Undeniable attraction

LUNA MILLER POV

Three years.

For exactly one thousand and ninety-five days, I lived the life that every woman around me once envied and dreamed of having. I was the wife of Cedric Hale — the young master of the Hale Group, a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth, handsome, talented, wealthy, and holding a position that countless people could only ever look up to from afar. Since we were very young, everyone around us always said that we were the perfect match made in heaven. We grew up together, went to the same schools, attended the same family gatherings and parties, and wherever Cedric went, I was always right there beside him, like his shadow, his most loyal supporter, and the woman who loved him more than anyone else in the whole world.

To me, Cedric was everything. He was my first love, my only love, and honestly speaking, I thought he would be my last love as well. I remembered clearly the day he proposed to me. It was my twenty-first birthday celebration, surrounded by our closest family members and friends. Under the bright sparkling lights and soft romantic music playing in the background, Cedric knelt down on one knee in front of everyone, gently held my trembling hand, and looked straight deep into my eyes with that charming, warm smile that always managed to make my heart beat wildly inside my chest. He told me he had loved me silently for a very long time, that I was the only woman who had ever occupied his heart, mind, and soul, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life waking up and falling asleep seeing my face every single day. There were tears shining in his eyes, his voice was sincere, soft, and full of deep emotion, and at that exact moment, I honestly believed I was the happiest woman alive in this whole world.

I didn't hesitate even for one single second before saying “Yes” to him, believing with every beat of my heart and every breath I took that this man was truly my destiny, my true soulmate, and the person I would grow old with until our hair turned white and our skin wrinkled with age.

Our wedding was grand, luxurious, and beautiful beyond words. Every single detail was carefully arranged and prepared perfectly, ensuring that our wedding ceremony became the talk of the whole city for months afterward. Everyone came to congratulate us, telling us how incredibly lucky we were to have found each other and wished us eternal happiness and love. I walked down the aisle wearing the most stunning white wedding gown I had ever seen in my entire life, holding that beautiful bouquet of fresh white roses, and when I finally looked toward the altar and saw Cedric standing there waiting patiently for me, his eyes shining brightly with affection, warmth, and happiness, I truly thought everything I dreamed of and wished for was finally coming true right before my eyes.

However, reality is often far different from sweet promises and beautiful dreams.

Three years had passed since that beautiful unforgettable day, and slowly but surely, everything had changed completely beyond recognition.

At first, I kept telling myself that it was completely normal and natural. After all, marriage was definitely different from dating or courtship. When you are dating, everything is romantic, sweet, exciting, and full of passion, but once you officially become husband and wife, responsibilities naturally grow heavier, work becomes busier and more stressful, and life naturally becomes calmer, quieter, and less dramatic. I always told myself that the passion and sweetness didn't disappear or fade away completely; it simply transformed into something deeper, steadier, and much more stable.

I tried my absolute best to be the perfect wife everyone expected me to be. I was always understanding, patient, supportive, and gentle toward him no matter what happened. Every morning, I woke up earlier just to prepare his favorite breakfast exactly the way he liked it, making sure he ate properly and healthily before leaving home for work. Every evening, no matter how late it was or how tired I felt, I always waited for him to come back home, helped him take off his coat and tie, prepared warm water so he could relax his exhausted body, and listened patiently whenever he wanted to talk about his work, business problems, or daily matters.

But lately, things have become unbearable. He barely talks to me, he avoids me intentionally, and every time I try to speak to him or ask him questions, his answers are short, cold, and full of impatience.

Tonight was just exactly like all those other cold, lonely nights I had experienced for so long already.

I sat quietly on the soft comfortable sofa inside our spacious living room, my hands gently holding a warm cup of tea I had prepared for him hours ago, which had long turned completely cold. I glanced at the large wall clock hanging opposite me — it was already one o’clock in the morning. I had been sitting here waiting patiently since ten in the evening, and my whole body felt stiff, sore, and numb from staying in the exact same position for such a long period of time. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, heavy rain was pouring down endlessly, and the loud sound of raindrops hitting hard against the glass mixed together with the deep sound of thunder roaring loudly from time to time. The atmosphere inside our big beautiful house was silent, cold, and lonely, completely different from the warmth, happiness, and laughter we used to share and enjoy together years ago.

Just as I was thinking of standing up and finally returning to my bedroom to rest, the sound of an expensive car engine came from outside our gate, followed closely by the loud noise of the heavy iron gate opening slowly. My heart jumped slightly inside my chest — he was finally home.

I immediately put down the cold cup of tea onto the table beside me, smoothed out the wrinkles on my dress, stood up properly, and walked toward the door waiting to welcome him back just like I had always done for the past three years of our marriage.

A moment later, the heavy wooden door opened wide, and Cedric walked inside our house. He was wearing his expensive tailored black suit, but his tie was loose and crooked, his hair was messy and untidy, and the smell of alcohol was so strong I could smell it clearly even standing a few steps away from him. I smiled gently at him, stepping forward instinctively wanting to help him take off his heavy coat and relieve his tiredness.

“You are back, Cedric,” I said softly, keeping my voice gentle and careful just like always. “I have prepared warm water and clean clothes for you. Go take a bath quickly so you can rest comfortably and sleep well. You smell strongly of alcohol again… did you attend another business dinner tonight?”

However, before I could even reach out my hands to touch his clothes, Cedric roughly brushed me away, his expression cold, sharp, and clearly impatient just like he had been lately.

“Don't touch me,” he said sharply, his voice rough, unfriendly, and completely lacking of warmth. “And stop waiting for me every single night like this, Luna. It is annoying, unnecessary, and frankly speaking — very annoying and suffocating! I told you many times already, I am a busy man and I have many important things to handle and take care of outside. You are just wasting your precious time staying awake and waiting uselessly like this every time.”

I froze exactly where I stood, my hands hanging awkwardly in the empty air. The warm gentle smile on my face slowly faded away completely, replaced instantly by deep sadness and hurt I tried desperately hard to hide and suppress.

“I… I was just worried about you,” I whispered softly, trying my absolute hardest not to let my tears fall and show weakness in front of him. “You have been drinking too much lately and coming home very late almost every day. I just want to make sure you are safe and fine… is it wrong for me to worry about my own husband?”

“Worried?” Cedric scoffed loudly and shook his head in obvious disdain, looking down at me with those dark cold eyes that no longer held even a tiny bit of affection or tenderness like before. “Luna, please stop acting like you are this perfect understanding wife who knows everything about my life. Honestly, you don't understand anything at all about my life, my work, or what I truly want and need! You just live inside this big comfortable house, eating delicious food, wearing expensive clothes, and enjoying all the privileges and benefits of being Mrs. Hale, yet you still keep bothering me and acting like I owe you everything or I am responsible for your entire happiness! Do you even know how suffocating and annoying it feels seeing your face every time I come home tired, exhausted, and stressed out? You are boring, Luna! You are always so quiet, obedient, gentle, and predictable — there is absolutely nothing exciting or interesting about you anymore. Everything about you feels dull, lifeless, and suffocating to me now.”

Every single cruel word he spoke hit me hard like sharp knives stabbing directly deep inside my heart repeatedly. I stood there trembling slightly, feeling as though my whole world was slowly falling apart and shattering into pieces right before my very eyes.

How could he say such hurtful things to me? How could the exact same man who once swore sincerely to love me, cherish me, and protect me forever now look at me like I was nothing but trash, or a heavy burden he was forced unwillingly to carry around everywhere he went?

“I have never done anything to make you feel uncomfortable or unhappy, Cedric,” I answered him, trying my best to keep my voice steady and calm despite the unbearable pain rising sharply inside my chest. “I have always tried my absolute best to be good to you, treat you well, and be the best wife I could possibly be. I take care of our home, I respect your parents and whole family, I do everything you ask me to do obediently and without complaint… why are you treating me like this? What exactly did I do wrong to deserve this kind of coldness and cruelty from you? If you are tired of me or unhappy with me, just tell me clearly! Why do you have to treat me like I am invisible or worthless?”

Cedric rolled his eyes impatiently and let out a heavy loud sigh filled with obvious irritation and annoyance toward me. He looked straight at me silently for a few seconds before speaking again, and every single word he said was even colder, crueler, and more painful than before.

“You didn't do anything wrong, Luna, and that is exactly the problem!” He suddenly shouted loudly, his voice echoing loudly through our quiet living room. “You are always perfect, always obedient, always kind and gentle… but that is exactly why I feel so tired and bored living with you! You never argue or disagree with me, you never have your own opinions or thoughts, you just nod and agree with everything I say or decide! You are like a beautiful doll or statue that looks perfect and beautiful to display, but completely empty and lifeless inside! And you know what hurts me the most and makes me realize our marriage is completely wrong? You will never understand me, Luna! You are safe, obedient, and proper — everything arranged and planned perfectly. But she… she is completely different! She understands every word I say, she knows exactly what I like and dislike, she listens to me attentively, she laughs happily with me, and she makes me feel truly alive, happy, and excited whenever I am with her! She makes me feel like a real man, unlike you who always makes me feel like I am trapped inside a golden cage made of responsibilities and duties I never really wanted or chose freely!”

My heart clenched painfully hearing his words. I gripped the hem of my dress tightly, my knuckles turning white from the force. “She? Who exactly is she you keep talking about, Cedric? Are you telling me there is someone else? Have you been cheating on me all this time?”

“Cheating?” Cedric laughed mockingly, looking at me with a look of pity mixed with disgust. “Don't make it sound so terrible and dramatic, Luna. It’s not like that. It is just… I finally met someone who is right for me, someone who belongs to my world and understands my soul. Someone who makes me feel happy and complete.”

“So you are admitting it then!” My voice shook uncontrollably as tears started gathering in my eyes. “You really have fallen in love with another woman while I have been faithfully staying here waiting for you every single night? While I spend every day and night thinking only about you and worrying about you? How could you do this to me, Cedric? After everything we have gone through together since childhood? After all the promises you made to me before we got married?”

“What promises?” Cedric interrupted me sharply, his voice becoming colder and harsher. “Luna, grow up! Don't you know that promises change and feelings change? When I married you, I thought I loved you, I really did. But people change! We grow differently, we want different things now. You are still the same old Luna I knew years ago — gentle, soft, and simple. But I am not the same person anymore! My world is bigger now, my needs are different, and unfortunately… you just don't fit into it anymore.”

“Just don't fit anymore?” I repeated his words slowly, tasting the bitterness and pain in every single syllable. “So all those years of friendship, love, and marriage means absolutely nothing to you now? Everything we built together, everything we shared… you are just throwing them away like trash?”

“I am not throwing anything away,” Cedric answered coldly, completely unaffected by my tears and sadness. “I am just facing reality and telling you the truth. It is better this way, rather than pretending everything is fine and hurting each other slowly every day. You deserve better too, Luna. You deserve someone who truly loves you and wants you. But clearly… that person is not me anymore.”

I stood there stunned, heartbroken, and completely devastated. My hands clenched tightly into fists beside my trembling body, and I could clearly feel my whole body shaking uncontrollably because of the mixture of pain, anger, humiliation, and sadness rising rapidly inside my heart.

I knew exactly who he was talking about.

Iris Ford.

Her name echoed painfully inside my mind like a heavy curse. Iris was a young employee working under the marketing department of Hale Group — young, beautiful, charming, talkative, lively, and outgoing. She was literally everything I was not and could never be. Ever since Cedric met her almost one year ago, everything between husband and wife started going completely wrong and downhill. Cedric began working overtime frequently, went out on business trips very often, and slowly started treating me colder, quieter, and more distant day by day.

At first, I chose to believe all his excuses and explanations, telling myself repeatedly that Cedric was loyal and faithful, that he would never break his promises or betray our love and marriage, and that everything was just my own imagination and insecurity playing tricks on my mind. Even when I heard whispers, rumors, and gossips spreading everywhere among our social circles and family friends saying that Cedric was always seen together with Iris everywhere, eating, traveling, and attending events, I always shook my head and refused firmly to believe them. I trusted him completely, I trusted the beautiful love and memories we built together since childhood, and I firmly believed deep inside my heart that Cedric was just confused and distracted temporarily and would eventually realize his mistakes and return to my side completely just like before.

But hearing him admitting it openly and honestly right now, hearing him comparing me unfavorably to another woman and claiming clearly that Iris understood him better and made him happier than I ever could, completely shattered every bit of hope, trust, and belief I had tried so hard to hold onto until this exact moment.

“So… is that really the reason?” I whispered, tears finally streaming freely and uncontrollably down my pale cheeks, my voice trembling, broken, and shaking completely. “You treat me badly, ignore me, speak harshly to me… all because of her? You have fallen in love with another woman while I have been faithfully waiting, loving, and treating you well all this time?”

Hearing my painful question, Cedric didn't look ashamed, guilty, or regretful at all. Instead, he just looked straight at me coldly and nodded his head slowly and calmly, confirming everything clearly with absolutely no hesitation or guilt in his eyes or expression.

“Yes Luna, I admit it clearly and honestly!” He said loudly and clearly, looking straight deep into my tearful eyes without even blinking once. “I love Iris, and I have loved her for quite a long time already. Compared to her, you are nothing but an obligation and duty I was forced to fulfill. We grew up together, everyone around us expected us to marry and be together forever, and I honestly thought I loved you back then too… but I realized recently that it was never real love or passion. It was just familiarity, habit, and friendship. Iris is the only one who truly holds my heart and soul completely, and I don't want to hide or pretend anymore.”

He paused briefly for exactly two seconds, glancing at my crying face and trembling body, yet he continued speaking mercilessly as if tearing my heart apart gave him absolutely no pain or guilt whatsoever.

“I have actually been meaning to tell you this for quite some time now,” he continued calmly and cruelly, every word hitting me harder and harder. “I plan to officially divorce you very soon. Once I finish arranging everything properly and settling all matters completely, I will file all necessary legal documents and we can go our separate ways peacefully and quietly. I will give you enough compensation and money so you can live comfortably and happily anywhere you want. Consider everything I gave you and provided during our marriage as payment for all the years we spent together. You can start a peaceful new life elsewhere, and I will finally be completely free to marry the person I truly love and want to spend the rest of my life with happily.”

“DIVORCE?!” I screamed loudly in shock and disbelief, feeling as if the whole world suddenly collapsed heavily right on top of my head and crushed me completely. “You… you want to divorce me just like that? After everything I have done for you and everything we went through together since we were just small innocent children? How can you say such things so easily, casually, and calmly? Am I really nothing to you now, Cedric Hale? Am I just a toy you played happily with and throw away carelessly once you get bored and find something newer and more interesting?”

“I never said you were nothing,” Cedric answered coldly, his face completely expressionless and emotionless.

TO BE CONTINUED