ONE

Juliet

My mind turned blank.

Groans and moans filled the air until it was all I could hear. All I could see was Declan sitting on his chair, completely absorbed by the woman kneeling before him.

My jaws slackened, as I tried to breathe through the suffocation and tightening in my chest. Muscles weakening, the package I held in my hand dropped. Declan's eyes snapped open.

“Shit!” He swore, eyes widening when he saw me. But the red head made no move to stop, and he made no effort to get up.

His mouth parted, body trembling as he swore.

I gasped, grabbing the wall before my knees could give out. I wanted to stop watching. But I felt glued to the scene, unable to tear my eyes away.

Declan's dazed expression hardened, his eyes still on me. “That's enough”, he said coldly.

The woman raised her head, a satisfied smile on her face. She turned to look at me and smirked as she rose from her knees.

I tried to say something. Scream, cry, anything. But everything was stuck in my throat.

The two adjusted their clothes. Once the woman was done fitting her large breasts into the tight green dress that could barely hold them, she started to walk towards me.

Her green eyes glinted with a smug expression as she pulled the door open behind me and walked out.

Tears pricked my eyes, lips trembling as I turned to my husband.

“Declan”, I forced myself to say something.

“Why didn't you inform me you were coming?”, Declan asked with annoyance as he buckled his belt.

A gasp hitched my throat at his attitude and audacity. I let out a humourless laugh.

“Really Declan? You're seriously asking me that?”

He let out an agitated sigh, running his hand through his blonde hair. “You shouldn't have seen that”.

My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. “I… I can't believe… why did you do this to me?” It felt like someone stuck a knife into my chest and twisted it. It hurt so much that I gasped in pain.

Declan grabbed my shoulders. I tried to push him off, but I was too weak to.

“Juliet…”

“How long has this been going on?” How long had he been cheating on me? How many women? Or was it just her?

“Calm down!”

“Don't you fucking tell me to calm down Declan!” I snapped, breathing hard. “How long have you been doing this? Answer my question!”

“Stop yelling!” He said through clenched teeth. “Do you want to cause a scene? This is an office”.

He didn't have that in mind when he decided to put his dick into some woman's mouth.

“I see”, I gulped, nodding with teary eyes.

“Listen”.

I looked away, crying quietly.

“Look at me Juliet”, he demanded.

I turned to see him. The man I had loved for most of my life. I looked into those blue eyes that always captivated me and he was almost unrecognisable.

“How long?” I asked again, this time more quietly.

“Today was the first time”, he answered with another sigh. This time, there was almost a tone of regret in his voice and face.

I nodded. “Alright”.

For some reason, I could not bring myself to totally believe him. Had he been out there cheating on me while I was struggling with multiple doctors appointments and physically draining tests?

When did I stop being enough for him?

He slowly let me go.

“I don't know if you noticed but things have not been right between us for a while now”, he said.

My fist clenched. Of course I did.

Which was why I brought him lunch and some fucking flowers just to cheer him up, because I noticed he had been moody. I had mistaken it for him being busy but it turned out it wasn't work that was keeping him away.

“The spark, desire, it's… no longer there, Juliet”.

I let out a shaky breath. I noticed that too. Sex had become scheduled and more of a chore that neither of us enjoyed. But what could I have done? We had been trying for more than three years.

“Do you even know the last time you touched me because you wanted to?” He looked frustrated.

I could only look at him speechlessly because it was true. But it wasn't just for him.

“Why didn't you say anything then?” I asked. Maybe we could have fixed it if he had communicated. It would not have gotten to that.

“I’m sorry”, he said looking resigned.

I scoffed, shaking my head.

“You're right, I should have communicated”. He moved close to me again. “But… we can still fix things. We have to”.

Fix things? Did I want to?

Cheating was enough for me to decide to walk away from our marriage, but for some reason the idea of divorce made me sick.

“We’ll go on dates, be more open to exploring things in bed”.

I glared at him.

“I’m sorry. Shit, what am I even saying?”, he apologized, running his hand through his hair again.

“Don't”, I shook my head.

“Juliet…”

“I need space right now. I need…. I need to think”. I needed to breathe.

With shaky hands, I pushed the door and walked out of his office.

“Coming”. I heard my mother's sing song voice from the other side of the door.

After leaving Declan's office, I cried myself to stupor inside my car. With my chest full, I realised I needed someone to talk to. And the only person who was available was my mother.

“Hi…” her pleasant expression fell when she saw me. “Oh my god”, she gasped.

“What happened to you? You look like a train wreck”.

“Hey Mum”, I managed to say.

“Oh dear, don't just stand there, come in”.

Mum ushered me in before leading me to take a seat. After offering me a glass of water, she sat on her favorite single couch and watched me drink.

“What happened?” She asked, eyeing me with a bit of disgust.

Though I looked like the younger and lighter version of my mother, we were nothing alike. Her silk pressed hair was always neat, outfit and make up on point. Meanwhile, I was a fat mess of a curly head who wore whatever.

“I caught Declan cheating on me”, I said.

There was silence for a few seconds.

“Oh honey”, Mum sympathetically moved from her chair to where I was sitting. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I burst into fresh years.

“It's okay, dear”, she rubbed my arm.

The pain in my chest had long lightened, but the feeling of devastation was still there. I couldn't stop crying.

“Why did he do this to me Mum? Am I not enough?”

Mum sighed. “Men”.

“I… What am I supposed to do now?” The self respecting choice was divorce. But a part of me still hoped. And that even made me more miserable.

“What are you thinking?” Mum asked, as I wiped my tears with my sleeve.

“I don't know. Maybe divorce?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh dear”.

“Is that…”

“Divorce? Seriously? If I had divorced your father the first time he cheated on me, do you think you and your brother would have had the privilege of having both parents?”

I stared at her with my mouth open speechlessly. My father died five years ago. I had no idea he had been cheating.

“What do you think will happen if you make such a rash decision? Declan Cooper is a huge catch, he'll find your replacement immediately. And you… you'll end up a poor divorcee!”