Chapter 3

That whole month, I felt like my mind was falling apart.

Now, looking at those marks, I actually found it almost funny.

Was this how Sophia marked his territory?

Did Edward know and simply turn a blind eye, or did he just not care at all?

I felt like the man in front of me was no longer the husband I had been married to for three years, the man I once had feelings for. Now I was starting to doubt whether there had ever truly been any feelings between us.

Just then, Edward stepped right up to me.

He opened the jewelry box with a provocative gesture. "Let me help you put these on. These earrings would have matched your dress perfectly today. But it's too bad you've already changed."

As he leaned in, I looked at him, but there wasn't even a flicker of attraction in me.

All I could think about was how unpleasant his cologne smelled. I hated that scent more than anything.

Besides, I had absolutely no intention of sleeping with him tonight.

Last night, my younger lover got a little too excited, and his marks were still on me.

If I ended up in bed with another man now, still having my younger lover's marks on me would just make me feel sick.

I supposed it was the same for Edward too.

"If you want some lovey-dovey act, go find your first love, Sophia," I said.

The moment he heard Sophia's name, his expression turned completely cold.

He glared at me, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. "What the hell are you trying to do? I already saved your face at that party.

"You embarrassed me in front of everyone, and I didn't even call you out for it. Don't push your luck."

I was already irritated and gave him a cold stare. "Thanks for saving face for me, Mr. White, but I don't need it. What I need right now is rest. So do me a favor and leave me alone."

After running around all night yesterday with my younger lover and then having to deal with today's party, I felt like my bones were practically falling apart.

Seeing how indifferent I was, Edward felt completely disrespected. "Alright then, Ms. Rivers. Since you don't need me as your husband, don't blame me for what comes next."

When he finally left, I let out a sigh of relief.

Finally, I could rest. I lay down on the bed, just beginning to feel sleepy.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a notification. I picked it up.

It was a video from Sophia.

In the video, Edward was holding her close, and they were kissing as if they couldn't get enough of each other.

Her clothes were in a disheveled state, and it was obvious what was about to happen.

At the very end of the video, she looked straight into the camera with a defiant expression.

After watching the video, I saved it, took screenshots, and sent everything to my lawyer.

Then I lay back down and finally drifted off to sleep.

I slipped into a pleasant dream, relaxing by a pool while my younger lover pampered me, letting me enjoy the warmth of his strong, muscular chest.

Suddenly, my phone rang, pulling me straight out of the dream.

When I saw it was a friend from my social circle, I tried to keep my temper in check.

I answered, sounding annoyed. "You'd better have a damn good reason for calling me at this hour."

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard a broken, emotional voice on the other end. "Why does Ms. Rivers always have to act like she's above me?

"Why can't she just give in to me? Why does she still insist on looking down on me, even after we're married?

"Does she really love me?"

I recognized that voice instantly. It was Edward.

Another voice came through the phone. "Charlotte, your husband's drunk. Do you want to come pick him up? He looks really out of it."

My voice turned sharp with anger. "What exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to push us back together or something?

"I thought we were friends. If you're taking his side, then forget about it.

"If you have issues, go deal with Sophia. Leave me out of it."

After my outburst, I hung up.

Then I opened WhatsApp, found Sophia, who had just sent me the video, and forwarded her the address of the friend who had called me. After that, I quickly turned off my phone and lay back down, ready to go back to sleep.

Maybe it was all the interruptions, but the sleepiness I had earlier was pretty much gone.

Without even meaning to, my mind drifted back to the first time I caught Edward cheating.

I had set all kinds of rules for him back then, but he ignored every single one of them.

*****

One night, he stayed out very late and didn't come home. I only learned from a friend that he was at a bar.