Chapter Five

Selene opened the door and walked in, but she wasn’t the same woman who had walked out of it moments ago. She felt more broken now. Her steps were slower, and her heart felt quiet.

The dancing was still in full swing. Laughter, music, and spinning bodies filled the room, but Selene felt like an outsider to it all. She had no desire to join in. No desire to smile.

Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Damien. He was standing off to the side of the room, beneath the dim glow of the lights, downing a glass of champagne like it was water.

Without a word, she began to move toward him.

"Please, tell me who else knows. Please." She pleaded, gripping onto the sleeve of his suit once she stood in front of him. She was on the verge of crying again.

"Selene, I didn't send you the note so you can wallow in pain." Damien responded calmly.

"Then why? Why did you send me the note?" Selene whispered.

"So you can fucking get revenge." Damien said, his voice laced with frustration.

"Why?" Selene inquired again, her heart racing.

"Because you deserve it," Damien replied, his gaze hardening. "Because the bastard deserves everything he’s about to get."

Selene’s breath caught, a surge of anger flooding through her. "What do you mean?"

"He’s been playing you for years. You think he’s the man you married, but he’s not. He’s nothing more than a coward."

The words hit like a slap.

"Selene," Damien continued, "You’re worth more than this betrayal. You deserve to have your life back, and I’m giving you the means to take it. No one else is going to give you the justice you need, so you have to take it yourself."

He was about to walk away but stopped and turned back to Selene. “This might sound weird, but sooner or later, you’ll realize that no one loved you as much as I did.”

He held her gaze for a moment before turning and walking away.

Selene stood frozen, stunned. His words were so similar to what the figure—who always looked like her mother—used to say right before disappearing.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it. The door opened, and Cole walked in.

Selene straightened herself and quickly walked over to him. “Hey, where have you been?” she asked, keeping her voice light and cheerful.

“Oh, I went out to take a phone call,” Cole said casually, waving his phone. “Business as usual, you know.”

Selene gave a small nod, managing a smile. He kissed her on the cheek, and her stomach twisted. She nearly gagged, but forced herself to stay composed.

They stood together watching the dancers, and a few minutes later, Scarlett walked in.

Selene approached her immediately. “Hey, where did you go?”

“Oh, I’ve been in the toilet. I don’t think the food sat well with me,” Scarlett said, rubbing her stomach.

“Really?” Selene asked, pretending to be concerned.

“Yeah,” Scarlett replied.

Selene nodded and turned away, heading toward Eileen, who was picking at some appetizers being passed around.

“Eileen, what does my schedule look like for Thursday, tomorrow?” she asked.

“It’s fully packed with meetings and a few appearances,” Eileen replied.

“Fine then. Can you hire me a private investigator?” Selene asked bluntly.

“Sure, ma’am. But… what do you need one for?” Eileen asked, puzzled.

“It’s classified. You know what that means, right?”

Eileen stared at her for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure no one finds out. Once I get home, I’ll begin searching immediately and send you the details.”

“I need him by tomorrow,” Selene instructed. “Find someone who can work on short notice. I’ll send an email tonight with everything he needs to know. So don’t waste time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Eileen said.

Selene turned and walked back to Cole, her mind already in tomorrow.

It was well past eleven when the anniversary party finally ended. Selene and Cole drove home in silence, his hand lazily tangled with hers, the other on the steering wheel. He wore a bright, carefree smile as he bobbed his head to the music playing softly from the radio, like the night had been perfect.

When they got home, Cole collapsed straight onto the bed. Selene was relieved he wasn’t in the mood to have sex. She couldn’t bear the thought of him touching her—not tonight.

But the relief quickly gave way to rage. Of course he wouldn’t want her. He was probably saving himself for Scarlett tomorrow. Maybe that filthy kiss was enough to keep him satisfied for now.

Her eyes drifted to his sleeping figure on the bed. He hadn’t even changed. Still in his suit pants and that crisp white shirt that once made her proud to call him hers.

Selene let out a long, defeated sigh.

“Maybe we should kill him,” a voice said calmly beside her.

She didn’t even flinch. She already knew who it was.

Turning, she found the figure of her mother standing there—an illusion, yes, but one she was far too familiar with by now.

“If we plan it right,” the figure said, eyes fixed on Cole with a cold gleam, “we could get away with it.”

She turned to face Selene, her expression contorting with disgust. “I told you. They walk all over you because you’re pathetic. A weakling. When will you wake up and see the truth? Take Damien’s advice. No one loves you as much as we do.”

Selene’s breathing grew heavier. She knew she had to walk away. Her feet turned instinctively toward the bathroom. Maybe a shower would drown out the noise.

But she was wrong.

The moment she stepped inside and turned on the water, silence fell, deafening and absolute. And in that silence, her mind turned on her.

It all came rushing back.

The familiar words from the note. Her mother’s figure screaming at her. Cole’s calm reassurances. Scarlett’s laughter. The laughter of everyone at the party. Damien’s words. Scarlett and Cole behind the bathroom door. Her exchange with Damien afterwards. More laughter. Cole’s speech. Another burst of laughter. Scarlett’s mocking words. Damien’s warning. The figure—her mother—screaming.

More laughter. And more.

It clawed at every corner of her mind—loud, proud, and merciless. She didn’t even realize when her knees gave out and she collapsed onto the wet tiles.

“Please… make it stop,” she whispered, breathless, over and over again.

Her hands clamped over her ears, trying to shut it all out. Blood trickled from her nose, mixing with the water as it swirled toward the drain.

“Please. Please, just stop. I can’t take it anymore,” Selene cried.

And then, like someone had listened… everything went silent.

Just like that.

But Selene didn’t move. Not after five minutes. Not after ten.

It took her thirty full minutes before she finally stood, slow and trembling, and stepped out of the shower. By then, her skin was soaked to the bone, her fingers wrinkled and pale. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, felt like they could barely stay open.

She wrapped a towel around herself and dragged her feet to the mirror.

That’s when the figure appeared again.

“You’re so pretty,” it said softly, almost with pity. “Yet he dared to cheat on you.”

Her reflection didn’t look like hers anymore.

“You gave everything to this marriage… and he tossed it aside for her.”

Selene’s grip on the sink tightened.

“You supported her. Helped her rise. And how did she repay you?” the figure asked, voice curdling. “She stabbed you in the back.”

There was a pause, then a cruel smile from the figure.

“You gave him your heart, and he gave it to your best friend.”

The figure leaned closer through the glass, its voice now a whisper laced with rage.

“Come on, Selene. Make them pay.”