break that promise?"
Larry responded, "Why are you in such a rush? We can still go camping tomorrow. It'll be fine."
I took a deep breath, "Listen, we need to talk about some things. It's been three years—"
Before I could finish, Larry cut me off. "It can wait until tomorrow. Let's discuss it then."
He added, "There's a restaurant behind us, Freshland restaurant. We're there."
And with that, he hung up.
"Great!" I yelled to myself. "How great and awesome!" I scoffed, fighting back tears.
I stared at the darkening phone screen, feeling a mix of disappointment and helplessness. Taking a deep breath, I tightened my grip on my purse and pushed the car door open. Without another word, I stepped out and headed toward the restaurant.
The cool evening air hit me like a slap in the face, snapping me back to reality. I had a choice to make: confront the situation head-on or let it simmer, potentially destroying what was left of our already fragile marriage.
As I walked toward the restaurant, the sound of laughter and clinking glasses grew louder. I could feel my heart racing, my mind whirling with thoughts of Larry, Brandy, and our failing marriage.
CHAPTER 69 – WHEN SUNSHINE VANISHES LARRY’S POVYeah. She heard me.God, kill me now.Maybe my brain short-circuited and my mouth forgot its job description. Or maybe the universe just sat back with a bag of popcorn, waiting for me to finally humiliate myself in public. Either way... she fucking heard me say it.Her head snapped up, those eyes narrowing just slightly, like, “Excuse me? Did this man just...?” And me? Oh, I froze. Picture this: multimillion-dollar CEO, trained to stare down investors and bull markets without blinking… suddenly reduced to a fourteen-year-old at prom who just tripped over his shoelace.“Uh...” I coughed, fiddling with my tie like it had suddenly developed a chokehold. “I… meant the flowers. Sexy arrangement. Very… seductive bouquet.”Yeah. That was the genius line my billion-dollar brain came up with. Somebody put me out of my misery.But instead of calling security, or reporting me to HR for verbal assault on a bouquet, which, let’s be honest, she sho
CHAPTER 68– HOW IT ALL STARTED LARRY'S POVI didn’t stay at the bar a minute longer. I packed up, left, and hit the road home ASAP. Lucky me, Brandy wasn’t around... because there was no way I could’ve handled that sunshine smile or her sweet little snacks right now.I fished my phone out of my pocket and punched in her number. Rang once… twice… and straight to voicemail. Of course. Typical Maya... always elusive when I needed her most. She would’ve known exactly what to do now... she always does, like some kind of human GPS for my disaster life. I called again. And again... and again. Nada. Nothing. Where did it all go wrong? Seriously. She’s always been sweet, my Maya... always. Even when I only knew her as that always smiling flower girl in that florist shop. I laughed at the memory, a little bitter, a little wistful too. Funny how some memories can feel like a warm hug and a kick in the gut at the same time.How did it even start? Me, Larry Jonathan... CEO, empire-builder, life
CHAPTER 67 – DYNASTY AT STAKELARRY’S POV I literally stayed staring at my desk like it had personally offended me. The polished mahogany might as well have been lava because my thoughts were melting me from the inside out. Kane had just excused himself, smooth as a spy slipping out of a bad rom-com, leaving me alone in the aftermath of Davenport’s verbal nuclear bomb.Mr. Kane had just left, excusing himself with that faint, almost polite nod that reeked of calculated distance. Like he had read every chapter of my life and decided today was a good day to remind me just how messy I really was.I ran a hand over my face, pulling the edge of my tie a little tighter, Kane… you’re lucky you’re so damn polished, or I’d throw this tie at you. Kane had that talent... the uncanny ability to place a mirror in front of your conscience and make you squirm in the reflection of your own secrets I could feel the weight of the conversation pressing down on me, suffocating in a way that no empire,
CHAPTER 66 – LEGACIES AND LIESLARRY’S POVBy ten, I was in the shower. By twenty, I was already on the road. And by thirty, I was sliding into the company lot, dressed like the CEO’s nightmare but running strictly on coffee fumes and unholy amounts of attitude. I parked my car, threw on my best fake confidence, and strutted into the building like a man who knew the game was ninety percent appearance and ten percent caffeine.The glass doors of the company greeted me with their usual sterile shine, a cold reflection of power and money. Employees swarmed the lobby like ants, each carrying files, coffees, and fake smiles. They nodded at me as I strode past, some whispering my name like I was either a savior or a scandal waiting to happen.The air practically shifted the second I stepped into the executive hall... thick, heavy, like the universe already knew drama was waiting for me. Even before I reached my office, I caught the voices... smooth, sharp, dripping with that “I run the wor
CHAPTER 65– PAWNS AND PLAYERS MAYA'S POVWhat would you do if death brushed past you so close you could feel its breath? If your life literally flashed by like some bootleg Netflix montage? I don’t know about you, but me? I was totally freaking out. Like, the “my-soul-almost-left-my-body” kind of freaking out.I kept quiet the entire ride, and honestly, I was glad Damian did too... though I did catch him stealing glances at me.My hands were still trembling when Damian’s SUV screeched past the gates and rolled into the mansion’s driveway. The tires hadn’t even stopped crying before my lungs snapped for air like they’d been underwater for years.Damian killed the engine, but his death grip on the steering wheel didn’t ease up. His knuckles were practically throwing a tantrum, veins popping like every nerve in his body was screaming at him to stay in control. But his eyes? Oh no, his eyes gave him away. They were sharp, restless, searching the rearview mirror even though we were safely
CHAPTER 64– MAYA JESUS DAMIAN'S POV Just like that... some idiot just yanked me out of my daydream about my first kiss with my boyfriend. I swear, if I had a gun right now… maybe this hospital would have rushed into another surgery or something. But nope. Lucky me, no gun. Because that “idiot” turned out to be my detective... Detective Stanley, and, surprise, he actually came bearing good news. News that set my mind racing faster than any caffeine could. One moment I was in control, calculating, daydreaming... oops...scratch that please...strategizing, and the next… the universe dropped a curveball called Maya Perkins in my lap. He’d found her. Marvin’s ride-or-die, the girl he trusted more than anyone. And damn it, I wasn’t going to lie... I was jealous. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to be the man holding everything together, but here she was, fragile and fierce in the same damn hospital as him, both of them reeling from the same disaster.Stanley explained the si
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