Chapter 4
"What's with the tears?" Dean Rundell said.
His calloused hand gently brushed away my tears.
"Come on, you're gorgeous. You should be smiling," Dean teased. "Smile brighter than anyone else. Show them all you're living your best life."
But how could that ever be?
"If you set your mind to it, anything's possible," Dean said with a grin.
I sat there for a long time, then suddenly asked, "If I want to sleep with you, can that happen too?"
This time, Dean froze for a second, totally stunned.
But it only lasted a few seconds.
Before I knew it, Dean scooped me up, his arms wrapped firmly around my waist.
"Your place or mine?" he asked.
And just like that, I brought Dean back to my place.
It was the very day Craig and Trisha set off for Asocobridge.
The moment Dean's hot body pressed against me, an unexplainable sigh slipped from my heart.
So be it. Maybe this was how it ended.
I finally got what Craig felt when he was messing around outside. It was dangerous, exciting, and honestly, kind of addictive.
Part of me wanted the Hayden family and Craig to find out, just to see what would happen. But at the same time, I was scared out of my mind at the thought of them knowing.
I had no clue what kind of fallout there'd be if the Hayden family ever realized I was cheating on Craig.
But Dean was so much gentler and more passionate than Craig ever was. In those three months, he let me taste everything life had to offer.
Finally, I was just like Craig.
*****
When I woke up again, it was already nine in the morning.
Back when I first found out Craig was cheating, I quit my job and started watching his every move, day and night.
I thought he'd left ages ago, but when I opened the door, a body tumbled right in.
The sudden drop jolted Craig awake.
I didn't pay him any mind, just stepped over him and went downstairs to grab some food.
Soon enough, Craig came rushing downstairs, looking pissed.
"Were you sleeping all day yesterday? Why didn't you come get me?" Craig snapped.
"Didn't Trisha pick you up?" I replied, munching on a freshly baked bread, a little confused.
Craig looked even more pissed. "Why wasn't it you? Why didn't you open the door for me when I came back last night?"
"I was asleep," I replied, totally unfazed.
I took another bite, then reached for another bread.
The chef's skills were top-notch. I wondered if I'd ever get to taste bread like this again after I divorced.
Craig suddenly grabbed my chin and kissed me, his lips crashing down on mine in a rush.
"No, this isn't right. Paula, why are you like this? Why aren't you mad?" Craig demanded, his voice full of frustration.
I grabbed a bowl of cereal and dumped it over his head with all my strength, finally forcing him to let go.
I looked at him, totally calm, and asked, "Craig, isn't this what you and your family wanted all along?"
So why the drama now?
He looked absolutely furious. Before storming out, he spat, "Paula, I'll be waiting for the day you come crawling back, begging me to return."
After a moment, it finally hit me. Tomorrow was Melba's 80th birthday.
About two weeks ago, the Hayden family had told me I was supposed to attend with Craig.
Ever since Craig started cheating, my only role left was to be his wife in the public eye, to keep up appearances.
The Hayden family was in politics, priding themselves on being above reproach. The one thing they absolutely couldn't tolerate was any kind of scandal.
So, whether Craig liked it or not, at an official function, he was required to have me by his side.
And every time Trisha got jealous, they would put me on the spot, making trouble for me.
It became my job to make sure Craig showed up at every event he was supposed to attend.
If he didn't go, Melba would call me useless.
Thinking about the event tomorrow, I chuckled to myself.
Gotta hand it to him. Even after all that time messing around with Trisha, Craig still knew exactly how to keep me in line.
Fine. If that was what they want, I'd just play along.
That night, I put on some light makeup and slipped into a fresh outfit.
I grabbed Craig's favorite Porsche from the garage and drove off.
When I got to the hotel, Dean was already out of the shower.
His hot, young body pressed up against me, and for a moment, everything else just disappeared. I couldn't help but let out a real sigh.
No wonder Craig was into younger women. Having a younger partner was great.
Why was I so clueless before?
All night long, I was riding the waves of passion.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, a phone kept ringing nonstop. Finally, Dean, fed up, tossed it aside, and just like that, the room was quiet again.
When I woke up, it was almost noon.
Dean was already up, shirtless and doing push-ups on the floor.
Watching him so pumped and full of life made me so envious.
He pointed at the phone on the nightstand. "When I woke me up this morning, I accidentally smashed it, so I bought you a new one.
"Your SIM card's already in, but I didn't log into any of your apps. It's been ringing nonstop."
I ignored the phone and gave him a sympathetic look, feeling a bit bad for him.
He was getting caught up in my drama. He might end up blacklisted by the Haydens because of me.
I pulled out the bank card I'd set aside for this moment.
Everything I'd saved on it over the past two years was just a drop in the ocean compared to the Hayden family's fortune, but for most people, it was enough to live well for the rest of their life.