My Father-in-law

Chapter Three

Maisie

Fuck me!

I hooked up with a total stranger.

Every corner of the room held evidence of what we’d shared last night—my panties hung off the face of a tattooed statue, my bra dangled from the door knob, and my clothes were scattered haphazardly across the floor.

My head banged with the aftermath of the countless bottles of alcohol I took last night, and my stomach turned violently. The nausea hit me hard, and I scrambled out of bed, rushing into the bathroom. I barely made it there before collapsing onto the cold tiles, my body convulsing.

The small space was filled with the sound of retching as my stomach continued to twist. The acidic burn in my throat made me feel even worse.

Tears pricked my eyes as I emptied everything I had into the toilet, my body shaking with the force of it. I stayed crouched there, my head resting on the porcelain rim, panting, trying to piece together the fragments of last night.

When I felt better, I rinsed my mouth and splashed water on my face. Pulling myself back from the floor, I made my way back to the room. The cold air kissed my skin, and it was then the realization that I was naked struck me.

I had shared something passionate with a man I’d never met before, a man I’d likely never see again. Yet, I felt neither guilt nor shame. Instead, I pondered on the fact that I’d just crossed a boundaries I’d set for myself and held steadfast for the past two years.

Even when I felt needy, even when I’d yearned to be touched and for Finn to reignite the old flames we’d once had in the early days of our relationship, I’d never given in to the thought of picking someone else over him.

Finn had been my world—my everything. He had meant so much to me that I once believed I couldn’t live without him. But the moment he cheated on me, every ounce of love, trust, and respect I had for him shattered. He turned the seven years I’d spent with him into a complete waste and made me feel stupid for grinning like a fool when he dropped to one knee to propose. I had spent countless sleepless nights imagining the day we’d be joined at the altar, the day I’d finally be able to call him mine legally. But all of that—all of those dreams—had been shattered.

I dragged myself to the bed and collapsed onto it with a heavy sigh. My heart ached not for Finn, but for the wasted years and the love I had poured into him. There was nothing left to do with Finn except to officially end this facade of a relationship, pack my belongings from his house, and say goodbye to his lies and deceit.

I needed to leave, but my body resisted. Every corner of it reminded me of last night—the way I had been lost in the arms of a man who made me feel so perfect and wanted, a man who made me feel desired for the first time two years, and pleasured me just in the exact way i had always longed for.

The night had been perfect, except for the fact that we didn’t have sex.

My chest tightened at that realization. I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed for missing the best part of the night, or relieved that I hadn’t gone all the way with a total stranger and done something I might regret later. But deep down, I knew I wouldn’t have regretted it.

As I sat up on the bed, my eyes landed on a note stuck to the bedpost. I pulled it off and giggled at the sight of the handwriting. It was uneven, slanted, almost as if a child had written it—a stark contrast to the perfect man who had dominated my night.

He had drawn five stars and written beneath them: “Rate your night, Bambina.”

As much as I didn’t know what Bambina meant, it sounded really good, especially when he moaned it last night, asking me to let it all out for him.

My cheeks flushed as I stared at the note, my heart racing with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. But as quickly as the warmth filled me, it faded away with the reminder of how I’d once yearned for Finn to show me the same kind of attention and affection.

I found a pen on the bed side table, and shaded four out of the five stars. Four stars for giving me just what I needed, and for making me realize I didn’t need Finn to feel love or wanted, I just need a perfect man like him that could put me in different positions until I was spent. But I left one star open for the unfinished business.

I wished he’d left a phone number instead of a cheeky note. If he had, I would’ve called him without hesitation. Never in my life would I have imagined feeling this way, but Finn had pushed me to this point. He had turned me into someone who craved more than what he could ever give

I took a quick shower, gathered my scattered clothes, and dressed. The throbbing from my hangover was faint now, but it wasn’t entirely gone. Still, I pushed through it. Stepping out of the hotel room and onto the street, I paused to decide my next move.

I spent several minutes trying to decide where to go—whether I should head home first or go straight to Finn’s house and give him a piece of my mind before finally putting an end to this ridiculous game of his. I chose the latter.

I found a cab and headed for his house, my heart pounding in my chest. I thought it would be easy, that I wouldn’t be scared to end this, but it had been seven years. Seven years of my life were about to end with a single conversation.

My fist clenched as I replayed every lie, every false promise, and every deceitful smile he’d given me. How could he do this to me? Had he ever truly cared about me, or did it only start after our relationship began? What did he really think of me? A fool who wouldn’t catch on to his silly game until he was done with me, ready to toss me aside as if I meant nothing?

I shouldn’t walk away from this without a fight. I shouldn’t just put an end to it without making him pay for the years of my life he’d wasted. He needed to see that I wasn’t just some fool he could mess with and toss aside like trash. I should show him what I was capable of, but all I could think about was ending this pathetic excuse of a relationship.

I finally arrived at his house, my legs trembling the moment I stepped out of the cab. I almost turned back. My heart raced wildly as I dragged my feet toward the entrance, my fingers gripping my bag as if my life depended on it.

I reached the door, my hands shaking as I reached for the doorbell.

The door swung open almost immediately, and I froze. It was him. The man who had caused all of this—Finn. He stood there with his hand on the knob, a wide smile on his face, as if he were genuinely happy to see me. As if he didn’t have another woman somewhere, someone he was in love with. How could he wear that deceitful smile so effortlessly, making me blind to the truth?

“Baby!” he greeted, and my stomach churn. “I was just about to head to your place. We’re so in sync, huh?”

The word baby once made my heart flutter. Now, it rang hollow. The only name I wanted to hear was Bambina, and from that man from last night. Mila was really right, all I needed to get off this heartbreak was to get laid.

I forced a tight smile. “Why were you heading to my place?”

“Dad’s here,” he said casually.

My stomach sank. “He’s… early. I thought he wasn’t coming until next week?”

“Yeah, well, surprise! Come on, he’s been asking about you.” Finn grabbed my hand, pulling me inside before I could even protest.

“Dad! Maisie’s here!” Finn called out as he led me into the living room.

My heart stopped the moment I heard his voice. I had never met his father, but his voice sounded so much like the man from last night.

“Oh, Maisie. So good to finally see you.”

I chuckled nervously. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. My ears had to be playing a silly trick on me.

I looked up, my breath hitching as my eyes locked onto the man standing in front of me.

What

The

Hell?

I shook my head, pinched myself, trying my best to wake up from this terrible nightmare, but nothing changed. He was still standing there in front of me.

The perfect man from last night—the man who took my request like a command and devoured me until my legs were shaky beyond my control—the man who made me feel wanted, desired, and needed. The man who looked at me with eyes full of affection and kissed me like he’d been waiting his whole life to do so… was Finn’s father? My… my father-in-law to be?

“Won’t you hug your father-in-law, Maisie? “ he grinned. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”