Chapter 1
"Emily..." The man's voice was gentle and affectionate, and as he kissed her over and over, his bearing was one of utter devotion.
Looking into Andrew Foster's deep eyes, Emily Harper should have been captivated, but she untimely recalled the scene of catching him and Olivia Lane in bed that day.
It was a dressing room in a hall, and anyone could barge in at any second.
They were so consumed by desire that they couldn't help themselves.
They forgot to close the door before they were all over each other.
Olivia, dressed in a striking red gown, lay on the couch like a gorgeous rose in full bloom, her allure almost overwhelming.
When Andrew was on top of her, his expression was one of utter loss of control, something Emily had never seen on his face before.
He was kissing Olivia and kept calling her name.
The thrill of their secret affair made them completely lose control.
They didn't notice Emily quietly dozing in the corner of the changing room until she stepped out of the shadows and gazed down at them.
For a split second, Andrew on that day and the one now on top of her seemed to merge into one.
'So dirty,' Emily thought, pushing Andrew away, nausea rising in her throat.
She rushed into the bathroom, clutching the toilet as she retched again and again.
Andrew's voice was full of concern. "Emily, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
He reached out, but as soon as his fingers touched her back, Emily immediately brushed his hand off. "Don't touch me."
Her disgust was impossible to miss.
Andrew's face instantly turned grim. But he kept his cool, poured her a glass of water, and brought it over.
Emily turned around and could see the cautiousness and exhaustion in his eyes.
It had been 107 days since Andrew came back home after his affair. But neither of them had truly moved on from that storm.
She rinsed her mouth, her gaze tracing the sharp lines of his face.
The air between them was thick and suffocating.
Emily knew she shouldn't say it, but she couldn't hold back.
The beast inside her roared, urging her to tear apart the fake warmth right in front of her.
Her lips lifted in a forced, almost mechanical smile as she looked at him. "Andrew, when you called my name just now, who were you really thinking of? Me or Olivia?"
Andrew's face went ghostly pale in an instant. In the next moment, a blinding rage took over him.
He spun around and kicked the nightstand so hard that it toppled over.
Things were scattered all over the floor. He looked at her, frustration and exhaustion mixing in his eyes. "Emily, I've told you. I love you. You're the one I can't let go of, the one I chose to stay with.
"You've already won. I'm back home. What more do you want from me? What will it take for you to finally move on?"
He threw on his clothes and stormed out of the room.
The cold air he left in his wake swept over Emily, making her shiver uncontrollably.
She pushed open the window and watched as Andrew stormed out the door, slipping into his car in the darkness.
The car sat there, engine silent, and from where she stood, all she could see was his hand resting on the window frame.
Between his long, elegant fingers, she noticed a hint of crimson. He was smoking.
Suddenly, a familiar personalized ringtone shattered the silence of the night. It was Olivia calling.
Emily's mind drifted back to the day Andrew had promised to come back to their family. He'd deleted and blocked Olivia right in front of her.
Emily wondered, 'When did he add her back?
'Was it every time he spaced out, picking up his phone and putting it down again?
'Or did he secretly save it when he couldn't sleep at night, sneaking off to the study for a smoke?'