Love Gone Hollow

I was carrying a lunchbox to Noah Lester’s office.It was already late at night, and the building had emptied hours ago.Only the lights in Noah’s office still burned brightly.The sharp click of my heels echoed down the hallway, but it couldn’t drown out the soft moans coming from his office.He and his new secretary hadn’t even bothered to shut the door properly. I could clearly hear their voices.“Mr. Lester,” she purred. “You’re always so rough with me. Tell me—am I the one you love most?”Through the narrow crack in the door, I saw Jill Spencer draped across his body.He must’ve been drinking as his words were slurred, but I couldn’t tell how much of what he said was true.“Love you? Don’t be ridiculous. I just like doing you. The one I love most is obviously my wife.“She’s my muse—my first love, the one I cherished in my youth. She’s the love of my life. No one will ever come close.”I stood frozen in place.My hand gripped the doorknob, but I couldn’t bring myself

Noah stayed by my side until dawn.I woke to the shrill ring of his phone. Seeing me stir, he frowned and declined the call, only for it to ring again immediately.Once.Twice.The incessant noise drilled into my skull.“You should head back to the office,” I said softly. “I’m fine now. I’ll be discharged soon.”He hesitated before nodding slowly. “Well… you know how hectic things have been at work lately. I really can’t—”“I know,” I interrupted gently. “I understand.”That calm, compliant response made him pause longer than usual. He looked as if he didn’t know whether to stay or go.But then a new message from Jill lit up his phone screen. I had caught a glimpse of the content.She wore a maid's costume, barely covering anything.Desire darkened his eyes before he wrestled it under control.“Are you sure you’re okay, Emma? If there’s anything—anything at all—don’t keep it in. I’m your husband. I’ll always be your strongest support.”I turned my face to the sid

I'd known about Noah's wandering heart for some time. I also knew that Jill wasn’t the first person he’d fallen for, nor would she be the last.I had met Jill six months ago. Back then, she was a down-and-out girl. She had a gambler for a father, a troublemaking brother, and a thieving younger brother. The entire family relied on her to support them. Out of sympathy, I had hired her as a gardener.On her first day of work, Jill had a huge argument with Noah. She had no idea how to operate the trimmer and not only ruined my favorite peach tree but also hurt her hand badly.When she came to me, her eyes were full of tears. She looked so pitiful at the time.Noah would rarely say anything, but this time he couldn't hold back. “If you can’t do it, don’t! You’re just causing trouble, a disaster waiting to happen. Look at what you've done to the peach tree that Emma loves so much. “If it dies, you could never repay its worth!”At the time, I hadn’t expected Noah to be so har

Jill could no longer speak from the pain of Noah’s attacks.Her body bled through her hospital gown, the lower half of her body torn and raw. Only when a team of doctors and nurses rushed in did they finally manage to pull Noah away.“Don’t think just because Emma’s gone that you’ll take her place,” he growled, his voice cold as steel. “Let me tell you something, Jill—If Emma doesn’t return, I’ll make sure your miserable life stretches into decades of suffering.”But instead of cowering, Jill threw back her head and laughed.“You’re nothing but a monster, Noah!” she spat. “You think a woman like Emma would come back to you? Keep dreaming. She already knew everything you did. She would have left you even without me in the picture!”The words cut deep, like a blade slashing through a truth he had fought to deny. His face twisted in rage, and he screamed, “Shut up! Emma will come back to me!”Security dragged Noah out of the hospital as he struggled violently....Meanwhil