Chapter 70 - One Dark Room

Maria's POV 

I woke up with a heavy head, the kind that comes after a night of too many thoughts. The first thing that came rushing back was the fight I had with Luca. 

The perfume scent. I knew I smelled it on him, sweet and sharp, a woman’s scent clinging to his shirt. And yet, he looked me dead in the eye and made me feel like I was crazy. Like I only imagined it.

Gaslighting. That’s what it was. He twisted it so well that for a second, I almost believed him. But lying in bed now, staring at the ceiling, anger burned deep in me. I wasn’t wrong. I know what I smelled.

But that was not the only thing now.

Luca said I needed to know my place. I scoffed as that comment came back. Know my place.

Of course, after all, I'm just his little doll and an item to replace Alexa, his former woman who misses so much.

"Who were you to question him," I asked myself. "Doll?"

I rolled over and noticed the quiet in the house. Too quiet. Luca was probably gone. Alex too. Probably together. A part of me felt relieved, at least I didn’t have to see his face right now.

Dragging myself up, I went into the shower. The hot water ran over me, but it couldn’t wash away the anger in my chest. By the time I got dressed, I was still feeling tense, my jaw still tight. 

When I went out the room, Louisa stood near the kitchen door. She smiled gently and said, “Good morning, ma’am.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Not today. I just walked past her, opened the door, and stepped outside like she wasn’t even there.

The sun was hot, burning against my skin, but I didn’t care. I waved down a taxi and climbed in.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Just drive please,” I said flatly. “Anywhere. Just move.”

He looked at me in the mirror, a little confused, but he nodded and pulled into the road.

At first, I kept it together. But as the car moved, everything inside me broke. 

The tears came hard, pouring down my face, and I couldn’t stop them. My chest hurt from holding it in all night.

The driver didn’t say anything for a while. He just drove, letting me cry. It was the kind of silence that wasn’t awkward, just heavy. Like he understood I needed to cry.

Finally, his voice came low and careful. “Miss… what’s wrong?”

I sniffed, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “It’s my husband,” I said. The word slipped out before I thought it through. Husband. It sounded safer than the truth. Safer than saying I was crying over a man I wasn’t even married to.

The driver nodded slowly. “He hurt you?”

I looked down at my hands. “I caught him cheating,” I whispered.

There was a pause. Then he asked softly, “Do you have children?”

I shook my head. “No.”

He grunted, like he understood something I didn’t. “Then listen to me, eh?” His eyes met mine in the mirror. “Don’t go burning your whole house just because one room is dark.”

I frowned. His words sat strangely in my head. I didn’t fully get it. Burning the house? What was that supposed to mean? Still, it stuck with me, like glue.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice shaky but calmer. Somehow it felt better to see that someone cared. Someone I didn't even know very well.

He nodded and drove on.

After a while, I cleared my throat. “Can you take me to a bar instead?”

“Which one?”

I gave him the directions to the one I knew Liam could find me, and soon enough, the car stopped right in front of the bar.

I thanked him for the ride and for the tip. I wanted to say I didn't understand the advice but something told me I'll understand it soon enough.

He nodded back at me and waved me goodbye with a smile. Oh, how I love to see people smile especially when I know it's real.

I watched him drive away and soon after sighed deeply as I turned to enter the bar.

The bar was quiet as usual. I wished I could come here at night to see how different it is here then.

The bartender was different today and I wanted to ask about the one I used to see but I thought against it. He's probably just off today.

I pulled out my phone as I sat to place my order. The only thing I could think of now… or perhaps the only person I could think of was Liam.

I wanted him here and so I searched for his inbox and typed quickly. 

“Are you free? Can you come? I'm at the bar.”

The reply came almost instantly. 

“Of course. I'm on my way."