Chapter 3 "The Fight"

Eva met Tally's gaze, the smug glint in those eyes igniting a spark of fury within her. The carefully constructed dam of composure she'd built over weeks crumbled in an instant, and a wave of anger, hot and unexpected, surged through her, threatening to boil over.

"Eva, said for the last time, Blake, it's not about the money. You know I'd give you anything."

Eva countered, her voice barely above a whisper. "You see everything through the lens of money. How do you not understand that it's never your money I want?"

Eva's gaze drifted to the flickering fireplace, a silent refuge from the storm brewing within her. "It's the lack of effort, Blake. The way you come home late, barely acknowledging me.

Silence descended again, heavier this time. Blake opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, as if searching for the right words. Eva didn't get any response from Blake, she leaved the room.

Blake watched her leave, pinching the bridge of his nose between his eyebrows.

"What is wrong with her today?"

Tally blinked and said gently, "She should be angry with me. I'll go apologize to her."

Eva walked back into her room, changed out of her nightgown, and lay on the bed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Eva's eyes lit up.

Did Blake come to see her?

Eva jumped out of bed and opened the door. Tally's face was all she saw. The light in Eva's eyes dimmed.

"What are you doing here?"

Tally got straight to the point. "You and Blake might have been married for three years, but I'm the only one he loves. Up until recently, I was receiving treatment overseas. I didn't think I had much time left, so I let Blake leave me and marry you. But now I have recovered. I hope you'll respect our love and divorce him."

Eva's heart ached, but she was too dignified to let Tally see her squirm.

"You, a mistress, are asking a wife to divorce her husband? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

The smile on Tally's face disappeared. "Watch your mouth, Eva. I'm not a mistress. When it comes to love, the one who isn't loved is the mistress!"

Eva sneered. "As long as I don't divorce, I'm Blake's wife and you're the mistress."

The carefully constructed mask of smugness on Tally's face shattered under the weight of Eva's words. A deep flush rose on her neck, quickly followed by a ferocious glower that could have curdled milk, betraying the unexpected sting of Eva's truth.

A cruel glint flickered in Tally's eyes as she leaned in, her voice a honeyed whisper laced with venom, "Don't get complacent, Eva. Let's see what Blake does when something happens to me. Will he finally see what he's missing, or will he just let you go that easily?"

An inexplicable prickle of unease crawled up Eva's spine, morphing into a cold dread that settled deep in her gut, a premonition of something amiss that cast a shadow over the seemingly innocuous situation.

"What do you want, Tally?"